Last Updated on June 20, 2023 by Lori
I’ve been feeling pretty stressed out in the last few weeks. (What, you too?) And so I thought I would take a light-hearted look at the world through Ozzie’s eyes, and share some happiness lessons from my dog.
My dog, Ozzie, has life figured out.
He’s pretty much always happy, relaxed, and ready for anything. His only real stress in life (now that I am home with him literally ALL the time) is to make sure the evil squirrels in our backyard remain in their tree where he feels they belong.
Why are dogs so happy?
You can learn a lot about life from others, even if they aren’t human.
Now, if you are a dog owner/butler like me, you’ll immediately see the truth in all these lessons. But the fact is, despite coming from a dog, they can easily be applied to human lives too.
Check them out and I think you will see what I mean.
And so I turn the remainder of this post over to the Very Good Boy, Ozzie:
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Ozzie The Dog Shares His Best Happiness Lessons
1. Today is the Best Day Ever
You can’t deny this is true, because yesterday is already over, and tomorrow hasn’t come yet. So it’s all about today.
There is only now.
Now is a good time to have an adventure. Or eat snacks. Or play with squeaky toys.
Best of all, it’s a good time to lie outside in the sunshine and take a nap. On the couch, with a pillow cushioning your head. That’s a great thing to do now!
Our time on this great big spinning ball is not guaranteed. So do what you need to do, but remember,
today is the best day ever because it’s what we have right now.
“The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment.”
Robert Falcon Scott
2. Love Deeply and Unconditionally
Dogs are pack animals, and in modern times, our people are our packs. We really, really love our people and we aren’t afraid to let them know it.
We show our love all the time.
If we don’t show how much we love our people, they may feel like we’ve stopped loving them or are taking them for granted.
This is bad.
So always let your people know just how much you care.
Bark like crazy and jump around when they come in the door.
Bring them special gifts like slobbery toys and rocks.
Snuggle against them at night.
Don’t be shy about it or pretend that you are “too cool to care”. Express yourself.
These are your people. And even though most people are pretty awesome,
your people are the best people.
Because they are yours. Never forget that.
“You can usually tell that a man is good if he has a dog who loves him.”
W. Bruce Cameron
17. Don’t Judge Others Based on Their Appearance
This sort of judgment is a weird thing people do, and it makes other people unhappy.
Dogs don’t understand it at all.
Dogs can be really big or really small, thin or fat, and we come in all different colors. We might have floppy ears and a long, swooshy tail, or sticky-uppy ears and a short, stubby tail. It doesn’t matter, because we are all dogs.
And we are all awesome.
Dogs have no problem accepting each other exactly as they are.
And guess what? We think we are perfect exactly as we are, too.
I am a big, brown smiley guy, and my best friend Astro has stubby legs and a squished nose. Different as we can be, but absolutely perfect in our own, unique ways.
Also, neither of us has ever thought that my blue collar makes my butt look big.
Let go of the judgment, humans.
33. Don’t Sweat The Small Details
I eat the same damn food twice a day, every day. And I am a-okay with that.
My food fills my belly and gives me energy to run and play.
I am thankful that I have enough to eat.
Sometimes I want to take a long walk to the park, and Mom just takes me on a short walk around the block. Sometimes we have to walk fast and I don’t get to stop and sniff all of the good smells. Other times I have to stay HOME ALONE when Mom goes for a car ride without me.
And you know what I do? Forgive and forget. Yup, that’s all.
It’s not worth it to stress over any of that little stuff.
Don’t be upset or hold pointless grudges for little everyday events.
Just learn to take them in stride because everything just seems to work out fine that way.
6. You Are Never Too Old to Learn New Tricks
Every good dog learns to sit, stay, lie down, and come here when they are just pups. That’s easy stuff.
But even as we get older, we are still curious about the world.
There is so much out there in the world, just waiting to be discovered!
We like to learn new things and have new experiences and go to new places.
Learning is good for the brain.
It keeps us feeling young and energetic.
When you stop learning new things, your brain starts to shut down and life gets dull.
Learning can be complicated, like Roll Over or Take A Bow. Or it can be as simple as taking a different route on your morning walk or visiting a new dog park.
Never stop exploring and learning and challenging yourself to try new things. That’s what life is all about.
Just don’t forget the snacks!
Read More About Happiness:
- 10 Action Steps to Keep You on the Sunny Side of Life
- Everyday Happiness: 101 Simple Ways To Bring a Smile to Your Face
- 21 Facts About Happiness That Will Surprise You
- The 8 Best Positivity Blogs to Boost Your Mood Instantly
Final Thoughts on Happiness Lessons I’ve Learned From My Dog
To summarize, here are the five happiness lessons from my dog that you can apply to your own (human) life:
- Today is the best day ever
- Love deeply and unconditionally
- Don’t judge others based on their appearance
- Don’t sweat the small details
- You are never too old to learn new tricks
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post!
Hi Lori (and Ozzie!). What a great post – thank you. And you are absolutely right, there is a lot than we can learn from dogs. They very much live ‘in the moment’ – no obsessing over what has already happened or what may happen in the future (unless its the very near future and the possibility of a walk or play!).
I really appreciate your comments, Richie – especially since they are coming from a confirmed dog-lover. I think we all need that live-in-the-moment lesson the most – I know I do! Thanks for reading!
These are great lessons. And Ozzie is a cutie! Thanks for the smile.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Michelle! Ozzie thinks you are a cutie, too!
Aww I love this so much! Also, your dog is adorable ❤️
We both thank you for your kind comments, Alexis!
I absolutely love this post! Many times, I’ve looked at my dogs and thought, they really can teach us how to live in the moment and cherish the present. But there are a ton of other things they can teach us!
“Dont be shy or pretend you’re too cool to care” – THIS IS AMAZING! I have four dogs so I can watch them and be reminded of these things at any time of the day! Thanks for these reminders, from the pups! : )
Lisa, your comments made my day! Thank you! We humans do give ourselves a lot of credit for being the smartest creatures on earth – but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the others! Give your dogs big hugs and boops on the noses from me! Thanks for reading!