Living Like A Lab Makes You Happy

This is my dog Indy. He is a rescue but not from a shelter. He was trapped in his cage in a room for over two weeks with nothing to eat and no water. His owner got six DUI's and was obviously sent to jail. His roommate, my coworker, said he couldn't take care of him as he had two jobs and his own dog. I said I would take the dog for the weekend. That was when covid hit three years ago and everyone was locked down.

When I brought him home he had eaten a rope because that was the only thing he could reach from the cage. You could see his ribs. You should never see ribs on a lab. I fed him, he at everything, so I fed him again and again. And he threw up everywhere. Too much food. Oops.

We all rescue something in our life and we all decide what we fight for. We brought him back to life, and now he lives like a lab. Like every day is the best day he has ever had. My wife and I always joke that when we come back we would like to be like the lab.

Here is what I have learned. Living life like a lab means several things. First, connection is everything. He thinks my wife is his girlfriend. He cuddles her first, with his head on her lap, and his big eyes gazing into hers. I know, sounds like cheating right. But here's the second, he only cares about how many things he can cram into his mouth. I have seen him have three tennis balls and two meaty sticks in his mouth at the same time. His tail is wagging like his is the king of the world.

I throw snowballs into the deep snow drifts and everytime he is confused and exilerated by the fact that he can't find the snow in the snow. Tail never stops wagging. The point being, living like a lab would be a dream for all of us. Imagine that no matter what you do, you are exestentially happy.

So no matter what happens in life, learn to live like a lab.

Dr. Jess W. Gibson