Do You And Your Pet Have Clear Boundaries?

Sammy and I have something important we want to talk to you about.  Its about the boundaries you need to have with your pet.  

While it is true that animals live on earth through lightness (day) and darkness (night) they are still very connected to the earth and the air and their pawrent.  Energy is how we all exist, and since our pets are no longer in the wild connecting to the flow of the earth to get their food, find their den, and meet their friends, they need something similar in their life with you.

That is where a routine comes in.

If you are flighty and have no routine in your life your pet will be flighty as well.  However, they have a much shorter life span than we do, remember?  So one month for them is like 1 1/2 years for us. That's a big difference from a human perspective.  So why is it like this?  Because only humans put a time line to our life.  Animals live their life and move through it as they need to.  They are not restricted by our mental calendar.  While the earth does have its own calendar (solstices), the human has decided to alter that based on some guy who died and the people who needed to ease the chaos in their life and so created a calendar around it.  Sadly, it has forced us to break down more rapidly than we had in the past.  The more strict the calendar the less time on earth for the human vessel.  Anyway, that is why animals live what appears to be a shorter life span than us.  It is us, the human being, who has altered the rhythm of our life away from the earth and into the mind.

So this is why having a routine with your pet is so important!

They are relying on us to allow them to adjust to us, but they must have a daily routine (weekly and monthly doesn't mean anything to them) so they can be in the flow of the life they are meant to live with us.  When you make excuses like "oh but my dog doesn't get up that early so I don't walk him when I get up" that's you being lazy.  Sorry, but it is because they need us to set the pace for them. Not that they need to be rushing around doing things every moment of the day (that's a human thing), they aren't created like that, but they do need a slow and steady pace to follow.  A sense of normalcy to their life with us, plus they need things that are just for them.  Like maybe a couple of days a week at doggie daycare, or weekly trips to the park, or even hang out days where they just play inside and go for extra walks.  That can be a routine too.

I know you are wondering about Sammy 's routine, especially now that he is retired. Not a lot of his personal routine has changed, only his daytime routine has changed...slightly! He is no longer needs to come with me when I leave the apartment, so he has more time to rest and play with his toys. The other things in his life, the routine part, has always been the same. He eats at the same time, walks at the same time, and gets a raw bone pretty much at the same time. So those things that he needs from me, are set into a pace that works for us.

However, the average dog is a pet from puppy-hood, so as a pet it has its own way of being.  Meaning they don't have to be overly aware of the well being of their owner like a service dog does.  They just need to be a part of your life; and that's why routine helps them have that.  It also helps us, the pawrent, have a better relationship with our pets because when we know we have a routine we exist more easily in our world and live a better life.  Your pet will know when and what they will be eating, where they will be going and when, and when they can play.

So do your pet a favor and take a look at your life.  

Just because you rush off to work every morning and come home every evening doesn't mean they have routine.  Look beyond that to how long they have to walk in the morning before you leave; do they get up at the same time every day; do they have time with you that is just their time ~ sitting on the porch (without the phone/tv/computer/other people taking your attention) or playing in the backyard, teaching tricks or basic commands, etc ; and most importantly do they have quiet time with you?

What's Quiet Time? 

This is the time where its just the two of you, doing nothing, together. It's where you connect to each other, heart to heart, so you can feel one another's heart beat and connect to each other's soul.  It is necessary for our pets to be connected to us so we know whens something is wrong with them, know what to do to help them, as well as for them to know when something is wrong with us and can help provide healing to us.  Yes your pet provides healing to you all the time, and sometimes they get overly exhausted from it.  You think its cute or interesting, when in truth it is a sign that there is something wrong with you (usually emotional, but can be physical). So take heed...

So what's a good routine to follow?

Start with the basics: feeding at the same times every day, walking at the same times every day (with a harness and a standard leash! Your pet will walk better, tug less, learn faster, with no damage to the neck bones which will produce hairline fractures when ever tugged on), play time every day (either inside or outside, or both) which can including training basic commands (sit, stay, down, up, walk, stop), and quiet time every day.

If you follow a basic routine, without fail, for three weeks (give or take), your dog will be successfully trained in the basics of life with you. However, if you find things are not working right, seek out professional advice as it is typically the owner not doing/training properly and not the dog responding incorrectly. Remember, just like toddlers repeat what they see and hear to learn about their environment, so do our pets. If you do right, they do right.

So.... pay attention to your pet, set a routine, find a rhythm, and create an everlasting partnership. That's why they're here you know, to be our partners in life.

To live this life together.