Quarantine Let Me Into The Mind of Dogs

When quarantine is able to be laid to rest, and the inevitable social isolation hangover subsides, we are going to look back at these groundhog-like days, and think, “I’ve never seen my dog so happy.”

There is no attempt to prop up the past several months of quarantine. Glossing over the fact that 100,000-plus Americans have lost their lives to a novel virus should always set the tone for these strung together days. In what feels like a cheaply made apocalyptic movie, humans have been asked to rewire their habits, actions, and thinking, in order to save their neighbor — and their neighbor’s neighbor.

While I have remained indoors, physically separated from my cubicle, my peers, and my favorite taco shop — I have grown to know my dog in a way I feel embarrassed to say I didn’t know before.

So while I have been doing my best to understand and practice social distancing, my dog has been able to do what she does best — love from every angle and at every hour.

I’ve always been a dog person, as if to say that makes me qualified to speak on behalf of all canines everywhere. While I haven’t received my official gold star in the mail from “Dog People Headquarters,” I’m going to write this article as if I have.

I grew up with two dogs. Two totally different dogs: in breed, in behavior, in toy choice, in every other categorical measure we define doghood. Even in their differences, my two childhood dogs shared one common thread, a thread that I know exists in every dog that graces this spinning rock — love.

Dogs love.

You don’t need a chalkboard lesson from Albert Einstein to understand that a dog’s love is the closest Earthly form of unconditional love humans will experience. No matter if the sun is out, or if your bank account reads $0, or if millions of people are diagnosed with a deadly disease — dogs continue to love.

I’m self-aware enough to understand that when I leave my apartment at 7 AM for work, my dog lays there counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds until I unlock the door at 5 PM. Dogs put their lives on hold while we live ours.

It’s weird to think, but life has never given me uninterrupted time like I have now. In this unimpeded time, I have remained in close quarters with my dog, for every hour of the day. Because of that, I have witnessed every breath of the day, every lick of the nose, and every scratch of the collar. Quarantine has let me into the mind of my dog.

Humans have always loved dogs. From our earliest history, man has craved the companionship of a four-legged creature. Today, our fur-covered friends are still teaching us some of the greatest lessons of life. They remind us how simple happiness can be. How a walk down the street can be filled with laughter. How throwing a ball at a wall can never get boring. How rolling in the mud can unlock a sense of freedom. Dogs are not given the lifespan of humans because they already know how to live. Their lives are condensed, but the impact they leave is forever.

Everything I’ve said up until this point I felt like I knew — dogs love with every hair on their head, but quarantine has given me time with Stella that I never knew I needed. That we all needed. These past 12-plus weeks have shown me the mind of a dog to a new degree — a deeper degree, that I have seemingly overlooked as life has swept me up in the unconsciously fast lane it operates within.

I’ve learned that dogs don’t care about the time — they just want to use it wisely.

An afternoon nap on a cold wood floor — is time well spent.

An evening chasing fireflies in the night sky — is time well spent.

A morning run down a forgotten dirt road — is time well spent.

Dogs know nothing is more valuable than time. So they don’t waste it.

I’ve learned what dogs value — good food and good people.

Dogs don’t chew, they swallow. Good food gets their full attention, and always motivates their soul. They never leave anything left on their plate, because they understand food too often goes to waste.

But more than that, dogs seek good people. They wish to give love that is returned — because they know one-sided love kills. Dogs guard their hearts, with the hearts of those who matter. No better judge of character will exist outside a dog’s wagging tail.

I’ve learned how dogs believe in silence — as it often gives the most clarity.

Humans grow uncomfortable with the absence of noise. Instead, we block and distract our minds from conscious thinking. From debating and dealing with our true internal self, we blow out our ears with unimportant noise. But dogs… Dogs have sensitive ears. They enjoy the quiet hours, being left alone to sort through their thoughts. They are decisive, self-secure, and wise. Dogs don’t need continual engineered static to block out what circulates inside their heads — they are self-sufficient thinkers.

Lastly, I’ve learned why dogs love to be outside — because the world isn’t found behind a door.

While dogs are normally laying on the couch, dreaming about our anticipated return from work, quarantine has given them the opportunity to spend more time in backyards, parks, creek beds, hiking trails, and any other place the sun chooses to shine. Dogs love outside because they realize that’s where you live. The birds sing, the wind whispers, the grass tickles. Outside is where life begins and ends. Where beauty is found and happiness grows. A dog outside is a dog that is soaking up every ounce of existence that lives on this planet.

Finding a silver lining to this quarantine has been difficult, but all along, it has been staring me in the face — literally. The mind of a dog may be smaller than ours, but each day we continue to miss the mark as humans. Dogs of all shapes and sizes, get it. They understand what really matters at the end of each day. They understand why life is precious. They understand how easy this can be. They try to remind us every day.

The mind of a dog is simple, and one day, I hope mine is too.