The more I am around dogs, the more I am intrigued and impressed by these animals.

I've always thought every person should experience having a dog -- no matter what age, even as old or older than me.

Dogs have long been a part of my life. It was only during my college days and my first couple of years out of college while living in an apartment that I had no dog. Otherwise, a furry creature has been a best friend for more than 50 years.

Canines have served that niche for thousands of years. A descendant of the wolf family, dogs not only have been companions but have been trained to help their human counterparts. Some recent research indicates dogs want to please their masters and evolved that way. They quite likely are the most intelligent of animals. You would get no argument on that count from me.

Scanning some recent stories about dogs shows just how intelligent they are.

Buddy, a German shepherd, dialed 911 in Phoenix and saved his owner, Joe Stalnaker, who was having a seizure. At the age of eight weeks, Buddy began training at the Wayland, Mich.-based Paws With a Cause, which trains assistance dogs. He was trained to get the phone if Stalnaker began to have seizure symptoms.

Cash, another German shepherd, stayed by his master's side for six weeks after the man killed himself in a remote part of Colorado. The dog remained there and reportedly ate mice and rabbits before authorities found his master's body.

That German shepherds did these is no surprise. They are my favorite breed. They have performed as helper dogs and with police on K9 units for years. Our family had a 90-pound female for nearly 14 years and it was a devastating loss when she died.

The dog we had before our shepherd was part huskie and shepherd. She was so good with kids, she would allow our youngest daughter to dress her up in almost any kind of clothes. Yet, she was highly protective of them and a great companion.

Another intelligent breed that makes great helpers or pets is any of the labs.

Our latest canine friend is a yellow lab puppy who continually amazes me with his intelligence.

Trained to be a hunter's helper as a retriever of waterfowl and birds, labs can be sleuths and help fight crime. These dogs have been trained to sniff out hidden bombs and explosives with their highly trained noses.

A dog's nose is so sensitive, it can smell in layers. Researchers say if you are cooking chili, you know from the smell that it is chili. However, a dog can smell seven ingredients in the pot, it can differentiate between all seven.

Trained at places like Paws With a Cause, these animals can help their partners by picking things off the floor, bringing them a telephone and even helping them get dressed.

Our new pup has many traits of our prior two dogs.

He quickly learned the sound of our vehicles. I was amazed when he stopped, cocked his head and knew the Jeep had come into our driveway. He quickly went to the backdoor and sat there wagging his tail while waiting for my wife to come to the door.

He took his first canoe trip at eight weeks. He could not sit still and seemed enthralled by the paddles and the water. Naturally he jumped out of the canoe -- twice. And as expected he took to the water the way one would figure a lab would.

It will be interesting to see how he matures and what a friend he will be over the next several years because no one should be without a dog as a companion.