your dog & you

good morning

I woke up this morning and as I do every morning, I go and say good morning to my dogs: Molly & Dizzy. Every single morning, they wag their tails uncontrollably and they bounce around the room. That's Dizzy. Molly, who is a little older, stays curled up on her sofa waiting for me to go and sit by her. I stroke her and see her little smile appear on her face and every morning, without doubt, I sit in front of her and place my head on her head, and every morning, without doubt, she does the same. These are one of my favourite moments I always share with Molly. I cannot express what that feeling feels like, to have a dog be absolutely besotted by you as you are to them. Dizzy, being younger and way more energetic, jumps up me and does a circular run around the room to the point where crashing into the back of the sofa are her brakes. That feeling that a dog is so energetically excited to see you is something you genuinely cannot buy, and it is something that no other thing can give you.

the outside world

If you think about it, all dogs understand of the "outside world" is going for a walk, or the dreaded vets. They have no comprehension of work or going to the shops or going to an appointment. So when you leave the house, all they believe is that you're going on a walk without them. Or, you're going to book them in for an appointment at the vets. So, what I do, is just tell them. Signify that you're not going on a walk, create a special word so that your dog understands. Ours is "walkies" that word will send Mol & Diz loopy. However, you cannot ensure that your dog understands that you're going to work and not on a walk. The best thing to do is to come up with a routine, a couple of things that you do that your dog will latch onto and remember, just like 'sit', they understand this action because you've taught them to. So just teach them. My routine is I say the same thing every time I leave. For you, it can be anything from 'I'll be back'-like what I presume good old Arnold Schwarzeneggar does. Or 'Stay here, won't be long'. What I have found helpful too, is to give them a kiss or stroke on the head, and after time they will pick up on the fact that you're leaving for a bit. It helps them get it, because I bet there's nothing worse than not understanding what is happening. Imagine someone leaving and you not understanding why. 'But we’d understand' I bet you'd say. Which brings me onto...

a dog's brain

'A dog is one of the few things in life, that is exactly what it seems'

Thank you Pinterest for that perfect quote. Of course we know a dog is not as smart as us, as demonstrated above, they have no clue what life is about other than: playing, walks, the dreaded vets, tickles, different smells in different places, and food. To be honest, what it would be to be a dog ey? Can you imagine if we thought the way dogs thought? Coming home and your partner jumps for joy and starts running around the room ecstatically? That's quite a terrifying thought isn't it hahah. I mean it would be pretty easy to not have to have such complicated talks. It's either 'yes' or 'no' with a dog. I wish it were that easy with me. I'm indecisive as hell, so having a brain that has only the answers yes or no to would be pretty helpful. I hate having the options of 'oh maybe?' or 'but that one has it's advantages from that one...' COME ON HANNAH. Seriously it's terrible, don't ask me to decide anything. So my point is, be GRATEFUL that your dog only has two options. If they don't want to do something, they really don't want to! There's no in-between! Of course I get that if you're on a walk and you tell your dog to come back and they don't, and it getting to the point where you actually think 'wow...they’re seriously not going to come back' THEN you can enforce the okay come back now hahah. All I'm saying is understand your dog, be grateful that they're not indecisive annoyances like how we can be, and they just want to have fun.

'the greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them' -Stanley Coren

i'm only talking to my dogs today

Dogs bark at nothing! yeahh…keep telling yourself that.

The dog bark. Yeah they can't cook, pick up their business, or feed themselves, but they can speak; by barking! One of the many amazing things that a dog can do, is talk! May not be able to say all the vocabulary...but that's all they've been given.

Our Dizzy is the house guard dog, every single tiny noise that she hears, wherever that a gust of wind or the faint noise of the fly buzzing outside, you can bet that she will hear it and bark her paws off. If she sees a person, she will bark. If its a letter, she will bark. If it's the indistinct noise of the conversation across the street, she will bark...and it's totally my fault... I taught her to do that...and it stuck. It's way harder to un-teach than teach I tell you that. However, I don't regret it haha. I mean if there's a burglar, then we're sorted.

Although to some people barking is the most annoying noise ever. The sheer agony of having to listen to the never-ending noise of: the bark. Well I don't get it. A human can bicker 24-7, of all volumes, and the dog has to listen to that all day everyday…but you tell the dog to be quiet when they bark a couple times? Let your dog talk. Let them BARK.

tricksters

Among all the other amazing things dogs can do, one of them is: tricks!

Tricks add some fun to a dogs learning and behaviour. Over the years I have taught Mol & Diz little tricks. You’ve got the cliche ‘sit’ which both of them have aced. That’s a very easy one to teach. Simply get a treat and as you say ‘sit’ gently push their bum down to the ground so they associate the word with the action. Repeat this.

I’ve also managed ‘paw’ which is slightly harder. Once they are seated, lift up their paw as you say ‘paw’ and give them the treat once they do. It’s best to hold the treat up and don’t do anything except say ‘paw’, when your dog realises that they are not getting the treat, they’ll realise something is wrong. They will most probably bark or try and grab the treat-in which case you then sit them back down and repeat the action & word. They should eventually associate the action of lifting up their paw to the word and know that if they do, they get the treat, but if they don’t manage that time, give them a treat still and try again another time...don’t you dareee leave them without a treat.

Speak is Molly’s specialty, and one of my favourites. Purely because it wasn't intended to even be a trick, I wasn’t even trying haha. It’s just Molly being stubborn and impatient. I was playing with one of her toys and when she gave it to me I held it above her and must have waited too long and she barked at me. I knew that that meant “give it to me!” So I played around with it for a bit and repeated doing it. I then associated the action of lifting my arm up into the air with saying the word “speak” and now all I have to do is hold something up and say ‘speak!’ (Although I kind of feel that this is not a success as it’s really just Molly being impatient and asking me to give her the toy/treat...) I’m just saying speak to make it seem like I know what I’m doing... But is is my favourite, Diz can’t do it ;)

Diz however has mastered sit, paw, stay, and my personal favourite: the sit to roll over combination. It’s pretty easy once they get the hang of it and the action that you’re doing. It’s basically a game of follow the leader but it’s follow the biscuit. Drag the biscuit down to the floor to get them to lie down and then move the biscuit in the direction of the way you want them to roll to. Diz was very confused at the start of what I wanted her to do, but a gentle push over will help them along. We’ve actually mastered that trick so well that I don’t even have to say anything other than ‘sit’-I can just hold the biscuit in my hand and drag it to the floor and she will immediately lie down and roll over. And I can repeat this one after the other and she will do it spot on.

This is all pretty easy if your dog listens and you work on it. The only major points that you need to be aware of which I’ve wrote in bold above are as follows:

Associate= you must associate the action to the word, otherwise your dog won’t remember that when you say ‘sit’ it’s to put her butt on the floor hahaha.

Repeat= you must. MUST. Repeat. No dog is going to learn something after one attempt, which I’m pretty sure goes for quite a lot of people. It’s harder for dogs due to saying ‘sit’ and ‘lie down’ really doesn’t make sense as it isn’t their language. So you must repeat the trick so they can latch onto the action as well as the word.

Reward= oh and you must not, under any circumstances, not reward your dog. They’re trying. Give them a break. Give them a treat. Not a Kit-Kat.

Over time with your dog, they will pick up things that you do and vice versa, and they can become little tricks that you share. All dogs are different and listen to different things. For example, instead of “fetch” I say “where’s the ball” or “go get the ball” and she understands what it is that I’m saying. Asking Mol to ‘stay’ is something that needs work on, Mol can be very stubborn and if she wants something, she will have it! Diz is good at stay, and we use this when playing hide and seek with her ball. I ask her to stay whilst I go hide it and then say “where’s it gone!” and like lightening she will be off.

Diz is just a tad more obedient than Mols, but I wouldn’t change Mol for anything. That’s how she is, just like you would love your mate or your partner for who they are, dogs fall into that category too.

the little things

It’s the little things that make you love your dog even more. Molly understands when you’re sad, and will hug you and put her paw on you. Occasionally she sits so close to you she pushes all of her weight onto you and rests her head on yours. It’s like hugging a massive fur ball, and I tell you now it’s the best therapy you can get.

Diz and I have a thing we do which is the kiss. Many people who see us do the kiss object to the idea because it’s “disgusting”. Good thing you don’t kiss your dog then isn’t it? The lick of the face is just a sign of love and affection, and I’ve managed to associate that to the word kiss. Now, absolutely anywhere anytime you say “kiss” Diz will give you a kiss. And it’s one of my favourite little things in the whole world.

the secrets of happiness we learn from dogs

We learn a lot from our furry friends..in the simpliest way to explain it: a happy dog doesn’t worry too much, it’s all very simple with a happy dog.

• When your loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be faithful.
• Never pretend to be something you’re not.
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

full article can be found here

being there

It's unfortunate that we have to come to terms with the inevitable conclusion that is life. I've always been someone who contemplates life and what happens after. However the hardest thing is the inevitability of losing someone or something along the way. I am occasionally struck by the thought of losing someone or my dogs, which at times is too hard to comprehend and cope with. I came across an article a while back about a veterinarian in South Africa who spoke about how you should not leave your dog alone if, sometimes under unfortunate reasons, your dog has to be put down. He explained that when you leave, your dog tries to understand why you've left them in a situation where they feel so confused and scared, and occasionally scan the room for their owner. When I was a little girl and Molly got quite ill, I always thought that I physically wouldn't be able to be there if god forbid she had to be put down as it would be too heart breaking. But theres a certain vulnerability about a dog if you put into perspective that they simply don't understand, and after reading that, and growing up alongside Mol & Diz, I would rather be in such a difficult situation myself than have my dog be confused and uncomforted. I would stay right by their side-because we have a chance to understand and grieve, they just want you there.

'If the kindest souls were rewarded with the longest lives, dogs would outlive us all'

Their little life is a huge part of yours.

afterwards

I am very lucky to not have never gone through the loss of a dog. But maybe you have. I have had Molly grow up with me for 12 years, and Dizzy for about 10/11. To say that I am lucky would be an understatement, there is unconditional love between us and they are my greatest friends. I've never thought about what happens afterwards. The thought keeps me awake at night, I've been in denial lately that Molly is getting older and that one day they will both not be here anymore, because when something has been a part of your life for so long you can't imagine it any different. Would you be able to get another dog? Would it take some time? How do I know when I'm ready again? I think, and I know that for me, I will always be ready. Not moving on and forgetting, but moving on and remembering. The dog you have now is part of many chapters of your life, but there are many more chapters that you need a dog for.

A beautiful quote that I found:

'When I'm gone...promise me you won't say, "I'll never get another dog" Go find another dog to love and care for...one that needs a home... and every time you hug them I will feel it'.

There are many dogs that need a home, and there are many more dogs other than your pets that want someone to love them, and if you can say that throughout your life you gave at least one dog the greatest life you possibly could, you can be forever proud.

a dogs trust

This is probably most important. When you have a dog, they are your responsibility. They have one life, and they owe it to you. All that they know of this little life is you. Their life revolves around you, and that's it. A dog only has you, and they are always there for you. So when you think you have no one, understand that sometimes a dog is all you need to feel that little bit better, and if you love a dog as much as I love Mol & Diz then I can guarantee that sometimes they can help. The thing is, is that they're not going anywhere. When you need some love, your dog is there. Always. Ever watched a Dog's Purpose? A dog's purpose is ultimately to make you happy. When you've had a bad day, you come home after a long day, and your dog is jumping for joy that you're home, take advantage of it. If you're sad, let them be your shoulder. A dogs purpose is to make everything a little better and be a fixer upper, and in return of their compassion, you show them you're grateful and they will be happy.

A dog trusts that you're going to come home later, they trust that you're going to give them some food after a long day, and they trust that you'll look after them. Once you have a dogs trust, there is nothing they wouldn't do for you if they could. The trust you have with a friend or a partner is exactly the same as the trust your dog has with you. The only difference is that they have no one else, you're all they've got. So if you have their trust, you're damn lucky.

'Such short lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day' -John Grogan

So make it worth it.

to understand

I found something a couple years back which changed my perception of a dogs life and mine.

A little boy had explained why dogs have shorter lives after losing his dog to cancer. He said this...

“People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?”

“Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay for as long as we do.”

Once you understand a dogs love for you, there is absolutely nothing you wouldn't do for them.

hannah x