Why do dogs live shorter lives than people do?

Here’s the answer:

Being a vet, I was called to examine a 13-year-old Irish dog named Belker.

The dog’s family, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little 6-year-old Shane were close to Belker and expected a miracle.

I tested the dog and found out he was dying of cancer. I told the family I couldn’t do anything for him and offered to do the euthanasia procedure at home.

The next day, I felt the familiar feeling in my throat when Belker was surrounded by family.

Shane seemed so quiet, petting the dog for the last time, and I was wondering if he would understand what was going on. In a few minutes, the animal fell peacefully sleeping to never wake up.

The child seemed to accept Belker’s transition without difficulty. We sat for a moment, wondering why the unfortunate fact that dog life is shorter than human beings.

Shane, who had been listening closely, said, “I know why.”

What he said next surprised me: I had never heard a more heartwarming explanation than this. This moment changed my way of seeing life.

He said: “People come into the world to learn to live a good life, like loving others all the time and being a good person, eh? Well, as dogs are already born knowing how to do all this, they don’t have to stay as long as we do.”

The moral of the story is:

If a dog were your teacher, you’d learn things like:
🐾 When your loved ones come home, always run to say hello.
🐾 Never pass up an opportunity to go for a walk.
🐾 Allow yourself the experience of fresh air and wind.
🐾 Run, jump, and play daily.
🐾 Upgrade your attention and let people touch you.
🐾 Avoid ” biting” when just a “growl” would suffice.
🐾 On warm days, lie on the grass.
🐾 When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
🐾 And never forget: “When someone has a bad day, stay silent, sit close and gently make them feel like you’re there…”

This is the secret of happiness that, even if we don’t realize it, dogs teach us daily. 🐶❤️

~ Written by Mark Ferrell

🐾🐶🐾

Dogs have given us their absolute all.
We are the center of their universe.
We are the focus of their love, faith and trust.
They serve us in return for scraps.
It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.” Sigmund Freud

“The better I get to know people, the more I find myself loving dogs.” Charles de Gaulle, former President of France. On the face of it, preferring a dog over humans seems absurd. After all, dogs’ thinking is limited, their speech non-existent. Yet, especially if people haven’t been reliably kind to you, a dog offers certain advantages:

Reliability. A dog will always be there for you. Compare that with the human divorce rate.

Non-judgmentalness. A dog will never disparage you. As was made famous by psychotherapist Carl Rogers, non-judgmental listening can often be of great benefit.