It baffles me that people can be so out of touch with their animals. They don't understand, or take the time, to build a close relationship. Animal desires aren't that different. They want to understand the rules, to be successful, and to be safe.
All species want rules. For humans this would be social norms. Imagine if there were no societal rules. How stressful would your daily life be? If you were to show up at work and not be given any structure or tasks. Not knowing what to do until you did something wrong and were punished for it? Have you ever been frustrated at work when the rules changed and you weren't advised? All other animals are the same way. Clear rules help them relax and not have any unfair surprises. Rules cannot change from week to weekend, from at home to traveling.
In order to be successful, there has to be an understanding of the rules. Which is another reason the rules need to be consistent. How can your pet successfully play the game if the rules keep changing? There should always be rewards for the correct choices. You get a paycheck or bonus when things run well at work. Animals are no different. If they are laying quietly across the room not begging, that's when popcorn should magically start flying their direction!
All of this helps an animal feel safe. Mentally and physically safe and secure. I value my dogs' feeling safe above all else. I try to minimize the stress in their lives. Safety always starts with fair clear rules. It makes me smile each day when I see my totally relaxed snoozing pets. Feeling safe is such an important thing in life.
How do you make sure your pets or children feel safe?
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