Check out this video Close Friends: Elephant and Dog Even those that can be considered “odd couples” can get along and benefit each other. Your challenge: reach out to someone that you think you have nothing in common with.  See what connections you (more…)

As I was watching my two dogs …  a 58 lb. 10-year-old basenji-shepherd-touch-of-lab that is not very assertive. and a 40 lb. 2.5-year-old female corgi-terrier mix.  I thought about how well they get along now … and how it was not always that way!

Think of the last time you welcomed a new baby, dog, cat or other animal. You expected some disruption in your schedule. You prepared your environment for the newcomer. You thought you were ready. At least I did.

I was not prepared for her possessiveness. Logically I understood that she had been in the shelter for six months. My vet mentioned ‘shelter mentality’. Rationally I understood it. It stayed ‘on the surface’ of my brain.

Friday I caught an episode of The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. He was talking to owners and what he said resonated with me: “Look at it from the dog’s perspective…”

The light bulb went off! I immediately understood ‘shelter mentality’. I understood what she might be thinking, what she might be experiencing, what mindset she might be in. Once I did that, things became clear: why she was possessive, why she not only scarfed down her own food but went for my other dog’s food, why she felt she had to defend her ‘turf’.

So let me ask you …. Whose eyes are YOU using?