A Day in the Life: Enrichments for Sanity — Theirs and Mine

The life of a professional dog trainer can be hectic. Oh, no complaints here. I make my own schedule and I am living my dream. But my dream is not my dog’s dream. So while some days are seriously fun for my dogs, some are less than thrilling.

All in all, I strive for as much mental stimulation as I can practically supply and an appropriate amount of physical activity on a daily basis. The physical activity is equally important for me. If I don’t get out into nature daily, regardless of the weather, I feel varying degrees of anxiety. I NEED to be outside and reasonably active on a daily basis to comfortably exist. My dogs are soul connections on this count.

Happily tired dogs are a sign of success.

So daily walks are the norm, whether 0 degrees or 90 degrees. It’s the length and time of day and location that vary. This winter we have used a vat of Musher’s Secret to achieve our goals. Daily fun most days also includes a romp in their indoor playroom. They may play actively for long or short periods or we may just hang out and exist as one. As often as my brain can participate, we have both one-on-one and group training sessions. My goal is a minimum of three times a week. My heart leaps at how much my dog’s enjoy this time. Some days include mental stimulation treat dispensing puzzle toys and others include high value chew time. If I have done my job correctly, I can see clients and safely spend computer time without protest and disappointed looks directed my way. This is my picture of success.