Thurber, my yellow Labrador, has been a part of my life since Feb. 20, 2021.

I still have trouble putting into words how much he has enriched my world.

But thankfully some of our most beautiful minds have shared thoughts that can help others understand the beauty of the canine soul.

I found these quotes featured at AKC.com:

“Happiness is a warm puppy.” – Charles Schultz (cartoonist, “Peanuts”)

“A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings (American humorist)

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” – Will Rogers

Well, Charles, my warm puppy is now a healthy 24-month old pup who still warms my heart.

Josh, I dare say I love my dog more than I love myself.

And Will, I couldn’t agree with you more.

I fully believe I will see all of my loved ones again when I leave here — and that includes my childhood puppy, Jingles, and Thurber, my “angel without wings,” who makes me laugh out loud five times a day.

Here are more dog quotes from Goodreads.com:

“If you don’t own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life.” – Roger A. Caras (wildlife photographer)

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.” – Milan Kundera (novelist)

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner

Roger, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to get Thurber, now that I know how much more joyful life can be.

Milan, I enjoy several moments of Eden daily now.

Gilda, you were a wonderful role model for being alive — the dogs you loved surely taught you well!

Here are some more quotes I found via Google:

“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.” –Bill Murray

“I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” – Doris Day

“It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” – Kate DiCamillo (children’s fiction author)

Bill, I couldn’t agree with you more. I will never understand people who do not like dogs.

Doris, a lifelong dog lover, knows a lot about our canine family member. I was very sick for a week with the flu last April (not Covid) and lay on the bed like a lump. Thurber comforted me, never leaving my side.

Kate, I’m blessed to have a dog with an incredible sense of humor, and fall in love with him immediately I did!

Thurber is the first pup I’ve had since we got my childhood family dog, Jingles, when I was 10. I was 58 when I brought Thurber home.

He was a lot of work those first few months, but he made me laugh so hard and feel such love and affection so deeply, I cannot now imagine my life without him.

I’m a new dog dad trying to learn and understand how I can love and care for him in the best way possible.

The training is going OK — he’s training me as fast as he can!

He’s teaching me to be more patient, silly, cheerful, more curious about the world — and humble.

The great humorist Will Rogers explained better than anyone how our dogs teach us humility:

“If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around!”

Tom Purcell is creator of ThurbersTail.com, which shares helpful pet-care tips and funny stories and videos featuring Tom’s beloved Labrador, Thurber. Email Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com