When can we play, Parental Unit?
This excellent article written by Dr. Karen Becker and posted on the Mercola Healthy Pets blog, describes eight telltale signs that your dog needs more attention from you. I've bet you've heard that well-worn quote: "He might only be here for a part of your life, but for him, you are his whole life."
We urge pet owners try to keep that one sentence in mind each day as they plan their activities.
The bottom line is that pets suffer when they don't get enough exercise, play and general attention from their parental units. And they show this is a variety of ways that Dr. Becker describes so well in this article. For example, if your dog is disobedient, he or she may just need regular, long walks in the park and some additional play time with you. Dogs can also become lethargic, overweight and downright depressed without enough attention from their humans.
Parental Unit learned this the hard way with my predecessor, Carson, the high energy Wire Fox Terrier. She got Carson at a time in her life when she was working outside the home full time, and actually had the energy to go out at night (hard to believe, now!). Although Carson got his daily walks and some playtime, they were way too short for his energy level, and both Carson and Parental Unit suffered the consequences of those choices. She feels guilty to this day, but has made good on her promise to spend much more quality time with me.
Not nearly enough play time with the high energy Mr. Carson.
It's hard to tell how much exercise, playtime and attention is too much or too little, but we say, err on the side of more quality time with your pooch and you'll both benefit. One way to add to your quality time together is to integrate your dog into your daily activities like running errands, for example, even if it takes you a bit longer and some extra patience to complete those errands. Your dog will enjoy the socialization time, learn how to behave in different situations and with new humans...and get to spend extra time with you!
Let us know how you fit in the time during your busy days to make sure your pets get enough attention. We'd love to hear your stories!
This excellent article written by Dr. Karen Becker and posted on the Mercola Healthy Pets blog, describes eight telltale signs that your dog needs more attention from you. I've bet you've heard that well-worn quote: "He might only be here for a part of your life, but for him, you are his whole life."
We urge pet owners try to keep that one sentence in mind each day as they plan their activities.
The bottom line is that pets suffer when they don't get enough exercise, play and general attention from their parental units. And they show this is a variety of ways that Dr. Becker describes so well in this article. For example, if your dog is disobedient, he or she may just need regular, long walks in the park and some additional play time with you. Dogs can also become lethargic, overweight and downright depressed without enough attention from their humans.
Parental Unit learned this the hard way with my predecessor, Carson, the high energy Wire Fox Terrier. She got Carson at a time in her life when she was working outside the home full time, and actually had the energy to go out at night (hard to believe, now!). Although Carson got his daily walks and some playtime, they were way too short for his energy level, and both Carson and Parental Unit suffered the consequences of those choices. She feels guilty to this day, but has made good on her promise to spend much more quality time with me.
Not nearly enough play time with the high energy Mr. Carson.
It's hard to tell how much exercise, playtime and attention is too much or too little, but we say, err on the side of more quality time with your pooch and you'll both benefit. One way to add to your quality time together is to integrate your dog into your daily activities like running errands, for example, even if it takes you a bit longer and some extra patience to complete those errands. Your dog will enjoy the socialization time, learn how to behave in different situations and with new humans...and get to spend extra time with you!
Let us know how you fit in the time during your busy days to make sure your pets get enough attention. We'd love to hear your stories!
2 comments:
We are very lucky pups. We are with our peeps almost 24/7. Our peeps think it's the bestest ever too☺
Katy is not shy about letting us know when she feels she's not getting enough time.
Post a Comment
We love hearing from you!