Life is full of lessons — and we don’t need to be in a classroom to learn them. Almost everybody we meet in life can teach us something new, as long as we’re willing to listen. We can also learn a lot from animals. They’re much smarter than we think.
I’m always learning lessons from my dog, Lulu. She’s a Siberian Husky that we adopted from an animal shelter almost four years ago. Here are just 10 of the lessons I’ve learned from her:
1. Be willing to try new things. Lulu is always willing to try something new. The other day, she grabbed a container of goldfish flakes, chewed it open and ate all the flakes. Our fish, on the other hand, was unwilling to try any of Lulu’s food.
2. Don’t let people put you down. As soon as Lulu entered our home, she climbed onto the couch and sat there. I tried to put her back down on the carpet, but she declined to even negotiate with me. Our previous dog, Legacy, accepted her spot on the carpet, but Lulu believes that spots on the carpet should only be made, not accepted.
3. Find support for any position you take. Lulu found support for her position on the couch from my wife and my younger daughter. “Let her be,” my wife said. “She likes it on the couch.” My position was that dogs should not be on furniture, but Lulu’s position had more support.
4. Don’t rely too much on technology. Lulu does not need GPS for directions. If we take her on a long, circuitous walk, she knows exactly how to get back home. The other day, we tied her outdoors but she managed to escape and go on a jaunt. About an hour later, when we opened the front door, she dashed into our home, smelling like she had rolled around in a plant — the waste treatment plant.
5. Get plenty of sleep. Unlike our kids, we never have to tell Lulu that it’s time to go to bed. She knows the value of sleep. By my estimate, she gets about 18 hours of sleep each day. This means, of course, that her brain has had plenty of rest and is extremely alert. This alertness helps her achieve her three main goals each day: eat, walk, and chase small animals.
6. Get plenty of exercise. Lulu is always eager to go for a walk and sometimes even a run. She knows the importance of being in shape. Without regular exercise, she would have a hard time putting the fear of dog into the neighborhood cats.
7. Talk less, listen more. Lulu rarely opens her mouth to make any sounds. But she’s a good listener. She opens her ears for our commands, for other dogs’ barks, and most importantly, for the sound of food being dropped in her bowl.
8. Don’t settle for less. Our previous dog, Legacy, was happy with whatever we put in her bowl, even if it was just dry food. But not Lulu. She expects more than that — and usually gets it. Even after she’s eaten a full meal, she’ll walk to my wife with a look that says, “That was a good appetizer. I’m ready for dinner now.”
9. Treat everyone equally. It doesn’t matter what color you are, if you happen to be a cat, Lulu will chase you. And if you happen to be a human, she will greet you with a wag of her tail and a sniff of yours.
10. Don’t do your business in just one place. Diversification is important. If one place is not available, Lulu takes her business somewhere else. She’s an equal-opportunity business dog.
