I originally started this as a coaching blog with a list of 10 things I learned about life and leadership from doing triathlons. Over the past few months, as I work from home with my dog asleep on the floor next to my desk, I realize I have learned a lot from him, too. And I probably still have more to learn! While each dog has their own personality and character can vary, dogs in general seem to share some traits across the board that we humans can learn from. So, here goes, a list of some of the things I have learned from being a dog owner over the years….
1o. Appreciation – dogs are incredibly appreciative. It takes so little to make a dog happy. Whatever you are willing to give a dog, they will appreciate. They love being pet, being given treats, appreciate a ride in the car and a nice long walk. Even if I am not giving my dog anything, he is incredibly appreciative of being invited up on the couch or the bed and just spending time with me. Practicing appreciation and gratitude in life can make us markedly happier and it is a focus of many of my coaching sessions, especially in these trying times.
9. Being present & living in the moment – dogs are great at going with the flow and living in the moment. They don’t overthink life. They don’t waste time and energy on needless worry. Whatever is going on NOW has a dog’s attention. They are not waiting for something better, or a promotion, or the end of the year, or the end of the pandemic etc. Dogs live in the here and now, they take full advantage of every moment and they get on with life. We can all learn something about being truly present in our lives and with those we love from our furry companions.
8. Dogs have recovery (i.e. the art of napping), down pat! Maybe my dog is exceptionally lazy, but boy does he know how to nap! I laugh, but in fact, these occasional naps mean that he is raring to go and fully re-charged when it is time to leave for the dog park or for a walk. So many of us skip or skimp on recovery and we forget how critical it is to building strength, resilience and keeping our energy levels up.
7. Joy – when you think of a dog, what comes to mind? A wagging tail perhaps? Dogs are joyful and playful and they know how to have fun. I am not sure when we lose that as humans, but many of us do. It is nice to have a dog around to remind me of the simple joys of life and the need to have fun.
6. Strategic positioning – My dog has a knack for always being under foot. Wherever I want to go, he is always there. When I am cooking in the kitchen it means he is strategically placed between the fridge and the garbage can. ALWAYS. He is at the foot of my bed when I get up. He is just next to the bathmat after I shower. It is crazy, but dogs have this incredible talent and it seems to come so easily to them. I always say that multinationals, geopoliticians and the military could learn a lot about strategic positioning by studying dogs! What can we learn from our furry friends about how we position ourselves in our lives and in the lives of those we love?
5. Loyalty. Anyone who has a dog can attest to their devotion. They seem to demonstrate it daily – literally every day when I get home from work, I am greeted with such joy and love by my dog. Even if I have only been gone for a short amount of time, my dog greets me at the door as if he hasn't seen me in ages and this is the best moment of his life. I am consistently amazed by his devotion to the people he loves. He is so devoted that he will stop eating for a week or more when my kids are gone on a trip. That is loyalty, and loyalty is a trait I truly value.
4. Dogs are great at making new friends. On walks and in the dog park, my dog ALWAYS needs to greet and investigate any newcomers, even if they already know one another. A few sniffs later and they are off across the dog park playing and chasing each other. If only we humans were as good at making friends! If only we were so open to new friends of all different shapes and sizes.
3. Dogs are not afraid to get dirty! I was running one day with my dog and it had rained the night before so there were puddles along the trail. My dog spotted a huge muddy puddle and before I could stop him, he had thrown himself into it and was rolling around with glee. Noooooo….. But on second thought, this is a great quality. Not being afraid to get a little dirty and take a few risks in life can mean we are open to new experiences and new rewards. I should maybe raise my dirt threshold in life...
2. Dogs trust their intuition. I had a dog who hated a new guy who moved into the neighborhood. Everyone loved him because he was young, attractive and extremely polite. But my dog could not stand him. No matter how much I scolded her, she continued to bark and growl at this guy, which was odd because she really loved everyone. One night there was a string of robberies in the neighborhood and quite a few big ticket items were stolen. The next day the new guy was missing and the police told us he was a wanted felon. How did my dog KNOW?! She trusted her intuition and was not dissuaded into liking him just because I told her he was fine. Our intuition is certainly not infallible, but if we listen, train it and learn to interpret what it is telling us, our intuition provides us with some invaluable insights.
Finally: Unconditional love. Does this one even need an explanation? For lessons in unconditional love, you need to look no further than your fur baby. If you come home late, they still love you. You have been out having fun with friends, they still love you. You lost your job, they still love you. You gained a few pounds, they still love you. Dogs love you. Only your mother and god will ever love you like that, so they are in a class almost by themselves. And let’s be honest, we can all use a bit of unconditional love. We all need that kind of positivity in our lives.
All jokes aside, so many of these lessons are consistent topics of discussion in my coaching and with coaches all over the world. I find it amazing that these abilities come so naturally to dogs. We should all have a dog in our lives, even if it is our neighbor’s or friend’s dog, to remind us of what is noble and important in life.
And now, I think I will go take a nap…. It's a dog’s life.