You might not already have exactly the dog life that you want, but there’s a good chance you can love the dog you have more than you currently do.
We have a strong ability to make ourselves unhappier than we need to be. We’re also a little slow to implement the improvements that would make our lives more enjoyable. We’re focused on the bad things, fail to see the good things, and tolerate more than we should. So I figured that with seasons changing from Summer to Fall, that now is the perfect opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate life with your fur baby. If your puppy love has soured a bit and turned toward disdain let’s re-tool and get back the joys of pet parenting.
You can love your dog again and much better with just a few small tweaks, such as:
- Get rid of the things that annoy you. Old dog bones, stinky blankets… Pet parenting is pretty good if you don’t have anything that bothers you. You don’t need a spotless floor to be happy, but it’s hard to be happy if your floor is untidy.
- Make a list of everything that gets on your nerves. It might be an unorganized pet pantry, a torn dog bed, leaky dog water bowl, insufficient funds to purchase dog food, or uprooted flowers in the yard.
- Start working on this list and eliminate them one at a time. You’ll be amazed how much more you like your dog as the list gets smaller.
2. Reach out to your park community. Life with the dog can get so harried that we lose touch with the park community we enjoy the most. Loving your dog is largely about removing the negatives of pet parenting duties and adding the positives of life alongside your fur baby. Add your friends and their pets back into your life.
3. Give yourself something to look forward to. One of the things we all need in our journey is something to look forward to. Plan something in the future that excites you and your dog. A trip planned from the start and centered around your furry friend will be more enjoyable.
4. Focus on making regular small improvements to your dog’s life. Another thing we all enjoy is the feeling of making progress in life. Whether it’s losing old habits and replacing them with newer, more positive, more cheerful habits, learning a new song on the radio, or adding another $100 to our bank account, we all enjoy seeing improvement.
- Pick a few things in your dog’s life and in your life and focus on making a little progress each week.
5. Let go of the worn items. Spending time and energy fixing up worn items from the fun you and the dog had way back when only degrades your environment and possibly your standards. Let it go.
6. Remind yourself of the joys of pet parenting. Write it down. Read it over. Keep a positive attitude as you go about tweaking the little dog life annoyances into perfect reasons why the pet came to stay anyway. Here is a little short list about Sophia and me:
I am grateful for the surprise ‘need’ for snuggles just when I am at the height of business and the incessant insistence that I stop what I am doing and pet them right now.
I am grateful for the funny things the dog does and the strange sounds she makes when mowing down on a soup bone that is bigger than her face.
I am grateful for the dog’s sheer disbelief that anyone, and I mean anyone, dare try walking past this front door. Holy crap!!!
I am grateful for the realization that, according to the dog, I really just don’t know how to relax.
I am grateful that I found a friend who does not make excuses for not working out, and that really really likes to walk.
I feel so grateful to have both my dog and my cat as parts of our family and I love these ideas to love on them a little more. We have purchased a monthly toy and treat subscription for our dog and she really loves the new toys she gets each month, even if they don’t last very long. It’s a fun thing that the dog seems to look forward to, and in turn, the rest of the house shares in her excitement and joy.
Bravo Aly. New toys are important for mental stimulation and gives them something fresh with which to play. Your dog absolutely knows that the family is thinking of them. They feel appreciated and cared for too. Happy to learn that the subscription service works for you. Thanks for a great pet parent comment.
I enjoyed reading some of your suggestions, especially regarding cleaning up things that annoy you and making small improvements. I always feel a bit better after getting rid of old, chewed up toys and cleaning up from my dog. There is something satisfying in the small efforts of tidying up, as dogs do make a mess. Although being a pet parent can get difficult, I find that just taking the time to remember we won’t have them forever helps bring perspective. Knowing that I need to make every day count with my dog reignites my love and joy for her. Thanks for a thoughtful post.
You are welcome. And thank you very much for your heartfelt, honest comment.
my mother and i have always been in conflict when it comes to dogs. I loved dogs and still do but she does not. I feel like dogs are people too. I love where and how you posted your pictures. this site shows that you put your heart and soul into it.
I never thought about tidying the place my dog sleeps and really planning those trips. I love Sophia already. I can feel the love from here,
Smooches! Thank you for reading the article Dominic356. We are happy to hear that this is thought provoking for you. Happy Pet Parenting and please visit us again soon.