Learn From Your Dog

When my family was first considering a new dog, I promised to feed and walk the dog every day. For a long time, those promises were not often kept as homework, swim practices, and school took up most of my time. Finally, the stress of going to college for the first time drove me to begin walking Magic and Buddy on an every day basis. Soon, I discovered what I had been missing out on all those years. Walking my dogs gives me a chance to unwind from the day. All the stress built up during a long day at work or tough semester is relieved when my furry friends and I stroll around the neighborhood. I get to reflect on my day and the things that I find important without any outside opinions. The dogs are so happy to be outside of our yard too! Through this experience, I’ve determined that walking is an extremely underrated form of exercise. Since Magic is getting a little older, walking gives her the chance to strengthen her hip muscles and the exercise is low impact o

Max plays with his toy, while Maggie gets cozy. Last week, I had the opportunity to dog-sit two Dachshunds, named Maggie and Max. Just from looking at their short legs and long bodies compared to my Australian Shepherds’ long legs and large bodies, I knew that Maggie and Max were going to be very different from Buddy and Magic! Everything from their bedtime routines to their meal times were different from my own furry friends. However, over the course of my stay, I learned that even Dachshunds and Australian Shepherds share some similarities. Maggie curled up on her pillow. Both pairs of dogs have certain things that set them off. Buddy likes to chase deer and play with a tennis ball, while Max prefers to bark at rabbits and play with a squeaky toy he ripped all of the stuffing out of. Magic can’t stand bike wheels or when we roll the trash can down the driveway, while Maggie is terrified of the garbage truck and taking a different route on her walks. However, all four seem