A Dog-Gone Good Lesson

What “man’s best friend” can teach us!

Our canine friends can teach us an awful lot about relationships and how to treat others. He (or she, for the politically correct crowd) isn’t known as man’s (or woman’s) best friend for nothing.  By emulating just a few of their innate habits, we can make our personal relationships happier and more loving.  

  • Get up and greet your loved ones when they come home.  With his tail wagging and eyes saying, “Why were you gone so long?” our beagle (Suede) comes running whether we’ve been gone ten hours or ten minutes.  Try to make a habit of greeting your family members with a warm hug and a kiss when they come home from a long day.   
  • Be persistent.  Don’t be afraid to let people know what you want.  Suede can hear the light in the refrigerator come on and whenever you’re in the kitchen he’s right there with you, waiting for a handout.  He’ll actually sit and watch us eat, waiting for any crumb to fall or for one of us to give in to his long, pitiful stare with his big, brown eyes.  His persistence usually pays off.  So will yours.  Go to where the action is, let people know what you want, and be persistent.   Over time, your persistence will pay big dividends. 
  • Take time to stop and smell everything.  Don’t go through life in such a rush.  Take time to cherish each hug, each smile, each kiss, each sunrise, each sunset, each laugh, each special moment. 

If you watch your dog, you’ll quickly learn why they make such great companions!