7 Ways Having a Dog Helps You Become a Better Human Being

Your puppy parenting has paid off in more ways than one!

Here are seven ways how your dog has helped YOU to become a better person.

1. Patience

Any dog mom or dad will tell you, training a puppy is no easy feat. Much like children, puppies (and dogs) are notorious for waking you up in the middle of the night. Whether it’s taking them outside to go to the bathroom, cleaning up their messes from an impromptu illness, or moving them off of the bed after they managed to sneak their way up, these moments of imposition train humans to become patient in teaching and taking care of their dogs.

2. Communication Skills

Unlike people, dogs can’t use words to express their feelings. For them, it’s all about body language. Meeting their needs demands our attention and requires us to become more thoughtful in our verbal and non-verbal gestures.

3. Responsibility

Making the decision to bring a new family member into your home was a really big deal. Now that you have a dog, you have likely learned how to balance your time between family, friends, vacations and work hours to accommodate for the needs of your dog. These choices weren’t easy to make, but committing to them has helped you to mature and to become more responsible.

4. Health

Walking and playtime are essential activities to every dog’s health and well-being. You might not notice it, but your care for your dog is improving your health; by walking them, getting them outside, and taking yourself away from the TV for their playtime, your mind and body are thanking you.

5. Sense of Humor

Depending on how long you’ve been a puppy parent, you understand that dogs will be dogs. Things like impromptu lake diving, mud rolling, messy drool moments and torn pillows/carpeting just happen. After the initial shock of the event wears off, you come to see that what just happened was completely unscripted and actually hilarious. You’ll discover the best of their personality and contagious love of life will rub off on you, making you an overall happier and playful person.

6. Time Management

From knocking out weekend chores to planning weekend getaways, your schedule has to line up with your dog’s needs. This has made you become more efficient with your time and scheduling to make sure you’ve covered all of your bases, along with your dog’s.

7. Confidence

Your dog knows you best, and the beautiful thing about that is, they accept you for exactly who you are. If the best animal ever accepts you, then you must be doing something right! By constantly learning to love yourself the way your dog loves you, your positive energy starts to vibe with those around you, making for a more confident you!

Does your pup make you a better person? Share your stories below!