time not toys

It is the same story that we have with busy people and their kids. You spend so much time working hard to bring home the money to provide for the family that, you are too exhausted to enjoy the family. To replace your mental of physical absence, you buy bribes to get your family to forgive you, to love you and honestly, to release yourself from te guilt of being devoted to your work.Same thing with pets, really, people don't seem to realize what your pets want is you. They want to snuggle and walk and hang out with you. So buy more toys on sale and take time to enjoy the pet you have. teach a new trick,play a game, get on the floor and play bow, hide treats in the yard and go explore together to find them,sing and dance and be silly because pets don't care about your pride they just want to see you smile. Make a list of 5 or 10 things that your dog absolutely loves (hint: these are things you have trouble competing with) my dogs list:
1. other neutral dogs especially certain breeds and females
2. smelly grounds at the park
3. his people
4. squirrels taunting him
5. the stretchy dog toy
I have trouble prying his attention from any of these things even with super high value treats like the bread bag and roast beef. I try to keep him set up for success but, sometimes these temptations hinder efforts a bit. I try to remember what my dog values above all and if I can gather myself to be most interesting I am wonderfully proud not only of him but, of me being able to have a forward thinking relationship with my dog. He is not my child, my spouse, or a replacement for something missing in my life, he is my dog and letting him be my dog is what makes me smile.