A pup point: the strive for a balanced life

Can you believe it? I am a dog lover? I think they are the best?

It’s true. I love dogs. Especially the big ones, and the seniors/senoras. Hey, there is history in those eyes!

The key to a happy dog is a balanced life. Just ask Cesar Millan. Any dog can achieve this with the right surroundings. Pair an unbalanced dog with a stressful life, and things fall apart. And hey, this applies to people, too.

Striving for a balanced life is no easy task. There are endless things that can throw us off, piss us off, and excite us too much. But I invite you to let your dog be your teacher. After all, dogs helped humans hunt back in the day, and without them, we’d be goners.

You can learn a lot from your dog. Learn how to trust people. Learn to be loyal. Learn to obey. Learn to lick.

But I think something we as fine people so often fail to learn is being present. Just living in the moment, not dwelling on the past or preparing for the future. Just having a conversation, painting some wood, having a jam sesh…whatever… and not worrying that wasting time is time wasted.

Dogs are masters of living in the present. As an owner, everything you do for your dog makes their day. From feeding them breakfast, to going for a walk, to settling down for a nice spoon and nap. It’s all their favorite thing, and you are their favorite person. What an honor!

Part of the reason dogs are “master present livers” is that they don’t know what’s ahead. They can only observe what is happening in the now. Dogs interpret our energies, but they don’t know the reasons behind our feelings. And certainly, they never forget a bad past experience. However, the bad feelings can disappear once balance is brought back into life.

Observing the attitudes of dogs has changed me as a person. When my family got our first golden retriever, I became a dog lover very quickly. And to this day, I stand by saying our dog Duke changed my life. He became the first thing I loved that wasn’t in my immediate family. He lived to be 15 years old. When he died, I lost a family member. And a huge portion of my life was now just “gone.”

But not to dwell on the past. See, I’m doing it already! When Duke was 10, we got another golden retriever, Tucker. Tucker is my boy. And if you know me, well, you know how close Tucker T and I are. Like little magnets for your Saturday afternoon craft project. When he is balanced, I am happy.

So, what do I say. I say that dogs have a real effect on us people. It’s hard to put into words, because all relationships with pets are a little different. But a bond with a dog teaches you (or should teach you) to be nice, thankful and to live in the moment. We can learn a lot from our dogs.

The best things in life have four legs, lots of fur, and aren’t afraid to French kiss.

– Me

 

Thank you.