When I’m under the weather or running behind on deadlines, I’ll let our family’s beloved rat terrier Macy Grey guest write for me. She’s quite talented, very smart and always by our sides.

With those qualities in mind, I often send my children to learn from her. In dog years, the earth has gone round the sun 91 times since her birth and that equates to enough experience to share some wisdom. Here are just a few of things we’ve learned from our sweet Macy over the last 13 years.

Life Lessons that Humans can learn from Dogs:

1) Wag more, bark less

2) When loved ones come home, always run to greet and shower them with kisses

3) Don’t eat yellow snow

4) Avoid biting when a simple growl will do

5) When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently

6) Sometimes we tell old friends good-bye, but it doesn’t mean we don’t miss them

7)  Never pretend to be something you are not

8) Let others know when you’ve invaded their territory

9) Never underestimate the healing power of sunbeams and fresh air

10) Go for walks, take long naps and eat your food with gusto

11) It’s okay to tell people that you are very, very sorry. Things happen, chocolate gets eaten, furniture gets chewed. You are still loved.

12) Don’t just accept people as they are, love them as they are!

Love unconditionally!