How Often Do Your Dogs Bring Joy to Your Life?

How often does your dog bring a smile to your face?  That’s an easy one…DAILY!!!  If my pups were with me throughout the day I might have to change my answer to hourly, every minute, or even track by the second!

My dogs make me smile every day!  When I come home tired and mopey from a hard days work they are there immediately to cheer me up.  Linus will come charging with one of his doggy toys.  If he can’t find a dog toy he sometimes comes charging in with one of my UGG slippers.  Stetson will sometimes do the Lab scoot running around the house with his butt tucked under him.

My pups bring happiness to me every day whether it’s just a simple smile to my face or belly-filled laugh!

My Dogs Can Always Make Me Smile And Laugh

Linus

At 8 years old Linus still gets the puppy zoomies.  He will sprint from my office to my bedroom,  jump up flying onto the bed pushing all the sheets to one side, and then repeat about 10 times.  Puppy zoomies will always make me laugh it’s definitely one of the pure joys in my life.

Stetson

Stetson is about to turn 6 years old and to watch him do K9 Nosework is a sight to be seen.  Most of our fellow sniffer dogs are methodical when searching out different odors such as birch, anis, or clove…not Stetson!  As soon as I give him his release command: “FIND IT!”  he goes darting in and out of rooms like a dog possessed.  You wouldn’t think for a minute he was sniffing for odor, but all the time his nose is in the air.  Everyone in our Nosework class loves Stetson and he always brings smiles and laughter whenever he performs in the classroom.

Derby

He didn’t jump like a bucking bronco (like our pal Journey), but Derby could jump and although not appropriate for a guide dog puppy in training he’d make me laugh when I’d see him jump from a stand still, over 4 feet straight up, and into my friend’s planter.

Dublin

Dublin is an easy one and makes me proud every day.  I smile every time I think of him as a working guide dog with his partner Liz.  Dublin made me belly-laugh when he was playing with his pals Wriley, Winter, and Baron.  Dublin was the first one into the pool that hot summer day, but he didn’t jump in.  He was so excited he didn’t look down and before he knew it there was water beneath his feet instead of the ground.  I have great memories from that day and some wonderful pictures especially this one of Dublin’s flying ears!

Apache

He makes me smile to think that he’s helping others first by working in the prison pup program and when he graduates he’ll be helping as a working service dog.  As a puppy in training, Apache made me laugh every time he played by himself with one of his toys. He loved to growl with his toy in his mouth.  Fearsome yet playful I always found play time with Apache to be a blast.

My Dogs Don’t Just Bring Happiness And Laughter…

My dogs give so much more then happiness and laughter.  There’s a bumper sticker that says “Who Rescued Who?”  Linus is my only rescue dog, but I think all of my dogs have rescued me in one way or another.  A few more of my favorite quotes about dogs:

“My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am”

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

How Do Your Pets Bring Happiness To Your Kids?

Are you a teacher or parent of a 3rd to 8th grade student?  If so, you can enter your kids in the 5th Annual Pets Add Life Children’s Poetry Contest!  It couldn’t be easier to enter! Kids simply write a poem about their pet and the joys they bring, and post it online.  6 Students nationwide will win:

• A $1,000 scholarship for each winning student’s classroom
• A $250 gift certificate for pet products
• And, a “by·line” in a nationally circulated magazine!

Awesome!!!  Check out the PALS Facebook page to enter and for more details

Has your dog made you smile today?  I’m sure he has.  Tell us a little bit about how your dog makes you laugh and smile in the comment section below.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.

Top Picks For Our Puppies

1. BEST PUPPY TOY
   We Like: Snuggle Puppy w/ Heart Beat & Heat Pack - Perfect for new puppies. We get all of our Service Dog pups a Snuggle Puppy.
2. BEST DOG CHEW
   We Like: Best Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
3. BEST DOG TREATS
   We Like: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.
4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
   We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.