3 things I learnt from petsitting
1. Improved observational skills and noticing pets body language
Petsitting allowed me to work on my observational skills with animals. I’m much better at reading dogs (and cats) body language now. Every single dog (or cat) is different and is teaching me something new.
Everything matters. From an ear twitch through lip-licking, whale eye (where the dog shows the whites of his eyes) to moving away from something or someone. It's all information that we can try to interpret and learn what our dog is communicating to us. And it’s not always universal. One dog will be lip licking when he is stressed and wants to avoid you and the other one when he’s excited and wants more of the interaction rather than less.
Now I see much more of these signals and I’m better at interpreting them, simply through a more fine-tuned observation.
2. Understand and relate to the challenges pet families have
I got to meet all kinds of dogs in all shapes and sizes. From a miniature dachshund to the Great Pyrenees, big dogs, small dogs and all in between. And I love them all! (I also love all the cats and wild animals too but that’s another story). Various dogs will have different needs. Owners might face different challenges as well as enjoy different things about their dogs. I feel like I relate to those challenges more now. I saw how certain behaviours (like barking) might be adding a lot of stress to an already busy life of owners. And there is no one to blame for it. It's just sometimes how life goes.
3. Let the dog be dog and love him the way he is. (Same thing goes with cats too)
I got an opportunity to see how some dogs are good enough just the way they are. Despite little frustration that they sometimes might cause to their human companions, they are beloved members of the family. Their humans care for them deeply and want what's best for them not because they are perfect but because they love them as they are.
Our companion animals come in all shapes and forms and that includes their behaviours. There is no universal way of approaching them and what works for one might not work for another family. I think we should embrace the differences and enjoy them as they are. Sometimes that's all that we need. Just love them for what they are. Let the dog be dog.
