Play! It's Necessary

Play is so important. I mean, sit down and really think about what makes up your dog's day. Other than sleeping and eating, playing is the third part of a wonderful trifecta of dog activities. And like everything in life, there should be a relative balance. I'm not saying equal parts of the three. But each dog has a healthy balance of those three things: too much of one and not enough of the others and things will be physically/mentally off.

Chima after playing with the tennis ball (and Tilly hoping I'm about to start tossing treats)

Chima and Salinas are not house dogs. I mean, they are living in my house now, but my guess is that most of their lives has been spent outside. And just because I personally am very comfortable in this house I call home, does not mean I can assume that the girls are comfortable here. It's going to take time for them to get used to the new textures of carpet and tile, the sounds of things like dishwashers and oven timers going off, smells of food that they aren't allowed to take, and getting rushed outside every time they have to pee. Every little thing around them is new and likely a bit frightening or even interesting but it all leads to a somewhat heightened awareness of everything around them.That can be really stressful.

Sal playing in the house: it has a much different feel to it than when she plays outside

For a dog who is chronically anxious there is very little play in their lives. Think about times when you've been in high stress mode. Are you able to really relax and enjoy yourself? It's tough, isn't it? So it's important for me as their guardian to try to find that safe place for them where they can relax and be themselves. Some dogs are so stressed that it seems impossible, but don't give up. Watch them. Be a detective and note where they are most relaxed. Is there music playing? Is it a specific time of day? What are the humans in the house doing? Are they inside or in the yard? The more aware you make yourself, the more effective you can be as you work on the counter conditioning that will be needed to make a house be a relaxing place for them.

While the girls are able to relax enough to play when they are loose in the house, it takes very little to startle them and send them darting for their crates - my son running up the stairs, something being dropped accidentally, the dishwasher changing cycles. I've found that the back yard is where they can really let loose. While a Western Washington back yard is a far cry from the great outdoors they were used to in the desert environment of Barstow, California, they have made the landscape their own. They love to sniff all the green, roll in the grass, tear right through the middle of shrubs, snuffle through the duff under the fir trees. And sometimes if I sit quietly enough something magic seems to come over them and I witness play that can only happen when a being is completely relaxed. To someone who doesn't know them well it might not seem much different, but I watch these girls all the time and to me it is more a feeling than something I could point out that is different about their behavior.

Does that sound too woo-woo to you? I hope not because this is one of those rare times when words fail me. (Grin).  It's like all of us have let out a deep breath after we've been holding it a little too long. It feels amazing and is a pure joy to witness.

The videos below show one of those times in our back yard. Salinas found this old, mildewy tennis ball that had been marinating in the back yard for God knows how long. It was as if she had found buried treasure. And then she broke into the most hilarious play session, throwing the ball for herself and bouncing around the lawn.  After she was done with it Chima took a turn. Hope you enjoy. I sure did.