Man’s best friend?

Like man, some dogs are genuinely good-natured at heart. Some are cognizant of your demeanor and will try to cheer you up when you’re down. Some will voraciously defend your property and even alert you to impending tragedy.

But like man, there is another side to the nature of dogs. There are some that are…well…assholes. You know, the kind that seem more interested in humping the Shih Tzu next door than barking at the guy carrying your flat screen out the front door. Or the mutt that takes great pleasure in pissing on the Persian rug you just bought because he liked the old hair-matted carpet better.

Anyone doubting this canine dichotomy should take a gander at Wednesday’s Daily Gazette. The front page features an article chronicling how a 2-year-old Vizsla-bred hunting dog named Cindy alerted her elderly owners of a blaze that was ripping through their historic home in Malta early Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, they couldn’t convince the dog to follow them from the burning house, and it tragically succumbed to the flames.

"I tell you, if not for that dog ..." related the couple’s daughter after the fire.

But turn to the Gazette's B-section and there’s an entirely different story. Nearly 35 miles west in Fulton County, a propane explosion sent the roof of a Johnstown residence hurtling more than 80 feet in the air and touched off a blaze that scorched what remained of the structure. The blast left only rubble of the Elmwood Avenue home and sent its owners to a burn unit in Syracuse with critical injuries. Authorities are now blaming the catastrophic event on the family dog, which sauntered through the basement and “apparently opened a valve on the propane line,” county Sheriff Tom Lorey told the Gazette.

Authorities believe a spark from a water heater touched off the low-lying gas as the couple was investigating the smell. The explosion toppled the three-story home and trapped the couple in the cellar. The offending family dog was allegedly found wandering the property and aflame, but quickly doused by responding firefighters without incident. No word on whether the dog was previously disgruntled with its family or if it will face arson charges for opening the valve. Now, if not for that dog…

So there you have it. If you’re looking for some canine companionship, choose your dog wisely. After all, it might be the last choice you make. And if you happen to nab one that looks freshly singed, make damn certain you keep your propane canisters under lock and key.