Dogs Don’t Do Resolutions
Every January, humans declare war on themselves.
We make lists, buy planners, join gyms, and promise to become slightly better versions of the people we already are — just with more kale and less scrolling.
Meanwhile, your dog’s resolution list looks like this:
Sniff everything.
Nap with commitment.
Reinforce the human for finally learning to bring treats again.
Dogs don’t do resolutions.
They do repetition.
They do reinforcement.
They do “right now.”
And honestly, they’re better at self-improvement than we are.
The Dog Way vs. The Human Way
Humans: “This year I’m going to be more patient.”
Dogs: “I’m patient when patience pays.”
Humans: “I’ll stop reacting when things go wrong.”
Dogs: “I’ll stop reacting when you teach me how.”
Humans: “I’ll work on myself.”
Dogs: “I’ll work on you, too — one treat at a time.”
Dogs don’t overthink growth. They just show up, try again, and let reinforcement shape the rest.
Consistency Over Commitments
Every year, I meet clients who swear, “This year will be different.”
And it can be — but not because of resolutions. Because of routines.
Dogs don’t care about the calendar. They care about what happens at 7 a.m. when the leash comes off the hook.
They care about patterns. Predictability. Paychecks.
A “new year” to a dog is just another chance to learn what works. So if you really want to make progress, skip the resolutions and build consistency instead.
Tiny, daily reps beat lofty, guilt-fueled goals every single time.
What Dogs Teach Us About Goals
If dogs ran the self-improvement industry, it would look like this:
Focus on small wins. (“I sat! Snacks appeared!”)
Forget perfection. (“I missed once. Tried again. Got snacks.”)
Celebrate progress obnoxiously. (“Look at me, I did it again!”)
Take naps between breakthroughs. (“Brain full. Must reboot.”)
They don’t waste energy on imaginary timelines. They don’t shame themselves for setbacks. They just adjust, repeat, and try again.
If we lived like that, the gym would be half as crowded and everyone would be twice as happy.
Roo’s Real-World Reminder
Roo never made resolutions, but she embodied one: keep showing up.
If a session didn’t go well, she’d shake it off, literally, and be ready to try again ten minutes later. No judgment, no drama.
That’s the dog superpower — they live in micro-resets.
They don’t replay mistakes; they recycle them into data.
Bagheera’s the same way. If something flops, she gives me that look: “Cool, you feedin’ or fixin’?” And she’s right — either reinforce what worked or set it up better next time. Everything else is noise.
The Only Resolution That Matters
If dogs did make resolutions, it might just be this:
“Be clear. Be kind. Keep training the human.”
And honestly, we could do worse.
So here’s to the year ahead — not of big promises, but of small actions.
Of better timing. Softer tone. Higher-value treats.
Of meeting our dogs where they are, not where our checklist says they should be.
Because dogs don’t do resolutions.
They do habits.
They do heart.
They do “now.”
Let’s follow their lead.
