Hudson Valley Astrologer

Dogs that I have had as pets have always been a part of the family, perhaps because they are sentient beings and express their emotions in pure unadulterated ways.

Imagine coming home and after a long day at work, you open the door and your dog is so happy to see you that they jump up and down, wag their tails, and cry in dog words, “You’re back! You’re back! Thank god! I missed you so much!”

Everyday, without fail, my dog rolls out the welcome mat as if it’s been days since we last saw each other. Actually, 8 hours might be the equivalent of 2 1/2 days if we use the dog’s sense of time, based on the old adage that every year of life in our perception of time is the equivalent of 7 years in a dog’s sense of time.

But saying that describes a dog’s sense of time in “dog years” is an old simplified approach that doesn’t quite capture the aging process. Dogs, and all living organisms for that matter, age more quickly at the beginning of life and then more slowly over time. The aging process is nonlinear, researchers in fact have come up with a formula to more accurately compare the age of dogs in human terms. But the 7 year rule of thumb works for me.

I think the take away is more about our perception of time, and time we have together. Imagine living life with a sense of time that is more like your dog’s? Understanding that the aging process slows down with time, and not just based on our perception of time, but because our “epigenetic clock” says so, suggests that every minute counts. So, if every hour works out under the old rule of thumb to equal 45 hours in “dog’s years” then every minute feels like almost two hours — and this reminds me of another cliché that say “life is short” and that we should live for the moment. Carpe Diem!

HVA

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