What My Dog Taught Me About Jesus

Lorraine Hess converted from anti-pet mom to full-blown dog lover as she observed how her dog was teaching her family Christian virtues. 

I have four boys, and for years they begged me for a dog. Maybe you’ve had the same request. Kids plead their case, promising to take care of the animal. They remind you that all their friends have a dog, cat, guinea pig, hamster, or turtle. Maybe you even tried buying them a stuffed animal, hoping it would satisfy their itch.

I had the typical excuses of most anti-pet moms. “I have enough work taking care of kids!” “It’s too expensive.” “We’re too busy. It’s not fair to the dog.” And my favorite was, “Santa can’t put dogs on a sleigh. It’s too cold.” (I assumed that excuse also worked for cats and hamsters.)

I Finally Caved

I finally succumbed to the pleading when my kids were ages two, six, nine, and twelve. Zoe, a white Labradoodle, was welcomed into our family Christmas morning 2005, just four months after Hurricane Katrina here in New Orleans. In a weak moment, my husband and I decided it would bring some joy into their lives that were in complete chaos at the time due to house renovations, cancelled school activities, and grief from having lost friends who had moved away. The timing was perfect; the dog would probably be long gone by the time our last child went to college.

Honestly, adopting a dog affirmed every excuse I had for not getting a dog, but I was not surprised, so I was not disappointed. We made the kids help, but ultimately, my husband and I walked her, fed her, picked up her poop, and bathed her. Your experience might be better, but it wasn’t a battle I wanted to fight.

Unexpected Lessons

What I didn’t expect was what Zoe would teach us about Christian virtues. She was faithful. If my older two wouldn’t let their little brother play with him, Zoe would. She comforted my lonely kids playing fetch when it was raining outside and there was no one to play with. Zoe was caring. When a storm was coming, she sensed it and alerted us of the danger like a good shepherd. She was even helpful. The floors under my kitchen table were spotless because she would eat anything that fell from the table. My personal live-in mop! As a bonus, she chewed up all the pacifiers of my youngest child one by one until they were all gone. I’m sure you won’t find that technique in a parenting book, “How to wean your child from a pacifier? Adopt a dog.”

If my kids got in trouble in school, Zoe didn’t care. She never judged. They were still perfect to her. If I yelled at her for jumping on the sofa, she immediately forgave me. If my husband came home in a bad mood, she offered him affection while the rest of us scattered.

When the kids left for college one by one, she would climb in their luggage as they were packing. It was her way of crying with me. She was loyal, forgiving, compassionate, protective, and faithful. No matter what.

I forever became a dog lover the day we experienced a house fire. She faithfully stood by my teenager’s side like a knight, watching the flames while the firefighters were in the house and my son waited as we frantically rushed home. Her only job was to love our family, and she did it unconditionally.

Toward the end of Zoe’s long life, we adopted an Australian Labradoodle named Dixie. As Zoe was fading, Dixie stayed by her side. The young caring for the elderly. Zoe and Dixie brought us great consolation during Covid oblivious to the woes of the world. They were stress-free while we were not. Sitting on the sofa with them was like wearing a weighted anxiety blanket.

Today our family includes Walter, a Border Doodle, and Dixie. They are inseparable. They cry when the other is getting groomed. They defend one another on walks. When Dixie panics during thunderstorms, Walter sits beside her until the storm passes. One is white and one is brown, but they don’t see differences. They accept everyone. And somehow, when I’m having a particularly sad day, they just know, and they cling to me like a good friend.

I’m not trying to convince you to adopt a pet; everyone’s family circumstances are different. But I do recommend putting some of these thoughts in the “plus column” as you discern. Our pets have shown us that is it possible to forgive, comfort the sick, welcome the stranger, look past differences, love even when someone is hard to love, and console the brokenhearted. Because of this, I am forever a convert from anti-pet mom to dog lover.

FYI, litters born in October will be ready for Santa’s sleigh at Christmas!

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Copyright 2026 Lorraine Hess
Images: (top, bottom) copyright 2026 Lorraine Hess, all rights reserved; (center) Canva