For most of our lives, my family lived with household pets, including dogs, cats, fish, and turtles. However, until recently, we lived without pets because of our busy professional lives and travel schedules, promising ourselves that there would be dogs in our future when things became less hectic. Then the pandemic arrived, and everything changed. Meetings were cancelled; dinner parties evaporated; and attendance at movies, plays, and concerts ended. We left home only to go to work and then return with occasional brief visits to the supermarket for food supplies. One evening, we realized that this home-based lifestyle was just the situation where we had planned to adopt a dog. Soon, two adorable Shih-poo puppies, a male and a female from the same litter, were living with us.
The dogs are now 13 months old and fully grown. As every pet owner knows, adopted animals become an important component of the family. This morning while feeding our canines, it occurred to me that some aspects of our dogs’ behavior reminded me of important lessons learned in childhood and even later, during training. I found that eleven of these behaviors were particularly relevant during the current pandemic.
- 1.Affection and loyalty: Do not hesitate to show how much you love the members of your family by licking (kissing) them.1,2Our dogs’ constant display of affection remind us to continue doing the same with family and dear friends. Loyalty to family and friends is closely related to affection, and it is certainly a major component of our dogs’ personalities.
- 2.Close observation: Skill at observing and paying close attention are critical qualities in expert physicians and scientists. Dogs certainly do this, and the same characteristic is essential for an effective clinician or investigator.
- 3.Sufficient sleep: Be sure to get enough sleep each day, especially given the increased work demands that those of us in healthcare have experienced during the past 2 years.1,2
- 4.Personal hygiene: Regular bowel and bladder emptying is sometimes delayed during a busy day. I tell my trainees that it is acceptable to ask for a bathroom break on rounds rather than trying to continue working when you are uncomfortable. Dogs certainly practice regular bowel and bladder emptying!
- 5.Daily exercise: Even as little as 30 minutes of walking confers considerable health and mind benefits. Our dogs need to take a walk every day and so do we.
- 6.Diet: Eating a balanced diet at regular intervals makes good work and health sense rather than trying to skip food and hydration for prolonged periods during the day. Our dogs eat a balanced diet although snacks usually creep in.
- 7.Relaxation and playtime: This lesson is particularly important for those of us in healthcare during the pandemic given the increased likelihood of “burnout” and depression. Our dogs are particularly good about playtime, racing around chasing each other or playing tug of war with one of their toys. I would even venture to suggest that an effective therapy for burnout would be the adoption of loving and playful dogs.5,6My spouse and I certainly experience emotional uplift every day because of our 2 hounds.
- 8.Respect and trust: Maintaining and practicing these qualities is particularly important both at work and home. Given the stresses we have all felt during the past 2 years, respecting and trusting each other is important. These qualities are especially vital during the pandemic. My wife and I have noticed that our dogs respect our authority and trust our decisions even if it means going to bed when they would rather play.
- 9.Avoid confrontation: Disagreement occurs in school, society, and the clinic. When this occurs, it is important to avoid a “dog fight.” Acknowledging the validity of the other person's perspective can assist in reaching a solution acceptable to both parties. Nobody benefits from a “dog fight” and especially not the dogs involved.
- 10.Equity: Dogs love their owners regardless of age, race, gender, religion, manner of speaking, sexual orientation, or political party affiliation; all of which they ignore. We should learn to do the same at work and at home in our communities.7
- 11.Seek happiness and contentment: This is usually easy for our canine companions: good food, a bone to chew, and frequent petting and grooming all lead to happy dogs who show exuberance and delight when with the family or visiting other dogs. Despite the pain and tension of the last 2 years because of the pandemic, we need to make conscious efforts to stay balanced and contented. As Dr. Rieux says in Camus’ The Plague, our work “It's a matter of common decency” and it is our job.8
As always, I enjoy hearing from readers, and I always respond at [email protected] .
References
- 12 guides to health, happiness, and longevity (with apologies to P.J. O'Rourke).Am J Med. 2008; 121: 551-552
- Balancing work, family and friends, and lifestyle.Am J. Med. 2010; 123: 775-776
- Some thoughts on bedside teaching.Am J Med. 2009; 122: 203-204
- You only have to exercise on the days that you eat.Am J Med. 2011; 124: 1
O'Connor AB, Halvorsen AJ, Cmar JM. et al. Published in Am J Med 2018;132:252–261.
Fletcher KE, O'Connor AB, Kisielewski M, Willett LL. published in Am J Med 2020;133:762–767.
Finn PW, Abel D, Amin A. et al. published in Am J Med 2021; 134:930–934.
- The Plague (original title: La Peste, published, 1948).Vintage Books, Random House, New York, NY1972
Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 06, 2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Funding: None.
Conflict of Interest: None.
Authorship: Both authors had access to the data and a role in writing this manuscript.
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Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
