Dr Andrew Jones is one of my favorite vets.
If you haven’t heard, he recently walked away from conventional veterinary practice altogether in protest to what his veterinary association was requiring from him in terms of his attempting to get the word out that conventional veterinary medicine is NOT the be all and end all – holistic veterinary medicine does work and sometimes works a whole lot better than the conventional variety. His veterinary association didn’t like what Dr Jones was doing and placed significant fines on him which were payable if he wanted to continue practising as a veterinarian in Canada.
So he decided to thumb his nose at them. 
Anyway, I digress.
What I wanted to tell you about, was Dr Jones’ New Year’s resolution to be more like his pets.
In particular, more like his dog. Here is what Dr Jones had to say:
With 2011 nearly here, one of my resolutions is too be MORE like my
pets…
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All I Really Need to Know I Learned from my Dog
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1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to
be pure ecstasy.
3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
4. Take naps and stretch before rising. 
5. Run, romp, and play daily.
6. Be loyal.
7. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
9. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
10. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and
nuzzle them gently.
11. Thrive on affection and let people touch you – enjoy back rubs
and pats on your neck.
12. When you leave your yard, make it an adventure.
13. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
14. No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt
thing and pout – run right back and make friends.
15. Bond with your pack.
16. On cold nights, curl up in front of a crackling fire. 
17. When you’re excited, speak up.
18. When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
19. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Don’t you love it? I do. It’s priceless. What we can learn from our dogs – we would all be much better people if we paid attention to this!
For more on Andrew Jones’ methods – in particular on how to keep your pets healthy, click here!
