Did you just bring a new dog in to your life? Date your dog. Is your current relationship with your dog not going so well? Date your dog.
Do you feel that you try to communicate, but are not heard in your relationship? Date your dog.
What I mean by this is, as a pet culture, we throw ourselves at our dogs. We literally physically push ourselves into their space and expect that we’re going to have this amazing connection with them right off of the bat.
What if we approached our relationship with our dogs similar to a platonic version of dating them; we don’t give all of ourselves at once. We don’t share ourselves physically, spiritually or emotionally right away. We get to know each other. We give each other space.
Dogs fail because of all the pressures that are put on them. Our constant flirting with dogs is like drunk-guy-at-a-bar meets psycho stalker behavior. That’s not exactly healthy, or attractive.
Be patient. Act like you have a life. Even if you are over the moon about him/her don’t show it right away. Maintain your composure. Let them meet your healthy relationship representative, not a flouncy groupie.
Our pet culture in America is so self absorbed. Show your crush that you aren’t like the others. You’re thoughtful and respectful. Take a step back. Stop being so easy. Play hard to get and make your dog work for your affection. Don’t share the same bed right away. Keep some mystery in the air. But most importantly, create a relationship where you each can function without each other.
Watch how this approach changes your relationship with a current dog. Watch how it creates a beautiful HEALTHY new relationship, especially if you’ve just “brought home” your new best friend.
