This summer vacation made me realize how much I can actually learn from my dogs. Do you know the "post-vacation blues"? That is, when you feel a little sad that the summer is almost over and there may be a long time until the next vacation. It started me thinking a lot about dogs' and people's approach to life.
We have just returned from a wonderful hiking holiday and weeks in a summer house with beach life and bright nights. Both trips in the company of my dogs. They are almost always on holiday. When a summer is about to end, I think that many of us people - perhaps more and more with age? - can be struck by a bit of sadness that another summer has flown by. Is it really over already? Time almost disappeared without us even noticing it. And did we get to do and see everything we wanted to?
In the company of my dogs, these feelings are in one way reinforced and in another way kept in check with their way of being and approach to life. To take the latter first: The dogs help me to be more in the present. They are always focused on the "here and now", and do not spend their time planning the next trip or considering the next day - yes, or even the next hour. "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans" says a quote. And I think many of us can recognize that. Are we often a little too "good" at planning the next thing we have to do, instead of just enjoying what we are doing right now and here? I think that unfortunately applies to myself.
But when my dogs are splashing around in a lake or rolling in the grass with lots of joy in "just" being, I forget to plan and think so much about what we're going to do the next day. And I enjoy watching them live life.
I wonder if many of us dog owners recognize that dogs in this way remind us to make the most of our time right now? At least that's one of my dogs' top skills, while we humans are busy with everything from planning to worrying - to wasting our time on social media.
It's easier said than done, because I read a quote from Peter Lund Madsen, or "BrainMadsen", which unfortunately came from here far too early this week: It went on to say that one of the disadvantages of our very large and complex brains is that we spend a lot of time on all these things, especially just being in the present. Therefore, it is perhaps very good that we have our dogs as "teachers" on this front.
Unfortunately, the dogs can also contribute to the intensification of my "post-holiday blues". But actually, it's both for better and for worse: The dogs become my "reminder" to make the most of the holidays and not to postpone what I want to do with them. One of my dogs is now 8 years old, and although I try to convince myself that she is of course here for many, many more years, I know that's not true. We probably have a few summers left together, where we can hike and be active like now. It's a hard thought process to go through, but also a good lesson: Because no, we ourselves don't live forever, even though we may often dismiss that fact. And that's why we postpone plans or have difficulty getting the things on our dream list done. "We'll do it tomorrow", or next year, or in 10 years. But our beloved dogs rarely have such a horizon, and that's why they can teach us and remind us of how important it is to live life while we have it. And while they can still come along with us.
Yes, a holiday like this can spark many thoughts. Thank you to my dear dogs for your way of being so wise about life, and for inspiring me to be a little more like you.
About the blogger:
Karoline lives in Birkerød with her boyfriend and their two golden retrievers, Frida and Vilde. Karoline is a trained veterinarian and dog trainer and is co-founder of the dog running club Dirty Paws, where she is also a trainer/rope keeper in the local club in North Zealand. Frida and Line love running canicross together and have participated in many competitions at home and abroad, including the European Championships and the World Championships. Their most important motto, however, is "Better together" - that the trips are about teamwork and understanding for each other. And that everyone can join in. In addition to canicross, they also participate in K9 biathlons (obstacle races with dogs) and do dog fitness. And hiking both in Denmark and around Europe is also a hit.
Frida is a super fast runner when it comes to it. And can hike for hours in the Alps. But she also just loves to be petted on the stomach and sleep for a long time. She can be stubborn as a donkey if there is something she doesn't like. On evening walks, for example, she is the one who decides the route. And she "talks" a lot by purring, including when she thinks she has earned an extra treat.
Vilde is from the spring of 2023 - and in many ways Frida's opposite. She is full of mischief and always happy and cheeky. She can howl like a wolf or jump like a kangaroo when she gets impatient - and otherwise she is a smart and brave girl who loves wild play and training. She will do pretty much anything for a treat.
Frida, Vilde and Karoline can be found on Instagram with the profile @teamgoldenpower
Can dogs teach us about life?
This summer vacation made me realize how much I can actually learn from my dogs. Do you know the "post-vacation blues"? That is, when you feel a little sad that the summer is almost over and there may be a long time until the next vacation. It started me thinking a lot about dogs' and people's approach to life.
We have just returned from a wonderful hiking holiday and weeks in a summer house with beach life and bright nights. Both trips in the company of my dogs. They are almost always on holiday. When a summer is about to end, I think that many of us people - perhaps more and more with age? - can be struck by a bit of sadness that another summer has flown by. Is it really over already? Time almost disappeared without us even noticing it. And did we get to do and see everything we wanted to?
In the company of my dogs, these feelings are in one way reinforced and in another way kept in check with their way of being and approach to life. To take the latter first: The dogs help me to be more in the present. They are always focused on the "here and now", and do not spend their time planning the next trip or considering the next day - yes, or even the next hour. "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans" says a quote. And I think many of us can recognize that. Are we often a little too "good" at planning the next thing we have to do, instead of just enjoying what we are doing right now and here? I think that unfortunately applies to myself.
But when my dogs are splashing around in a lake or rolling in the grass with lots of joy in "just" being, I forget to plan and think so much about what we're going to do the next day. And I enjoy watching them live life.
I wonder if many of us dog owners recognize that dogs in this way remind us to make the most of our time right now? At least that's one of my dogs' top skills, while we humans are busy with everything from planning to worrying - to wasting our time on social media.
It's easier said than done, because I read a quote from Peter Lund Madsen, or "BrainMadsen", which unfortunately came from here far too early this week: It went on to say that one of the disadvantages of our very large and complex brains is that we spend a lot of time on all these things, especially just being in the present. Therefore, it is perhaps very good that we have our dogs as "teachers" on this front.
Unfortunately, the dogs can also contribute to the intensification of my "post-holiday blues". But actually, it's both for better and for worse: The dogs become my "reminder" to make the most of the holidays and not to postpone what I want to do with them. One of my dogs is now 8 years old, and although I try to convince myself that she is of course here for many, many more years, I know that's not true. We probably have a few summers left together, where we can hike and be active like now. It's a hard thought process to go through, but also a good lesson: Because no, we ourselves don't live forever, even though we may often dismiss that fact. And that's why we postpone plans or have difficulty getting the things on our dream list done. "We'll do it tomorrow", or next year, or in 10 years. But our beloved dogs rarely have such a horizon, and that's why they can teach us and remind us of how important it is to live life while we have it. And while they can still come along with us.
Yes, a holiday like this can spark many thoughts. Thank you to my dear dogs for your way of being so wise about life, and for inspiring me to be a little more like you.
About the blogger:
Karoline lives in Birkerød with her boyfriend and their two golden retrievers, Frida and Vilde. Karoline is a trained veterinarian and dog trainer and is co-founder of the dog running club Dirty Paws, where she is also a trainer/rope keeper in the local club in North Zealand. Frida and Line love running canicross together and have participated in many competitions at home and abroad, including the European Championships and the World Championships. Their most important motto, however, is "Better together" - that the trips are about teamwork and understanding for each other. And that everyone can join in. In addition to canicross, they also participate in K9 biathlons (obstacle races with dogs) and do dog fitness. And hiking both in Denmark and around Europe is also a hit.
Frida is a super fast runner when it comes to it. And can hike for hours in the Alps. But she also just loves to be petted on the stomach and sleep for a long time. She can be stubborn as a donkey if there is something she doesn't like. On evening walks, for example, she is the one who decides the route. And she "talks" a lot by purring, including when she thinks she has earned an extra treat.
Vilde is from the spring of 2023 - and in many ways Frida's opposite. She is full of mischief and always happy and cheeky. She can howl like a wolf or jump like a kangaroo when she gets impatient - and otherwise she is a smart and brave girl who loves wild play and training. She will do pretty much anything for a treat.
Frida, Vilde and Karoline can be found on Instagram with the profile @teamgoldenpower