I've never had a dog as a companion - always a cat. But I am very familiar with the bond that is created between the two. My special one was named Sarafina - she was the best of friends. I wrote an article about her, a few months back. It kind of says it all. Cheers.

https://medium.com/illumination/what-does-it-say-about-me-if-a-cat-was-my-best-friend-680cea2b1a03