We saved our little brown mutt in April, when I was in first grade. I had wanted a dog—any dog, so badly. My mom had found a shelter puppy online, and she was a bargain, too! The listing did not reveal exactly what breed she was. A Labrador? A Beagle? A brown…thing? But the minute I saw Coco, I knew she was going to be ours. Her crooked ears and strangely-large paws won me over. I wasn’t wild about her name, but that was okay. She stared up at me with her big, brown eyes. They were so wistful! I soon found out why: she had been abused and abandoned, left on the streets when she was just a few months old.

When we visited Coco as possible future-owners, we brought Frisbees and tennis balls and chew toys for her to play with. Little did we know that Coco was not like other dogs. When we brought her home and I attempted to play fetch with her, she simply sat by my feet, cocking her head quizzically. She has many oddities like this, which we were soon to discover. I asked my parents if we possibly got a dud—maybe she wasn’t right in the head. I was so disappointed that she didn’t play tug-of-war and do things that “fun” dogs do.

But Coco is loving. I have never met a sweeter, gentler dog. When I am sick, she lays by me on the couch. After I take her on a walk, she licks my legs and almost smiles at me. She has a quirky habit of stretching her mouth strangely when I scratch her shoulder, and it makes me laugh every time. But my favorite thing about Coco—and the trait that I admire most—is that she is always happy. She is happy to see me when I come home from school, happy to be outdoors, and especially happy to lie down and take a nap. No matter what mood I am in, the instant I see her wagging tail, my spirits are lifted.

I don’t claim to be all-knowing; there is certainly only so much that a dog can teach you. But Coco’s lessons will always stay in my heart. She has taught me that being conventional is not necessarily the greatest way to go through life. She is gentle with everyone, even loud kids who pull her tail and stick their fingers in her ears. She is tolerant and forgiving, and helps me to be those things, too. She has proven to me that love is truly unconditional. My mom may be her favorite, but I know that she will always be there for me, cheering me on.

Coco is much older now. It’s been ten years since we adopted her, and her fur is turning gray. To me, she will always be that calm, sweet puppy with the big, brown eyes. She has lost her hearing and most of her sight, but she is still there to comfort me every day. I hope that I will one day have as big a heart as Coco does. I strive in all I do to make everyone around me feel as happy as my little brown dog makes me.