Paulo Coelho said that “A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”

And I think the same can be said about our dogs.

Dogs are in our lives for so many reasons besides being a faithful companion, a family pet or an exercise buddy. Their lessons in life are deeper and much more spiritual than simply lessons of commitment and responsibility. If we really take the time to be present with every emotion our dogs bring forth in us, we can learn how to be better more compassionate human beings.

One of the biggest lessons is how to be fearless. Dogs live without fear. Now I’m not talking about things like fear of thunder, or fear of being left alone , fears of men etc. To a dog those fears, which are -more often than not -human creations, are there to keep dogs safe in situations when they feel they are not. I’m talking about the fears that as humans, we learn over the course of our lives that are simply illusions, such as the fear of being judged, fear of rejection, fear of the future, fear of the past, fear of the unknown etc.

Dogs are magnificently carefree and have no need for irrational fears of any kind and if we took their lead and allowed ourselves to let go of all those fears, doubts and regrets, of all those things that no longer serve us except to create anxiousness and worry, we would be able to find that inner peace that our souls crave. We would be able to return to that trusting innocence…of our inner child which our dogs embody every day.

Dogs live life fully. Be it chasing a ball, going for a walk or sleeping. They do the best that they can with what they have in every moment that they are doing something. We spend most of our lives chasing happiness. If we get bored at our job, with our relationship etc we go find something new to keep us entertained until we become uninspired with that as well. But give a dog a bone and he will chew that bone until he is tired. Then the next day he will go back and gnaw on that bone again and even if there is barely anything left will give that bone his best chewing efforts possible until it is all gone and will enjoy every second he spent with that bone. As humans we talk a big talk by affirming that we want to live our lives fully, yet have no idea of how to do it. We think that acquiring more stuff, bigger homes, faster cars will show we are living a full life. Instead of looking for more things, observe your dog in action as it gives its best effort in every thing it does, big or small. This simple act will inspire you to master the lesson of truly living life fully.

Finally everyone wants to be happy. There are shelves of books with tips on how to achieve happiness. Yet most of us put on a mask when a friend asks how we are and we say, “Good, good everything is going great.” But deep down inside we feel a sadness, a disconnect with happiness. Do we really know what real happiness is any longer? A way to find that happy place again is to watch your dog. Dogs are inherently happy. You can almost hear them say… ‘Its dinner time?, I love dinner time. Its walk time? I love walking. Its nap time?, I love napping. They are grateful for every single thing that they participate in and gleefully express that joy and gratitude. Start to express gratitude for everything in your life, as your dog would. For the cream for your coffee, for the socks on your feet, for the air that you breathe. When you start to express your gratitude, true happiness will find its place within you and when you feel it, thank your dog for that lesson too.

Thank-you and until next time….. Happy tails!

Joan, Raider and Carter

*This piece was originally published by the North Shore News in my column Canine Connection