Growing up, I have almost always had dogs. Through the years my family has adopted a stray lab named Tiger, a stray poodle named Jojo, a purebred lab named Tank and a golden-doodle named Archie. We also watch over my grandpa’s little rat of a chihuahua, Charlie. She is a perfect example of what not to do. Biting does not make good friends. The other four, however, display great qualities that we humans can learn from.

1. Be happy.

All the stinking time. In rain or shine, come hell or high waters, dogs are always such joyous creatures. We can learn from this and always look on the bright side of life. Sure our plans might have been cancelled by the rain, but hey! At least there are some puddles to prance about in!

2. Don’t be afraid to apologize.

Whenever my dogs do something wrong, they come up to me with this doe-eyed face, pleading for mercy. While maybe we don’t need to be that dramatic, it’s never bad to admit our faults.

3. Frolic.

When was the last time you ran around just for the heck of it? Ok, maybe that’s not suitable behavior for humans. But a visit to the gym wouldn’t hurt here and there.

4. Relax.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been frantically searching for my oldest dog just to find him outside, sunbathing. Most often I call him inside immediately, but occasionally I decided to sit out there with him. It’s nice to sit back and chill for a little bit.

5. Love unconditionally.

As a member of Colorguard, I have dropped my flag or baton on my dog more than my fair share. But they still continuously forgive me and love me. If even animals can do this, how much more should we love each other unconditionally?