Dogs are a man's best friend—sometimes. Of all the dogs I've ever known, my favorite was George, a golden retriever and golden Labrador mix. I bought him from a farmer near Chisago City, Minnesota, when he was only eight weeks old. He cost just five dollars, and it turned out to be the best five dollars I ever spent.

One summer I was camping in northern Wisconsin with eight friends. Late one night we all decided to take a walk along the railroad tracks, George tagging along behind us. After hiking nearly two miles we headed back to camp laughing and talking, only to discover George was missing.

We retraced our steps and eventually found the little puppy at the bottom of a ditch. Whatever happened while he was down there changed him forever. From that night on, George never left my side no matter where we went.

George learned all the usual dog tricks, but his real talent was hunting pheasants. Many of the hunters I knew owned expensive hunting dogs, yet George consistently outperformed them. One afternoon he flushed thirteen pheasants while another dog found only one. Its owner couldn't believe a five-dollar farm dog had out-hunted his eight-hundred-dollar bird dog.

George proved that the best hunting partner isn't always the most expensive one.

Eventually I needed a better job and moved from the farm to the Twin Cities. George deserved room to run and fields full of pheasants, so I reluctantly found him a new home. A deaf gentleman answered my advertisement through a telephone relay service, and I knew George would be well cared for. Just as I had found an incredible dog for five dollars, someone else was about to receive the same kind of bargain.

I don't hunt pheasants much anymore, but I hope George still does.