No, There Are No Greater Masters Than Dogs
The greatest masters are those who teach their pupils without them even noticing.
Since you are reading this, it is very likely that you’ve been deeply connected to dog love at least once.
Yes, cats and birds are awesome too, but there is something special about the tail-waggers.
Dogs have played a crucial role in my personal and professional life.
I’ve been a pet tutor (owner) since I was born to this day. Besides that, in 2017 I took a step ahead in the “dog love journey”.
I had the opportunity to buy a struggling Dog Services business and restructure it.
2 years later we had 3 stores and hundreds of satisfied customers every week.
I had plenty of time to observe the relationship between dogs and owners and wonder.
While sheep provide wool, cows provide milk and chicken provide eggs, dogs objectively provide nothing at all.
In fact, they can be a great source of expenses: food, baths, vet, daycare, hotel, walk, etc. We had clients that expended over U$ 1.000 per month just on not essential services like daycare, spa, and training.
What explains that?
To provide better services and profit more, I deeply observed this relationship for years. Thus, I happened to find out an unusual, still beautiful, truth:
People bear the cost of having dogs as pets because they want a full-time coach to help them to be better people. It is the coach with more Skin In The Game you will ever see:
No talking at all, just lead by example.
The Importance Of Non-Transactional Relationships
We can separate relationships into two main categories.
The first is based on shared interests, especially short term. It is your workmate, your wingman/ woman, the father of your church.
In all those cases you are bonded by shared interests: achieving business goals, meeting people for romance, or developing spirituality.
Once, let’s say, your workmate decides to quit his job to live with the natives in a tribe, your common interest is lost, therefore the relationship is weakened and is likely to be over as time passes.
We can call it transactional relationships.
The second category is based on nothing.
Yep. Nothing.
Dogs will stay by your side even if you are a homeless person and has nothing but yourself to offer (literally). Even if you screw up big. Very big. They won’t judge and stay by your side, no matter what. They want nothing from you but to be with you.
The non-transactional relationship does not depend on conditions to exist, it is unconditional.
That’s the kind of love Jesus has been preaching for over two thousand years. Yet, we humans don’t consider it “realistic”. In a contradictory way, we keep dogs near to remind us of that possibility.
When life hits hard is not the workmate, the wingman/woman, or the preacher that will be there for you no matter what. It is your parents, brothers, and your very few old true friends.
Those non-transactional relationships are our safety nets and should not be taken for granted.
Fearless To Show Affection
Imagine you left for work in the morning and came back in the evening. Your dog wags his tail and jumps like crazy. So excited.
You go to the grocery store and come back after 20 minutes. It shows the same affection.
Even though we may “play cool”, deep inside we just love it.
If we like to have our presence appreciated so much, why don’t we appreciate the presence of the ones we care about as clearly and as often?
For the vast majority of people, the world is damn grey, when not dark. Showing some free genuine affection might be the color one needs to start a “painting” journey in their life.
You may need a more selfish reason to do that.
Think about a person that always greets you with the largest smile, asks about how your life is going, and, most important: listens and cares.
You love this person right? More than that, he is loved by many people and seems to have a pretty fulfilled life, correct?
When you show affection you feel good and make people feel good. They retribute in a great virtuous circle. Who cares if a grumpy one thinks you’re goofy? Keep being light in the dark consistently, just like your dog.
Self Care
A few years ago, while I still lived with my parents, I disobeyed them badly. After our last dog passed away at incredible 17 years old, they said that no more dog was allowed.
I think it was partly because of the work it demanded and partly the grief.
Well, I disobeyed this order a few months later and got a Border Collie named Ulysses (the little guy in the picture). After lots of arguments, they started to accept the idea.
During this exact same time, I received a unique invitation to do an internship program in Rome-Italy to study law. Had to leave Ulysses, still a pup, with my barely convinced parents for almost one year.
When I came back, I just couldn’t believe my eyes. First, Ulysses was huge. Second, the whole family was way more united, happier, and healthier.
Since Uly was loved by all, he was the topic of consensus in the house, bringing all together. He also needed to spend lots of energy with power walks and throw-the-ball sessions every day, which kept my parents and brothers moving.
Since they were forced to take care of the little guy, they started to feel responsible, which felt good and empowering.
This sense of responsibility is scattered in many areas of their lives. They became more responsible for themselves, building more and better things in their own lives.
After I came back and settled again in my old city, I found a place to live by myself. Guess what happened when I said that Uly was moving with me?
Yep. No chance.
He still lives with my family to this date.
Memento Mori And Final Thoughts
The life expectancy of a dog is, generically speaking, around 11 years. That is 15% of human life expectancy (73).
Watching our best friends grow happy puppies, become beautiful adults and little by little become fragile and age until passing away is a profound experience.
We’ve seen our best buddy live 100% of his life while we only lived 15%.
Their small-sized lives have a large and lasting impact on the humans who had the privilege to be their pupils.
Their final lesson highlights the importance of all the previous ones.
Knowing how brief and precious life is, we have no time to waste overestimating transactional relationships or hiding affection for the ones we care about.
Dogs risk looking stupid (and very often they do).
And so should we.
Life is too precious to care about looking cool (and cold).
Thanks to all master dogs!
If this was of any help, be sure to follow me on Medium and Twitter for much more. There is still much to come!
References
*Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
