20-year-old dog and 140-year-old human (3)

● Be close to water and drink a lot of water.

Water is the source of life. Dogs will not voluntarily drink much, so we should figure out ways to deliver water so they drink more, such as mixing water with food. And if they are eating more fruits and vegetables, they will automatically be consuming more water.

Accordingly, we should also let dogs out more frequently to let water circulate in the body. Holding one's urine can be harmful to dogs and humans. Also, dogs should be bathed more frequently.

● More exercise.

Laozi said, "The more you move, the more you produce." Walking benefits both dogs and humans, so try to walk at least twice per day.

● Nature.

Take dogs to beautiful scenery such as a riverside or forest. I often take Huanhuan to walk in the prairie wilderness in Northfield or by the Mississippi River in St. Paul. Laozi said, "Man follows earth. Earth follows heaven. Heaven follows the Dao." I believe nature is the teacher, doctor, and friend of humans and dogs.

● Communication.

Dogs are social animals like their wolf ancestors. They can have separation anxiety, so we should pat and hug our dogs before we leave the house and when we return. We should also talk to our dogs, and after a while, they will understand some things. Huanhuan is bilingual at this point in English and Chinese and understands some words such as walk, eat, and shake hands.

Human beings and dogs have 90 percent of our DNA in common, therefore the above healthy way of life applies to human beings as well. In the past two hundred years, the lifespan of humans in some countries has doubled from forty years to eighty.

In the United States, the current life expectancy for women is 83 and for men is 78. A few decades later, the people who follow a lifestyle based on health and science may double their lifespan again.

Therefore, some of you readers, if you pursue these methods for the next few decades, you also could live to 140 years old. Huanhuan's healthy way of life encompasses more than just those aforementioned points, so I will make every effort to help him live a few more years to become the oldest dog in the world. At that time, I'll be able to say to the world, "If a dog can, so can you!"

The author is the Burton and Lily Levin Professor of the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures.

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