Dog Lessons for Human Lives: The Power of Routine

Five years ago, we got my daughter Charis a dog — a Bernedoodle named Legend. Now, here’s the thing: I wasn’t exactly thrilled about having a dog loose in the house. I didn’t grow up like that. My childhood was filled with chameleons, turtles, rabbits, and hamsters… but not a dog roaming indoors.

Still, Charis came along later in my life, and when she wanted a little brother or sister, the best we could do was get her a furry one. But if I was going to have this dog in my life, he was going to need to be trained — and I had a plan.

There’s a narrow strip of grass between my driveway and my neighbor’s, divided by a row of trees. For the first year, every single time Legend "went" outside, he stayed on a leash in that strip. Seventy feet up and down, ten feet wide — and never past the tree line. He fought me. He pulled. He resisted. But for a year, that’s the only place he "went" (btw, I cut the grass weekly... no build-up).

Then something happened. After twelve months of that consistent routine, I could simply open the door and let him out — no leash, no chase, no worry. He’d run straight to that spot, do his business, and come right back.

The same thing happened with his crate at night. At first, I had to drag him in there. But after enough repetition, it became his safe place. And just last week, something struck me. One night, I fell asleep on the couch, Charis and Kim fell asleep in another room, and no one put Legend to bed.

Around midnight, I woke up, went to check on him, and found him sitting in his crate — door open — waiting. He’d put himself to bed because, after years of repetition, that’s just who he is now.

And that’s the point.That’s Another Perspective.

At first, new habits feel like rules, restrictions, or even punishment. We resist them. We push back. We try to avoid them. But when we stick with them, something changes — not just our actions, but our identity. What once felt forced becomes natural. What once felt uncomfortable becomes the thing that brings us peace.

Sometimes in life, we have to train ourselves the way I trained Legend — with consistency, boundaries, and a clear goal in mind. We might kick and scream in the beginning, but one day, without even thinking about it, we’ll find ourselves exactly where we’re meant to be… and glad we’re there.

That’s the power of choosing the right habits. That’s the freedom of a better perspective. And that’s the heart of Another Perspective.

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