Hebrews 11:1 reads, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." If this is the true definition of faith then dogs must be the holiest of creatures. We humans spend endless hours attributing emotions to them, debating if they have souls, running scientific experiments, but there is something to be said for simple observance.
Have you ever observed your dog waiting for something it expects? Snack, owner, chipmunk, bug? As I write this my pug, Alfie, is at the foot of my bed, staring up at the ceiling looking for a fly that I haven't seen in days, but every night there she sits looking up, certain it will return. When I leave her behind for a day I am told she waits faithfully for long stretches in the hat basket by the window, looking out, watching expectantly. If I am gone too long she will leave to eat or play, but diligently returns to her post. When I am eating at the dinner table there she sits, looking up at me with big wide eyes that seem to be trying to hypnotize me into giving in to her demands. I tell her, no, wait, sit and she does, but she still looks certain I will give in and I frequently do. Some might call this begging, I call it spiritual practice akin to prayer or meditation. She knows that food is coming. She knows I will return. She knows there is a fly. She knows that if she just waits, what she hopes for, what she expects will come to pass. Remember faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By that definition Alfie is a saint!