In honor of National Dog Day, we asked the question: “what has your dog taught you?” and the response we received was touching. Much like every dog's nose is like a unique fingerprint, the impact that each dog we’ve known and loved varies and they teach us meaningful lessons. Take a moment to read below and let us know if you can relate to any of these words.
“...He's really taught me how to communicate without words. Kindness, patience and persistence have been the keys to changing his behavior and really ‘speaking his language’” -Olivia R.
“That no matter how big you are, you can still be a lap dog. He is the most cuddly and affectionate dog I've ever met-even at 80lbs.” -Neil S.
“Yogi taught me how to see the light in darkness. She made me laugh at my lowest moments and always managed to put a smile on my face. The world feels a little scarier without her by my side because of it. She taught me unconditional love, how to love someone with your entire heart and soul.” -Sabrina B.
“Strength, Bravery, and Loyalty are honors bestowed only by Love.” -Kaitlen M.
“Sacrificing sleep and a social life for two months to ensure he survived with his condition was the best choice I ever made. I’d never cared for a newborn anything before so it was a really scary decision to take him on because I was afraid I’d do it wrong, but it was so worth it!” -Pheobe J
“Mila taught me to be patient with myself. And that I could not control everything. She was a severe epileptic and she had seizures often. We only had her for 14 months and she significantly changed me. I loved her so much. And am still grieving her loss. We lost her in December 2020.” Rose S.
“He is everything good in this world. He has the purest heart and has taught me what true, unconditional love is. He has taught me patience, and that I would do anything for his health and well-being. He’s taught me that angels really do exist because he is one My boyfriend and I say we’d gladly take years off of our lives so he can be with us longer.” -Emily D.
“That the heart of a dog is something to absolutely be treasured & taken care of to the best of our abilities. She's taught me that healing comes in the form of a wet nose, four paws, and slobbery kisses. That even when we have been dealt a bad hand in life, we can always find a new start at any time and live a great life we love.” -Liz O.
“Almost my entire life I never understood why people loved dogs so much. I didn’t grow up around them at all and was actually afraid for the majority of my life. I also grew up under the impression I was allergic to them, but I now know it was more of an anxious reaction and not allergies. My fiancé's family is full of dogs and my comfort level grew over the past 7 years. Alex had been wanting a dog forever, but we were never in the right home situation. We moved at the end of last year and finally had the space for a dog to live their best life on almost 7 acres. I was still hesitant but open to the idea. Back in June, we got our little Poppy and she has changed my life! The unconditional love she gives me every day is unlike anything else. I never realized how much personality dogs can have! I’m sad it took me 30 years to realize it, but she has become our best friend in such a short amount of time! (Besides our cat, of course!)” -Shanan G.
So, what has your dog taught you? Let us know!
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