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If my pet could talk, I already know the first thing he would say:

“Feed me.”

His name was King Karl, and he was an American Bulldog—all muscle, incredibly powerful, and absolutely driven by food.

You couldn’t open the refrigerator, touch a food wrapper, or walk toward the kitchen without getting his full attention. King Karl always knew when there was even the slightest possibility that something might be coming his way.

But if he could really talk—not just ask for food—I would have a lot of questions for him.

I’d want to know what he thought about during the day. I’d want to know whether he understood everything we said around him. I’d ask if he knew how much we loved him and whether he realized just how much space he filled in our lives.

Dogs have a way of becoming part of the rhythm of your everyday life. They’re simply there—watching you, following you, waiting for you, and somehow understanding you without needing words.

King Karl has been gone for a while now, but he was an amazing dog. When I look back at pictures of him, I can still see his personality in his face. He looked strong because he was strong, but there was much more to him than all that muscle.

Maybe that’s why dogs don’t need to talk. They already tell us almost everything through their eyes, their loyalty, and the way they stay beside us.

Still, if King Karl suddenly had the chance to say one thing to me, I’m pretty confident he wouldn’t waste the opportunity getting sentimental.

He’d look me directly in the eyes and say:

“Feed me.”

And honestly, I’d give almost anything to hear him say it.

—Nicholas Francis