Wellness, Doggie-Style

If you have a dog, odds are she’s the happiest, healthiest, most engaged member of your household. Assuming you’d benefit from being happier, healthier, and more engaged in your own life, here’s a short list of ways we’d all do better to treat ourselves like we treat our dogs.

1- Move every day.

Dogs don’t “exercise.” They leap. They chase. They use their bodies to play and explore. When Scruffy is stuck inside all day, she’s an ornery bitch. We humans are no different. The average guideline for canine activity is a minimum of 30 brisk minutes, every day. If you currently get next to no exercise, even 10 minutes of half-assed something-approximating-activity is a great start. ¹ I could cite countless studies showing that daily activity results in less depression, less anxiety, greater health and overall happiness, but the time you’d take to read those studies would be far better spent going for a walk. ²

2- Eat for health.

Remember that time Scruffy got into the leftover birthday cake? The insane behavior that followed? Her restless excuse for sleep? The gastrointestinal clustercuss the next day? That ³ was ⁴ ugly ⁵. Sugar has the same impact on our bodies as it does on hers; the only difference is we have a large enough frontal lobe ⁶ to rationalize other reasons why we feel like crap. ⁷ Veterinarians often prescribe dogs who are ill or in some way out of whack a natural, whole, high-protein diet. Meat has helped bring many an obese, lethargic, and otherwise unhealthy pup back from the brink. ⁸ A diet ⁹ that consists of natural, whole, usually protein-rich foods ¹⁰ has helped bring many an ill, off, and otherwise unhealthy human back from the brink, too. Myself included.

3- Eat meals.

“Free choice” feeding, when Scruffy has food available whenever she wants it, ¹¹ often results in her eating when she’s bored, not just when she’s hungry. We humans call this grazing or snacking. Call it whatever you want, the results are the same: dogs and humans alike lose touch with their hunger, eat for any or no reason at all, and pack on excess fat that the body doesn’t need. Healthier-minded owners feed their appropriately hungry dogs 2-4 reasonably-portioned, protein-rich meals a day. When you’re hungry, eat a meal, preferably one comprised of foods to which you healthily relate. When you’re not hungry but find yourself sniffing out kibbles regardless, try engaging in an activity that doesn’t involve food. ¹²

4- Go to the doctor.

Consider this: When was the last time you took your dog to the vet? And when was your last checkup? If your last three appointments with an MD were with a psychiatrist, see suggestion #1. Scruffy gets walked, taken for jaunts in the park, and coiffed on the regular. When was the last time you took yourself out for a walk? Treated yourself to a trip to the park? Got yourself groomed? There are hordes of dog owners who spend more time and money on their pup’s wellness than they do on their own. If you’re among them, try investing the same resources in your own health for a while. Take a stroll. Bring a book and a kite to the park. Get your hairs cut.

5- Lick yourself.

These suggestions could hardly be complete without a nod to Scruffy’s favorite self-care activity. Would this make you happier?  Yes. Healthier? Maybe. More engaged with the world? No, probably not. But two out of three ain’t bad.

Special thanks to Stay Positive Animal Training in Florence, Massachusetts.