I have a sweet story to share with you. Sofia, my son’s dog has nipped at me twice since she was relocated to Minnesota. So, two years later, we finally decided to see what would happen if she stayed in the common area during Thanksgiving dinner. Well, I had basically limped in to the house with my fractured knee cap as she watched me arrive. By the time we finished dinner, she snuck under the table and nudged my thigh with her nose. My first reaction was to bring my hand up to the table. Just in case. Then, she nudged me again. Finally, I realized she wanted me to pet her. Everyone in the family was in shock. 😳 Sofia was telling me we would both be just fine. And she didn’t want me to stop petting her. Amazing. 💕💕💕 The best part is that she initiated the relationship. All I had to do was understand her.
As a professional pet care giver I have the opportunity to pet a lot of dogs. They're all different requiring different styles of petting. I value do & don't tips from their owners.
I came home from a week-long trip last night, and I didn’t feel like I was home until I had my hands in Pants’ fur. Petting Pants often leads to play time. We have rituals around petting that let us bond more. What you say about the fingerprint feels so true to me - the way I pet Pants (akin to a massage) is so different from the way I used to pet Sam (deep scratches for his allergies) and Brie (gentle strokes for a delicate princess).
This is so well-written! I really love the sentiment about dogs giving us a connection to the world that not much else can - it's so freaking true. It's always fascinated me how everyone has a variety of different styles of petting their dog - relaxing pets, energetic pets during play time, calming pets to soothe them, and that dogs seem to almost prefer certain types of pets from certain people. I am my dog's person yet my husband pets him in a way that he loves, but I think he'd be so confused if I suddenly started petting him in a similar way.
I have a sweet story to share with you. Sofia, my son’s dog has nipped at me twice since she was relocated to Minnesota. So, two years later, we finally decided to see what would happen if she stayed in the common area during Thanksgiving dinner. Well, I had basically limped in to the house with my fractured knee cap as she watched me arrive. By the time we finished dinner, she snuck under the table and nudged my thigh with her nose. My first reaction was to bring my hand up to the table. Just in case. Then, she nudged me again. Finally, I realized she wanted me to pet her. Everyone in the family was in shock. 😳 Sofia was telling me we would both be just fine. And she didn’t want me to stop petting her. Amazing. 💕💕💕 The best part is that she initiated the relationship. All I had to do was understand her.
The fact that I just teared up reading this. Thank you for sharing that 😭😭😭
Andrew- you’re so sweet
As a professional pet care giver I have the opportunity to pet a lot of dogs. They're all different requiring different styles of petting. I value do & don't tips from their owners.
what a privilege, and what lucky dogs to have someone so tuned into them 😌
I came home from a week-long trip last night, and I didn’t feel like I was home until I had my hands in Pants’ fur. Petting Pants often leads to play time. We have rituals around petting that let us bond more. What you say about the fingerprint feels so true to me - the way I pet Pants (akin to a massage) is so different from the way I used to pet Sam (deep scratches for his allergies) and Brie (gentle strokes for a delicate princess).
🥲
Thanks for your writing, I can relate to every word 💫
This is my first time meeting Yaya and Boo - hi guys! I feel the same about our two. Dogs are the greatest.
Each dog different, each dog the best!
My Sammy pushes his head into my hand HARD if I stop petting and scratching his head.
the head pushing into the hand gets me every time
Thank you for all of your Doggo articles and also for your more personal ones . Wishing you and yours a happy Christmas.
Wow. What a sweet and thought-provoking post. Thank you.
This is so well-written! I really love the sentiment about dogs giving us a connection to the world that not much else can - it's so freaking true. It's always fascinated me how everyone has a variety of different styles of petting their dog - relaxing pets, energetic pets during play time, calming pets to soothe them, and that dogs seem to almost prefer certain types of pets from certain people. I am my dog's person yet my husband pets him in a way that he loves, but I think he'd be so confused if I suddenly started petting him in a similar way.