By the Grace of Dog

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

Hard relate to that gem from Groucho Marx? High-five, wherever you are.

Anyone who knows me reasonably well knows how much of a part dogs play in my life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been at my happiest in the presence of these four-legged wonders of evolution. (Or creation, for the more theistically inclined.)

11-year-old me would argue that there wasn’t a better pillow than the belly of a floofy German Shepherd. 20-something me has seen acts of selflessness by a Dachshund that humans don’t seem capable of. And my midlife crisis became that much easier in the presence of the world’s most chilled-out Labrador Retriever whose credo seems to be “Let that shit go.”

No hyperbole, I’ve been a better student of dogs than I have of most “hoomans”. More so when the lessons have been about leading a fuller life and having deeper, meaningful-er relationships.

Today’s post is based on a wonderful Twitter thread of some of those lessons that have stuck with me the most. (Kind of like a dog will.)

Bonus: If you’re interested in further reading on why they’re the coolest, check out the book Dogs Never Lie About Love by Jeffrey Masson.

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