So let me introduce Maple, our new six-year-old rescue dog (half cocker, half dachshund, full on wild enthusiasm).

Having been without a dog for over a year, her presence in my life has reminded me of what dogs can teach us about 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 as a doctor.

Spending time with Maple gives me a profound sense of well-being. I experience a range of 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, from gratitude, to joy, love, amusement, serenity and awe. I feel my breathing slowing, I relax in her presence and can feel my muscles slip out of gear.

She teaches me the importance of being fully present in the moment.

Dogs don’t have the capacity to ruminate on the past; they remember events but without regret or sadness. Wired for immediate experience, they’re not weighed down by 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 in the future; they don’t dwell on the ‘what ifs’.

Instead, they are fully 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. She teaches me the importance of being grounded, present, and joyfully aware in the moment.

Maple spends much of her time in a 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞, fully immersed in chasing a scent or pursuing a squirrel, without self-consciousness, just completely absorbed. She teaches me the importance of being fully engaged/absorbed in my work and outside life.

She finds joy in the simple things, movement, touch, companionship, play. She reminds me of what’s important and helps me let go of my frustrations over the unimportant, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬.

Maple doesn’t question her identity, values, meaning or purpose; she’s fully comfortable with her ‘dogness’ and lives a life completely resonant with it.

She lets go of her mistakes. My capacity to ruminate and my harsh inner critic is in contrast to her ‘learn, let go and move on’ system programme. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞. She fails to catch a squirrel, there’ll always be another squirrel.

She seems to view me through the lens of unconditional positive regard. I don’t feel judged by her, I am accepted and valued unconditionally, even when I’m irritable, distracted or forget to give her that morning treat. She teaches me the importance of accepting ourselves, our colleagues, our patients; without judgment.

As a doctor of over 30 years, as I reflect back on my clinical life, with my lack of self compassion, my perfectionist traits, my fear of failure, my need for validation and the need to be/appear busy, I realise that the dogs in my life could have taught me a better way, had I stopped to listen. But it’s never too late to learn.

Writing this post has helped me reflect on what we can learn from our pets, if we take the time to notice, pause and listen.

𝐒𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞…