WHY DOGS DON’T HOLD GRUDGES

I’ve never known a dog to hold a grudge. I could chastise my black lab, get stern, deny a treat, or banish him, and… so what? Inevitably, when the human mood passed or I’d let him back into the pack, he’d welcome me with open paws, like nothing ever happened.

Let’s face it. We LOVE dogs because they’re so happy and straightforward - two qualities that we humans have a hard time developing. Their needs are basic: feed me and love me. In return, they are loyal companions and an unparalleled source of joy.

But us? Oh, what a tangled web we weave. We want, we yearn, judge, cling, wait, insist, demand, and fume with disappointment, often all within ten minutes. Our minds are relentlessly pulling us around like an untrained Doberman, dragging us where we don’t want to go. And as for holding onto resentments, well, we can do that like a dog with a sock in its mouth. Clamp down, resist, and hold that grudge like our lives depend on it.

Because canines can’t CONSTANTLY think and self-reflect (like their stressed-out human partners), they live in the moment, and spend most of their time either resting or sniffing out joy. They are not ambitious and don’t care what other dogs think of them. Money is not a concern; they seem to carry this abject faith that their needs will be met. 

Can you imagine that?  

About 98% of our suffering takes place between our ears. We think, judge, conspire, condemn, plan, regret, rue, and “rinse/repeat” that endless cycle all day long. How can we become good dogs, chill, satisfied, simple,  with joy as our default setting? 

We gotta train the puppy mind. Left to its devices, like a feral little canine, our minds will tear things up and poop all over. The human mind can be a terrifying and destructive tyrant or a peaceful and wise ally. It all depends on whether we decide to train that thing to sit, stay, leave it, and heal. There is no other way. We can’t buy our way into peace; when consumption is our religion, there’s just never enough money, food, sex, alcohol, or digital distractions to stop the madness.

So, do you want to be like your fabulous dog or any excellent canine you know? Commit to sit. Oddly, the answer to our suffering and insanity is to STOP, do nothing, open up the emptiness, and invite our demons in. If we do this and discipline the mind lovingly and consistently, nature will take care of the rest. We’ll evolve into peace and joy without thinking about it, just like a good dog.