Time for a Doggy Duvet Day!
Hello, and welcome back,
As we leave festivities behind, I’m joining you a day later than usual. I wanted to wait to send this until the BIG day was over. And while you might be fitting in final friend or family visits, I’m here to ask you, please, to make the most (or should that be ‘the least’) of this odd 'nothing-y’ period that spans between Christmas and New Year.
While it may only be 5 days until New Year’s Eve, these 5 days might just be the most wonderful gift you can share with your dog - and yourself.
Christmas comes but once a year… yet the preparations and plans may have been happening for weeks in advance. You may have been busy finishing up work for a well-earned break; fulfilling to-do lists ladened with presents, meal prep, and plans; and trying to see all the people you’ve not been able to spend special time with since the start of 2020. That’s a lot.
And when we take on additional load, our stress levels are plain to see - or sniff - by our dogs. A number of recent studies have focused on human stress and its impact on the dog-human relationship. Results in - when we’re stressed, so too are our dogs.
And it’s not just us humans who’ve been busy of late. I’m sure your dog has had a lot going on too. More of their family around day-to-day. More visitors. New decorations around the home. More noise and stimulation on walks.
So, my friends - our wonderful readers - it’s time for a Rest Day!
A ‘Rest Day’ is a doggy duvet day. It’s a day off from exposure to the outside world. Our dogs get to enjoy activities in the comfort of their home alongside special time with you, their humans. And we get a day off from braving the elements or being social with neighbours we might bump into!
It’s not a day spent doing nothing but instead an opportunity to focus on calming activities such as low-key training, sniffing for treats, or cuddles on the sofa. It’s an emotional detox for your dogs, to allow their stress levels to fully deplete without the arousing experience that walks can provide. If you’ve ever taken a ‘social media detox’, then I’m sure you can imagine just how valuable this could be for your dog.
Enjoy this time. Breathe. And enter the new year calmer.
Until next time, thank you for sharing your inbox with us and we look forward to more conversations in 2023.
Caroline
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