How My Dog Taught Me To Live A Better Life
About three years ago, this dog suddenly appeared in my life: His name is Pushkin (after the poet Pushkin from Russia, also with curly hair) and he instantly hopped into the hearts of my family, my neighbors, and friends. Now I understand which impact this dog has on my life. I want to tell you what Pushkin had taught me to live a better life.
Be Outside
A quite usual phenomenon of us people living in the 21st century is that we’re going less outside than we should. We’re sitting a lot at home or work, not really interested in the environment around us. But with Pushkin on my site, I was forced to go outside, and I just can say that these long walks with my dog were a big change in my life. At once I started to realize where I’m really living, not just a little uninteresting village in the south of Germany, more a region with many interesting places and routes. In addition to this, the fresh air, birds sounds, and the quiet creek we often pass was very slowing down my daily hectic, almost like meditation. I wasn’t thinking about all the tasks I’ve to do, I only focused on the present — and my dog sniffing and running all around me. While walking, I was just happy, enjoying the moment without thinking and being stressed anymore.
Say “No”
This sounds a bit strange, am I right? You know, Pushkin is a very active and impulsive dog: He loves to run around and sniff everything he can find, all in all, he can be exhausting sometimes. With a dog like this, you need to be consistent with the things he’s allowed and not. Quite often I have to say “no” to him, whether when he again wants to put something in his mouth or just making things he shouldn’t do. This attitude I had toward my dog somehow got into my interactions with people. I started to say “no” more often to people asking me to do stuff I’d often agree with only out of politeness, even if I had something else to do or just didn’t want to do it. I stressed myself because of this attitude to agree with everything until my dog appeared at my house, teaching me to say the word “no”. Without noticing, my stress got less and my daily life, in general, was more relaxed.
Never Lonely Anymore
That’s not really something my dog taught me, but I just want to mention it. It doesn’t matter when I come home, but my dog will surely be there, waiting for me and welcoming me. It doesn’t matter how bad my day was, either, because when I come home, there will be this dog that tells me that everything is okay and that he’s there for me. This is maybe one of the biggest impacts my dog has on my life, he just makes me happy by being with me on my site, never mind what happens.
Social Life
As a dog owner, I meet a lot of other dog owners outside when I go on a walk with Pushkin, and very often we talk a lot. My dog somehow socializes me by socializing himself with other dogs. I’ve met so many people already because of my dog, and this is really nice, you instantly meet someone who shares a common ground with you, a dog. This phenomenon is equal to bikers, for example. Bikers are one community without even knowing each other just because of their hobby, biking. Your dog gives you also a type of belonging to a group of millions of people, which appears like a big community.
So, you’ve now heard some experiences I made with my dog, what says the science about it?
The Scientific Point Of View
A study of the German Rhur-University proofs, like some other American studies of the past, that owners of pets, in general, are happier. Dog owners for example are not only happier but also living healthier because of the walks they do every day. Cat purring can be used therapeutically to spread calmness and to reduce anxiety. This happiness is coming from a hormone called “Oxytocin” which got produced when you, for example, stroke an animal. Important to know is that a pet only makes a person happier if it fits into life. If a pet owner has to relinquish things to care for the pet, this person won’t be happier at all.
I hope you understand how big the impact of pets is on us and how they can change our life. They can really make us much happier and help us to live a better life. I’m sure any pet owner out there knows how good it is to have someone who’s there for you!
