Are dogs smarter than Us?

After much deliberation, my partner and I finally succumbed and attended a doggie school with our dogs Olly and Bailey. While focusing on what we could teach them to do, I had a moment to reflect on what my dogs have taught me in return. To my surprise, I realised that I have gained far more valuable insights than how to sit and behave! Here are a few of the lessons I feel are invaluable to living a happy and fulfilled life. 

Live in the moment

As humans, we think about the future constantly, knowing that our time on earth is finite. We feel pressure from society, friends, and even our own imagination to reach certain milestones with each passing year; start a career, get married, buy a house, start a family, get that promotion and so on. With each accomplishment we look for the next one, never taking the time to appreciate our achieved success.

Dogs don’t worry about any of these things, which I think is a beautiful fact. They don’t care that another year has gone by and they still can’t afford the latest phone they want. In fact, they don’t care about what’s in the bank at all. I know Bailey doesn’t recall with shame that time when she wiped out in the park, face-planting in front of all the other dogs. Olly and Bailey don’t remember all the things they broke or chewed up (and there were a lot). They’re not still upset about the last time I was sad or mad and didn’t want to pay attention to them. Instead, they focus on the essentials; eating, drinking, and sleeping; life's simple pleasures. Their lives are much shorter than ours, and yet they have a lot more fun than we do.

Meanwhile, we multitask and network. We cultivate an image for public life and social media. We climb the ladder and participate in the rat race, focusing always on what could be, rather than what is, without ever wondering why. We never stop and ask ourselves, “Is this who I am? Is this what I want?”

To live in the present moment means letting go of the fear of what the future holds. Otherwise, we risk missing all the finer things that happen right under our noses; the peacefulness of a park bench on a quiet afternoon; Getting lost in a book; appreciating laughter; togetherness; the sunset; a warm breeze; all the little nuances that happen around us every day. It allows us to feel gratitude and cherish other people in our lives, fully appreciating our own achievements and realizing that we are very rich in experience, love, and friendship.

Love freely

I'm not the most affectionate person you will ever meet. While I do hold a lot of love in my heart, it often seems a struggle to get it out and express it. My dogs remind me every single day to show affection. As soon as I walk through the door, they instantly show me their love without any hesitation. There is never any doubt that they care, and I adore that; it makes me feel so special. Why then should I not try to emulate this more in my own life? Of course, I have no problem showing the dogs affection, but it's not always so easy when it comes to other people.

Don't hold grudges

Both of my dogs love a bit of rough and tumble when playing. They don't hurt each other at all, but if one does nip a little too hard, they will back off for just a few moments, then go back at it. They don't storm away in a huff, or send texts minus the usual kisses on the end because they are sulking. Instead, they just let the offence go, and that is definitely something I need to do more. Holding grudges is a bad trait of mine, and more often than not it will be over something stupid. At the time though, it feels like the most important thing in the world. Watching the dogs at play like this has made me reflect on how stubborn I can be, and while it’s a flaw that I am working on, I still have a long way to go.

Enjoy the journey - We never, ever get enough time

As Bailey celebrated her first birthday and Olly his second this year, I’m thankful for all of the moments we’ve had together so far. But I am also sad. Every birthday that goes by is one year less I have with my best friends and, as any dog lover knows, we already get far too little time with our four-legged pals. I can’t even imagine what I’m going to do when they have celebrated their final birthday, when the moments are gone, and the photographs are all snapped. I don’t know how I’m going to go on, unable to look into their admiring eyes every day. No matter how long they live, it will never be long enough.

However, it is this fact that brought me to the biggest realisation of all; Bailey and Olly taught me to enjoy every single moment we have with our loved ones. They taught me to get off the couch and go for that walk, or dash through the house with something as simple as a twig snatched from the garden. Bailey taught me to laugh and have fun, while Olly taught me to soak up every second and love without boundaries, because life is too short to do anything else.

Other notable little things they have taught me! 

• Having a nap is always a good idea. 
• Always carry a snack. 
• You can learn much from a first impression, but don't always stick to it. 
• Puddles are the enemy. 
• Pay attention, you never know what is over the horizon. 
• Jump for joy when you're happy.