Amy Newmark's Blog - Posts Tagged "dog-lovers"

We learn so much from our canine companions, and along the way they keep us company, provide unconditional love, and share in the ups and downs of our lives.

What do we learn from them? Everything!

Ours dogs make us better people. If we rescued the, they rescue us back. If we're sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how.

They are our best friends.

Here are two of my favorite examples from our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Dog, on the ways our writers have learned from their dogs:

Embrace the opportunity to get some exercise.
Winter Desire Prosapio had never liked walking, saying she had a perfectly good car. But when she and her husband adopted a dog that had always lived outside, they had trouble housebreaking him. Winter determined that the best course of action was to walk little Archer frequently. It started with simple strolls down the block, but that puppy was so full of energy that before she knew it Winter had turned into a true walker. And so had Archer. She says, “If I try to skip the walk on any given morning, he looks at me like I’ve announced that all the bacon in the world has disappeared.” And now Winter finds herself walking three miles in a day. She says, “Every now and then, I look at this little dog and think, Who is walking who?”

Giving up control can have its own rewards.
Amanda Sue Creasey was visiting her parents in a beautiful part of Virginia and she knew exactly where she was taking her dogs Jack and Sadie on their morning walk. But halfway through, Jack stubbornly resisted, planting his feet. When Amanda gave in and let Jack lead the way, he happily took Amanda and Sadie down his chosen path. Amanda says, “When we got to where he was headed, I was so glad I had let him take the lead.” Jack had taken them to a beautiful deserted peninsula overlooking the Potomac River. Amanda commented, “I realized that sometimes letting go—letting someone else take the lead—is the wisest decision one can make.”