It's a Dog's Life

It's no secret that dogs are perhaps the happiest beings on the planet.

In fact, anyone that has ever owned a dog has, at one time or another, wished they could be more like their canine companion.

Come on. Admit it.

It doesn't take much to please a dog. A bone. A throw pillow. Some kibble. Maybe a squeak toy. A lush patch of grass...

The great thing about dogs is that, unlike us humans, they don't get bent out of shape when something doesn't go their way. Sure, they're just like us. They have desires, needs. They want things. They dream. An extra scoop of dog food, please. A spot on the bed, not on the floor beside it, would be just great, thank you very much. And, by the way, I'd really like to try a bit of that steak you're eating...

Desires. One thing I've noticed about our girls is that they actively pursue their desires. Take our lab mix, Dehlia, for example. Every day, without fail, she'll circle the table while Chris and I eat dinner. Round and round. A whimper here. A whine there. All in a pathetic attempt to get a handout.

It drives us nuts.

In all honestly, it's probably our fault that she does this. Because, once in a blue moon, she'll actually score a treat. Chris will have a rare moment of weakness and toss her the leftover crust from his pizza. Or I (in my usual state of gracefulness) will drop an entire hot dog on the floor - bun and all. Those days, in Dehlia's mind, are very good days.

But then there are the days - most days, actually - when dinner time will roll by completely uneventful. Chris will clean his entire plate, and I'll accomplish an amazing feat by not dropping anything edible on the carpet. On those oh so dark days, Dehlia will leave the dinner table completely empty-handed. Or empty-bellied. However you want to look at it.

But does it throw her? Does it put her in a bad mood? Does she pout and whine and moan and throw a doggie-temper tantrum? Does she toss her paws in the air and bark, Why God? Why? No. She'll simply, gracefully, and with as many good-manners as she can muster, return to her spot on the couch, where she'll continue doing whatever it was she was doing before dinner time. (Napping, watching TV, chewing on her bone, etc., etc.)

Now, when I don't get something I want, I'm not that agreeable. I get irritated. Moody. A bit depressed. And yep - even bitchy. (Oh, my poor husband.) And sometimes I'll even toss my hands in the air and ask, "Why God?! Why?"

Lately, in an attempt to become a happier and more content person, I've turned to our dogs. Studied them. Learned from them. Learned a lot from them.

Dogs appreciate their surroundings. They appreciate the good they already have. Sure, if something better comes along, then great. Grand. Wonderful. Bring it on, they seem to say. But if nothing at all exciting happens on a particular day - if all they do is eat their standard meal of kibble and lay on the floor instead of the bed, if they don't get to go on that walk they were looking forward to - they're still happy. They're still content. And, most importantly, they're still in love with life.

How often can any of us say that? How often have disappointments brought us down? Made us bitter, angry, resentful? How many times have we let money, relationships, careers, and body-images keep us from enjoying life?

I'll admit it. For me, I've let it happen far too much.

Dogs are resilient. Hard to keep down. In fact, more often than not, you can't keep a dog down. Even the homeless dogs I've worked with in the past were far more happy than most people I know today. Sad, but true.

No, it's not bad to have desires. It's not bad to have wants and needs. And it's certainly not bad to have dreams. But when we let the outcome become more important than the present, when we let the results dictate our point of happiness, that's when we're in trouble.

Life is meant to be good. It's meant to be enjoyed. And it's meant to be lived. Fully, completely, no holds-barred.

All that's important in life, I've learned from my dogs. And I'm continuing to learn from them. More and more. Everyday.

In the end, they've been my greatest teachers.


** As a side note, this is possibly the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. In fact, I laughed so hard when I first saw it that I think I pulled a muscle in my neck. Enjoy!


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"I like driving around with my two dogs, especially on the freeways. I make them wear little hats so I can use the car-pool lanes."
-- Monica Piper