Think Like A Dog: Unleash Better Living

That’s a clever headline

STRAWBRIDGE image with Bing Image Creator

I like dogs, have been around them all my life, and have a love of dachshunds in particular. One could argue that I know dogs very well.

I want to focus on better ways to live, and for some reason, this led my brain to begin thinking of doggies. It’s a very pleasant frame of mind. Let’s detoxify the air that has been congesting the online dialogue as of late.

Why dogs? Because they have the world figured out. No dog has ever needed to read a self-help book. None, regardless of the breed, will ever sit quietly and listen to a motivational speaker.

Dogs already know their motivations and purpose. They pursue what they want daily. Dogs do not need to be redirected back toward their true natures after an identity crisis. Dogs never do un-doglike things.

Are they smarter than humans? Probably. They are happier, for sure.

I like that dogs do not wait around to do what they want. They immediately act out whatever is desired, if it is sleeping, asking for more food, playing with toys, or just being near or on a familiar human.

I have noticed that my furry friends of the past and present quit playing/fetching exactly when they feel enough is enough. Most likely, a dog will then curl up and go to sleep. Dogs play with one another but send clear signals when they want to be left alone. Growling is an obvious message of displeasure with some circumstance that both animals and humans can easily interpret.

On the other hand, our non-dog world is extremely complicated and indirect. A person might survive an entire day without ever expressing a real preference for one thing over an alternative. We grow accustomed to this. At least for me, I rarely expect to receive what I want. We know life is a compromise among endless other non-dog creatures, and we are reminded of this until no more reminders are needed.

People are so embarrassed to want something, they refuse to make choices when asked. No one wants to be the person who picks out the restaurant, for example. Sometimes, all we can do is shrug and say “I don’t know” or “whatever you want is fine” when it comes to the color of the room, the vacation spot, who is driving, the movie to watch, the room temperature, who was in line first, and etc.

Have you ever sat silently as people around you made terrible choices? I don’t mean life-changing decisions. What about when picking a movie? I have unshakable confidence that I can predict if a film is going to be good, just watchable, or atrocious. Do you just go along with what the group wants and sit through something you dislike?

I have, and it is time for me to speak up more. On a similar note, I want my life to be less compromising and more focused on my purpose. Therefore, I have to figure out how to preserve energy (I get exhausted easily) to work on my priorities.

In short, I want to think more like a dog. Dogs have zero patience with activities that are out of their comfort zone. As for me, I am not that comfortable in social situations. But some are necessary, as we all realize.

Greetings and small talk, though, should be edited out altogether. I imagine getting more done, maintaining adequate energy, and getting better sleep.

Now that I think about it more, we should be allowed to wear “Do Not Disturb” signs around our necks (or wherever you prefer). Just like with dogs, my intentions to be left alone would be clearly communicated. I can decide when to engage with other non-dogs and take off or put on my convenient sign according to my will.

Problem solved.

Unfortunately, I then visualize my plan and conclude this is not the best option. People are unlikely to consent to wearing a sign that might be a fashion eyesore.

However, we could disguise our preference to talk or not as a piece of attractive jewelry. What about a “Do Not Approach Brooch?” Nah, no one wears those anymore. I am thinking of a unisex necklace with a brightly colored piece of something that can display red or green. The color would have to be changeable very easily with each symbolizing either “please stay away” or “you may safely engage.”

Now I feel better. Although, I haven’t detailed dogs’ smartest invention that is also, arguably, their best quality. Dogs are affectionate and insist on physical contact with humans. Without fail, we receive their good vibes and peaceful contentment communicated through their doggy auras. And this is what I need to highlight, ponder, and write about for a little while.

Dogs should be in demand now more than ever. We need their expertise. If you have not noticed, there is an alarming loneliness problem that many are calling an epidemic. I have read those who cite Covid and working from home as causes, but in my case, unhappy solitude dates back much further.

I would call my issues with loneliness a chronic illness that is incurable. It feels exactly like that. Some of us may have been born with whatever qualities and preferences that make us especially susceptible to the disease. Yes, disease.

Are you part of a thinking profession? If writing is your passion and/or job, then the answer is yes. Much of what is interesting to me, or that I have accomplished professionally, has been a thinking pursuit and thus lonely—making. Reflecting on profound subjects, doing research, and writing, does not require other people.

There is a caricature of the lonesome writer, mentally unhealthy and isolated, that our culture sometimes references in some form. That is not me, because writing actually has been part of my recovery. Though, I have mostly lived a lonely life thus far.

Humans will never match dogs in terms of that warm closeness that might be the opposite of feeling lonely. But there is one thing I know that every scientist and doctor also believes: people need human touch to be healthy. Lacking it causes all kinds of “physical” problems and diseases.

My solution is “cuddle trucks.” We have food trucks after all, and I maintain that cuddling is more important than overpriced, trendy things to eat.

Whatever you think about that, here is more reality: people who suffer without human contact can become so isolated and depressed as to develop dangerous ideas. This affects everyone. Those without hope of any comfort may turn on society or themselves in violent ways.

Teams of cuddlers should be dispatched everywhere. That is likely impossible, but we could try. Dear reader, you might be aware that some people already offer physical contact in therapeutic settings. We need to go beyond that and bring hugs to the people who need it most.

I actually believe that rehab centers and other mental health institutions don’t understand what patients/clients need more than anything. More than optimistic advice, suffering people need a hug. They need another person to give them that magic healing that only comes through a warm embrace or human touch of some type.

Imagine yourself in the middle of a breakdown. A family member has suggested or a judge has ruled that you need to spend time at a mental health facility. Now you are surrounded by strangers while plagued by confusion, delusions, or despair. There are many things you might need, but without any doubt a doctor should prescribe human affection.

And at mental health hospitals, what is the one thing that is forbidden most of all? Touching other people for any reason. If you did not know that, then now you do.

No dog could comply with such a draconian rule. Dogs never go very long without snuggling up with an animal or person. As they sleep, dogs like to be in close proximity to their favorite non-dogs. Man’s best friend requires someone’s presence while enduring things like going to the vet, thunder storms, and the vacuum.

Once again, the evidence demonstrates that dogs practice that advice: “To thine own self be true.” And when they are joyful, they run around in circles. We should try that sometime, as well.

In summary, non-dogs too often overthink and miss the forest for the trees. We should think more like dogs. We would be happier, don’t you think?

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THANKS FOR READING. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE THIS STORY. WRITERS APPRECIATE AND NEED ENCOURAGEMENT. THIS IS ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED FROM DOGS. HUMANS ARE NEEDY TOO BUT PREFER TO PRETEND THE OPPOSITE.