Dogs have always been part of my life. I grew up in a big family and our Boxer, Daisy, loved us kids in a way only dogs can love – complete acceptance of our pokes and teasing, and unwavering dedication to keeping us safe from harm. As an adult, I’ve continued to share my life with dogs, both at home and by working in animal shelters, and they have taught me so much about life and love. Here are some important examples.
Unconditional Love Does Exist
No matter what you look like, smell like, or act like, your dog loves you. Dogs don’t try to change us; they just want to love and be loved, regardless of various imperfections all around.
Live In The Moment
For dogs every moment is a new moment. They aren’t rehashing your last play session in their heads, nor are they planning what they want from you sometime in the future. Dogs teach us to stay in the present and to “go with the flow,” which in turn makes love more true and more intense.
Wag More Bark Less
Coming from a place of gentle wags, not angry barks, gets better results with the one you love. The dogs I’ve known learn this quickly with positive reinforcement training – lots of kindness, understanding, affection, and treats – and then they model it for us every day.
If You Need Attention, Ask For It
When your dog wants your attention you get the nose under the arm, the head on your lap, the long lean against you waiting for a pat. You never have to second guess what they want from you. I had a dog once who, every time he needed my attention, would gently put my arm in his mouth and walk me to his food bowl, to the door to go outside, or to a chair for so I would sit and scratch his ears. What a great lesson in love!
Keep Believing In Love
I work for Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS), where we see sad and abused dogs on a regular basis. What is so remarkable about many of these dogs is their resilience and their continued trust in humans. We took in a German Shepherd recently who weighed under 50 pounds, about half his healthy weigh. His humans had starved him! Yet this dog was always ready for pats, hugs, and cuddles. Dogs teach us love is still possible no matter our relationship history.
Cuddle Often
Most dogs love to cuddle. In my experience, it seems the bigger the dog, the more he wants to be in your lap, on your bed, or somewhere else very close to you. There is something about our physical closeness that reassures dogs of our love. Snuggling close is an important way to demonstrate love, in humans and in dogs.
Be Devoted
I recently was stuck in traffic next to a man hitchhiking with his good-looking Pitbull. It was pouring rain and the two looked wet and miserable. The dog had no leash on, but he never moved from his person’s side. Dogs stay with the ones they love regardless of difficult circumstances.
Give The Look Of Love
There is nothing that says “I love you” more than softly staring into someone’s eyes. Dogs have this figured out better than we humans do. They can’t speak our language – yet – but with their expressive and soulful eyes, they don’t need words.
Express Yourself
There are many ways to communicate the message of love, and dogs don’t hesitate to speak to us often and directly about how much we mean to them. The adoring eyes, the head butts, the wiggly waggly bodies – these are all expressions of love. They show their loving feelings without hesitation, as should we all.
Sometimes we forget to take a break in a very busy day to tell our special someones how much we cherish them, but a dog always seems to find the time. That’s one more important lesson in love we all should learn from our dogs!
Mim Carlson is Executive Director of Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS). She has worked in animal shelters for over 10 years and loves every minute of it. Mim lives in the Bay Area with her husband, dog, and four rescue cats.
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Main article photo by: Kathleen Hill
