Recently I taught a class at Edmonds College’s Creative Retirement Institute on Animal Behavior: How to Have a Happier Life With Your Dog or Cat. It was a blast!
As part of the “happier life” I presented on a lot of fun activities you could do with your dog or cat aka enrichment (OK, there’s a lot more to enrichment than the phrase “fun activities” implies, but that’s another blog).
But before I began talking about the activities I asked this important question:
Who decides which activities are best for your dog or cat?
The answer is not:
Me, the behaviorist and trainer
Or even, you:
The person who knows your dog or cat best
It is absolutely a good idea to consult your veterinarian, if you have any questions about activities and to consider the animal’s health, safety, and dietary needs.
However, the best person to answer the question: Is this a fun and valuable activity for your dog or cat? Is, you got it, your dog or cat!
We may know some things about different species and different breeds (and I would argue that we don’t actually know enough about either, but are learning more!), but all animals are ultimately individuals, too.
Choice. Control. Consent. Individual preferences are important. Do you know the animal’s favorite foods, toys, activities? Have you asked them about new options? For example, offer new types of foods and see which ones they select first. See my video of Tish’s pup-cuterie, for example.
My two dogs look nearly identical to most people. We hear, “Are they twins?” a lot when they are out on walks. They are the same age, appearance, and background.
Yet, to me, they are nothing alike.
Lily is the slow eater who alert barks when she sees new people. She likes to:
Spend most of her time downstairs.
Lay on you, snuggle, and snore.
Sniffs on walks and explore.
Dig and chew.
Tish inhales her food and wants to approach new people and dogs. She likes to:
Spend most of her time upstairs.
Go lie in her crate or bed when she wants to be alone.
Walk beside you.
Gaze up at you adoringly.
Their personalities are completely different. Similarly, a new person would have trouble telling my friends’ cats Atom and Kai apart. Once you get to know them, however, you could not mistake them for each other. They are unique individuals.
Kai is the talkative one with the motorboat purr. He likes:
Running water
Being held, but only when his people are standing.His “moving tree”.
Chasing red pipe cleaners – only the red ones – and sometimes brings them back.
Being up high and keeping an eye out the windows for birds, other cats, and squirrels.
Atom is the quiet one who only meows when he really wants something. He likes:
Catnip.
Snuggling next to his people on the couch or on the bed. But not being held.
Being brushed.
Chasing a feather toy on a string.
They each have their favorites.
So, while it’s important to know: how animals learn, the species specific ways animals experience things, and what breed traits may be selected for–it’s also important to look at and know the animal in front of you.
Ask that individual what they like. Appreciate that individual for who they are. Animals will surprise us!
Do you have a question about whether Shel Graves Animal Consulting can help your unique individual? Book a free discovery call!
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