5 New Year's Resolutions You Can Learn From Your Dog

New year, new resolutions that we can break as soon as possible.

​If this happens to you, maybe you should try to be be more dog and start figuring out how they can be just so darned happy all the time!

Dogs wag their tails when they see you, run in circles before a walk and cosy in so tightly at night that there must be a way we can all be as happy as our pups. Here at Happy Home Dog Boarding we've started to learn from them ourselves, and we'd like to share our experiences with you.

Here’s five things we think we can all learn from our dogs to make us happier, whether it’s at the end of the year or halfway through the year - there’s never a better time to improve ourselves than right now!

​1. Be patient

Even if your dog is always crazy excited and just happy to be here, just take a moment to consider how much patience he needs. He has to wait until you’re ready to go out for a walk (whatever time of day it’ll be today), wait until you feed him, wait until you’re comfy so he can jump up onto your lap. A dogs life is good, but there’s a lot of waiting involved!

They are patient animals, and we could learn a lot from that. This is the day of instant gratification and wanting instant likes on Facebook (by the way please like us on Facebook) but perhaps we can take a leaf out of dogs’ books and just let things happen when they happen. ​

2. ​Get active (but not too active!)

Most dogs love a jolly good run and jump and slide into a muddy puddle. We recommend only two out of those three for humans, but which two is entirely up to you. 

Dogs love exercise, and so should we. This could be as simple as walking your dog, rather than letting them run around a field whilst you are on your phone. There are also great ways to work with your dog to build a bond, like dog agility or canicross. Getting fit sounds boring, but it is so much more fun with your furry companion encouraging you!

3. ​Eat when you can, sleep when you can

This is a resolution we’ve had ever since our non-fur-baby baby Sam arrived a year ago, but which dogs have been doing for years. Is there nothing going on, no toys to play with and no people to cuddle? Dogs would sleep, and enjoy the sleep too. Whilst we’re not recommending napping 8-10 times a day, why not take a rest when you can, instead of rushing around and stressing all day? 

And look, there’s some food! Who knows when you will next eat - why not grab it while you can? Your dog certainly would. Who knows when the next meal is coming? I mean, probably around 6pm, but that’s not the point.

​Assume nothing. Eat now.

4. ​Enjoy every moment of every day

A dog will enjoy everything she can. She won’t be sad by remembering how she made a fool of herself twenty years ago in front of strangers she’ll never see again.

She doesn’t worry about that meeting tomorrow. 

She certainly doesn’t worry about what’s happening in an hour or a day or a week. She only lives for the now, and enjoys it to the max!

​It can be easy to constantly plan for the future or worry about the past, but be like your dog - live for the moment, take it in and enjoy, because soon it’ll be gone. ​

5. Love everyone!

Most dogs have a lot of love to give. Sometimes a bit too much, if it involves a slobbery tongue and your ear, but their hearts are in the right place. And don’t they do well because of it?

They get claps on the head, belly rubs and toys thrown for them. Good things happen to them because they are good to others. Why can’t we be more like this?

Someone cut you up on the bypass? Let them go, they might be having a bad day and feel bad about it too.

Someone get that last Greggs vegan sausage roll in front of you? Chill! There’ll be more. Smile, chat and see what happens.

Someone use your mug at work? Hmmm, actually, that might be the exception to the rule. But otherwise, try and give out some more love.

Be more dog. They know what they're doing.