If there's one characteristic that unites people who love country music and people who love dogs, it's this: authenticity. Country music is about the things in life that really matter. It's about family, about God, and about the trials and tribulations of making it in a world that is full of difficulties and distractions. Country music focuses on how alcohol and poverty and loss of faith can pull a person away from the things that matter. It's about how your friends and your true love can help you find your way.

Similarly, owning a dog is very much about forcing yourself not to wander off onto the things that don't matter. You can't just disappear when you have a dog; you have to get home to feed and walk him or her. You can't be selfish, because you have to look after another living being. You can't disappear into yourself or not leave the house. You also can't indulge the harmful lie that nobody loves you, because your dog will readily remind you that it adores you wholeheartedly.

Still, just as there are shades of nuance in country music, there are different kinds of dog - and what you like in your music might just help us figure out which particular dog you have. Let's see if we can figure it out!