8 Lessons I Learned from Getting a Dog

For those of you who don’t know, this is Daisy. Today is the 3rd anniversary of her adoption day and I am grateful that she has come into my life. Daisy is my first dog so I had a lot to learn. I had always wanted one, but lived in apartments and condos for years and didn’t feel I had the right space. Once I moved to a home with a yard the time just felt right.

We’ve had a lot of adventures together and I’ve learned a lot from this little girl who seems to have taken over my life.

Here are a few of the top lessons:

There will be challenges: Memories come to mind of a cold, icy night when I took Daisy out for a potty break. She found a very dead squirrel and immediately claimed it as hers. It was really, really gross. She was not going to let go of that squirrel for anything and even growled at me when I tried to get it. I couldn’t leave her out in the snow and I was clear she was not bringing a dead animal in the house. So, we ended up in a tug of war with the squirrel corpse. Just thinking about it still gives me chills, but eventually I did win.

There is always time to play and eat: We love to play together, which mostly involves my throwing something and her going after it. She just lights up with energy and radiates joy in these playful times. Her other major love is food. She will eat anything that resembles food and has even picked up a few things during our walks so I have to keep an eye on her. The good part of this is that she will do almost anything for a treat and can be easily motivated.

I needed to learn how to be a pack leader: I’m a natural softie. Some have called me a gentle soul. But, what my dog needed when walking on the leash was a confident leader. Cesar Millan videos helped me understand and I practiced “the walk” faithfully until it felt natural. To be honest, I like the feeling of the calm and confident walk and learning to do this has helped me in many ways.

If she misbehaves it’s probably my fault: Daisy is a good dog and she aims to please (especially if there is a treat involved). I learned that when she goes haywire it’s usually due to my attitude or lack of focus. When I get upset with her and think of her as a challenge we end up working against each other and are both miserable. I need to remember that we love each other and are always on the same side. The other issue is if I’m tired or my mind wanders on walks she senses my lack of focus and may become a little opportunist.

Dogs need to be dogs: Daisy is probably half beagle mixed with something with longer hair. I call her a Shaggy Beagle. Beagles are known for hunting, tracking and being very stubborn. Her nose runs her life. I was told if I used a special leash that didn’t let her put her nose to the ground she would be a better walker, but would she be able to be herself? She is generally very well behaved on our walks and I decided I was okay with her sweeping the ground with her nose as long as she doesn’t stop or misbehave. I want her to be what she is and follow her natural instincts, not try to turn her into something else.

There is no love like dog love: Well, my cats would probably disagree but their love is just different. Daisy is a faithful friend, free entertainment, a warm and snuggly bed buddy and just so full of love. Having her has made my life feel more complete.

Patience Rules: When I adopted Daisy I asked for a dog that was potty trained and good with cats. Well, she was terrified when she saw the cats and definitely not potty trained even though she was 2 years old. While we both had good intentions, some of her training took a little while. That first year was a lot of work, but then something clicked and we found our groove of working well together. That is when our relationship deepened. Maybe it was her finally feeling safe or trusting me or maybe these things just take time, but I am clear that every moment of that first year was worth it.

Dogs can help heal and open your heart: Having Daisy has made me a better person. I’ve always had a big heart, but she has helped me open it more and follow where it leads. There’s just something about how cute dogs are and how they love so fully that makes them easy to love back.

Being a Life Coach has taught me to see life lessons in most anything. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how these lessons I learned from getting a dog can apply in other areas of my life. Or, in yours. We could do a lot worse than living life like our puppies do.

And, a quick reminder: There are many great dogs needing homes and when you adopt from a shelter or rescue group you are making room for one more life to be saved. Come on. You know you want to…