Today is National Pet Day in the US.

In the Netherlands we don't have National Pet Day, but on October 4 of every year we have World Animal Day. This day is also used by many people in the Netherlands as an extra day of pampering for their pets, but this day is also used to draw attention to the rights of each animal. To draw attention to the many animal suffering that still takes place every day, and which would preferably end YESTERDAY. Unfortunately, that will remain a utopia and many animals will still have to suffer for whatever nonsensical reason.

We're not going to talk about that, better for me at least not to and focus on National Pet Day of the United States. Even though I live in the Netherlands, AND even more so, I don't need a special day myself to give my pets a pampering day every day.

Every day is special for our dogs

The three dogs that live in my house have a special day every day. If they don't have a good day, I won't have a good day. It's very simple. WE brought in these animals to live with us. They didn't ask for anything. Because we have consciously made that choice, we will also have to act accordingly and put their well-being and needs above our own. If we don't do that for them, then we shouldn't choose to bring these animals into our home. Animals generally don't ask much of people, but what they give is an awful lot. The greatest gift you receive from your animals on a daily basis is their unconditional love and trust. What they ask in return is that you are good to them.

Of course, we all know that pets have their needs for a happy life, and in the case of dogs, that includes a daily portion of exercise, in addition to their food and drink, of course. They like to be with you, and since dogs are pack animals, they don't like being alone either. But make no mistake, they won't ask for any of that. That they need it is another thing, and my opinion is that it should never be necessary for a pet to go so far as to ask.

What does a good pet owner need?

So let's take a look at what a good pet owner needs. That starts, of course, with a portion of responsibility. You will have to count on the fact that you will have to provide food and drink for your pet every day for several years in a row. In addition, you will have to get to know your animal so that you can also estimate when the animal is not feeling well and you will therefore have to assess whether it is serious and whether you need to go to a vet.

Of course you need a good portion of love, and the necessary care also makes it easier for you. Your pet needs your love and care to be happy. In addition, it is also useful if you have time, because creating a bond with your animal simply takes more time than just a weekend, or an hour a day.

Patience is also not entirely unimportant. The training is not called training for nothing, just think, if you have a child, how long you spend raising your child. In general, your pet will do that faster, which is also necessary given the fact that they live much less. But a pet also has to learn what you expect from it, how the rules are in your household. And a pet has to learn how to survive in the 'human world'. So be patient, because your animal will make mistakes, or just know a day when he has bananas in his ears and does not listen to what you ask of him. Although I often have to secretly laugh at this myself, these days can also be annoying, and it is sometimes difficult to keep my patience. Still, you should always tell yourself that patience is best for your pet.

Expertise, or knowledge of the animal you want to bring into your home, or what you have already brought into your home is also necessary. Each animal has specific needs and behavior. I mean, with your Rat Snake or Tarantula you probably don't go for a walk that fast. But if you put a dog in a terrarium with a heat lamp, he will not thank you. These are two extreme examples, but you get the point now, right?

You won't get very far without dedication to your pet. An example of this is again that you will sometimes have to put your own plans on hold, that you simply cannot do some things, and that with other things you simply have to take into account the fact that you have an animal at home . In addition, considerable challenges can arise ... and what are you going to do when the going gets tough? Do you give up, and put your own convenience above the welfare of the animal? Or do you choose the animal and climb all the mountains there are to ensure that you meet that challenge together and can overcome? I always choose the latter, no challenge too great when it comes to my animals.

The last thing I can think of that I've found necessary to be a good pet owner is a dose of respect! Yes Respect for my animals, and respect their personal boundaries and their personal needs. Each individual animal has its own character and that must be respected in order to keep a happy animal. One animal is not the other.

A personal experience

An example from myself here is that I loved going away with Rowan and taking my camera with me. No matter how much I had to lug around, Rowan loved the camera and going out together. He was a dog who took that into account and never went far from me. Myla never goes too far from me either, but she's never been fond of a camera, and won't reckon with it.

And now we have Skipper. I thought I could do the same with him as with Rowan. But I was wrong about that. Skipper is a completely different dog than Rowan was. His way of dealing with challenges is very different, and his experience of a walk with a camera is also completely different. His approach is also very different. He is much more focused on his surroundings, and finds everything exciting. He prefers to attack rather than dodge. He prefers to bark at any potential danger from him and then come back to me with a snout asking me if he did it right. He still has a lot to learn, and we keep working on that, but that means I have to deal with him in a completely different way than I did with Rowan. I can't just put Skipper in a nice spot and take pictures of him from 20 meters away. If anything could be seen in the furthest distance, Skipper would take off to see what it is. Because he throws his weight into battle I have my hands full with him. That also makes it practically impossible to lug a DSLR with a bag full of lenses on our walks. Now I can hate that, and keep longing for Rowan, but with that I really fail Skipper! He doesn't deserve that.

What he deserves is the attention and the time to gain the confidence that it is right. What that requires of me is patience, knowledge, respect, love and responsibility. Patience because it's all taking a bit longer than I'd like. Knowledge to guide him. Respect for who he is and who he is. Love for him as an individual. And the Responsibility to keep going, even if it's harder than I expected and it gives me much less 'freedom' to do what I love to do. I could choose to just let him out and then go out on my own... but that doesn't make him any happier either. He deserves the movement, the time together and the attention.

And to ensure that everything does not only consist of learning moments and challenges, we have time every day to play outside with the dogs. Are they almost never alone, are they everywhere. And they get everything they need. That reminds me that it will soon be time to go into the garden again. It's dry again, we can play again...

Every day is National Pet Day in our house

Yes, having pets demands a lot from you, but you get so much more in return. And I wouldn't give that up for anything or anyone in the world. I can't imagine life without dogs, and that makes every day National Pet Day in our house.

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