Everything I Learned from My Dog

Spending time with Max, the Jack Russell of my friend Thea, I remember all the reasons why I enjoy canine companions. By their example, dogs teach us how to be better people.

1. Greet your loved ones enthusiastically

Nothing compares to the happy dance a dog performs when you come home. Even if you are only gone for ten minutes, you still receive a parade and the 21-bark salute.

I wonder if I show the same excitement when I greet my husband, a relative, a friend, or even the grocery store cashier. Psychologists say that upon meeting someone, the first seven seconds set the tone for the entire interaction. So smile!

Everyone wears an invisible sign on his or her forehead that reads, “Please make me feel important!”

2. Live in the present moment

Dogs don’t regret the past or fret about the future. They are fully present right now, wherever they are, whatever they are doing. Am I?

Am I really listening to the person in front of me, or am I mentally listing everything I need to do next? Do I honestly believe I can do many things at once and do each well?

3. Enjoy the simple pleasures

It is enough for a dog to walk in the park, chase a ball, or receive a belly-rub.

A widow recently shared that the thing she missed most about her late husband was sitting and drinking coffee with him in the morning. It wasn’t a cruise to Alaska or a fancy gourmet dinner that lingered in her memory. It was the everyday sharing of an ordinary cup of coffee.

The secret to having everything is believing you already do. Look around! We have much for which to be thankful.

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P.S. After living overseas, I no longer own a dog of my own. But since Thea is like a sister, I have become Max’s beloved Auntie who enjoys sending him costumes for various holidays.

Predictably, Max is less enthused about these outfits than are Thea and I.

 

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