Continuing our Heart Dog Series… Sonia and her heart dog, Nala, have been together four years. Nala was recently diagnosed with chronic liver disease; they are living life to the fullest.

Describing her bond with Molly & Digger, Kat told us, “Home is where my cats are. They are my cats, not the family cats that I grew up with, but mine. They have been with me for almost 14 years.”

Describing her bond with Ishi, Rae says “I’ve never had such a difficult dog to work with. And because of it, I love him on a level that I’ve never been able to love another dog.”

Buckley and Jen are the fourth human/canine pair in this series to explore the special bond between people and those few special dogs we call heart dogs.

Nicole adopted Jiro almost four years ago. She tells us all about the huge impact this “bold and confident” “mama’s boy” has had on her life since then.

Karri lost her heart dog, Blade, in September 2007 after six wonderful years together. She memorialized him shortly thereafter with a tattoo and loves him deeply to this day.

I asked my blog-friend Janet to talk to me about how Wolf came into her life, Wolf’s personality, and why he stands out as her heart dog.

In my opinion, your heart dog is that once in a lifetime – maybe twice if you’re truly blessed – soul mate dog. He or she is the one you click with similarly to, but different from, how people in love click. There’s an understanding, a bond stronger than most, and a special level of communication. Your heart dog “gets” you and you get him or her right back.