Dogs, January is a good time to remind you of your responsibility to take care of your humans. It is important to have a consistent plan to meet their needs, and this especially holds true during the winter months. After all, as every dog knows, a bored human is an annoying human. The following are a few techniques Asa and I use with our Mom and Dad.
Exercise: Humans need plenty of exercise to burn off extra energy otherwise it could lead to unwanted behavior, like making you pose for goofy pictures or dressing you in embarrassing matching pajamas, or worst yet – doing both! Therefore, it is good to take your Mom and Dad for long walks daily. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, we highly recommend taking your humans for a hike. A favorite summer trail can be transformed in the winter with new sights and sounds that will keep your humans motivated to see what’s around the next bend. However, they may try to resist due to temperatures hovering near freezing, bitter winds, and a foot of freshly fallen snow on the ground. So you may need to get creative in convincing them to leave the house for this daily activity. I find when all else fails, Asa running wildly around the house has worked to get Mom and Dad to accompany us on a walk, or at least join us for a romp in the snow to burn off some energy.
Diet: It is easy for humans to overeat especially during the winter. Don’t be fooled by your parents’ insistence that it is for hibernation purposes. Humans can’t hibernate no matter how much they want to do it! Therefore it is your responsibility as their dog to make them feel as guilty as possible when they are indulging in unhealthy food. How do you know if a food is unhealthy? If they will not share it with you! For example, fruits and veggies are very healthy, so your human is more likely to share a bite of them with you while snacking. As opposed to desserts like cake and cookies which they will never share. If you suspect that they are eating something that they shouldn’t be, show your disapproval with a constant stare, loud whimpering, and annoying flips of their arm with your nose. A more dramatic approach is to taste test it by licking the food. If the food is healthy, they will freely hand it over. However, decadent foods are rarely handed over even if covered in dog saliva, and may still be consumed by the human. I know that licking isn’t the healthiest option for you, but sometimes you just have to take one for the team to ensure your humans’ good health. But please do not enable your humans’ bad habits by joining them in eating unhealthy food or overindulging in snacking.
Socialization: Humans need socialization in order to become well adjusted citizens. The lack of sufficient socialization can lead to unwanted and often embarassing behavior in public. In the summer this is easy to accomplish by taking your parents to parks, beaches and other outdoor areas where dogs are welcome to bring their human companions. However in the winter this does become more challenging. I suggest contacting your local dog daycares to see if they have playtimes open to the public. This way you can watch your Mom and Dad make new friends, while you enjoy hanging out with fellow canines. Often these playgroups are structured with games to keep you entertained while your humans work on their social skills. Speaking of skills, enrolling your parents in a training course is also good for socialization, and will help you correct your humans’ unwanted behavior. In addition, pet stores are also a good place to bring your parents during the winter months. They can chat with the employees while purchasing new squeaky toys for you. Also many hardware stores allow dogs to bring their humans for socialization. However, I must warn you trips to these locations can get expensive and may dip into your treat fund. Humans are very easily distracted during the winter months by new light fixtures, power tools, and something they refer to as “storage solutions.” Therefore, use extreme caution when taking them to these types of stores for socialization.
Stimulation: Just like dogs, humans can get bored during the long winter months. Therefore, it is good to stimulate your parents’ minds. Most humans enjoy one on one attention, so if you see them scrolling through social media, watching TV, reading or napping, try to redirect their focus to you. This can best be accomplished by encouraging them to play with a loud squeaky toy. Also I find a rousing game of “I have the TV remote and you don’t,” can get your human up and moving. In addition it is good to give them tasks to do. A game that Asa and I like to play with our humans is hide their shoes. Although timing on this needs to be considered because if they are late for an appointment or work humans tend to get frustrated with this challenge. Remember to make the game challenging yet fun for your humans!
Rewards: Finally, as a dog it is your responsibility to encourage your Mom and Dad’s self-esteem. We all know that dogs are the ones in charge, but from time to time it is important for your human to feel empowered. So respond positively to their silly commands like sit, wait, and heel. Perhaps even let them think like they’ve truly accomplished something by allowing them to “teach” you a new trick. The key though is to give your humans all the love and kisses they want afterwards, so that they walk away from the experience feeling good.
