Don't Stress About It

April is a tough month to be an American human.  At least from my perspective.  For the main reason it's generally the month I have to cough up extra money to the government.  I'm long past the days of it being the other way around.  And of course spring and the remnants of winter are fighting for control, so it's either raining, snowing or muddy.  And there are some other stressors that seem unique to humans, flawed animals that we are.  All of it sums up to make me wish that Calgon really could take me away (and if you're too young to understand that reference, don't tell me because being reminded that I'm past the sell by date won't help my mood any).

Geddy preparing to angrily dismantle a plushy let me know
he was stressing over something

So, I was watching Sirius the other day, that silly enthusiastic grin on his face as he anxiously waited for me to play with him, and it occurred to me that my dogs have very little to worry about: they don't have to bathe every day, and their only job is to be my companions, which they seem to really like.  Someone feeds them, cleans up after them, even brushes their hair - I can't remember the last time someone brushed my hair for me, but I really love it.  And they never have to pay taxes or hassle with filing a return.  That alone is reason to celebrate.  Yet, Geddy in particular and sometimes Rooney have seemed to meet some of the tail-tale (pun intended) signs of sharing the stress as we turned the calendar to April. But, I must say, never Sirius - a more happy-go-lucky dog I never have met.  Ever since the early book eating experience that is (RIP my movie tie-in paperback copy of Serpico that had moved with me everywhere since I was in high school).  So I was trying to figure out, for dogs that have it so easy, relatively speaking, what could possibly be the issue?  Well, as it turns out, as long as I have had dogs, to where you would assume I'd know better, we've been doing some things wrong.

First of all, with a toddler in the mix, we're much quicker to reprimand them.  To a degree, I know I sometimes am confusing the snot out of them.  This house looks like Santa's workshop after an explosion - there are toys everywhere, and I think that I'm being pretty even handed about letting both dogs and baby swap one another's toys.  But when the dogs were particularly interested in Baby H's branch new Penguins hockey stick and ball set, I was pretty quick to put a stop to it.  I wasn't very excited either when I turned around the other day to find one of H's books hanging out of Sirius' mouth.  Confusing.  The ball to the hockey set looks just like the ball I toss to them at night after H's gone to bed in their eyes.  It was pointed out that punishing a dog for just being a dog is not cool.  I don't think I needed anyone to tell me that, but sometimes you get so distracted by life, and you're trying so hard to keep the house from falling into utter chaos, that you react without thinking.

Then I read the over use of the word "no" is a stressor.  And ineffective.  Well, I was probably pretty balanced with that in the past, but worrying over neighbors and their reactions to even the slightest sound, and worrying about dogs bowling over the baby when they are playing, it does slip out of all our mouths a lot more lately.  As does the finger wag - so much so that Baby H starts to wag his finger the first time Rooney barks.  Another stressor for dogs because it can be menacing, especially since you think you're just wagging a finger, but chances are your body posture is a little less than open and friendly (stop to think about it, fellow finger waggers, are you standing over the dog, probably leaning forward and glowering?).

There were some simple things I never thought of: be consistent in commands being the biggest facepalm I had.  "Drop it" versus "leave it" for example.  Collies are smart, but they don't know the English language.  So I need to pick one thing to say and stick to it so I don't freak them out over trying to figure out what it is I want.  So logical when it gets pointed out.  But I'm also so guilty of violating the simple edict of being consistent.  At least in some things.

And of course, the age old truth of exercise reduces stress. That's true for us; it's true for the dogs, and the weird weather has kept them in more than they'd like or I'd like them to be.  But at last the spring dog-friendly festivals are coming up, and the weather maybe is starting to turn the tide, so we'll take that advice very much to heart (although I say that and snow flakes were fluttering around us when we went to the bookstore today...). 

Waiting for spring....

In short, what you realize is that life distracts you from being the person and dog owner you want to be without you even realizing it.  What I hope is that I was a good enough dog owner to read the signs quickly, and do what I need to do to always be improving.  Sadly, it makes me wonder just how bad a dog parent I was when H's mom was a baby - it takes a little practice to step away from your own worries to look at your family and see their reactions, especially the ones who can't verbalize things.  I think I owe the dogs I had back then a sincere apology for whatever weirdness they went through as we all learned to share the same space - I hope they're still waiting for me there at the Rainbow Bridge so I have that chance.  But in the meantime, taxes are filed, baseball season has started, the NHL playoffs are about to get under way, so dogs and people are ready to get the summer party started!