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Dear collaborator, I know that you’re longing for ease in your relationship with your dog. You just want them to listen to you, to stop barking when you ask, to come when you call, to trust your guidance. Amidst all the complexity and chaos currently permeating our world, being with your dog should be easy. With so many sources of stress, from work deadlines and bill due dates to catastrophic levels of local houselessness and unimaginable loss across the globe, your relationship with your dog should not add weight to the top of the pile. But sometimes our dog’s behaviors do inflame our most raw parts, overwhelm our tender senses, and land like final straws breaking our overburdened backs. How can we meet our dog’s needs when there are so many other things demanding our attention? Is there a way to bring ease into our relationships with dogs that supports rather than challenges our own wellbeing? I believe there is. We must find ways to care for ourselves that are accessible, routine, and generative. We must pace ourselves, tend to our hearts, and establish a foundational refuge within our homes so that we can persist forward in demanding justice and building the world of our dreams. And, we need a way to do this that doesn’t add another task to our ever growing “to do” lists. Because our dog’s needs never conflict with our own, caring for them and caring for ourselves can sometimes be accomplished in the same action. Besides, who is better to support our daily care than a being who loves routine? Who is safer to connect with in vulnerability than the ones who persistently see the best in us? Who will gladly give back ten-fold to even the smallest act of love? Your dog, that’s who.
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