Are we doing what's best for our dogs ... and us?

So often, we move throughout our day with our dog just hoping we made the right choices and did what was best for our dog.
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The guilt can really pull at us, especially when we are also balancing all the other scattered moments of everyday life. And let's face it. Modern-day dog-raising is not how it used to be. ​

Laura and Sheba

I remember growing up with my Doberman as a kid and constantly being growled at over a bone, yet still taking it from her - and having to chase her across Main St because the contractor left the fence open (true story - socks and all. Good thing she started stalking a rabbit). 

She ate socks and got yelled at by the parrot about it. 

"Sheba. Drop it. Sheba, droooop it. Drop it Sheba!"

No joke. And Sheba ALWAYS had something when the Parrot yelled at her. The Parrot was quite the tattle-tale.

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And before that, our parents grew up with dogs roaming the neighborhoods, grabbing scraps from the neighbors where they could and then moving on, eventually making their way home. A lot has changed for our dogs over the years and a lot has changed for us. 

Time outside is more limited. Time in front of our screens is far more abundant. 

• We have AI machines (ahem... Alexa) that can play music when our dogs start barking. 
• We have two-way cameras that allow us to talk to our pets from the abyss. 
• We are asking our dogs to hold still while we put a silly-looking box in front of their face (to take a picture). 
• We dress our dogs up. 
• We stare at our phones. 
• We compare our dogs to others on social media. 

There is so much that has changed over the years. Yet, we have high expectations for our dogs to keep up. 

We've bred them for thousands of years to herd sheep, keep guard over stock, kill invasive vermon - yet we tell them they're wrong when they herd the kids at the sleepover, bark at visitors, and chase the squirrels who taunt them at the fence. 

It's not fair to them and yet, it's also hard on us.

So what are we to do?

Really. WHAT are we to do? How can we do better for our dogs while also doing well for ourselves?