Three Things I Learned From My Dog

I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember. I was told that when I was born, our dog Doc would sleep under my crib and “protect” me. If anyone except my parents came to check on me, he would growl and bark at them including my seven siblings. Maybe if they didn’t tease him so much, Doc wouldn’t have bit them in their ankles when they walked by my crib! I would follow that dog around and even pretended I was like him. I found out that dog biscuits were ok, but his food was nasty!

When I became an adult, I got dogs of my own. Harley and Bocephus were our first two and now we have Rusty. My wife makes fun of me because I talk to him in complete sentences like he understands what I’m saying. What she doesn’t know is that I’m only doing it to mess with her. It’s my favorite thing to do! All our dogs have their own unique characteristics, but there are some similarities that they all share. Here are three things that I learned from my dog.

Stretch Every Morning

As I have started to climb in age, I have realized how important flexibility is. I noticed that every time Rusty gets up in the morning the first thing, he does is stretch. It might sound silly, but I have adopted this as well. My morning routine starts with reading the Bible and then right afterwards I go into a three-to-five-minute stretch. The more I researched this, I found that it gets your blood flowing and raises your energy. Some will tell you that a glass of water and stretching in the morning has better benefits than a cup of coffee. I would say that it’s also a lot healthier and less expensive way to start your day!

Show Unconditional Love to Your Family

People joke that dogs benefited the most during Covid and cats the least. While dogs were loving having the family home, cats were devising evil plans to kill their owners so they could be alone again during the day. Dogs want to spend time with you and love you no matter what has happened in the past. Families hurt one another with actions and words, but what is important is that they still stand by each other during difficult times. Your wife probably drives you nuts at times, but you don’t love her any less. Being more compassionate with each other and just being present are things we should focus on more.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:8 NIV

Be Loyal

This is something that is lacking in our society today. The attitude of looking out for yourself has taken precedence over being a team player. You see it in so many places. People leave their job within a year for a better opportunity, marriages fail because spouses think the grass is greener somewhere else, and if the team your kid is on doesn’t win right away you leave. Your dog may be the most loyal mammal on the planet. Rain or shine, angry or happy, rich or poor, your dog sees the best in you and just wants to love you. We need to remember that sticking with loved ones, your job, or your team during the hard times builds character and you learn life lessons through it. Remember that the journey is usually more interesting and fun than the destination.

Here are three more things I have learned from my dog:

  • Play with your friends. It will keep you feeling young!
  • Breathe deeply and enjoy all the wonderful scents in the world!
  • If someone looks shady its ok to bark at them. Trust your instincts!

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