We are special people!
We have been given a tremendous gift!
We have a DOG!
It can be easy to let your life woes overcome the beauty of your relationship with your dog. So easy to worry about shopping lists, difficult partners, the weather, the world … possibly even worrying about your dog’s behaviour.
But the greatest thing you can do for yourself and for your dog, is to take a leaf out of his book, and live in the present!
Meeting trouble halfway
We have a tendency to worry ourselves into a spiral - a seriously downward one!
We either dwell in the past, worrying over what’s happened, or lurch into an uncertain future where everything seems to go wrong.
What’s past is over and done with, and can’t be changed - however much you worry over it.
And what’s to come is completely out of our control!
All we can do is deal with the present - as it happens. Just as your dog does.
Headaches
We also have a tendency to crave a quick fix.
Whether that’s a quick fix for our difficult dog or a quick fix for a real or a figurative headache.
As far as the dog is concerned, there are few quick fixes, except those promised by people who espouse methods I wouldn’t use on an earwig, never mind a sentient, affectionate, being, like a child or a dog or a partner!
Change in your dog’s behaviour is effected by slowly building the bond between you by removing blame and punishment from your existence. I’m not suggesting you beat your dog! You wouldn’t have got this far down this page if you did.
But just misunderstanding someone can be punishing - it suppresses the response you’d like. This is where those cries of “My dog is stubborn!” come from. A total misunderstanding of how to relate to a creature from another species without shouting, blaming, attempting to control him.
So, know that huge changes can be made in how your dog behaves - whether running off, or barking at other dogs - once you change yourself!
And as for that headache, grab the lead and take your dog for a quick 10 minutes round the block. (Dog too reactive to walk near you? Bundle him into the car and whiz off to somewhere quiet and empty.)
Enjoy a few moments with your dog. Enjoy his enjoyment. Relax and clear your head.
Don’t be worrying about what to say to your boss; how you can make the housekeeping last till the end of the week; how you can get your project finished …
Enjoy this oasis of calm with your ever-present dog. Follow his lead and explore the sights (while he explores the smells!) of your surroundings. Enjoy the soft rain on your face, the wind in your hair, the butterflies and the birds.
What’s quicker for resolving those headaches? This method or headache pills?
FOOTNOTE: If walks are difficult for you
Are you finding dogwalks uncomfortable because your dog wants to pull you hither and yon - possibly landing you on your face? This would certainly make it hard to enjoy your dog’s company when out!
So get Let's Go!: Enjoy Companionable Walks with your Brilliant Family Dog and change your dog walks for the better - fast!
5* review at Amazon
This is a great little guide to hassle-free walks with your dog. I have a lovely but enthusiastic cockapoo who was taking me for a walk rather than the other way around. She was constantly pulling on her lead and it had become a real worry. Thanks to the exercises and advice in this book, she is now walking by my side, rather than constantly trying to be in front of me and walks are a lot more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this book.
