In answer to today’s writing prompt, my favorite animal would be dogs! Yorkies in particular. So, today’s post is all about DOGS and what we can learn from them!
Have you ever sat and watched your dog?
I mean REALLY sat and watched them?
Maybe I’ve had a little too much free time? Or, perhaps I’ve mastered the art of slowing down enough to notice the little things. Thanks to the book I’ve been reading The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm in a Fast-Paced World, it’s entirely possible to be either scenario!
Anyway, before you come rushing to my house for an intervention, hear me out! Our pets are smarter than we think! I’ve been doing lots of reading lately about becoming in tune with our bodies and listening to what my body needs-physically, mentally and emotionally.
In doing so, I’ve seen much of which, my Yorkie already does!
1) Always stretch in the morning. Downward dog is a real thing!
There is a reason why our pets stretch when they first wake up. We lay still for several hours while sleeping (well, if you’re lucky and get several hours of sleep lol). Upon waking, our bodies need to stretch out to get our blood moving and circulating. This is beneficial for so many reasons! Here are 10 great reasons to start adding stretching to your daily routine: Top 10 Health Benefits of Stretching
2) Always greet visitors with love and excitement. Show them they are special to you when you see them.
Being a good friend starts with being excited to be with them. Always greet your friends or visitors with a smile. And, if you’re feeling really adventurous, a hug! Just don’t get too excited and jump up on them! It always makes me smile to come home to my dog because she is ALWAYS excited to see me!
3) Take time to rest. I catch my Yorkie sleeping all the time…
The body is constantly moving and working. It only makes sense we need to rest it. If you’re like me, you don’t do this often enough. When we rest, we feel better, are less irritable and more fun to be around.
4) Be loyal
What does it mean to be loyal? Here’s a quick definition: giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution. There is a reason why they say a dog is mans best friend. Have you known any creature to be as loyal as a dog? We can learn a lot from this.
5) Protect the ones you love (physical and emotional)
Being a military family, I always stressed to my kids that THEY are each others’ number one. Friends may come and go, but your family is forever. You should always look out for one another with their best interest at heart.
6) Always be a good listener. Not interrupting etc-just listen!
This is a tough one for me. I’m a fixer as in I want to fix everything because I care so much. But, if I’m to learn from my dog, I will learn to LISTEN. It can be so therapeutic to vent out loud to a pet. My poor Zoey has heard SO much-free therapy sessions! And, the best part…she never interrupts…because she can’t! haha
BONUS: Be patient and enjoy the silence.
I laugh at the amount of times I catch my dog sitting on the edge of the couch just looking out the window. Sometimes, I will join her and try to imagine what she could possibly find so entertaining. After a few minutes of staring out the window myself, I realize it’s nothing. And that’s just the point…silence. It’s so good for the soul and underrated in our fast paced world.
So, what do you think? Have you ever learned something from a pet of yours? I’d love to hear about it!
And, what’s YOUR favorite animal? (don’t say cat-lol)
With Love and Aloha,
Lacy
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I LOVE this post and I so agree with you Lacy. Our pooches can and do teach us so much. I wrote a number of posts (years ago) about lessons from a dog (and lamb too, for that matter lol). But seriously, we really can learn a lot from our furry friends as you’ve described here. Big love to you. xx
Thank you Miriam! Our pets (and animals in general) are so good to us. We don’t deserve them! ha What’s the biggest thing you feel you learned from them?
Oh gosh, so many. I think the biggest and most important one is simply to live in the present and to make the most of wherever we are.
I love that…I really do!