The Happy Dog Social Experiment

Have you ever noticed how most dogs are so happy, so incredibly excited to see their human owners when they enter a room? Even if you leave the room for a few minutes and return, most canines are just thrilled to have you around?  They crave your attention.  They want to be petted and adored.

We had a dog for seven years and I found this to be true in most cases.  Our Sheltie, Bono, (pictured below) was always delighted to see us.  Plus, he usually had to pee and wanted us to quickly let him outside to take care of business.

I miss that dog.  He died suddenly and unexpectedly in February of 2014.  It devastated my family and me.

But back to the point of the story – Dogs will go right up to you, try to lick you, sit into your lap.  They brighten up when you enter the room.  They make us owners feel that the whole world revolves around us, their human companions.  They make us smile.  They cause us to get down to their level and have fun.  They offer us an open invitation of happiness.

Sally, a friend in my Toastmasters group, talked about the importance of smiling when speaking, at making others feel warm and welcomed.  She commented that I’m able to do that in my speeches without much effort.  She said that is a great skill to possess.  Sally also suggested I watch speech videos by a local speaker and comedian named Andy Andrews. She said I would enjoy his words and inspiring thoughts.

Sally was right.  I particularly liked this story that Andy told about choosing to be happy and referencing his dog and family.  Please view below, it’s only three minutes:

In this video Andy jokingly talks about how his wife treated their dog better than she treated him.  Then he admits that his dog deserved it because his dog brightened up whenever his wife was around and he had a tendency to ignore her or not make her feel valued.  Andy said that after he realized this, he began to act more like their dog, Lucy.  He suggested the following:

– Acknowledge and brighten up when your loved ones and people you care about walk into the room.
– Smile when your family is speaking to you or even if you just glance at them from across the room.
– Be excited around those you love.
– Show your best to the people who are the best in your life.

He makes such great points.  His words were reminders that I needed to hear last week. Too often at the end of my day, I’m tired and a little cranky.  My family often does not see the best of me.  Instead I’m not smiling.  I’m barking orders to my girls to finish dinner, complete homework and take a bath.

But it’s not too late to change my mindset.  In fact, I took Andy’s words and Sally’s tips and decided to put them into play for my family.  I made a conscious effort over and over to smile at my husband and two daughters multiple times this past week.  I also showered them with more affection than I usually do.  I gave them various hugs and kisses.  When my children spoke to me, I acted as if it was the most exciting thing I had heard all day long.

And guess what?  After awhile, I didn’t have to even “act” anymore.  It began to feel more natural.  I did want to hear them.  I did want to be happy around them.  I did want to give them more affection.  Soon I did not have to remind myself to do it.  I simply began doing it more.

In turn, my family smiled back. My girls hugged me back.  My husband was more than happy to shower me with affection in return too, as he’s usually the more affectionate one between us anyway.

I’ve done this little “happy dog social experiment” for over a week now and it’s still going strong.  There are moments when I may not always do it or feel it.  For example, when my kids are arguing over a toy or who will wash their hands first, I find it hard to “wag my tail” or “drool” over them.

But I am trying more.  I’m making more of an effort to think and act like a “happy dog.”  I’m doing it because I want to give my family and my loved ones the best of me.  I want to see the best of them as well.

So try it.  Give the happy dog social experiment a try in your life and see what happens.