Recently, I made 2 different posts on social media (pasted below, purple and orange text) about small changes we can make to better the lives of our dogs. Maybe it is Thiago's impending 6th birthday next month, or me knowing our life will change when we add a puppy this year, or reminiscing on the new podcast I am cohosting. Whatever the reason, I encourage you to ENJOY THE SMALLEST MOMENTS with your dogs. They are here for such a short amount of time and sometimes, they are gone before we even know what happened. Your puppy will only be a puppy for a short bit of their life, take time to laugh at them, wonder at their curiosity, revel in their boldness.
We can't get the moments back, so breathe them in and just enjoy the moment.
And if you need a break from your puppy or dog, so you CAN enjoy the moments, do it. There is no shame in needing a break to get some perspective and take a breath for us. At the end of the day, that will only help you enjoy your dog even more, because you can be present. If you need support, reach out.
You can make very small decisions or changes to support your dog. Rocket is here to build confidence and learn some basic obedience. He has some noise sensitivity. Normally, I'd use a traditional baby gate or 2 panel gate to keep a client dog in the office. Both of those options make noise each time I move them, and he is unsure. He doesn't make attempts to challenge the barriers, so he doesn't need Fort Knox. I flipped 1 panel sideways, leaned it against the opening, and I now have a barrier that can be quietly moved as needed. This may seem silly, but considering I move that barrier at least 10 times each day, that's a lot of moments of Rocket feeling uncomfortable unnecessarily. A simple change that seriously impacts this guy's quality of life. Just a little something to think about.
How many people have an assistant while they go to the bathroom?😅🙋♀️ Thiago loves it and I think part of the reason is because Tater doesn't. Thiago gets one on one time with me and he's all about it! For the last 2 weeks, Rocket has been here and that requires a change for my dogs and their routine. It has meant that Thiago couldn't always join me in the bathroom.😂
On Thursday I went to.....well...go to the bathroom and Thiago went to follow along. I needed him to stay behind the gate because Rocket had a bully stick. I told him back, he listened and then looked at me like, "I'd really like to go." I stopped, rethought my plan, turned around and went back through the gate. If I used the bathroom further away, he could go with me. He flipped around and happily trotted behind me, then sat with me while I gave him one on one cuddles and told him how much I love him.
Yeah, it a silly story and maybe a slightly embarrassing topic, but it is also another reminder that we can make minute choices that better the lives of our dogs...and ours. Those choices cost us nothing, but they mean so much. Make the moments count.
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