She’s more dependable than an alarm clock, loves to go on road trips and is always up for a good power nap. Is it any wonder Ben Chiarot and his wife Jacqueline love spending time with Bailey, their beloved golden retriever?

“Bailey’s going to be three in April,” said Chariot. “We got her from a farm just outside of Peterborough (Ontario). She loves food and she loves to chase reflections. She’s everything we could have hoped for in a dog. She’s friendly, always happy and she loves kids. It’s been great.”

So, what are the best things about having Bailey as a pet? The Winnipeg Jets defenceman offered up five reasons, including what always puts a smile on his face when he gets home from practice.

Bailey's best qualities, according to Ben

1. Sleeping beauty

“She likes to take naps with me on the couch when I get home from practice. That’s probably my favourite thing that she does.”

2. Park perks

“We really enjoy playing with her in the park. We throw the ball around with her a lot when we’re there. The great thing is that we can have her off-leash pretty much anywhere. She’ll always stay close. That’s a nice perk to have.”

3. Meet and greet

“She always meets me at the front door every time I come home from practice. It’s the best. No matter what happened during the day, I come home and she’s excited to see me. You really can’t beat that feeling.”

4. Rise and shine!

“When we wake up in the morning – I’ll wake up and she’ll be staring at me. She’s waiting for me to get up so we can go downstairs to let her out and then give her some breakfast. She’s pretty much my alarm clock. When I open my eyes, she’s staring at me.”

5. Road trip

“In the summer, she’ll drive around with me a lot in the pickup truck. She’s driven home to Hamilton from Winnipeg with us a few of times – 20-hour trips. She’s a good travel buddy. I love just driving around with her in the summer every day.”