LATELY I've been taking life lessons from my dog. Previously I tried everything from sleep apps and breathing exercises to find calm in these angst-ridden times. Then I realised the answer was sitting right in front of me.
We adopted Moose – our five-year-old Border Collie – from the Dogs Trust in Glasgow last year. He has the sweetest temperament, loves adventures and is brilliant fun.
While looking for training tips, I stumbled across a quote from the American novelist and travel writer Edward Hoagland: "In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."
He makes a good point. Here are five gems I have been taught by my dog:
Things don't need to be perfect
I have a terrible knack for stressing myself out over the tiniest things. No one knows that perfection is the thief of joy more than me. Who cares if the duvet cover is wrinkled, there's crumbs on the coffee table or a muddy paw print on the good rug? Well, maybe a little. But I'm getting there.
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Live in the moment
If the upheaval of this year has shown us anything it is that planning – currently at least – is pointless. Enjoy the small moments: watching the birds from the window, chasing a ball in the park, licking a spoonful of peanut butter. Those are mainly Moose's, but to be fair, they are mine too.
Always make time to play
Sometimes I get caught up in the mantra of work now, fun later. I will be hell-bent on battering through a task and lose track of time. When this happens, Moose often appears by my side and drops a toy into my lap as if to say, come play, forget your toil for a while.
Appreciate time in nature
There are few things Moose enjoys more than a ramble and rake through the woods. We regularly spot deer, rabbits, foxes, birds and insects, and find all manner of unexpected treasure, like the time Moose rummaged in the undergrowth and came out with an £80 football.
Less enjoyable was when he pulled me down a slippery embankment onto the old railway line, a journey I mainly made while flat on my back, valiantly holding onto his extendable lead, while getting snagged by every bramble and hawthorn bush on the way down.
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Still, it gave the workers enjoying a fag break outside a nearby warehouse a good laugh. "Crufts next year, hen!" shouted one as I limped away, muddy and bleeding.
Never give up
Whether it is the daily fruitless pursuit of squirrels or cajoling your human to open the biscuit tin that contains the gravy bones, it is always worth a shot. The same goes for the beleaguered business of life during a pandemic. Dust yourself off and keep going.
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