Dogs are the key to happiness, just look at the face of anyone playing with a dog and you will see an expression of pure joy. I have helped people meet their furry best friend for the first time, watching their eyes meet and light up, becoming instant best friends. Every day I speak with people who treat their dogs like their children and they say things like how they aren't sure who rescued who. Countless times I have held and consoled someone drowning in their tears telling me about their dog who passed away or was just diagnosed with a terminal condition. Whether you are looking for your first four legged family member, a long time pet parent, or someone who mourns the loss of a beloved dog this post will warm your heart and explain how dogs are the key to happiness.
Throughout my career I have helped hundreds if not thousands of people meet their furry best friend for the first time. The air is instantly filled with love and positivity along with plans to go to parks and doggie play dates. People belly laugh (and I mean really laugh, not a 21st century lol), they shed tears of joy, and squeal with delight because they are experiencing a level of cuteness, happiness, and love they didn't even know existed until that moment. You will know true joy the way only a dog can teach you, to live in the moment and understand that each day together is a miracle. You will teach them and they will teach you, and somewhere along the way you will realize this is what the focus of life is supposed to be.
If you are a long time pet parent, you already know just how amazing dogs are. The joyous greeting every time you walk through the door, even if you were only gone five minutes, makes you feel like the most important and loved person in the world. The way they are able to snuggle and make you feel better when you are depressed or sick is irreplaceable. The only thing more amazing than how happy they can make us, is how happy we can make each other. I am the proud father of Merlin, a handsome 8 year old German Shepherd / Husky mix, and enriching his life has brought me the kind of happiness I thought only existed in movies. If you are a pet parent and you want to be truly happy, take your dog for a hike instead of spending time on Facebook, teach your dog a fun new trick instead of turning on the TV, and show your dog how much you love them whenever you have the opportunity instead of getting mad when they make a mistake (especially since their mistakes stem from our failure to teach them the proper behavior).
Anyone who has lost a beloved pet will tell you, with wet cheeks and tear filled eyes, that they wish they had more time together and that there is a hole in their heart that could never be filled. Over the years people have come to me after a dog has passed away or had a vet visit that revealed bad news, and while I know there is nothing I can do to fix the heartbreak they are experiencing, I draw from moments in my life attempting to console them. Throughout my life I have experienced great loss, animal and human alike, and instead of letting that pain drag me down, I use it for inspiration. It inspires me to put in the time and effort to do everything the right way when it comes to animals, people, and my passions in life. Look in the mirror or into the eyes of someone who needs to hear it and tell them this, "It will always hurt, but we share our life and our love with those around us. Eventually a time will come when we have to part ways, and it is our obligation in life to not squander the time we have with those we love. Honor the memories of those lost loved ones by committing yourself fully to all of your passions in life, and promise yourself you will never have to look back wishing you had done things differently."
The key to happiness is sharing your life with dogs. When you meet your first dog you will immediately be overwhelmed with cuteness, happiness, and love. Once you have had the honor of being a pet parent for a while, you know there is no replacing the loyalty or comfort that your dog provides. After you have experienced the loss of a beloved dog, you know there is no replacing them or filling the emptiness that was once filled with the love they provided. Don't wait until it's too late to show your dog how much you love them. Take the time to teach them and learn from them, take the time to roll in the grass together whenever you can, and most importantly take care of and love each other unconditionally. Dogs are the only creatures on this Earth that will love you more than they love themselves, and we can't take something so precious for granted.
