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Life Lessons Dogs Can Teach Us

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Asha died last week. She was my sidekick for 15 years. She was great with the grandbabies. She probably thought she was one. Daily, when I went to the office, she tagged along. When I’d make my rounds, she ran ahead of me, letting the staff know I was coming. So, losing her was rough. The …
By sethbarnes

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Asha died last week. She was my sidekick for 15 years. She was great with the grandbabies. She probably thought she was one. Daily, when I went to the office, she tagged along. When I’d make my rounds, she ran ahead of me, letting the staff know I was coming.

So, losing her was rough. The grief hit me harder than losing my dad. It was losing a piece of myself. I guess only those who have had pets that encouraged them on a daily basis can really understand this feeling.

A movie, My Octopus Teacher, tells the true story of how a diver developed a relationship with an octopus. It sounds absurd, but then you see surprising scenes where the octopus demonstrates human qualities – hugging the guy and showing affection. And it’s moving.

Asha showed me how an animal can sometimes do a better job of loving than humans, proving that “dogs are God’s emissaries from the animal kingdom.” If you struggle loving those who are different than you, I suggest getting a dog.

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Asha bonded with me immediately. The picture above is of her as a puppy. She liked to sit up on my shoulders. I became her alpha and her life was centered on her relationship with me.

When I returned from a trip, Asha gave me the kind of greeting that said, “Master, I’ve missed you so much. You know that I’ve been looking out the window for you every day. I knew that it was my job to guard the house and protect the pack in your absence and now that you’re back, we can share that job again.”

Other pets can show affection, but this sense of partnership in doing life together is something that dogs excel at. If you’ve ever had a loyal dog who acted like you were the most important thing in her life, then you know what I’m talking about.

The pack is essential

Asha taught me that belonging is central to a balanced life. The pack is essential. Our family and a few close friends were her pack. She greeted all of them with equal affection.

Frankly, I can be too independent, caught up in a world of ideas and projects. A lot of the problems I’ve had in life can be linked to times when I really didn’t belong to a pack. But Asha taught me how belonging to a pack can be a part of my identity.

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Eye contact

Asha communicated her connection with you with her soulful stare. Humans struggle to maintain eye contact, but a dog can look at you without blinking much. Something deep and perhaps spiritual gets transacted with sustained eye contact.

Scientists tell us that babies need extended eye contact to thrive. In an age where we are better at looking at our iphones than at people, we need the example dogs give us.

When we walked together, Asha checked in every 10 seconds or so, looking up at me for her cues. Often I would marvel at this and think, “I need to do that better with God. What if I were to check in with him more regularly like Asha does with me?”

Asha never had bad days. She was always was the happiest one in the room. And she considered it her job to make sure others were happy too. If you were feeling down, she sensed it and ministered to you with her presence, coming over to you and asking to sit on your lap.

Studies show that having a dog is one of the best things you can do for yourself as you get older. Those of you who have had one like Asha, what has your dog taught you?

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