10 Things My Dog Taught Me About Health and Happiness

Lessons we often overlook

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” John Grogan, Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog.

My dog, too, and old faithful furry pals from the past have taught me a great deal. Here are just a few of the lessons they offered.

Every sunbeam deserves your attention

Dogs check out everything that captures their attention, right down to sunbeams and shadows. Bees buzzing, footsteps, a new scent; these things and much more are never overlooked as potential sources of amusement or ways to fulfill a need (like tasty food, connecting with a hot date, or adventure).

We often do not recognize possible sources of happiness and the resources beneath our feet and all around us. If we pay more attention and appreciate opportunities to thrive, we will be happier and more prosperous.

Love just because you can

Dogs don’t consider whether you’re worthwhile when loving you. They know you are suitable for love. Humans often weigh up others’ merit. “Does this person meet my criteria for love?” they say, and if not, “I won’t give them the time of day.”

Dogs, however, find people adorable no matter what they do. They even find your quirks funny and lovable, the type you keep hidden from humans.

This moment is all there is

You can’t listen to canine self-talk, but I doubt it mimics ours. You wouldn’t catch a dog worrying about their conversations last week, how they will find food next week, or whether other dogs find them attractive, witty, and admirable.

Instead, dogs live for the moment. What’s happening now is all that counts. Because they don’t dwell on the past or future, they are far less stressed than us.

Greet friends as if your heart will burst with joy

Dogs are easily impressed when a friend comes to call and often break out into joyful exuberance when a potential furry pal, one they’ve never met, is visible on the horizon. Some crack up with happiness when they see human strangers, too.

We smile and sometimes nod, and when genuinely excited, offer a small hug or handshake — hardly the enthusiastic welcome and burst of appreciation and glee a dog gives.

When you let joy flood your heart and run to greet a friend, yes, they might think you are mad. They will, however, feel terrific, and so will you.

*Note: A whoop of joy will do if you can’t run.

Savor everything heartily

Our canine pals make no bones about digging into anything before them with gusto. Dinner, a roll in the grass, everything is an opportunity to savor life with wild enthusiasm and vitality.

A study illustrates how your approach influences your well-being and happiness. It involves a group of older people placed together in an environment similar to that they experienced in their youth.

Soon, even the unhealthiest among them were filled with wellness and energy and could accomplish physical activities they had previously found difficult to tackle.

The subjects in the study acted as though they were younger and adopted a youthful attitude, much like happy dogs, and their health improved significantly.

We, unlike the elderly folks mentioned, need not turn back the clock in our environments to make significant changes to our well-being. Just be more dog and less of an aging human mentally, and you will benefit.

Express yourself with every bone in your body

You know when your dog’s happy or sad because they show you with every fiber. Dog’s eyes are expressive, and their body language floods your awareness with unmistakable acuteness.

They are masters of communication, and we understand their likes and dislikes because they ensure their feelings aren’t left open to misinterpretation.

Humans, though, often remain silent when we have things to say. We bottle our emotions until the lid pops, and an explosion covers everyone in its wake.

The lesson from our canine friends is to express ourselves in the moment and without hesitation. There’s no need to hide and repress feelings. Indeed, if you do, they come back to haunt you on a massive scale.

Do it now

Dogs, of course, can’t write books, travel the world (well, probably not since they don’t all have passports or know how to buy airline tickets), or start a rock band.

But if they could and wanted to, you can be sure they would do so now. There’s no way they would make excuses about why the timing was off or insist they weren’t capable — enough said.

Revel in little wonders

Don’t you love how dogs love tiny things we easily overlook, like crickets hopping, patches of sunshine to curl up in, and sticks to play with and bring to you?

As kids, we find little wonders fascinating and make the most of them. As we grow, though, we lose sight of how amazing teeny weeny wonders are, and they fade into the background of existence.

We’re impressed by vast sums of money, big houses, and massive accolades. We take most of our lives to get close to those things that impress us if we reach them at all.

If only we still marveled at trees swaying in the breeze, ladybirds in flight, and reflections in puddles like dogs do. We would have more time for enjoyment and less need to strive to obtain humongous shows of what we assume add up to success and happiness when these things so often don’t.

Celebrate waking up in the morning

My last canine companion slowly became elderly. His gray fur turned white and woolly, and his energy waned. Each morning, though, he awoke in a state of blissful joy. Such enthusiasm was catching and reminded me to do likewise.

After all, when I wake up and see my husband and current canine pal are alive and well, hear the birds singing, and note the Earth’s still turning, there’s much to celebrate.

Connection is everything

Relationships, whether with humans, other dogs, or other creatures, clearly make life wonderful as far as dogs are concerned.

They enjoy company and pay attention to whoever they spend time with diligently. They cock their heads to the side to listen and are watchful and responsive.

We can learn a thing or two from the way dogs communicate and how they value their relationships. You can see they feel connected to all that lives, too. We can benefit from building, maintaining, and valuing greater connections.

How lucky we are to have such amiable and loving teachers. Although unlikely sources of knowledge and wisdom, dogs offer far more than we give them credit for or appreciate.