“Wag More, Bark Less!” Lately, I seem to drive up behind a car bearing that suggestion on the rear panel or bumper almost daily, often several times a day, if I am on the road a lot. The only thing more omnipresent these days is the array of white stick figures adorning the left side rear windows of vans. You know them: the ones that represent the family constellation of parents and kids of each gender, each often with a symbol of their favorite hobby or sport, along with their animal companion cats and dogs. Soon, I anticipate, the only thing that will outnumber either of those occasional sightings will be the deluge of political candidate bumper stickers as the November elections approach.

Back to the original observation—about those magnetized, usually oval or bone-shaped exhortations to “wag more, bark less!” It seems that they started appearing as early as 2010, sold as bumper stickers and magnets for cars and refrigerators. Early on, the message apparently appeared in reverse order, and even spawned a litigation skirmish citing brand trademark infringement. One purveyor of these advertises their offerings of the message magnets thus: “Let that jerk riding your rear on the freeway know to “Wag, More, Bark Less!” That company apparently considers them a desirable alternative to a more demonstrative road rage response. In that vein, I have even seen the statement affixed to the universal peace symbol.

I offer this tale today to highlight the intent or spirit of the canine message as one worth considering. It is a comment that aligns well with the notions of both positivity and gratitude. And these are not just nicer, calmer ways of thinking, as there is considerable research behind several activities that seek a more affirmative response to life’s challenges, disappointments and stressors. In his excellent book Thanks: How the new science of gratitude can make you happier (2007), Robert Emmons cites a number of research summaries and reflections on gratitude, including a list of ten of the best, evidence-based approaches to incorporating gratefulness as a regular part of one’s daily repertoire.  And what is most interesting…a piece of serendipity in wagging more and expressing gratitude, is that it has positive benefits for the one being grateful, not just the good feelings experienced by the one being thanked. In other words, it is at least as helpful to the one saying thanks as to the person who bestowed the favor.

Many years ago, I saw the statement “I want to be the person my dog thinks I am,” in a Covey manual for their 7 Habits course, citing it as an example of a concise, simple, personal mission statement. In our current context, recasting our thoughts to acknowledge gratitude routinely seems to be a very worthwhile consideration. Enlarging our current practice of appreciating others in our lives—both at work and outside—can be a mutual benefaction that pays dividends for all.