Walking Bar Harbor: What My Giant Puppy Teaches Me at 5 a.m.
Every morning, at 5 a.m., my alarm clock has four paws, a wet nose, and absolutely no snooze button.
Jack, my giant Great Pyrenees puppy, wakes up ready to go—tail wagging, body wiggling, full of determination. And when Jack decides it’s time for a walk, there’s no bargaining.
So we step into the quiet streets of Bar Harbor while most of the town is still asleep. The air is cool and salty, the harbor murmurs in the distance sometimes, the YMCA’s generator drones on, and the streets glow soft under the lamps.
It feels like we have the whole place to ourselves—just me, Jack, and the world waking up.
Jack doesn’t stroll politely; he bounds. He notices everything. The squirrels slipping under hedges, the gulls long before they call, even the faintest shift in the wind.
He also notices dropped ice cream cones, napkins with good smells on them and places where other dogs have been before and left their . . . ahem, marks.
I trail behind, usually still half-asleep, holding tight to the leash like I’m waterskiing behind a very furry tugboat.
Honestly, wrangling a Great Pyrenees puppy through Bar Harbor sidewalks at dawn feels a little like trying to convince a bear to behave: it’s sometimes equal parts comedy and workout.
He’s still learning his leash manners.
But then I always catch his joy. His enthusiasm is so big it spills into me.
And that’s when I realize that this is Jack’s gift.
He pulls me out of my fog and into the moment. He doesn’t worry about my to-do list or yesterday’s failures or yesterday’s wins. He doesn’t care about anything but the right-now magic of smells, sounds, and movement.
Reading Sarah Sindo’s reflections about her dog, Drake, in the Bangor Daily this weekend reminded me of this.
Dogs teach us how to live—not by lecturing, but by showing us with every twitch of their ears and every burst of joy on a trail or sidewalk.
Jack may be young, but even at dawn he’s already my best teacher.
And honestly?
Living a little happier doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it’s as simple as walking a puppy at 5 a.m.
Actions for Living a Bit Happier
Move first, think later.
Start your day with movement—walk, stretch, breathe fresh air. It sets the tone before your brain starts worrying.Notice one small thing.
The sound of gulls, the way light spills across your street, the smell of coffee. Let yourself actually see it.Borrow joy.
Dogs are experts at delighting in routine. Try to find joy in something ordinary and let it carry you.Be where your feet are.
For a few moments, stop scrolling, stop planning, stop replaying. Just be in the moment you’re standing in.Give yourself a reason to rise.
Whether it’s a puppy, a sunrise, or your favorite mug of tea—build a small ritual that pulls you happily out of bed.
Jack gets his walk. I get a lesson in happiness. Not a bad way to start the day.
This will also be shared on Living Happy, my other newsletter about writing (I’m a novelist) and life.