Does anyone really know how to take care of a dog?
Ok. I agree. Lots of people do. But the thing is, does your dog want the kind of care you are providing?
Dogs have personalities. You and I know that. They can be funny, nosy, adventurous, affectionate and even romantic. They love us and are quick to show it, often in ways we’d prefer they didn’t. Some of the things they do can be rather embarrassing, to say the least.
Any owner who cares anything for their dog knows how to take care of it. You feed it the right food and water, give it shelter, make sure it gets regular health checkups, and give it toys to keep itself amused.
Is it enough, though? What we think is great care might not be what the dog had in mind. Just how happy is your dog?
Let’s think about this from the dog’s point of view for a moment. What would they be doing if they weren’t trapped inside your house or yard? Here’s a short list:
- tracking every scent that floats on the breeze
- investigating every odor that drifts up from the ground
- roaming around the neighborhood to visit the neighbors
- wandering from home to home in search of a mate
- checking every lawn, every garbage can, every tree and post for any scent that might have meaning
- chasing after the opposite sex
- chasing any animal in sight “just for fun”
- playing with the kids at the park
- trying to make friends with everyone who passes
And a whole bunch of other things.
Can you provide that for him?
Let’s face it. Do we really know how to take care of a dog? Given this list, I’d say that we might be able to give them what is important to their livelihood, but when it comes to feeding their natural instincts, we fall a little short.
