Great attitude shifting thought, thanks! Eagerly looking forward to acquiring a Havanese Puppy to bring a dog into our family again. I find your advice very insightful, thank you!
Sarah, I really appreciated this article. I agree that the most well-adjusted (and loyal) dogs are the ones that we devote our hearts to in meaningful, authentic ways. Mutual love and respect takes intentional, encouraging training, which takes a whole lot of time and effort, but that's how we bond with each other! I always make it a personal rule, for instance, not to talk on my cell phone while I'm out with my dog, Sonia. I tell myself that since she's my best friend, I'm devoting that time to our relationship! Would I talk on my phone when I'm walking with my husband, mom, or friend? No. Obviously this method doesn't work for everyone, but it's just a small example of how I frame my relationship with my dog: it's a relationship, and all true relationships need dedicated time, effort, and communication to build trust and love.
By the way, I spend a lot of my own Substack writing about my adventures with my rescue dog, Sonia, if you are ever interested in checking it out! https://veronicaszczygiel.substack.com/
What a great article. Good food for thought and reflection on our love for dogs and the dogs love for us. Thank you so much, Sarah.
Great attitude shifting thought, thanks! Eagerly looking forward to acquiring a Havanese Puppy to bring a dog into our family again. I find your advice very insightful, thank you!
Beautifully said
This is so helpful to a relatively new dog owner. You’ll probably cringe at my story. Here goes.
https://open.substack.com/pub/lisablume/p/german-shepherds-walking?r=jzve5&utm_medium=ios
Sarah, I really appreciated this article. I agree that the most well-adjusted (and loyal) dogs are the ones that we devote our hearts to in meaningful, authentic ways. Mutual love and respect takes intentional, encouraging training, which takes a whole lot of time and effort, but that's how we bond with each other! I always make it a personal rule, for instance, not to talk on my cell phone while I'm out with my dog, Sonia. I tell myself that since she's my best friend, I'm devoting that time to our relationship! Would I talk on my phone when I'm walking with my husband, mom, or friend? No. Obviously this method doesn't work for everyone, but it's just a small example of how I frame my relationship with my dog: it's a relationship, and all true relationships need dedicated time, effort, and communication to build trust and love.
By the way, I spend a lot of my own Substack writing about my adventures with my rescue dog, Sonia, if you are ever interested in checking it out! https://veronicaszczygiel.substack.com/
Love this!