Life Lessons from a Therapy Dog : Stop and Smell the Roses

“Can Mcduffie unlearn laying down?!” my friend said jokingly as McDuffie laid down amongst a crowded Main Street at Soda City Market. Laying down is definitely McDuffie’s favorite thing to do. It is even a running joke in his training classes that his laying down behaviors are “classic McDuffie.” 

McDuffie is relatively calm for his nine months of age, and as a therapy-dog-in-training, I am thankful for this. He is my reminder to slow down and enjoy the moment.

The perfect example of this was the day before my engagement party. McDuffie and I went to Soda City Market. I had so many things to do and was rushed going from one vendor to the next.  On several occasions, McDuffie would do his usual and lay down frequently. That day I was really stressed and did not have the patience.  My automatic thought went to, “Come on, we have to go — you are making me late!” This led to me getting more frustrated. I then changed my thought as I looked at him. He was enjoying himself so much; relaxing and looking around while wagging his tail. Seeing this made me think, “Taking a break is exactly what I need right now,” and I felt calmer.  

Our thoughts can be very powerful and influence our feelings. Changing our negative thoughts to positive thoughts leads to more positive feelings.

McDuffie is a reminder for me that self-care is a priority, not a luxury. 

As I reflect on my friend’s statement about McDuffie unlearning laying down, I would not want to change who he is. I accept his calm and energy-conserving attitude. I also relate this to myself and accepting me for where I am at and continue to apply this to the people I meet. 

Be sure to follow McDuffie's journey to becoming a certified therapy dog.

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