10 life lessons my dog has taught me (and can teach you!)

Posted 11/03/2022

There are many benefits to owning a dog. Unconditional love, exercise, continued companionship and so much more but have you ever considered what they can teach us? I have discovered that there are a lot of lessons my dog Wally teaches me regularly, so here I lay out the 10 life lessons my dog has taught me. Hopefully, you get something out of them as well.

Lesson 1: Always stop to smell the roses (or the other dogs’ pee)

Whenever we go for a walk Wally has to stop at every tree or pool to pee and every other random spot to sniff things out. It’s frustrating when all I want to do is walk him and go home but it does make me think I need to slow down more. He may be doing it cause his nose is so close to the ground but it’s still worth remembering to stop and remember to look around at the beauty around you.

As Ferris Bueller once said

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it.”

Lesson 2: Don’t forget to play (especially at the most annoying times)

This is a good one especially for people who can sometimes take on all the seriousness of life whilst forgetting about the fun. I mean yes sometimes I’m not in the mood to play with Wally, especially when I’m in bed trying to go to sleep, but his constant bringing me toys to throw or just general playfulness is a good reminder to have fun.

” we don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

Lesson 3: It’s always important to rest (all day if possible)

Eat whatever you want and don’t care about it (especially when it’s off mums plate)

Ha if only we could all live a dog’s life. I have a camera set up to keep an eye on Wally when I’m out all day at work or doing stuff (I know obsessed dog Mum) and 99.999999% of the time when I check if he is sleeping. He then preceded to have all his energy hit him when I get home and all I want to do is sleep.

Still, his daily dose of 11hours (or more) of rest does serve as a reminder that no matter what is happening you have to remember to take time to rest. There is always time for play and work and other stuff but you have to remember to rest.

” Let’s start by taking a smallish nap or two…” – Winnie the Pooh

Lesson 4: Always stand by the ones you love and who love you (preferably right beside them where they may step on you if they aren’t paying attention)

Anyone with a pet will understand this, you are never alone. You get up just to go to the fridge they follow you, you go to the bathroom they follow you, you get up to change the DVD (yes I still own and watch DVDs) they follow you. My favourite is when I’m doing the washing up in the kitchen and Wally is in not even a couple of metres away but nope he needs to get up and curl up at my feet, literally. When I first got him I had to get a cat collar with a bell on it for him cause my flatmate at the time and I kept almost stepping on him, his feet make a bit more noise now so it’s no longer needed but he is still always there.

I may make fun of it or in jest complain but really it shows just how much he loves me. This is a good reminder for everyone to make sure you keep the ones you love close to you. If you can’t do it physically make sure you are always in contact so they know you love them and care about what they are doing.

” Stand by those who stand by you” – anonymous

Lesson 5: Your voice is worth being heard (even at 2am when everyone else is asleep)

Now most people would get really annoyed about the amount of barking Wally does sometimes and living in an apartment I get very anxious about it. But he only does it when I’m home (mostly) and it’s his way of communicating or trying to. He’s alerting me to what he thinks is danger outside the front door or just saying ‘Mum what’s that’ in his own way.

Without the ability to speak and be understood Wally opts to just make sure he is heard no matter the time of day or night. This is a good reminder to us all that even if you aren’t heard by everyone or not understood by everyone you should still speak up. All major change in the world began with a single voice to make sure you use yours if only because there are people (and creatures) who can’t.

” Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has” – Margaret Mead

Lesson 6: Be kind to everyone you meet (whether they like you or not)

Now Wally is one of the friendliest dogs on earth he wants to be friends with everyone and every animal he crosses paths with. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to be his friend, he doesn’t understand why not, but despite this, he still tries to say hello with nothing but a smile and a wavy tail.

I’m not recommending trying to make friends with every person you walk past or see in your lifetime but it’s still a nice thought to remember. If you pass someone on the street and make eye contact smile they may be having a bad day and your smile might be the only kind thing they experience that day. If someone is struggling offed to help, they may prefer to do it on their own but the offer of help might be all hey needed to find that strength.

Now this is a big one and spreads across a lot of different scenarios but if you ever deal with retail or customer services workers whether it be in store, over the phone or online please remember they a) are just doing their job and are constrained by the rules they have been told and b) (this is the most important one) they are human beings!!! Too often we get wrapped up in our own problems and issues we forget that on the other side of these sorts of interactions is another human, I don’t care where in the world they are located they are human and deserve to be treated as such. And kindness goes a long way in those situations, understanding that they are merely doing what they have been told also helps if you aren’t happy with their response to escalating it to their manager still remember they are human and have to abide by rules as well.

The final point I want to make on kindness and this is really more in line with Wally’s wish to be friends with everyone when online use kindness over vile. The internet and in particular social media has made us more connected in many ways but it’s disconnected us with a party of our humanity. People say and do things online they would never do in real life, so remember no matter what happens to be kind and use the web for good.

“” No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”” – Aesop

Lesson 7: Don’t fight the things you don’t really want to do (just whine the whole time)

Wally hates baths, he hates being groomed, he used to hate car rides now he is just overeager to get out of the car. Even his least favourite things to do (take medicine or take baths) he still does but he whines the whole time. It’s heartbreaking to hear the sound of him crying when all I am doing is trying to do things that are good for him.

This can be a good lesson for us humans also because we all have things we hate. Whether it’s the washing, the lawn, cleaning the house or doing our taxes, there are tasks in life we hate to do. Rather than put them off or try to avoid them why not just do them and spend the whole time complaining. This may not be as practical for people who have family that may get annoyed by your complaining but maybe you could just do it your head.

” Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.” – Lily Tomlin

Lesson 8: When someone you love is sick or sad don’t try to fix it just be there for them (and lick their tears away and give lots of cuddles)

There is this urge as humans to help when we see someone we love in pain, sick or in some other way hurting but that’s not always what’s needed. Whenever I am feeling upset, even if it’s just from some soppy Hallmark movie, Wally always knows and comes over to snuggle and even lick my tears away. This small gesture of just being there with me is often all I need when I am struggling with my mental health or other parts of my life or crying over a sad movie.

“Just being there for someone can sometimes bring hope when all seems hopeless.” – Dave G Llewellyn

Lesson 9: Trust and have faith (no matter what)

Every day I leave Wally alone for at least 8hours a day and he looks so sad when I do but every day he is waiting happily for me to get home. As much as he doesn’t like me leaving he just waits and I come home, he trusts I will always come home.

Now, this isn’t just a lesson about people leaving and coming back but about life in general. No matter what happens (in Wally’s case he sees me leave every day but never doubts I’ll return, I don’t think) trust and have faith that it will all work out. Without this, the world could start to look very grim indeed but if you have faith and trust that it will all work out you will find the strength to get through anything.

Lesson 10: Most of all remember to be happy about the small things (even when it’s just going out the front door)

One of my greatest joys is seeing how happy Wally gets over the smallest things. I mean I get my shoes on or pick up his lead and he goes mental! He’s spinning around, running all over the place and yes barking his little head off all whilst his tail goes like a whipper snipper. He even has this thing where if I put one of his harnesses down on the ground or there’s one on his level he’ll grab it and try to put it over his head himself.

This absolute joy he expresses is so inspiring. We all need to get a little more joy out of the little things. Whether it’s the joy of seeing our puppy happy or our kids (if you have them) playing or spending time with friends or finding clothes you love or eating food you love, enjoy it all. The more we find joy in the little things the more we realise just how much we have in life to be joyful about.