Everyone knows dogs are smart. Some are quick learners when it comes to new tricks, while others can sniff out danger, protecting humans from harm. But what’s often overlooked is that dogs are also great teachers. These stories show the profound ways dogs have changed their human’s lives for the better—and taught them valuable lessons along the way.
See how Hill’s Pet Nutrition can support your dog’s ever-changing needs.
LIFE LESSONS
FROM A DOG
When you pay attention, you'll be amazed by how much OUR canine companions can teach us
Oakley
“Over the last 4 years Oakley's love for being outside has continually taught us that anything and everything can be an adventure with the right attitude. Luckily, Oakley doesn't need every day, trip, or activity to be "epic" in the way we have come to frame it. His excitement when we get out on trails for any activity, no matter how big or small, is infectious—local trails we had overlooked for years due to location and length are now some of our favorites thanks to him.” — Adam T.
Sunny
“I take Sunny trail running almost daily in the foothills of Boulder— the trail system is like a giant dog park for hikers and runners and their pups. Sunny has encountered literally thousands of dogs over the years, and she wants to befriend them all. She's taught me to be open-hearted and expect the best from everybody—to view every stranger as a potential new friend.” — Dennis L.
Artemis
"Artemis has given me so much more confidence to get out there and explore more. She's an old girl (she's 13 in the photos), but her enthusiasm to go on walks and be forever young keeps us both very active.” — Kristina K.
Korra
“Korra has taught me how to bring more balance to my life. She knows when it's game time and she always gives it her all no matter how simple or hard the task is. Alternatively, she knows when it's time for some R&R. It's amazing to me that she has that intuition because it's not always so inherent for humans.” — Rachel L.
Porter & Stout
“My dogs have taught me that life is short and to embrace every moment. I love going on so many adventures with them and seeing the joy in their faces.” — Brittany K.
“My dog Finn literally turns in circles when I come out dressed in running clothes and do pre-run warm-up exercises. He never fails to remind me that running is a privilege and joy—something we get to do if we're lucky. He needs no other motivation to get out the door than the chance to run: it's not endured for weight loss or better health, not even as training to become a better runner. And he never asks if it was a good run or a bad run, or frets about how far or how fast we go. The run is appreciated for its own sake. Doing it is the thing. Every run is a good run. When can we do it again?” — Jonathan B.
Finn
As a professional snowboarder, Emilé Zynobia spends a lot of time away from home. But her close-knit community in Jackson, WY, keeps her energized for traveling and excited to come home. At the center of that community: Trapper. As a dog mom to Trapper, Emilé has learned to cultivate an extended family that cares for her and Trapper, and Trapper has shown her how to support that community with unfiltered love and joy. Watch the video to see the loving community Trapper and Emilé have fostered together.
with TRAPPER AND EMILé
Shop what's in Trapper's bowl.
A Lesson in COMMUNITY
Kirk Williams has always lived an active lifestyle. So when he fractured his spinal cord in a mountain bike crash, it wasn’t about if he’d return to a life of outdoor adventures but how to do it. As a quadriplegic, Kirk has relearned how to live an active life, which has involved learning to be patient with himself and his progress. Kirk’s dog Maddox has been by his side every step of the way—both as a loyal companion for life on the road and as a teacher who reminds Kirk to slow down, be patient, and appreciate every moment. Watch the video to see how Maddox and Kirk support each other through life.
with Maddox and Kirk
Shop what's in Maddox's Bowl.
A Lesson in Patience
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With their always-on friendliness, endless curiosity, and undying loyalty, dogs can crack your heart wide open. Emilé learned this from Trapper. “I didn’t have the world’s greatest childhood,” she recalls. “There were elements of not always getting the attention I craved, and I think it made me a reserved and guarded person.” But Emilé found a devoted companion in Trapper, who always wants to be by her side—showing her that attention goes both ways. Whether she’s traveling for a job, going on a horse packing trip, or splitboarding in the backcountry, Trapper is always eager to join. On the occasions that she has to leave Trapper behind, it’s heart wrenching, and the depth of their bond sometimes brings her to tears. “It’s just me and him, doing life together,” Emilé says, and that kind of connection is worth opening up for.
Watch your four-legged friend for a blueprint to happy, healthy living
8 More Life Lessons From a Dog
Most dogs love being where their humans are. That’s definitely the case for Maddox. He’s happiest with Kirk, which means that everywhere Kirk goes, Maddox goes too. In the mornings the pair will head out for a bike ride on the dirt roads near their house and then come back home for breakfast before figuring out what the rest of the day will look like. Maddox loves running errands, like going to the hardware store, and never passes up a chance to swim in the neighborhood pond, go camping, or hang out at breweries. Since he goes everywhere with Kirk, and he loves being with Kirk, he also loves all the places they go—whether they’re doing chores or playing outside. That’s a great lesson because we can’t always control our surroundings, but we can always control how we feel about them. “I love that he’s always happy to see me. I even love that there’s hair everywhere. I just love everything about having a dog.” To fuel all of their daily adventures, Kirk has fed Maddox Hill’s Science Diet for many years.
2. LOVE WHERE YOU ARE
We’ve all seen dogs having the time of their lives rolling in the grass or blissing out while getting belly rubs from one of their favorite humans. “I think we often assume we’ll see people again, so we treat moments as insignificant,” says Emilé. “But every moment is potentially a significant moment depending on how you contextualize it.” Trapper has shown Emilé how to make each moment count—whether he’s going for a walk or simply enjoying being outside. When Emilé returned home after a recent trip she took a page from Trapper’s playbook. “I spun around the yard and just marveled at the beautiful landscapes around me,” she says. “Before long, I was beaming, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is how Trapper feels all the time.’” Now, that feeling is something Emilé aspires to everyday.
1. Open Up
3. Find Joy in the Small Things
Maddox used to bark at every dog he saw. He didn’t like dogs crossing in front of him on the bike path and he was wary of strangers. Kirk found that the best way through these situations was to stop and reassure Maddox. Over time, Kirk learned Maddox’s triggers, and Maddox learned to trust Kirk and let his guard down. “He’s taught me a lot about just slowing down and not pushing too far beyond our comfort zone,” says Kirk. “You still want to grow as a human and a dog, but not if it’s so severely uncomfortable that it ends up being counterproductive.”
4. Be Patient With Yourself and Others
While Trapper is a friendly, cuddly dog he’s also not one to be pressured into doing anything. For example, he’s a little reserved at the dog park until he finds a dog he really connects with. Emilé appreciates this behavior. “I think there’s this idea that we always need to behave in the way that society expects us to, which is like greeting everyone and being stoked on everyone,” she says. There’s an impulse to encourage him to go say hi to other dogs and run around, but she’s come to learn that Trapper doesn't play with other dogs until he’s ready. Emilé has appreciated the lesson in learning to let him be who and how he is without judgment. “He does things his own way and engages in the way he wants to engage.”
4. Live Life on Your Terms
Years ago, Kirk fractured his spinal cord during a mountain bike crash and became a quadriplegic. Through his injury, and his relationship with Maddox, Kirk has learned to move at his own pace and be okay with slowing things down. Kirk can’t grab a cup of coffee to go and use his wheelchair at the same time, which means he sits at the coffee shop until he finishes his cup. “That used to irk me,” he says. But while sitting there sipping his coffee, he often sees people rushing in and out while doing multiple things at once. “I’m actually kind of the lucky one that just gets to sit and take it all in and relax. It’s okay to slow down on the trail, or in life, and just enjoy the moment as opposed to always being like, ‘What’s next’?”
6. Slow Down
Emilé loves the way Trapper can quickly adapt to any scenario. “As a kid, I had to adapt to a lot of different things,” she says. Trapper’s adaptability is robust: He’ll happily go lay on the beach with Emilé while she reads a book or catches a wave, or accompany her on a mountain bike ride. Dogs have to be especially adaptable because they don’t know what’s coming next. To keep Trapper fueled up and ready for whatever adventure the day brings, Emilé is careful about what she feeds him. “If he’s not feeling nourished, then we can’t go on the big bike ride,” she says. If he hasn’t eaten well, Emilé can see how it affects the way he shows up and the way his enthusiasm goes down. They recently switched to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin and so far Trapper has been gobbling his kibble straight, which is new for him. “He’s not like, ‘Hey lady, where’s my topper?’”
7. BE ADAPTABLE
Dogs have the power to make everything just a little bit better. Having a constant loving, happy, and adoring presence makes Kirk’s solo road trips feel far from lonely. “I can’t imagine life without him,” he says. “Through raising him as a puppy, and through the challenges, we’ve grown incredibly close. I feel like we both understand and know each other inside and out.”
7. Life Is Better When Shared
WHAT HAS YOUR DOG TAUGHT YOU?
Outside staffers share the ways their dogs have shaped their lives
Dogs have the power to make everything just a little bit better. Having a constant loving, happy, and adoring presence makes Kirk’s solo road trips feel far from lonely. “I can’t imagine life without him,” he says. “Through raising him as a puppy, and through the challenges, we’ve grown incredibly close. I feel like we both understand and know each other inside and out.”
8. Life Is Better When Shared
Emilé loves the way Trapper can quickly adapt to any scenario. “As a kid, I had to adapt to a lot of different things,” she says. Trapper will happily go lay on the beach with Emilé while she reads a book or catches a wave, or accompany her on a mountain bike ride. Dogs have to be especially adaptable because they don’t know what’s coming next. To keep Trapper fueled up and ready for whatever adventure the day brings, Emilé is careful about what she feeds him. “If he’s not feeling nourished, then we can’t go on the big bike ride,” she says. If he hasn’t eaten well, Emilé can see how it affects the way he shows up. They recently switched to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin and so far Trapper has been gobbling his kibble straight, which is new for him. “He’s not like, ‘Hey lady, where’s my topper?’”
7. BE ADAPTABLE
Years ago, Kirk fractured his spinal cord during a mountain bike crash and became a quadriplegic. Through his injury, and his relationship with Maddox, Kirk has learned to move at his own pace and be okay with slowing things down. Kirk can’t grab a cup of coffee to go and use his wheelchair at the same time, which means he sits at the coffee shop until he finishes his cup. “That used to irk me,” he says. But while sitting there sipping his coffee, he often sees people rushing in and out while doing multiple things at once. “I’m actually kind of the lucky one that just gets to sit and take it all in and relax. It’s okay to slow down on the trail, or in life, and just enjoy the moment as opposed to always being like, ‘What’s next?'”
6. Slow Down
While Trapper is a friendly, cuddly dog he’s also not one to be pressured into doing anything. For example, he’s a little reserved at the dog park until he finds a dog he really connects with. Emilé appreciates this behavior. “I think there’s this idea that we always need to behave in the way that society expects us to, which is like greeting everyone and being stoked on everyone,” she says. There’s an impulse to encourage him to go say hi to other dogs and run around, but she’s come to learn that Trapper doesn't play with other dogs until he’s ready. Emilé has appreciated the lesson in learning to let him be who and how he is without judgment. “He does things his own way and engages in the way he wants to engage.”
5. Live Life on Your Terms
Maddox used to bark at every dog he saw. He didn’t like dogs crossing in front of him on the bike path and he was wary of strangers. Kirk found that the best way through these situations was to stop and reassure Maddox. Over time, Kirk learned Maddox’s triggers, and Maddox learned to trust Kirk and let his guard down. “He’s taught me a lot about just slowing down and not pushing too far beyond our comfort zone,” says Kirk. “You still want to grow as a human and a dog, but not if it’s so severely uncomfortable that it ends up being counterproductive.”
4. Be Patient With Yourself and Others
We’ve all seen dogs having the time of their lives rolling in the grass or blissing out while getting belly rubs from one of their favorite humans. “I think we often assume we’ll see people again, so we treat moments as insignificant,” says Emilé. “But every moment is potentially a significant moment depending on how you contextualize it.” Trapper has shown Emilé how to make each moment count—whether he’s going for a walk or simply enjoying being outside. When Emilé returned home after a recent trip she took a page from Trapper’s playbook. “I spun around the yard and just marveled at the beautiful landscapes around me,” she says. “Before long, I was beaming, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is how Trapper feels all the time.’” Now, that feeling is something Emilé aspires to everyday.
3. Find Joy in the Small Things
Most dogs love being where their humans are. That’s definitely the case for Maddox. He’s happiest with Kirk, which means that everywhere Kirk goes, Maddox goes too. In the mornings the pair will head out for a bike ride on the dirt roads near their house and then come back home for breakfast before figuring out what the rest of the day will look like. Maddox loves running errands, like going to the hardware store, and never passes up a chance to swim in the neighborhood pond, go camping, or hang out at breweries. Since he goes everywhere with Kirk, and he loves being with Kirk, he also loves all the places they go—whether they’re doing chores or playing outside. That’s a great lesson because we can’t always control our surroundings, but we can always control how we feel about them. “I love that he’s always happy to see me. I even love that there’s hair everywhere. I just love everything about having a dog.” To fuel all of their daily adventures, Kirk has fed Maddox Hill’s Science Diet for many years.
2. LOVE WHERE YOU ARE
With their always-on friendliness, endless curiosity, and undying loyalty, dogs can crack your heart wide open. Emilé learned this from Trapper. “I didn’t have the world’s greatest childhood,” she recalls. “There were elements of not always getting the attention I craved, and I think it made me a reserved and guarded person.” But Emilé found a devoted companion in Trapper, who always wants to be by her side—showing her that attention goes both ways. Whether she’s traveling for a job, going on a horse packing trip, or splitboarding in the backcountry, Trapper is always eager to join. On the occasions that she has to leave Trapper behind, it’s heart wrenching, and the depth of their bond sometimes brings her to tears. “It’s just me and him, doing life together,” Emilé says, and that kind of connection is worth opening up for.
1. Open Up
Watch your four-legged friend for a blueprint to happy, healthy living
8 More Life Lessons From a Dog
VIDEOS
LIFE LESSONS
SHOP
PHOTO GALLERY
Most dogs love being where their humans are. That’s definitely the case for Maddox. In the mornings the pair will head out for a bike ride and then come back home for breakfast. Maddox loves running errands, like going to the hardware store, and never passes up a chance to swim in the neighborhood pond, go camping, or hang out at breweries. Since he goes everywhere with Kirk, and he loves being with Kirk, he also loves all the places they go—whether they’re doing chores or
playing outside. That’s a great lesson because we can’t always control our surroundings, but we can always control how we feel about them. “I love that he’s always happy to see me. I even love that there’s hair everywhere. I just love everything about having a dog.” To fuel their daily adventures, Kirk has fed Maddox Hill’s Science Diet for many years.
We’ve all seen dogs having the time of their lives rolling in the grass or blissing out while getting belly rubs from one of their favorite humans. “I think we often assume we’ll see people again, so we treat moments as insignificant,” says Emilé. “But every moment is potentially a significant moment depending on how you contextualize it.” Trapper has shown Emilé how to make each moment count—whether he’s going for a walk or simply enjoying being outside. When Emilé returned home
after a recent trip she took a page from Trapper’s playbook. “I spun around the yard and just marveled at the beautiful landscapes around me,” she says. “Before long, I was beaming, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is how Trapper feels all the time.’” Now, that feeling is something Emilé aspires to everyday.
While Trapper is a friendly, cuddly dog he’s also not one to be pressured into doing anything. For example, he’s a little reserved at the dog park until he finds a dog he really connects with. Emilé appreciates this behavior. “I think there’s this idea that we always need to behave in the way that society expects us to, which is like greeting everyone and being stoked on everyone,” she says. There’s an impulse to encourage him to go say hi to other dogs and
run around, but she’s come to learn that Trapper doesn't play with other dogs until he’s ready. Emilé has appreciated the lesson in learning to let him be who and how he is without judgment. “He does things his own way and engages in the way he wants to engage.”
Years ago, Kirk fractured his spinal cord during a mountain bike crash and became a quadriplegic. Through his injury, and his relationship with Maddox, Kirk has learned to move at his own pace and be okay with slowing things down. Kirk can’t grab a cup of coffee to go and use his wheelchair at the same time, which means he sits at the coffee shop until he finishes his cup. “That used to irk me,” he says. But while sitting there sipping his coffee, he often sees
people rushing in and out while doing multiple things at once. “I’m actually kind of the lucky one that just gets to sit and take it all in and relax. It’s okay to slow down on the trail, or in life, and just enjoy the moment as opposed to always being like, ‘What’s next’?”
Emilé loves the way Trapper can quickly adapt to any scenario. “As a kid, I had to adapt to a lot of different things,” she says. Trapper’s adaptability is robust: He’ll happily go lay on the beach with Emilé while she reads a book or catches a wave, or accompany her on a mountain bike ride. Dogs have to be especially adaptable because they don’t know what’s coming next. To keep Trapper fueled up and ready for whatever adventure the day brings, Emilé is careful about what she feeds him.
“If he’s not feeling nourished, then we can’t go on the big bike ride,” she says. If he hasn’t eaten well, Emilé can see how it affects the way he shows up and the way his enthusiasm goes down. They recently switched to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin and so far Trapper has been gobbling his kibble straight, which is new for him. “He’s not like, ‘Hey lady, where’s my topper?’”
Dogs have the power to make everything just a little bit better. Having a constant loving, happy, and adoring presence makes Kirk’s solo road trips feel far from lonely. “I can’t imagine life without him,” he says. “Through raising him as a puppy, and through the challenges, we’ve grown incredibly close. I feel like we both understand and know each other inside and out.”
Maddox used to bark at every dog he saw and he was wary of strangers. Kirk found that the best way through these situations was to stop and reassure Maddox. Over time, Kirk learned Maddox’s triggers, and Maddox learned to trust Kirk. “He’s taught me a lot about just slowing down and not pushing too far beyond our comfort zone,” says Kirk. “You still want to grow as a human and a dog, but not if it’s so severely uncomfortable that it ends up being counterproductive.”
With their always-on friendliness, endless curiosity, and undying loyalty, dogs can crack your heart wide open. Emilé learned this from Trapper. “I didn’t have the world’s greatest childhood,” she recalls. “There were elements of not always getting the attention I craved, and I think it made me a reserved and guarded person.” But Emilé found a devoted companion in Trapper, who always wants to be by her side—showing her that attention goes both ways.
goes both ways. Whether she’s traveling for a job, going on a horse packing trip, or splitboarding in the backcountry, Trapper is always eager to join. On the occasions that she has to leave Trapper behind, it’s heart wrenching, and the depth of their bond sometimes brings her to tears. “It’s just me and him, doing life together,” Emilé says, and that kind of connection is worth opening up for.
