If you’ve seen this slogan on Facebook or Pinterest you may wonder how my dog can be my role model.
The thing is, my dog is not motivated by food–unless it’s a freshly baked apple pie!
It took us several tries to find “treats” that we could use as positive reinforcement for training. Sometimes when we offered her a run-of-the-mill dog biscuit after a session of sit-shake-down-roll over, she just wasn’t interested. One morning my husband wasn’t sure that I’d fed her before I went out for my run, so he gave her breakfast. Instead of gobbling up her kibble, she wasn’t interested–because I had fed her, so she wasn’t hungry.
Now, when it is meal time, she won’t let you forget it. She gets frisky, nudges me, and leaps excitedly to the kitchen. But what she really wants any time of the day or night is to go for a walk.
As soon as my alarm goes off, her tail starts wagging. She even brings me my shoes to help me get ready faster.
Whenever I refill my water bottle, she hears the quiet sound of the refrigerator water dispenser and comes running, thinking that it’s time for a walk.
She always wants to go for a walk, even if we’ve just been out.
I am not a dog, but my dog is a good role model for how I should reward myself, refresh my mind and my body, and unwind after a stressful day. Even a short walk around the block is enough to clear my head, stretch my legs, and put me in a better mood.
Would your pet be a good role model?
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I used to laugh my bullmastiff was so so so my role model for STRETCHING.
all the time.
multiple times a day.
needed or not.
methinks I DO need another canine….
My dogs are good role models for resting and relaxing. But your message is excellent.
My dog is not a role model, he lags behind when I try to take him for a run. He does keep up with it's both of us owners running him, but I'm not motivation enough for him. He'll eat your sock if you give it to him too.
you're lucky to have a dog that will run with you!
Well, she is not the best running companion. Walking is more her speed.
My boy LOVES to go for walks. I look forward to cooler weather so that I can safely take him out during the day without burning his piggies. (He perks up anytime he hears me rustle a plastic bag, thinking it's time for a woof (walk in my dogs' language.))
If I am not taking my dog on a run with me (if it is too long for his 11 months), I practically have to sneak out of the house. If he sees me getting my running gear on he grabs the leash and heads to the door. Once he is old enough, he will probably come on every run. It is definitely his reward.
There’s a very few times that I’ve have been able to get halfway down the stairs before Tiger Lilly woke up, but I’ve never made it out the door!