Big Boy is a 7-year-old neutered, declawed tabby who wound up at the shelter when his owner passed away. Big Boy is available for adoption at the York County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (Daily Record/Sunday News - Paul Kuehnel)

Forget man's best friend.

Bonds between pets and owners run deeper.

They're confidants. They're family members. They're soul mates.

They're also teachers with some surprising lessons.

King-sized beds are smaller than they appear.

Some stains won't ever come out of white carpet.

Jealousy and empathy are not just human traits.

Lap dogs come in all shapes and sizes, including 94-pound Labs.

Seeing a familiar face or wagging tail can be the best comfort after a long day of work.

House training doesn't happen overnight.

Expensive shoes taste good, too.

The master of the house might walk on all fours.

Chicken toothpaste can prevent canine gingivitis.

Vet bills and pet food and medication

Bagel, a 6-year-old beagle, was found in the Susquehanna River. Bagel is available for adoption at the York County SPCA. (Daily Record/Sunday News - Paul Kuehnel)
make money disappear quickly.

Pets are an adventure whether they're tugging at heartstrings or testing patience.

From sad to silly, local pet owners shared what they learned from the experience.

* * *

Nobody told me he would not come with instructions.

Nobody told me he was as sweet as could be.

Nobody told me he would love me unconditionally.

Nobody told me he would ring the bell whenever he wanted to go out.

Nobody told me he would get my morning paper - rain or shine.

Nobody told me when he needed an operation, he would still sit by my side, even though he couldn't walk.

Nobody told me he would weigh 94 pounds and think he was my lap

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dog.

Nobody told me he would get his water dish and bring it to me when it was empty.

- Audrey Sweeney, Manchester Township
Buster Brown, 11-and-a-half years old, Labrador retriever/husky mix

Seven years ago, our daughter brought a box in the house and said, "hey Dad, I found this box of tools alongside the road and thought of you." It was not tools, but a German shepherd/Lab mix puppy. That box of tools is now considered our 7-year-old son, Fritz. We had a double bed but

Dallas, a 5-year-old shepherd-mix, sniffs out an old sneaker. Dallas and Bagel is available for adoption at the York County SPCA. (Daily Record/Sunday News - Paul Kuehnel)
soon had to buy a king size, so Fritz could sleep there, too. Then, we also managed to be given a cat named Char-Char, and she also sleeps in our bed. Nobody ever told me when we were given these pets that we would have to share our bed, be outside in the rain and snow, be woken up in the middle of the night for potty call, be stared at while we eat, not be able to be away from home for long lengths of time.

No one ever told me how Fritz and Char-Char would become like our children. We're constantly laughing at things they do, are concerned when we have to make vet visits, hurry home to feed and love them, give them tomato juice baths when they don't know how to stay away from skunks. We roamed around the entire area for hours looking for Fritz when he decided to chase a deer that was in our yard.

- Lace and George Zeigler, Dover
Fritz, 7, German shepherd/Lab mix; Char-Char, cat

I have learned many different things from my 2-year-old beagle, Gizzie. One of these things is that humans and dogs are alike with their accessories. When you go to get a jacket for your dog, you have to take them along to try it on, just like human clothes. It's like an animal J.C. Penny or Bon-Ton.

- Jeremy Sechrist, 13, Shrewsbury
Gizzie, 2, beagle

The best thing in the world about being a dog owner is when you have had a long hard day and you come home and they are there to greet you. They are just so excited to see you. You are their world, and all they want is for you to love them. If I were in a bad mood when I returned home, it would all be erased when I walked in the door and my "baby" was there to greet me.

- Stacey Stough, 37, York
Dakota, 13-and-a-half years old, Shetland sheepdog, (died April 7)

I have an 8-week-old golden retriever named Chelsey and even though no one told me this, I should have remembered since I've had two golden (retriever) puppies (before). As of Friday night two weeks ago, I realized what sleepless nights, cleaning out a dog crate, playtime and leaving a pup out were all about. It seems the new puppy would not magically train herself, but rather would require an extraordinary amount of time. Simple enough, right? Maybe, but no one ever told me.

- David G. Abel, 54, Springettsbury Township
Chelsey, 8 weeks old, golden retriever

Maximus was a wedding gift from my wife. I'd never had a pet before, and this little guy and I hit it off instantly. At his six-month checkup, he was diagnosed with a bad case of gingivitis. He was in danger of losing his teeth and his gums were rotting. The only way to prevent this was to brush his teeth twice a day. So, it began. Chicken-flavored toothpaste, once in the morning and before bed. Six years later, I'm happy to report, not a tooth was lost.

- Frank Salvo 40, Windsor Township
Maximus, 6, pure breed main coon

We have a 12-year-old yellow tabby cat named Snickers who weighs 22 pounds. My husband, Emory, is diabetic and one night his blood sugar dropped. If it were not for the perseverance of Snickers jumping into the bed twice and finally getting my husband awake, he might have died. Snickers stayed with Emory until he was feeling better. Snickers seems to be able to tell time. He arrives at his dish or will sit and look at us when it is his usual feeding time. When the time changes, he has an adjustment to make. He also comes when we call him.

- Emory, 72, and Cynthia, 65, Druck, Red Lion
Snickers, 12, tabby cat

emccracken@ydr.com; 771-2051

THE SERIES

Numerous how-to books, articles and TV specials have been made about important life events such as marriage, college, retirement and childbirth. We think it would be more interesting to find out what people wish they had known before reaching these milestones. We're asking readers to think about what no one told them about 12 significant life events - one for each month of 2008 - to help others prepare for the future. So far, we've wished we were told more about dieting, breakups, buying a house, office life, childbirth, being a father and menopause. Click here to read more stories in the series.

PETS BLOG

Read about all things related to the animal kingdom on the York Daily Record/Sunday News pets blog: www.yorkblog.com/pets..

WHAT DOES YOUR PET COST YOU?

Ever wonder what your pet really costs you? Check out this post in the York Daily Record/Sunday News Mind Your Own Business blog.

UP NEXT

What nobody tells you about being married.

We'd like you married folks out there to tell us what you wish you knew about being hitched before you tied the knot.

That you can't avoid the in-laws? That you should have kept your bank accounts separate? Always having someone to take care of you when you're sick?

Whether it was a pleasant surprise or a test of the "for worse" portion of your vows, we'd like to know about it.

Submissions can be sent to jvogelsong@ydr.com or the York Daily Record/Sunday News, c/o Jennifer Vogelsong, 1891 Loucks Road, York PA 17408.