I get both really inspired and really down on myself after I interview people like Beth Terrell or Joani Ascher. Inspired because they’re doing neat things with their dogs, like teaching them how to dance or grooming puppies to be Seeing Eye dogs. Down because Murph’s one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever had. I often wonder if I’m holding him back from living up to his full potential.
At the beginning of this year I resolved to change that. I was determined to look into enrolling Murph and myself in a pet therapy program. Then my mom got sick and next thing I knew we were involved –with a very personal pet therapy program.
But now she’s gone and I’m back to worrying that I’m not providing enough mental stimulation for Murph. It’s beyond that really. I know he’s bored.
Sure, he likes to play as much as the next dog, but even he gets tired of that after a while. And, yes, he helps me with chores as they come up, but…chores are really more of a diversion from boredom than anything.
No, what he needs –what I need to do—is discover his passion. What makes him go absolutely bonkers with delight. (Besides chasing rabbits, that is.)
When he first came to live with us I thought perhaps he’d make a good agility dog. But I never pursued it. Especially the last few years, as he’s mellowed with age, the therapy dog idea has stuck with me. But now I’m curious about puppy dancing…and what other kind of dog/person activities there are we could do together that might light both our fires.
So I guess I’ll explore the issue a little more this year. Because one thing’s clear to me now: Murph really is a smart dog, and he does get bored during the day. I want to be more than just a dog owner…I want to be a responsible dog owner. One who makes sure her pooch has the highest quality of life possible.
That means if he wants to lay around and sleep all day, I’ll provide him comfy spots galore. But if he wants to be productive, if he wants to get out there and do something with his life, it’s my responsibility to introduce him to all his options until he lets me know which one is right for him.
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