I know this is a weird title for a blog post. Yes, I do believe that we have a lot to learn from dogs’ attitudes to life. No, this does not mean that I think you should be chasing after balls or sniffing other people’s bottoms. I have very good reasons for believing that people could be a lot happier if they could live like dogs and adopt some of the simpler attitudes that dogs possess. Here is a list:
Living in the Moment
A dog’s sense of time is completely different to ours. they live in the moment, not worrying about the past or the future. For then life is to be left in the moment. Mindfulness is a skill that we should all adopt. The present moment is all that we have and we often scupper our chances of being happy in the moment by fretting about the past or worrying about the future. This mental preoccupation about the past and future remove the joy from life as it is currently unfolding. Learn to engage all of your senses-sight, sounds, smells, taste and touch. the more you engage your five senses the less time your brain has to engage in futile mental processes. The past cannot be changed and the future is not here yet.
Unconditional Love
People tend to come with conditions attached. there are always “ifs” and “buts”. If you put on weight I will no longer fancy you. If you don’t pass your exams, I will be very disappointed in you. If you embarrass me I won’t ask you out again. These are all examples of the conditions we attach to our relationships. Dogs do not worry about these superficial issues. They love you no matter what. You can be in a foul mood or get caught with your hand in the cookie jar and your dog will still love you. If only people could be this way.
What You See Is What You Get
There is no game-playing with dogs. If we could live like dogs do, there would be no ulterior motives or hidden game plans. Dogs’ behaviour is congruent. This makes life a lot easier as you do not have to spend a lot of time second-guessing the status of the relationship.Dogs don’t have plastic surgery and are 100% genuine. They are always pleased to see you and happy to be in your company.
No Hangups
Thankfully, dogs to not spend hours on self reflection or beautifying themselves in the mirror. There is no self-loathing and dogs seem to be quite accepting of themselves. They lick their private parts in the company of others and have no problems with farting when the need arises. They are not insecure and do not worry about what others think of them. If you live like dogs do, there is no need to pretend to be something you are not.
Their Time is Well Spent
Dogs have their priorities straight. They spend a lot of time sleeping, eating and playing.A bit of socialising and chasing after balls never goes amiss.There are no airs and graces with dogs. If they like you they will come straight up to you, there is none of that playing-hard-to-get nonsense. Dogs realise how important leisure time is and they make good use of it.
Freedom of Expression
Dogs do not believe in suppressing their emotions. If they are happy to see you, you will know about it. Their tail will be wagging and they will be doing their utmost to get your attention.If you are lucky, they might even give you a nice sloppy French kiss. you will always feel welcome in a dog’s company.
It must be pretty liberating to be a dog sometimes. There are far fewer social rules that need to be followed. They are allowed to act naturally and be true to themselves without having other dogs judge them plus they don’t pay any taxes. In fact, I hope I come back as a dog in my next life…with nice dog loving owners of course!
Mandy X
For more info on the benefits of owning a dog, click here: Fluentwoof
Great article on the benefits of adopting a dog:
