I made a commitment to Gunny, my soul mate chocolate Lab with whom I wrote The Endless Path, to do my best to get humans to think about life from their dog’s perspective. So with that as an introduction, I ask you, how would your dog describe you? How do you think they describe you to their dog friends? With your best interest at heart, what advice would your dog give you?
If you’re reading this, chances are your dog would say right off the bat that you’re kind and loving to your dog! But would he say that you’re kind and loving to yourself? Are you stressed all the time? Are you anxious? Are you worried what others think? Do others treat you kindly? Are you impatient with your dog? With yourself? The questions are endless, but you get the idea.
Your dog has spent the majority of his or her waking hours in life observing you. As you know, they recognize when you’re getting ready to take them for a walk. They know when you’re leaving the house and not taking them! So guess what? They know when your boss is on the phone. They know if you’re angry at your significant other. They know if you like your neighbors. Put yourself in your dog’s paws and tell me what you see.
I’ll go first. Gunny told me that I needed to be more patient. He was right. And you know what, he needed to work on his patience, too! I never got that food bowl down fast enough for him! He also told me some really profound things. He encouraged me to change my job, and led me to abandon a legal career and build a healing warm water swimming pool for dogs when I just didn’t know what else to do to make a living. He told me to be more kind to myself; he could see that I was harder on myself than anybody.
You know that your dog wants the best for you, just like you want the best for your dog. So look at yourself through the loving benevolent eyes of your dog and ask yourself: What advice would my dog give me? What would he suggest I do to make my life and his/her life better? No one knows what goes on in a home other than the people who live there. Your dog lives there and likely knows more about you than your best friend or sibling. And he loves you unconditionally.
Be kind to yourself. Be honest with yourself. If there’s something that you need to change for yourself or for your dog, try to change it. No one sees you more clearly than your dog and no one wants the best for you more than he/she does. So tell us, what advice would your dog give you?