6 Life Lessons My Dog Has Taught Me
I don’t know if you know this or not, but Lucy is my first puppy.
Growing up, we didn’t have a dog. We had plenty of fish and a hamster that bit me once.
I always loved fluffy dogs and would pin cute pictures of them on Pinterest.
When I met Luke, one of the things that differed between us is that he grew up with dogs. Lots of them. His family used to breed yorkies and bull dogs so growing up with puppies was normal for him.
When I met Luke, he also had an English bull dog named Thalia who he’d had since she was a puppy. When we got married, Thalia came with us and it was my first time caring for a dog.
Thalia was pretty old when Luke and I got married and she passed away this past December. Our house immediately felt empty without her. When Luke and I started talking about eventually getting another dog, I said, “I want to get a dog, but I want to pick her out.” I’d never had a dog before and wanted the “love at first sight” feeling you get with a puppy.
And then quarantine hit, my birthday came two days later, Luke found a picture of a cute puppy on the Internet, I fell in love with the little puff ball, and boom.
And let me tell you, this little shih-poo bundle of joy has taught me a LOT in the six months we’ve had her. And since she’s my first puppy EVER, everything is new and an adjustment. So today, I wanted to share a few of those life lessons that Lady Lucy has taught me.
{ONE} Patience. Not everything needs to be rushed.
Lucy’s a puppy and an energetic one at that. Training her has been a very slow process. Thankfully Luke is the real MVP when it comes to dogs or else Lucy and I would be still trying to figure out basic things. But not only has she taught me patience (literally), Lucy also takes her time with certain things…especially when I’m trying to get out the door quickly apparently. She walks around the yard looking for the “perfect” spot. She takes her time on walks, sniffing random things. It really has helped me slow down and take it all in instead of rushing by just to “get it done.”
{TWO} Enjoy the little things in life.
Dogs get excited about literally everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Lucy wags her tale at birds that fly by, at flowers, at her toys. She walks around literally grinning. To Lucy, the world is bright and full of fun things and adventures. That empty water bottle turns into her favorite toy. That shady spot in the yard turns into her favorite napping spot. That flip flop turns into the best chew toy. I’ve learned a lot about being content in the present moment because of her.
{THREE} Take time to play every day.
Lucy loves to nap, but she also likes to PLAY. She runs around the yard in circles because of her copious amounts of energy. She loves to play fetch with literally anything. She loves to play by herself with her toys. I tend to be a “work work work” person, but I’m learning to take time to relax and play every day. It’s not only good mentally but it’s good emotionally and physically, too. For both of us.
{FOUR} Don’t be afraid to speak up.
If she’s happy, sad, needs something, excited, mad…you name it, Lucy has a bark for it. It’s funny that I now can hear the difference between a “whining” bark and an “urgent” bark even though they sound literally the same. Dogs don’t care if you want to hear them bark or not, they speak up anyways. They communicate in their own way anyways. If she needs something, Lucy barks. She isn’t afraid to speak up.
{FIVE} Love with your whole self.
You don’t have to own a dog to know this, but dogs are full of joy and love. They literally get SO EXCITED to see you, even if you only left the room for five minutes. Just last night, I left to go to the gym, was gone for maybe an hour, and came home to Lucy literally ECSTATIC that I had returned. She couldn’t stop wagging her tale or rolling on her back so I could pet her. It just melts your heart, ya know?
{SIX} Play hard, rest harder.
Although Lucy is an energetic dog who loves to be outdoors and running around, she also knows how to chill. When we’re watching TV, Lucy curls up and either sleeps or watches it with us! When it’s time for bed, she goes in her crate without complaint and without barking. Although she plays hard, Lucy knows when to rest. It’s a good reminder for my “always on” personality to take a deep breath and rest, too.
Thanks for reading a blog post dedicated to my dog. I never thought I’d be the person who would write something like this but honestly, we can learn a lot from dogs. And if you’re curious, yes Lucy has an Instagram. You can follow her at @LadyLucyofLancaster.