What my dog has taught me about being human

My furbaby Oreo would almost certainly be an ENFP.

He is, in every sense, a genuinely happy dog.

His father is a working Border Collie and his mother is a Maltese. Under normal circumstances, it would be unusual to see these two breeds together. But somehow, he was born on a small farm in Binalong and, by chance, found his way into my life.

He inherited the intelligence and energy of his Border Collie father, along with the calm and gentle nature of his Maltese mother.

After five years together, I have come to realise that inside a dog’s tiny head lies a surprising amount of wisdom.

Research in positive psychology suggests that happiness does not always come from having more. It can also come from less inner conflict, a stronger willingness to act and the ability to form genuine connections with the world.

These may sound like complicated life lessons, but dogs seem to understand them instinctively.

So today, I want to share a few things my dog has taught me.

Whenever I bring home a new toy or something delicious, my dog immediately grabs it with excitement.

He simply assumes it belongs to him. He has an effortless sense of deservingness. In his world, when something good appears, the natural response is to enjoy it.

Sometimes, the new toy is not actually for him.

When I take it away, he does not become disappointed or angry. Instead, he picks up one of his old toys from his bed and places it in front of me, as though saying:“That’s okay. I already have one. You can play with yours.”

When he needs to go outside, he has no hesitation about sitting his large bottom directly on my head, regardless of whether I am still asleep.

If he feels cold at night, he walks straight across my body, finds the most comfortable position and curls up in my arms without worrying about whether he is crushing me.

Dogs cannot speak, but he expresses his needs openly in his own language.

He never feels ashamed of asking for something. In his mind, the people he loves also love him, and the people who love him will naturally respond.

Humans, however, are constantly questioning whether we deserve good things. Our ability to experience secure love is often shaped by whether we believe we are worthy of it.

My dog has clearly never doubted this.

Human: “Your existence is already deeply precious. The people who truly love you will not stop loving you simply because you are vulnerable, messy or imperfect.”

As a cheerful Aries dog, he has always been outgoing, enthusiastic and endlessly energetic. He is afraid of almost nothing.

Before he was even six months old, he was already determined to enter the large-dog section of the dog park. He showed no fear around adult dogs several times his size.

The moment he entered the enclosure, he would run towards every dog he could see and enthusiastically invite them to play.

Whenever he stopped for a brief rest, he could often be found standing proudly at the highest point of the grass, chest lifted and eyes fixed brightly on the dogs in the distance.

With his mouth open in a wide, panting grin, he seemed to be saying:“I’m over here! Come and play with me!”

Not every dog appreciated his enthusiasm. Some ignored him completely. Others snorted at him in irritation. He never cared. He simply kept smiling and ran off to make friends with someone else.

At five years old, he is still exactly the same.

Whenever he enters a dog park, no matter how peaceful and orderly it was before, he can turn it into chaos within minutes. Soon, a whole group of dogs will be chasing one another around him. At any gathering, he somehow ends up at the centre.

Meanwhile, I often hesitate to share my ideas because I feel they are not developed enough. I delay taking action because I am afraid someone will say my work is not good. I find endless reasons to believe I am not ready.

Often, we are not defeated by a lack of ability. We are defeated because we surrender before we begin.

My dog never wonders whether he is capable or qualified. He sees what he wants and immediately moves towards it.

Human:“Embarrassment is a renewable resource. So what if someone rejects you? The greater regret would be never beginning because you were afraid. Be confident. You are wonderful.”

Dogs do not complicate their feelings. They like what they like and dislike what they dislike. They do not hide their emotions.

When my dog is angry, he snorts at me. When he is happy, he runs and jumps around me the very next second. Because of this, I always know what he is feeling.

I know he becomes upset when I fail to keep my promise to take him out after work, so he teaches me to keep my word. I also know how excited he becomes when he sees that I have bought him a new ball.

That immediate response teaches me how to show love openly.

It is precisely because his emotions are honest and clear that the bond between a person and a dog grows deeper over time.

People, however, often wear masks without even realising it. We hide sadness and hurt, while secretly expecting others to notice. Gradually, all those unspoken feelings become walls of misunderstanding.

Human:“If you like something, say so. If you do not, say that too. Express yourself honestly. How can anyone know what you are thinking if you never tell them?”

When he was young, I wanted to teach him not to guard his food. Sometimes, while he was eating, I would ask him to stop and wait. Other times, I would briefly take away one of his treats.

But he barely needed training. As long as the instruction was clear and I spoke calmly, he would immediately put the food down.

He would not bare his teeth or growl. He seemed to understand that by letting go now, he would probably receive something even better later.

Sometimes, when he is happily chewing a bone, I take it away simply to tease him. He pauses for a second, then wags his tail without becoming angry.

And because he reacts so sweetly, I cannot help wanting to reward him with even more treats.

Humans create a great deal of suffering through the fear of loss. We are afraid of losing opportunities, resources or relationships. The more frightened we become, the more tightly we hold on. The more tightly we hold on, the more anxious we feel. And in the end, we may still fail to receive what we want.

Everything shaped by conditions is temporary, like a dream, an illusion, a bubble or a shadow. When we accept change and face loss calmly, we often gain the courage to begin again.

Human: “So what if you lose something? Let things unfold. Something better may already be on its way.”

A dog’s happiness has never come from possessing more.

Dogs eat and sleep wholeheartedly. They run with their whole bodies. They love every person who enters their lives with complete sincerity. They live each day fully. They never stop to ask whether something is worth it.

And fortunately, there is not enough room in their little heads to overthink it.