By Carol Godwin, Cycle Mania

It’s time! It is the time for excitement, enthusiasm, and energy. It’s time for unbridled joy and relief that this time has finally come. It may have been five minutes or five days since the last time, but it’s time again now!

What time is it? Did we win the lottery? Is it finally snowing? Did a new Amazon box appear on the front porch? With this much joy and excitement, maybe we got a new car or maybe we got a vacation day…what time is it? For a dog, it’s time to get up and go outside to go potty, it’s time to take the trash down to the street, it’s time for a bowl of kibble or maybe it’s the time that the people come home from wherever they have been for half their canine lives. Maybe it’s time to go on a bike ride on a forest trail or a car ride with their heads out the window in the wind. For a dog, any time could be that time, and any event, except for bath time, is worthy of a full-blown celebration.

As humans, we put a lot of unnecessary stress on ourselves. The prospect of a new president fills me with worry. I worry about what the Forest Service might decide regarding e-bikes. I’m concerned about both the timely completion and the quality of student work. I worry about how other drivers might affect me on the way home. I’m concerned about the amount of snow we’ll get to help the trees recover from the dry summer, and I’m also worried about how my kids are doing. These things are beyond my control and are things I need to mark as things to follow the advice of dogs about and put the worry aside. 

We only have so long in this adventure called life and worrying less and spending more time enjoying it is a great lesson to learn. Dogs, with their ability to live in the now, don’t worry about things outside of their control. If they see a squirrel, they chase it. If they don’t see the squirrel, they don’t. If dad puts a bowl of food down, they eat. If not, they wait. It’s simple. If I have no control over something, I need to put that worry aside and focus on the things I can change. 

Losing the worry and focusing on the joy will make me a better, and less stressed, person overall. I heard some good advice on my drive home today. Studies show that people with fewer good friends rather than many partial friends live longer and less stressful lives. Studies also show that having dogs makes us live longer, healthier, happier lives. Dogs reduce stress and anxiety, increase physical health by motivating exercise and lowering blood pressure, increase a sense of purpose and improve brain activity. Studies have shown that even looking at a dog increases oxytocin levels, which improves your mood, and lowers cortisol levels related to stress. 

Interestingly, dogs also produce increased oxytocin when interacting with their owners. Having something to count on you and love you unconditionally is incredibly important. Their suggestion was to dump those people who aren’t real friends and adopt a dog or two…or three! Sounds like good advice to me!  

Dogs are unconcerned with politics, money, and social media posts. It doesn’t matter to dogs if we hike the same path every day or if we turn around and double back. Dogs don’t care if it’s cold or warm, windy or rainy, dark or sunlit; they just want to be out, and with us. Every adventure is a new story for them. When I hike with the dogs, I notice new things that they stop and sniff and I can lose myself in their world. They notice a new elk bed on the trail or an unfamiliar scent on the local message stump. When we bike with our dogs, I admire the athleticism they have loping along the trail and I notice the way they use their tails to corner and balance at speed. We have a lot to learn from dogs about living life to the fullest and enjoying the journey however long or short it may be.  

We just had to “put down” our old dog, Odie (the star of the story: Taking an Old Dog for a Slow Roll, July 2024. In the article, I wrote: “I wonder, does he know that one day it will be his last run in the woods, or does he just live day to day and hour to hour? Is that what makes us “different” from the animals? That we know there was something before us and there will be something after us?” As I petted him, and watched him draw his last breath, I felt he knew I was there with him, trusted us to do what was best for him and was at peace but never really knew that it was his last car ride or last little snack. For dogs, it’s all in the now and as long as they are safe in their pack, they are OK with it. 

When I returned home with Odie’s body, they all knew. They knew he was in the back of the truck, wrapped in a blanket. When we buried him in the hole we dug, we uncovered his head and let the other dogs say goodbye. They took turns sniffing him and they know where he is now. They didn’t question, never looked for him in the house or on the trail and were OK with it… life moves on for them in small segments of “now.”

For us, dogs are an essential part of our lives and we would never want to be without one, or two…or three. They are family and deserve to experience all that life offers them. As I write, all of them are content to nap by the fire, but if I close the computer, with the tiniest “click” they will all leap up instantaneously and be ready for the next big adventure, whether it be moving to the kitchen or going outside — every adventure is cause for excitement. No preparation for them. They are ready to go anywhere as long as it involves us. We are their world. They don’t care if my hair looks funny, if I wearing shorts in a snowstorm, or if I’m stressed because I’m late for work. What a gift they give us: unwavering love and loyalty, unshakable trust that we will do the right thing for them and lead them safely from day to day. When we feel discouraged, they know and they come close. When we are sad and need comfort, they are there and the weight of a sleeping dog across your legs both calms you and gives you a reason to stay there and relax, can’t disturb a sleeping dog after all!

“click” … time for a new adventure!  

Source: https://unplugged.rest/blog/health-benefits-of-owning-dog