5 great reasons why you should own a dog

5 great reasons why you should own a dog

Before I begin congratulate me because this is my first post on a topic about dogs since I started this blog. Your love and appreciation renew my energy levels.

Nothing in life happens without a sale & some people need more convincing than others. This is my attempt to convince you on why you should own  a dog, if you haven’t yet.

I have enlisted here 5 no nonsense reasons why should go ahead and own a dog. These are reasons in which I believe in strongly because I was surrounded by dogs from the time I was a toddler till I became an adult.

1) Unconditional love – This is the most important factor which I have observed. A dog showers all his love on to his owner, irrespective of how the owner might treat him. His owner may get angry on him at times, but the dog never forgets to love him. Has it happened to you that you returned home and forgot to look at your dog, acknowledge his presence but still he made sure he greeted you, was happy to see you? That is what I mean unconditional love.

2) Stress Buster – Dogs (rather all pets) are biggest real stress busters mechanisms one can have in life. Who does not love to see a wagging tail & eyes full of joy waiting to welcome you after a hard days work? Has it ever happened with you that you returned home after having a bad day at work and after you spent time with your dog it made you feel relaxed and happy?

3) Security – A pet dog makes sure that you will never feel alone in times of loneliness (or) gloominess. A dog ensures that he protects his home from strangers. The intensity of alertness and aggression to repel strangers varies from one dog breed to another but in general they help to keep things tight.

4) Physical Fitness - Owning a dog may help you stay motivated getting outdoors with him. A stroll in a nearby park or a long walk early morning can prove beneficial to improve one’s health. Studies have also shown that being in a company of dog helps reduce stress & lower blood pressure. It has also been concluded way back in 1980 by epidemiologist Erika Friedman that heart patients who owned dogs survived at a rate over 20% than those folks who didn’t own a dog.

5) Social Connections – This is a great way to make new social connections. If you own a great breed of dog, people will remember you for years because of him. Having a dog may prove easy to start conversations between strangers when you are walking them outside your home. Kids love to interact with people who own dogs and are desperate to pet dogs they see.

Of all the reasons I have mentioned above I have experienced almost every single reason myself. I hope that this post will inspire you to own a dog and get a life long friend with whom you can share everything you want!

Open for your feedback & criticism as always!

I am thankful

 I am thankful

Monday afternoon, I was running around Ann Arbor, trying to get a bunch of errands done before my husband got home from work. I had to drop off a load of treats at The Pet Emporium, mail some packages at the post office, cash in some coupons at Meijer, and restock on crafting supplies at Joann Fabrics. I was in a bit of a tizzy (is that a word?), because I was running out of time quickly. It also seemed like everyone else in Ann Arbor decided that Monday would be the day that they too, would run all their errands. I was tired, a little irritated with the crowds, and anxious to get home. I was at the cash register at my last stop, when I realized my worst enemy was standing in front of me: A NEW HIRE. She wasn’t sure how to use the scanner gun, she didn’t know how to delete an item scanned twice, she had never seen an e-coupon before, and she had no clue how to check to see if an item was on sale or not. Worse yet…she wouldn’t ask for any help! After a good 20 minutes of standing at the register, watching her repeat error after error, a manager finally stepped in and took over the transaction. The cashier was a little embarassed, and tried to laugh it off, but neither myself nor the manager were laughing. After the manager left, she told me how much they expected of her in so little time. My guess was that the “throw you to the wolves” training program was in full effect due to the upcoming holidays. The cashier started repeating under her breath the proper steps she should take if she gets caught in the same situation again. She apologized to me, and said she wished she could have made my checkout perfect. My response: “If you don’t make mistakes, you will never have the opportunity to learn”. Even though I was pretty crabby that day, I was able to think of the times when the roles were reversed. Nothing is worse than a snippy customer who huffs and puffs while you are still learning. I made the decision to take a deep breath and allow the experience to be as good as it could be for her, and an exercise of patience for me. Even though she wanted so desperately to be give me the “perfect” checkout, it wasn’t, and that’s okay too.

This Thanksgiving I want to appreciate both patience AND imperfection.

I watched Evan Almighty for the first time with my sister Autumn the other day (Morgan Freeman plays an awesome God in that movie, by the way). There was a scene where the main character’s wife was having a hard time being patient while her crazy husband decided to build an Ark, and dress like Noah. Morgan Freeman came in and said “If one prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If they pray for courage, does God give them courage, or does he give them opportunities to be courageous? If one prayed for their family to be closer, you think God zaps them with warm, fuzzy feelings? Or does he give them opportunities to love each other? Well, I got to run. A lot of people to serve. Enjoy”. This little quote has stuck with me ever since.

So I’ll end this blog entry on a few imperfect things I love, and am thankful for. Here goes: My dog’s cute little crooked teeth, my big Dumbo ears, my Dad always adding an “f” to the word “between” (he says it “betwfeen”), my husband’s inability to iron, my late Grandmother’s lack of hair on her head combined with very bushy eyebrows, my sister always saying “tread meal” instead of “treadmill”, our poor cow Wallis…who can’t seem to hold his head up straight, and my friend Missy’s nails that are always only half-painted. I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving as much as I will be enjoying mine. Don’t forget to be thankful for the imperfections in your life too

Behavior Problems

The Dachshund is a wonderful dog breed and I love mine very much.  They do however need a lot of attention, I mean a lot.  If they don’t get the attention they need, they will show you in some way or another that they are not having it.

A few problems that Dachshunds tend to have are lifting of the leg (in your house or on your things), barking, whining, nipping and a bit of aggressiveness.  They have separation anxiety as well so if you leave them in the other room you will hear them begin to whine.  If I leave the house and leave him alone, as soon as I shut the door behind me I can hear him barking.  I believe he continues this until I return.  He/she may show you they are upset with you leaving by chewing on something or urinating on something.  This is more likely to happen if they do not get daily walks, like they should.

I don’t think Dachshunds are aware of how small they are compared to some of the other big dogs they have no problem challenging. This is where the dog aggression comes in and you need to watch out for that.  They have a lot of courage and have no problem showing it which can be a big behavior issue.  As soon as you bring your Dachshund home, you need to begin the training process immediately. They are very smart dogs and catch on quickly so just be consistent and stern with your tone when needed.  You are going to have some accidents and some tough moments, but that’s really with any dog.  Dachshunds are such wonderful dogs with the best personalities and that makes this all worth it!