5 Benefits From Having a Puppy
There are benefits from having a puppy that I never thought of until I got this precious bundle of energy about four years ago! You might be thinking of adding a furry friend to your family and I’d love to share the benefits with you.
Besides, staying at home in isolation during this pandemic means that I have her companionship and a reason to get outdoors!
I know what you are thinking.
A puppy is cute in a picture but having one is a whole different thing!
I have the cutest puppy in the world but she does take a lot of work.
Why on earth would I want to take on a responsibility like that right now?!
There are Benefits to Having a Puppy!
We have always had a dog. I think dogs are good for adults as well as children. Besides being a companion, a puppy teaches responsibility and is a wonderful addition to a family even for all the chaos and messes they make.
This little puppy’s name is Sunshine and she has done so much for me.
Who would have thought that I could get attached and love a little dog like her?!
She has just crept into my heart.
1. I Learned How Beneficial it is to Walk
The very best thing about having a puppy is that she has to be walked.
Constantly.
She is little and her bladder is tiny and it isn’t unusual to walk her about 10 times a day.
She has a high level of energy and so I walk her 4 times around the lower part of our yard most times that I take her outside.
My primary reason was to get all the energy out of her so that she will not get into as much mischief like most puppies her age!
What I hadn’t anticipated was how much I would benefit from walking. I dropped 5 pounds that wouldn’t come off!!
Everyone should walk their dog (at least during the summer.) Many people let their dog out into a fenced-in area or just let their dog out the door.
What if instead, you actually walked your dog?
2. I Learned that Having Less Time is More
About every hour or even more often, I must stop writing and take my puppy for a walk. Obviously, that can be inconvenient at best.
- I might not have time to scroll through my Facebook feed.
- I might have to stop what I am doing before I finish.
- I might have to work harder to get things accomplished.
The strangest thing is that I am more efficient with time because I know I will be interrupted frequently.
I actually get more done.
Less time is more!
Go figure!!
There can be a point that you take on too much but how often do you waste time?
I know I do!
I never get to the bottom of my To-Do List because I constantly over-budget my time. I do get more done since I know that my interruptions will add up over the course of the day.
I am walking my puppy for about 2 hours each day.
I use my Fitbit to record how many steps I take.
Once I realized that I was coming close to 10,000 steps each day, I made it my goal to take that many steps.
3. I Quickly Learned that I CanNOT Sleep In
I have always had a problem with burning the candle at both ends. I know, I shouldn’t do that! It’s not the healthiest thing to do.
The thing is, that having a puppy has taught me that I cannot sleep in (not that I do that often.)
If I want to have some uninterrupted time to workout or have my Quiet Time, it would be an excellent idea to get up as early as possible.
Like before 5am!
I learned fast that staying up too late makes it difficult to get up.
My puppy keeps me on track because it is not fun to be chasing my day.
4. I Learned How Important it is to Get Fresh Air
I am on my laptop for many hours on most days. It can be a gorgeous day and I cannot sit outside because it is difficult at best to see the computer screen.
Now that I have a puppy, I have to go outside to walk her.
Being outdoors for at least 20 minutes raises your vitamin D levels and drives out depression and is a mood elevator.
I cannot think of a better reason to get outside.
Check out the dog food and supplies I use!
5. God Gave us Animals for Our Enjoyment
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:24-25)
This verse doesn’t specifically say that it is good for us to have a dog, but it does say that God created all the animals.
You may not be inclined to go through the work of training a puppy but you can see how much it could benefit you.
Who would have thought that a puppy would be a great weight loss program if you walked her instead of letting her loose in an enclosed area!
This is Sunshine at 3 years old!
A Healthy Puppy!
There are times when I might have to take Sunshine to the vet but a healthy puppy has long term benefits.
That’s why I switched up the food I had been feeding her.
Besides, she did not want to eat it!
Sunshine has LOVE LOVE LOVED her food without exception. For her, it tastes fantastic.
From my perspective, it is natural and without unhealthy ingredients!
Hopefully, this will encourage you to appreciate your dog get outside in the fresh air for a healthy brisk walk.
Do you have a dog? What have you learned from having a dog?
RESOURCES for YOUR DOG
Zak George really knows how to train a dog and I have learned some amazing things from him. The Pupford freeze-dried treats are perfect for training without being so big that they are eaten too fast!
