Old Dog Wisdom
The older you get, the wiser you get if you learn from life. These white hairs in my doggy whiskers tell stories of the many lessons I’ve learned in my short years here. While I may walk on four legs, I think the dog wisdom I carry can be shared with anyone.
Dog Wisdom: Love First
Love is the most important thing we have. It’s more important than toys, parks, and even the most delicious treats. Loving someone else and having their love in return is a feeling unlike any other. It makes it easy to wake up on days when you just want to stay in bed. It gives you a reason to keep fighting when sometimes it feels easier to just give up. It makes you want to be the best possible version of yourself. If you are lucky enough to have the love of a human or another animal, don’t take it for granted. Keep living each day like you’re trying to earn their love for the first time.
Dog Wisdom: Rest When You Need It
Some of my favorite memories are before or after naps. Not just any naps, though. The kinds of naps where I feel perfectly content with my life and I can easily slip in and out of sleep without a care in the world. As dogs, we might be known for being able to nap in some unusual conditions, but we also understand the importance of resting. I’m definitely not my best self if I don’t get my 12-14 hours a day. The days when I prioritize rest, I can be the best companion to the others in my life.
Dog Wisdom: Visit the Doctor
As much as I hate to admit it, visiting the doctor yearly has helped me get to my senior years. My human basically had to drag me in and out of the car every time we went to the veterinarian. Even the nice ladies at the desk giving me a treat at the end didn’t change my mind about going. But, I begrudgingly admit that these visits helped me, especially any time I started to feel bad. I wanted to be able to tell my human what was happening, but I couldn’t. Luckily, my doctor knew what I looked like when I was healthy, so he was able to tell when I didn’t feel my best.
Dog Wisdom: Don’t Hold Grudges
For a long time, I was angry at the dog who lived next door for stealing my ball one time when someone threw it over the fence. I could hear and smell him playing with it for weeks. It made me so angry that I stopped going outside…until one day, I realized that was only hurting me. So, I held my head high and went back out to claim my yard. And I started using our shared fence exclusively for my bathroom time. Anyway, once I got over my anger, I realized that I never liked that ball much anyway. It wasn’t even my third favorite toy. Letting go of my anger let me appreciate the other things I have even more. Thank goodness for the dog wisdom I’ve learned.
I might be an old dog, but even I know that the people at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services really care about us (and other animals, too). Tell your human to give them a call at (248) 334-6877 for the best specialty and emergency care in the area.
