10 Things My Dog Is Teaching Me About Life
During this stressful (see: DumpsterFire) time of Covid-19, I read that one shelter that typically takes in 15 dogs a week had begun taking NONE. Why? Dog adoptions have increased. Dogs are wonderful for relieving stress. Just petting a dog (or maybe a cat, but let’s skip the cat talk since my dog told me cats aren’t that important) can lower your heart rate, soothe you mentally, and bring you a sense of peace and comfort and security.
Dogs are also great life-lesson teachers. Let me share with you some of the life lessons my dog, Nacho has been teaching me.
Play. When you want to play, play! Find joy in a toy, a ball, rip up a piece of paper, get active, chase your tail, ask your best friend to play with you. Use your voice, find your inner excitement and joy, wag your tail, and enjoy play. The benefits are many, in mind, body, and spirit.
Stop eating when you’re full. Walk away from the bowl. There will be more the next time you’re hungry. There’s always more. Trust in that. You don’t have to scarf down your whole bowl. Eat when you’re hungry, leave what you don’t want, and don’t eat it just because it’s there.
When the people you love come home, stop what you’re doing, turn off your screen, and greet them. Tell them how happy you are they are home! Wag your tail, show them some affection, leave your comfortable spot, your work, your bowl, whatever you were doing, and greet the ones you love. You may get lucky and find they do the same for you.
Rest. Nap. Lie in the sun. Climb up beside your best friend and snuggle. Let them love on you. Love them back. Close your eyes. Feel the warmth. Find the coziest blanket in the house and lie there. Take a deep breath. Fart. Breathe some more. Rest is good for every part of you; your mind, your muscles, your emotions, your heart.
Tell people when you don’t like something. Bark. Growl. Tell them to get back. Be honest. Don’t act like it’s ok when it isn’t. Use your voice, say “this bothers me” and move on. It’s ok to have that healthy boundary in place for protection. Especially when it comes to protecting your family.
Forgive. When someone does something you don’t like and you let them know, if they stop, forgive them and forget about it and move on. Go back to being friends. Life is best when you have forgiven your friends and you keep playing together.
Get outside often. Whenever someone asks if you want to go outside, run to the door! Wallow in the sunshine or jump in a puddle. Sniff the flowers. Be excited to see the people you pass and give them a friendly hello. Go outside as often as you can. Pee outside. Explore. Get off the path and discover something unseen. Revel in the outdoors.
Make new friends. When you’re out and about, others don’t have to look like you, be the same breed, height, color, sex, or anything like you at all. Be welcoming and enjoy every breed. Be willing to be friends with anyone who crosses your path. No need to sit in the corner, get out there and mingle because it’s fun. You may not want to sniff their crotch, (or maybe you do??) but just be open to the experience of people. Ignore their outsides, that’s not important, just connect with your heart.
Drink water. Water is life. Water is the only liquid we truly need. Run, get thirsty, and drink your fill. Enjoy the cool, wet, refreshment. Play, swim and bathe in it too, any chance you get.
Offer unconditional love. Some people may leave when you’d rather they stay home with you, but still be excited when they return. Offer them your whole heart, you’ll get back love and more. Receive their love just for being you. Loving unconditionally makes everyone’s life better.
There are so many lessons to be learn from our furry best friends. Love, protection, play, and rest are just the beginning. If we all treated each other with the joy and waggishness that dogs do, wouldn’t the world be a less stressful place?
