You Are Not a Bad Pet Parent!

I worked with a lovely client this week who started our appointment by saying, "I'm such a terrible pet parent!"  Why did she think this?  She thought this for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the horrible things her family had been telling her and the random advice she'd been receiving (unsolicited) from strangers.  I stopped her right there and told her not only was she not a terrible pet parent, she was actually terrific.  Why?  Because she recognized that her dog had a problem AND she sought help from a qualified professional.  She's not the first pet owner I've worked with who felt that they weren't doing right by their four-legged companions.  

Here's the thing.  While it's true that the average adult dog needs roughly 90 minutes of exercise each day, that doesn't mean that the same dog will suffer if she lives with an owner who is only able to get her 60 total minutes of exercise.  The bottom line is this:  Dogs need exercise, both physical and mental.  Balance between the two is important for brain and body health.  And while smaller dogs may need less physical exercise each day than their larger compatriots, they do still need that mental exercise.  And mental exercise doesn't have to break the bank.  While those cool interactive toys you can buy for your dogs provide wonderful mental stimulation, so do boxes and egg cartons with treats hidden inside, towels with kibble wrapped up in the loops, and ice cubes with carrots and apples frozen inside. Just because you are budget conscious with regard to your pet doesn't make you a bad pet parent.

Yes, dogs and cats need to eat, but that doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive pet food available.  Unless your pet has a specific ailment that requires a limited ingredient/prescription diet, then you have lots of options.  The pet food manufacturers have spent millions of dollars creating all kinds of pet foods, many aimed at the idiosyncrasies of human consumers. Just because you prefer to eat grain free doesn't mean your pet needs to.  Instead, choose a diet that you can afford and that your pet enjoys.  Pet food doesn't need to break the bank, and feeding Costco brand dog food, for example, doesn't make you a bad pet parent.  My childhood dog ate Purina Dog Chow from the grocery store, topped with canned Alpo. He lived to be 17 years old. Go figure.  

I've been teased many times about the sheer number of dog toys I have at my house. I've even been accused of "spoiling" my dogs.  But here's the thing:  most of the toys were gifts from family, from friends, and from grateful clients.  I do buy my dogs toys, usually because I want to see if this newest craze item is worth the hype as my adult collies are picky.  However, just because my dogs have 60 toys doesn't mean a dog with fewer than that is deprived or has a bad owner.  Any number of toys will be appreciated by your dogs.  The key is to rotate daily those toys you do have, keeping all of the toys out of sight and bringing out a couple each day to capitalize on the novelty effect and generate interest in what you've given them.

What I'm trying to say here is give yourself some grace.  Whether you are dealing with a pet with a significant behavior problem you are trying to address, or you are simply on a budget and have to watch your spending, neither of those things makes you a bad pet parent. Our pets provide us with unconditional love and support in spite of their behavior problems and our limited budgets.  They honestly don't care if the neighbor's dog has a nicer bed than they do or gets a more expensive dog food.  What they do care about is quality time.  Spending quality time with your pets is what they crave and what they deserve, whether that means laying at your feet while you work from home, riding around in the car with you while you run errands, or taking them on a mental health hike.  They just want to be with you and the fact that you let them makes you a great pet parent in my book.  You are enough.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. 

Here's Henley napping on my legs.  Quality time for both of us.