Life Lessons Learned from my 4-legged Friend

Over the past month of being a (very proud) dog mom I have learned a lot of

things from my little pup, Augie. At only four months old, Augie has a lot of learning to do. It would be foolish to say that he is the only one. The past month has been filled with lots of puppy kisses and learning from mistakes. I have composed a list of life lessons that I have learned from my four-legged bundle of joy.

Get excited every time a friend or love one comes through the door

Regardless if you go to the bathroom for a minute or are gone for three hours, Augie's excitement never changes. He will patiently sit on the opposite side of the baby gate banging his tail on the ground the moment he hears or sees movement coming down our hallway. We take for granite the amount of time we have with our friends and loved ones, always expecting them to walk through that door every day. Life is about celebrating the big and little moments in our lives, even if that means the simplicity of walking through the door again.

Forgive and Forget

This is one of the most valuable lessons that I have learned over the past month. Puppies are really really good at getting into trouble. With trouble comes consequences, having to learn right from wrong. Not a minute after Augie is scolded for getting into trouble he is back to the happy pup he was before the incident even occurred. Most importantly, his excitement and happiness to play (with me) does not change. Life is a constant learning process. In order to be successful at anything that we do in life we are going to be critiqued, pushed down and told no many times. We do not have the time to hold those negative comments in the back of our minds. Forgive, forget and move on to the next thing.

Try New Things

When was the last time you did something that was outside of your comfort zone? From those times you went outside your comfort zone, how many times did you actually end up really enjoying that new experience? I am guilty of it too, staying inside our own cocoon and comfort bubble that we create. But why? Why do we constantly put restrictions on ourselves? Assume that we will automatically hate what we have not experienced. We are people of habit and love the reassurance of things that are comforting and similar. There is a whole world right next to us filled with an endless amount of opportunities to try something new. I have found myself admiring Augie’s bravery and excitement every time he is around something new, even if it does not end the best. Constant tail wagging and zero hesitation when faced with a new adventure. Who knows, what could you be missing right now.

It is okay to fall down

I have found that Augie and I have something in common; being clumsy. Particularly in the area of falling down. It’s inevitable that we all will have some bad falls and wipeouts in our life but how we react and carry ourselves after we are down is what matters. When playing around and tackling stairs, Augie has fallen down a lot. Some tumbles much worse than others. No matter what, he is completely unfazed and focused on getting back up as quickly as he possibly can. Getting back up and staying focused on what is ahead of us is something Augie is able to do so easily that can be more challenging for humans. Sometimes it may take us days get back on our feet with our head held high. Like Augie, some tumbles are worse than others. Make it a priority to get yourself back up, brush off the dirt and continue on what is ahead.

Sometimes all you need is a hug (or snuggle) from your mom

After 21 years of life, I have learned that there is nothing better than the warm embrace from your mom or dad. Their hugs have magic powers that make you feel safe and all the bad go away. (Mom I apologize for thinking hugs were lame in high school and middle school.) Nothing makes me completely stop what I am doing quite like when Augie walks up on my lap, looks at me with his puppy dog eyes and plops down in my lab, ready for some snuggles. Next time you see your mom or dad, hug them hard and embrace their ability to make the world stop for a couple of seconds.

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