Your dog is man’s best friend for a reason. He’s loyal, he’s affectionate, he listens to your stories, and he’s always there when you need him. And while you may not believe that your dog can have any bearing on your life other than being a part of your family, there are actually plenty of things you can learn from your four-legged friend.

1. Dogs don’t dwell on the past.

A dog’s memory is pretty short. This is why when you yell at him for chewing your shoe, he continues to chew your shoe the next day. But this short memory allows them to forgive and forget, even if it’s because they don’t have much of a choice.
As humans, we often play the “what if” game. We regret doing or not doing too many things, and we often wonder what our life would be like had we chose the road not taken. Acting this way makes us forget about the great life in front of us. Instead of living our current life to the fullest and being happy with what we have, we dwell on our past, and doing this can ruin our future.
2. Dogs don’t care about image.

If you think about it, your dog has been naked his whole life, and he couldn’t care less. Even through awful grooming, your dog still remains happy and confident.
We don’t do this. We let fashion and beauty and diets rule our lives, and we obsess over every detail. We worry that the wrong outfit won’t get us liked by the right people. We care too much if we don’t have the latest and greatest, and we are constantly using makeup, hair products and even plastic surgery to change our appearance and become more “acceptable”. This is such an unhealthy way to live our life. We need to stop worrying about what others have to say about our image and look how we want to look for ourselves.
3. Dogs are always there for you, no matter what.

You and your dog have been through thick and thin. There are days you love him, and there are days you threaten to take him to the pound for eating your shoes. But instead of holding a grudge against you for the one time you were mean to him, he wakes up every day knowing you are his best friend and willing to be there for you.
We often let fights and silly mistakes ruin long-term friendships. Instead of harboring spite for years, be like your dog and be there for your friends, no matter what they do and no matter what silly fight you got into. Life is too short to fight with the people who mean the world to you.
You may not have known it, but your dog is more than a great companion. He is actually a full-fledged scholar in how to live a healthier life. You need to learn from your dog and start living your life for you. When you do, you will be much happier, just like your dog.

Ashley Cole is a stay at home mother and animal loves who enjoys writing about her passions. She doesn’t ever write without the help of a grammar checker as she needs help proofing her work to ensure it is free of mistakes. She can’t always remember grammar rules and doesn’t know what she would do without the help of proofing software.