When we decided to bring Roxy home, I knew little about rasing a puppy. I thought that I was going to be some sort of surrogate mother to this furry baby, and the only things I needed to raise her were love, shelter and food. While these three things are indeed important, I learned many other crucial things about how to be an effective dog owner. Through trial and error (lots of error!), I have learned much about Raising Roxy, and just as much about myself.
Dog ownership has made me a better person because....
#1. I AM BETTER USING MY COPING SKILLS: There is some sort of phenomenon that occurs when a dog decides to love you; you can see so much of yourself reflected in her. Dogs are extremely perceptive of others' emotions and energy. This is part of how they communicate and interact with each other in a pack environment. (http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/rules-boundaries-and-limitations). Quite frequently, I see Roxy mimicing whatever energy or emotions I am throwing her way. Sometimes this is intriguing, and sometimes it makes me feel guilty; this sensitive creature emulates my frequent anxiety and preoccupations. To deturr this kind of nervousness in my puppy, I am learning ways to cope with stressful sitations. I'm absolutely not perfect, but I'm working very hard to maintain an equilibrium. When I can find that equilibrium, I am able to recognize the feeling and the energy, and so is Roxy.
"In the wild, the pack leader uses calm-assertive energy to influence how the dog interacts with his surroundings. She enforces these laws in a quiet way, as is the case when a mother picks up a puppy by the scruff of the neck if he strays outside the den"
#2. I AM EXERCISING MORE FREQUENTLY: Sure, I'm athletic and know how to get into shape, but the problem lies in my motivation. I tend to question why I should do something without incentive, reward or encouragement [ hmmm same with Roxy! ;) ] I discovered very quickly while dealing with excess puppy energy, that exercise is not optional. To maintain some type of order within your home, puppies need regular exercise. We live in a townhome... that means we don't have a yard... that means I have to get creative with Roxy's exercise. When I realized that it helped her be a more balanced dog, I actually wanted to take her to exercise... I looked forward to helping her become a better dog, just as she has made me a better person (and still is). Not only am I exercising more, but I am getting different types of exercise. Different types of activities that we do together are: hiking, bicycling, rollerblading, walking, and playing chase. Roxy is like my personal trainer: she pushes me, she makes it fun, and she makes it rewarding. The best result of exercise with Roxy, is seeing her be a happy dog.
#3. I HAVE LEARNED COMMITTMENT: Not to say that I shy away from committment, but I have struggled with staying committed to projects and ideas I have pursued in my past. I have often come up with great plans and goals, just to watch them fall off my priorities within a few weeks. Writing a book, regularly journaling, exercising, attending school, doing art, playing the piano, and singing are all examples of things that I was good at or had potential be good at in the past. These are all things that I gave up on because I lacked committment to them. I'm not saying that these things aren't still achievable; but at some point in my past, I gave up on them. I still want to pursue them in my future and I'm more confident to do so, now that Roxy has helped me learn committment. The thing is....when you commit to owning a dog, your life is not the only one affected by your decisions and committment; you have acquired the responsibilities, obligations, duties and love toward and animal that solely relies on you for her survival. With another animal's existence at stake; another animal that loves me and has already devoted herself to me; I have no choice but to commit to her.
What kind of person would that make me if I didn't commit to an animal that loves and devotes herself so whole-heartedly to me?
I feel like all dog owners should have this logic, and it's awful knowing that so many don't. Roxy is one of the biggest committments I've ever taken on, and I love her for it.
#4. I AM BETTER AT DELEGATING MY PASSION: I am a passionate person. I was raised to carefully tend to the things that I love. I am incredibly passionate about the people in my life and my career. These two things have topped my priority and passion lists for the past few years. My life had become intertwined with my career and the people with whom I surround myself. I'm not saying this is a bad thing... but when all of your passion is tied up in only two entities, it creates some sort of strain on your heart. When either one of those things met me with less enthusiasm or unequaled passion, it knock me down. I would be feel severe disappointment when my fervor for that entity was not as intensely shared. I had so much love for these two things, that I thought there was no room left in my heart for another.I was wrong. Having Roxy come in to my life has taught me that just because I have added another compartment to my heart, doesn't mean that my love for other things will be lessened. It means that the energy I put into the things I love, is more evenly distributed. I have become more well-rounded since Roxy came into my life. Hopefully I can provide her with the same favor. I strive to be the kind of dog owner that helps Roxy express her energy in different avenues; through exercise, discipline and affection, in that order. (http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/glossary-of-terms-from-cesars-way).
#5. I HAVE STRUCTURE: I lived for so long, in a world where structure had no place; discipline, unheard. I functioned for so long in a world where rhyme and order played no role. Although I still work on this, my peace of mind has increased so much as a dog owner. For the first time in my life, I have a set schedule. After pure disorganization for so many years, responsibility for a dog has taught me how to operate on a schedule. I wake up, I let Roxy out, I go to work, I come home for a break and walk both dogs, I go back to work, I come home at 5, I take Roxy to exercise while we still have daylight, I come home and feed Roxy, I eat, I shower, I cuddle with Roxy, I watch some TV and go to bed. REPEAT. Roxy's discipline sneaks its way in during crate training and NILIF througout the day. Maybe that's boring for a lot of people. But for someone who has never had it, it's miraculous.
I live from this new viewpoint, this new outlook. I think that dog ownership can do this for anyone; any dog can offer you this, if you are willing to provide them with what they need to survive in our world. Roxy has improved my condition of life. I plan to add to this list, and hopefully add to hers as well.
Natasha Goslow 1/27/2012
No comments:
Post a Comment