Chrissy 0:00
Welcome back to the dogs over lives. And this is season three. I'm Chrissy Messick, and this is our summer working dog series, and this is where we're going to dive deep into the incredible world of dogs who dedicate their lives working alongside humans. So grab your favorite beverage or enjoy listening to this on the road, and let's explore the full spectrum of what it means to care for the dogs who care for all of us, and maybe learn something about ourselves along the way. Wow. What a fun and interesting season we've had talking about working, sporting and high energy dogs. There's been so much great information shared by our guests, everything from livestock Guardian dogs and qualified breeders to search and rescue agility and to living at home with working dogs as pet or family dogs. Thank you to our expert guests who joined us and shared their knowledge and experience and expertise. Of course, we talked about the nuts and bolts of working, sporting and high energy dogs, but what I think is most important is not only the welfare of these dogs, and any dog for that matter, but the well being of these dogs. A tired dog isn't necessarily a fulfilled dog. I was discussing this with one of my colleagues, and there's a huge difference between welfare and well being. Here's the differences. Welfare tends to focus on meeting basic needs and preventing harm, so physical health and safety, adequate food, water and shelter, freedom from pain, injury and disease, protection from abuse or neglect, meeting the five freedoms, such as Freedom from Hunger, discomfort, pain, fear, distress and freedom to express natural behaviors. These are often measured by absence of negative states, and more commonly used in regulatory rescue or veterinary contexts. And so well being encompasses a broader, more holistic view of thriving, not just surviving, but flourishing, positive emotional states and life satisfaction, mental stimulation and enrichment, meaningful relationships and social connections, a sense of purpose and fulfillment, and that's what I call kind of this spiritual aspect quality of life that includes joy, contentment and engagement, the presence of positive experiences and not just the absence of negative ones, and then individual personality and preferences that are honored. So think of it this way. Welfare asks, Is this dog safe and healthy? And well being asks, Is this dog truly happy and fulfilled? What I loved about our summer working dog series is that we discussed the dogs and humans well being. So looking at the whole working dog, there's an interconnectedness of five aspects of well being. So the first one is physical care for any dog, this is important, but for working, sporting and high energy dogs that put a lot of stress on their bodies, day in and day out, it is vital to have these integrated into your routine, so a proper nutrition to help sustain healing and recovery and either sustained energy or quick burst of energy and hydration is super important. And then B, rest and recovery. This allows their bodies and brains to heal and be their best selves for the next outing. And C, injury prevention and recognition, so proper warm ups, cool downs, body work, body checks, warning signs such as change in behaviors, gait, posture, looking at their dental and GI and then cross training, and then having regular vet checks. Number two, mental stimulation and enrichment. So letting the dog do dog things, this is where a tired dog isn't necessarily. A fulfilled dog comes in if they aren't given the opportunity to do their dog things, you might start to see behavior issues crop up, such as anxiety, reactivity, destroying things, frustration to provide proper mental enrichment and stimulation. This might look like doing a variety of activities or cross training, such as hiking, swimming, fetch and other sporting activities. Another aspect would be puzzle work that mirrors their natural instincts, such as nose work or hide and seek. Another aspect might be helping them to transition from work to rest, doing some relaxing exercises or activities. And then another one would be environmental enrichment, so rotating challenges and novel experiences in different places. The third aspect is looking at the emotional well being or the nervous system. So first and foremost, your dog needs to feel safe. If they feel safe, they can do their job very well. This trickles down to being able to focus and engage, being able to relax, being resilient, and so much more you can learn to understand and recognize how your dog is feeling and processing everything around them and in them by one, watching and reading their body language, just by doing this and understanding what it means is a game changer. This level of awareness is vital for any relationship. They will show you exactly how they're feeling this way. Another thing is to have fun with your you know, your teaching and your training that you're doing with your dog, it shouldn't be scary or painful for them, and it should be fun for both of you. Go at your dog's pace. Kindness is key. This creates enthusiasm and prevents burnout. And the last one you know, thinking of, where are you today? What is your bandwidth? What are you bringing to the relationship and teaching and training for the day, your energy, emotions and behavior affect not only you, but your dogs as well. The fourth one is the spiritual connection, or purpose. Now this is where you honor You and Your Dog's Purpose. Together, honor your dog's needs as well as your own. There's an ebb and flow to this, and every day may look a little different. And this can happen through one, respecting and understanding your dog's natural instincts and drive and working with that, not against it. Another one would be partnership. So by sharing a purpose and giving them outlets for this, a deeper bond develops between both of you being mindful and having awareness during your work together and your rest together, and as your animal companion ages or maybe retires, still be sure to honor them for who they are, not just for what they have done. And then the last one, it would be communication skills. This can go beyond body language, communication on a different level. Some people call it intuition, gut knowing, animal communication, or just knowing. And there's so many other different ways, but explore that with your animal companion. And then number five, the human side of the relationship, what we say, think, feel and do, affects not only ourselves, but our dogs as well. And all relationships, we are a one sided leash, and it's important to work on ourselves as well. Growth is important, and dogs allow us to see ourselves in them and reflect back to us some things that we might need to work on. So let your dog help you to grow and evolve. They're wonderful teachers. When you develop that deeper awareness of yourself and of your dog's physical comfort, emotional state, communication style and individual nature, you become true partners, rather than just managers. This awareness benefits both ends of the leash. When humans learn to be more present, intuitive and responsive with their dogs, they discover they're developing those same qualities in their human relationships too. So we went deep there, but it's where we need to go. I hope you enjoyed season three, and be sure to stay tuned for what's coming up next in season four. I hope you enjoyed this episode. I'd be so grateful if you could share with other dog and animal lovers so I can continue to spread the good word about kind, ethical dog guardianship on many different levels. Jane.
