There's a saying. If you want someone to love you forever, buy a

Hear the earthy, timeless words of Dick Dale: “There’s a saying. If you want someone to love you forever, buy a dog, feed it and keep it around.” Though cast in humor, the words conceal a profound wisdom: that in a world where human love is fragile, conditional, and often fleeting, the dog stands as a symbol of loyalty unbroken, devotion unchanging, and affection beyond measure. This saying reminds us that while human relationships can falter under the weight of pride, betrayal, or forgetfulness, the simple heart of the animal is steadfast when cared for with love and provision.

The ancients knew well the sacred nature of the bond between man and beast. In Homer’s Odyssey, the faithful hound Argos waits twenty years for his master Odysseus to return. Though neglected and near death, when Odysseus finally stands before him, Argos lifts his head and wags his tail, recognizing his master at once. He dies in peace, having fulfilled his purpose. This tale reveals the essence of Dale’s words: that when you provide for a dog—food, shelter, presence—you earn a forever-love untouchable by the betrayals that plague human hearts.

The meaning, then, is layered. On the surface, Dale speaks of the dog’s loyalty, but beneath that is a critique of humanity itself. Human beings, for all their gifts of reason and speech, struggle to sustain love with the same constancy as animals. People grow weary, distracted, selfish, or disloyal. Promises are broken, bonds fray, and affection fades. But the dog, once bound by the simple covenant of care, loves without end. In this contrast, Dale shows us not only the beauty of animals but the shortcomings of mankind.

Yet his words should not fill us only with sadness, but also with inspiration. If the dog, a creature of instinct, can love with such permanence, should not man, who possesses reason and choice, strive for the same? To buy, feed, and keep a dog is simple, yet it yields a love eternal. Might we learn from this to nourish human relationships with similar constancy—feeding not only bodies, but souls; keeping not only company, but loyalty; sheltering not only with roofs, but with steadfast devotion? In the dog’s example lies a mirror for how we might live.

Consider also the soldiers of war, who often spoke of the comfort brought by dogs in the trenches. In the First World War, dogs carried messages across battlefields, braved fire to deliver supplies, and comforted the wounded. To these men, cut off from their families and surrounded by death, the dog’s presence was more than companionship—it was hope. These animals asked for nothing but care, and in return gave unwavering courage and affection. This history illustrates Dale’s wisdom: love forever is not found in glory or wealth, but in the bond forged through care and loyalty.

The lesson is this: do not dismiss the simplicity of love. It is not grand gestures or fleeting passion that create forever bonds, but daily acts of care. Feed, shelter, remain. Whether with dogs, or with people, it is constancy that breeds loyalty, and loyalty that gives birth to love eternal. If you wish to be loved forever, give of yourself faithfully, as you would to the creature who depends on you. For in this giving, love takes root, and in this root, it endures.

So let Dick Dale’s words be remembered not only as jest, but as a parable: “If you want someone to love you forever, buy a dog, feed it and keep it around.” Honor the creatures who give such love freely, and let their example guide your dealings with mankind. Strive to love with constancy, to remain true in affection, to be grateful for those who walk beside you. For the heart that loves as a dog loves—steadfast, loyal, and forever—is a heart that reflects the deepest wisdom of life itself.