Love, Relationships, Loyalty & Animal Companions

Hi Friends!

Abraham Lincoln said, "I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it." Love between the pet and the owner has been immortalized by many a legends. Many novels described the love and trust that an animal and the owner shares. So did many movies. Why even you or me would have had a pet at some point of time in our lives and loved our association with it. It is probably one of the purest relationships to experience for anybody.

We talk to our pets and they listen. They give us unconditional love and await our attention. They amuse us and make us feel good about ourselves. As Samuel Butler famously said, "The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too."

After a hard day's work, the moment your dog runs to you when you are home wipes off the day's fatigue. There are innumerable incidents of where a dog saved his owner or a cat woke up her owner when there was a fire in the house. Do pets have psychic power? They do. They can understand when you are standing at the door or when you are depressed. Pets fill in that void in our lives that no human relationship can fulfill.

Medical research says that seniors who own dogs visit a doctor less than who do not. It is a proven fact that pet owners have lower blood pressure or that the companionship of a pet helps families and people cope with serious illness. Playing with your pet burns up to 250 calories an hour. There are dogs that assist blind people in their daily lives and there are dogs that help police force in their mission to protect people.

But there would probably be fewer people who would own a pet because of the above mentioned reasons. People who own pets simply love their pets and any and every benefit that they get because of the association is just a byproduct. And it is true that once a pet lover always a pet lover.

When a pet passes on we feel a huge loss that seems incomprehensible. It gets difficult to console the children in the family. Just as a loss of a family member pains us, losing a pet how much ever inevitable it might be seems difficult to cope with. We look for ways to immortalize our lost pet. It is important that we treat the memory of the pet with dignity. That is probably the first step that we can take in our grieving process.

Since we form such close relationships with our pets, perhaps we could learn through the love we share with our faithful animal companions.  Forget the self-help relationship books, your horoscope and suggestions from friends. There's one person in your family who might just give the best advice on love in the business...your pet. Dogs and cats are known for showing unconditional love, and yet, none of us bothers to look to them for the "WWYD" answer. The next time you want to rekindle that loving feelin' with your spouse or revitalize date night, stop and think: What Would My Pet Do?

1. Greet with Enthusiasm
   Whether your loved one is a solider coming home from overseas or just coming home from the gym, dogs jump and greet them with excitement. Do the same. Run to the door. Wrap your arms around them for kiss. Encourage the whole family to do it, too.
2. Nestle into the Couch Corner
   However small that extra cushion space is-cats and dogs help themselves to it, cuddling close to warm up and show their affection. So next time your partner has a little vacancy, make yourself comfortable.
3. Say Yes to a Joy Ride
   Fido never says no to a car ride, and neither should you. So cold you don't want to go outside? Rev up the car and explore. Check out different towns, beach locations (even off-season) or a quick jaunt to a new snack shop. You could even hire a dog sitter for Fido for the added bonus of alone time.
4. Go Fetch
   Sure, fetch may not be an endearing term but hear us out. Dogs will fetch anything-a ball, a newspaper, and sometimes, your slippers. Take a cue from your pup and do the same. Pick up the dry cleaning. Fill up the gas tank. Plan a date night - and the babysitter. Doing the little things goes a long way.
5. Be Loyal
   It's clear to see why dogs are "man's best friend": They're protective, supportive and show unconditional love. So while you may find certain traits about your spouse utterly irritating, be his dependable supporter -- at work, home, and especially, in public.
6. Take a Different Approach to Walks
   Follow your dog's lead and treat this uninterrupted time alone as your most anticipated time of day--or better yet, a date! Schedule your dog walker for morning and afternoon visits, and enjoy the evening walk with your spouse (and your pooch!). Then get creative. Take turns choosing the route or destination-it can be a fun way to connect each week.
7. Forgive the Small Stuff
   As every dog knows, the person who just scolded you also makes you smile from head to tail. They forgive quickly. Take note, couples. Of course, you'll want to talk about why you're angry, but then focus on the appreciation you have for each other.
8. Show off Your Skills
   Roll over. Sit. Stay. Dogs are always willing to perform tricks for our amusement (and for the treats that follow of course!). How about performing some human tricks of your own? Knit a scarf. Hang a picture. Help with a work situation. These tricks don't have to be incredible (we haven't seen any dogs perform card tricks) but just something that will make your loved one smile.
9. Groom
   Cats are clean creatures and will clean themselves all day just to look their best. For you, it might mean a haircut, wax, a nice outfit. But take a cue from your feline friend and get "dolled-up" for your spouse every once in a while.
10. Purr with Appreciation
    Dogs and cats know how to show they love what you're doing. Cats purr with gratitude and dogs wag their tails with excitement -- take time to thank your spouse. Want to go beyond saying the words? Leave a card for them in an unexpected place (underwear drawers, work bag). Purchase flowers for her or his favorite dessert. Even better? Dogs and cats love to be petted-offer a massage or a back scratch.

Your fellow animal loving friend,

Paul

Paul F. Flotron
Creature Comforts Great & Small, LLC
"Giving your creatures the comfort they deserve"
www.CreatureComfortsGreatnSmall.com
314-200-8561
Cell:  314-775-7107