‘Working like a dog’ is an interesting phrase. I wonder where it originated. I’ve always understood it to mean some variation of working very hard and often under pressure. The Cambridge dictionary agrees.

And then we got a dog.

Perhaps it’s varies from breed to breed, but our dog (golden retriever) does a LOT of sleeping and lazing around. Especially on hot days. This week, during our heat wave, he’d join me for an early morning walk for 30 minutes and then nothing. He’d hide under the table, spread out on the stone floor for the rest of the day. On less hot days, he’ll have some bursts of energy to go for a walk, chase a rabbit, or any hint of play. Beyond that, it’s belly on the floor and sleep.

Perhaps we need embrace working like a dog. Embrace spurts of full out work, getting things done, and then spread out and sleep. Short bursts of intense work, but mostly rest.

Maybe working like a dog isn’t so bad after all.

Photo by David Moynihan