Tomorrow my Portuguese Water “puppy” turns nine. I realize he’s not truly a puppy any longer but in my eyes he will always be my puppy just as my youngest child (who is 15-going-on-25) will always be my baby. I have become so attached to Pepper that my daughter’s friend joked that I am offended when “people regard Pepper as a dog.”

But how can I think of Pepper as merely a dog when I look into his souful, brown eyes? I wish the rest of the world saw me as he sees me – total allegiance and longing. As if. He only wants to be near me, to be petted, walked and fed, day after day, year after year. And the great thing about dogs – as opposed to children – they don’t grow out of those feelings!

My kids had begged us to get a dog for years but their dad did not want any animals larger than a breadbox living with us, hence the various fish, box turtle, parakeets and gerbils we had prior to Pepper’s arrival. As fate would have it, the marriage didn’t last, and, to shorten the tale – Pepper became the new head of the household in 2000.

Pepper and I have shared a great deal together since our very first days together. If I’m lucky, we’ll have several more years ahead, but we’ve both had our medical challenges in recent years (Arthritis, Lyme and thyroid disease for him; breast cancer for me). After reading the book and seeing the movie “Marley & Me” (and shedding a bucket of tears after both), I realize that we probably have had more days together behind us than in front of us, so I want to treasure them.

I still get frustrated when Pepper barks while I’m on the phone or wakes up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. However, I have a newfound appreciation for the nine wonderful years he has been a member of our family. And it means that I look back fondly on his exploits – chewing through several pairs of expensive shoes, chair legs and woodwork; using a few rugs as his toilet; jumping up on everyone he has ever met.

My daughter asked me what I was planning to do for Pepper’s ninth birthday. We’ll probably check in with his breeder like we always do on the anniversary of his birth. Probably throw a few more treats his way and reward him with a new blanket or chew toy. Mostly we will give him what he craves the most – love and attention (and a few table scraps)!