Dogs as teachers

Living with a dog can best be described as an on-going learning experience. Your dog learns where its boundaries are and what various commands mean. Humans learn what makes a dog tick and how to respond to its needs. What humans teach dogs tends to be more mechanical: you give a command, say,”sit” and, through repeated practice, the dog associates the word (sound) with the action to drop its bum on the ground. But what if the roles were reversed and your dog became the teacher? What would these lessons look like? I suggest that dogs would teach us “life” lessons rather than “mechanical” lessons:

• Have healthy relationships: the idea that relationships are a two-way street, with both parties prepared to give and take.
• Practice patience and persistence: developing a worthwhile relationship, whether with humans or dogs, takes time and acceptance and needs to be worked at to be successful.
• Think of age as just a number: whatever age you are, enjoy life and have fun, recognizing that how you have fun and how you enjoy life will likely change over time.
• Be consistent: raising a puppy requires consistency and dogs appreciate a healthy routine. Given appropriate affection, love and care, your dog will return your consistency with unending loyalty.
• Accept people for who they are: dogs reserve no judgment and they can’t be fake. They are the epitome of being down to earth, constantly showing us the value in being true to oneself. Dogs have redefined the meaning of “unconditional love”.
• Don’t be deceived by looks: dogs don’t need to be cute-looking to have a warm, loving heart and be totally loyal to their owners. 
• Live in the moment: there is only one time frame in the mind of a dog: now. They do not dwell on things that have happened in the past or worry about what might happen in the future. I can only assume that all dogs must have read the book “The Power of Now”.
• Forget and move on: the little annoyances of daily life aren’t worth holding on to and should be forgotten. Just think of how you’re immediately forgiven if you accidentally step on your pup’s tail when climbing out of bed.
• Exercise frequently and live healthily: mirror a dog’s love of walking and of being in the great outdoors so you can reap the benefits of a good mental and physical health balance.
• Take responsibility: a dog is reliant on you for shelter, care, nutrition and love. Having a dog as part of the family is a big responsibility. But the benefits of accepting and fulfilling that responsibility are reflected in mutual respect and devotion from your dog.
• Connect with others: dogs have this amazing ability to create situations where humans can connect. Whether at the dog park or in your local neighbourhood, people seem to feel less inhibited when a dog is present. 
• Trust your gut: dogs live by their instinct and remind us to trust our intuition.
• Protect your own space: don’t let people crowd out your thoughts and personal space.

Take a moment and reflect on what your dog has taught you so far.