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What If We Loved People Like We Love Our Dogs?

The Love Of Dogs

Have you ever wondered why your love for your dog outlasts your relationships? Look no further, for I have the answer! I’ll give you a one-word hint: unconditional.

Our pets love us no matter what.

There’s a joke I always tell people when the love of animals vs. humans come up. Lock your significant other in the trunk of a car and then lock your dog in a different trunk. Leave them there anywhere between 5 minutes to 10,000 minutes. Who do you think will be out of their skin happy to see you when they get out? Love the one that is still happy to see you. 99.9% of the time the answer is the dog.

It even breaks my heart to even make that joke, I can’t even imagine locking either one of my dogs in a trunk! But that is just a scenario used to display what unconditional love looks and feels like. Dogs love with everything they have with absolutely no conditions. They don’t care if you are hideous, broke, rich, handsome, materialistic, resourceful, religious, political, the list goes on. Hell, even Vladmir Putin just got a new dog!

I know dogs don’t really have the capacity to form political opinions or start new religions, but that is what makes them so refreshing. They can, however, form their own opinions about people. It has always been said that dogs can sense a good person.

My next question is, what if we love each other unconditionally?

Even a dog learns not to trust an abuser, so obviously there are some reasonable boundaries. Just flirt with the idea for a second. Imagine what your current relationship would be like if you let go of all of your reservations, pre-judgments, and conditions and just simply loved the hell out of someone.

Think of it, when we see a fat puppy or cat, what do we say? AWE! He’s so cute! What would we say when we see a chubby/overweight person? Each person has his or her own pre-judgments about people who don’t fit in their own personal size chart.

I’ll take it a step further, imagine what the relationship would be like if both of you loved unconditionally. Beautiful right? When I use the word relationship, I mean just that. I’m including all relationships – friendships, significant others, family members, strangers, etc.

When there are no conditions to someone’s loyalty and love, it allows you and the other person to be comfortable around each other; it also allows you to be yourself completely. What a wonderful concept.

Loving unconditionally is considered a dangerous concept. I totally get it. But with big risks comes big rewards, right? We do it all the time with money. Life is nothing but trial and error, dogs do it all of the time.

There is something to be learned here. Dogs (pets) are placed on this earth to teach us to enjoy the present moment and to love.

My dog’s only expectation of me is to be there, and provide food. And at the end of the day that is what matters most in any relationship. We want and need someone to just be there, be present. And even when I leave (for work, lunch date, vacation, etc) they still love me. It doesn’t matter how overweight I am or how I just fussed at them for pooping on my new bed! They immediately forgive me and love me no less.

Everybody’s a winner! So, the next relationship you find yourself in (whether it’s a new friend, old best friend, or significant other) try to lower your conditions to love and be loved. Not everyone is made from the same cookie cutter pattern, and those who make seem to not fit you and your life tend to be the most rewarding people to have around. After all, if we all loved each other a little more, we wouldn’t have as many world problems as we have now.