Growing up, we usually had dogs around - my most favorite one was Lady.  She was a black mixed breed lab/something mutt - in Hawaii, we called them "poi dogs". Short haired and around 70 pounds, she probably outweighed me. 

She was my protector and playmate, companion and also a pain in the butt at times.  While playing football, for example, my friends would get so mad because, whenever I got the ball,  she would chase my friends who were chasing me!  They'd tell me to take my dog home- but leave my football....I would take her home, tie her up and she'd break the rope and chase after my friends again! She was determined to protect me from them, having no clue we were playing. 

Lady was such a great watchdog, she decided she would protect our yard AND the neighbor's.  My poor neighbor couldn't get into his own house some nights and we'd hear him calling my dad when he got home from his night shift!

She and I were inseparable. She followed me everywhere and ran alongside me when I rode my bike to my cousin's house at night.  The plantation camp didn't have streetlights and it was usually pitch black - my bike didn't have a headlight so I was glad for her company. Back in those days we didn't worry about being abducted, so I was probably  more worried about all those ghost stories that we all told each other.  

We had several dogs while I was growing up - there was Bingo, Coco, Blackie, and others, but I still remember Lady as my favorite - we had such great adventures together!  

~~Myron