You’ve heard me talk about my Penny – my daughter’s dog.  Here she is going for a ride with me!  Penny is the inspiration for this article.  We might all consider dogs and try to emulate them.  Dogs (really just about any animal) intuitively know what is best for them.  At least Penny does…but she is inherently brilliant.  HaHa. 😊

Consider these observations on a recent Penny visit.

• Dogs eat until they are full, and then they stop. They don’t eat foods they don’t like, which means the food probably isn’t good for them.
• Dogs drink when they are thirsty, and usually drink a lot when the weather is hot or they’ve eaten something that makes them drink.
• Dogs sleep when they are tired and rest during the day, often taking naps.
• Dogs go through their day exhibiting good posture. I watched Penny the other day as she stalked a squirrel in the back yard, and even while doing so, she had good doggie posture.  Her neck was in line with her body, and she stood straight while being vigilant. She was a chiropractor’s dream. Penny walks with her head up and forward, in line with her doggie spine, and struts like she means business! Even when she sniffs the ground, she has great posture.
• Dogs stretch. Penny often gets off the couch by doing a yoga perfect “downward dog” by stretching her whole body before moving.
• Dogs love a good walk – preferably twice a day. Penny prances around our neighborhood doing a type of interval training.  Ha!  She stops to smell the grass, then continues prancing, then stops, then continues, and so forth.
• Dogs love to play in their day. Penny loves to chase a stick or a ball, tearing up the backyard, running back and forth.  She then comes in, and flops down to rest.

These tips read like great things we humans should try.  Granted, dogs probably do some things that we humans shouldn’t.  However, they are great creatures.  If you have one, give it a big hug today! And, nap, stretch, eat a little bit, and play hard!

Think about “goin’ to the dogs” in the new year, and you may increase your health and vitality!