BY FRAN JEWELL
I’m so glad to be back writing to my Wood River Weekly followers. It’s difficult to bring this topic up, but so important right now. With all the struggles we have all been through and will continue to go through until COVID-19 is at a place where we have some ability to be more social, our animals become so important to us.
We are so blessed that we can do things with our dogs here, such as long walks and exercise away from people. That is about to change with restrictions loosening up. Soon, our Valley may be filled with vacationers and tourists trying to escape the virus and close encounters with others that the big city requires. While our Valley has been a sought-after destination resort before, it may be more than ever once again. Private hikes in the woods with our dogs may soon be disappearing because of the influx of people. People from other communities may bring with them another spike in the virus, as predicted by epidemiologists. We were hard hit before because of our unique community, and it may happen again. While I am no expert on COVID-19, I am here as an expert in dogs and our relationships with them.
Because of where we live, we look for our sanity during this very tough time with our dogs. We even feel guilty about not taking our dogs with us wherever we recreate. In some ways, that becomes a huge motivator for us to be more active. It’s a good thing! However, as with everything, there are two sides.
I would like to encourage this dog-loving community to also feel good about not walking the dog every day. Something I think is sorely missed for many dogs is the luxury of “intentional touch.” What is “intentional touch”? What it is not is mindlessly petting our dog when they come up to us for petting. It is not sleeping on the bed with us. It is not feeding your dog from the table. What “intentional touch” is is nurturing a deeper bond that goes beyond walks in the woods where your dog runs, sniffs, plays with other dogs, chases squirrels and so on. In fact, in some ways these activities do NOT include you. Yes, walks nurture a dog’s soul, but not necessarily a relationship with you. Walks can actually foster independence!
Intentional touch means things like massaging your dog and getting to know your dog physically. When you touch your dog intentionally, you learn how his coat feels today. Is it soft, rough, or does it have dandruff and shedding? Are his muscles tense or relaxed? Is there one muscle more tense than others? If you find spots that are warm, indicating inflammation, they might need to be addressed. You could find other physical abnormalities, like a small growth or tender area that should mean a trip to the vet.
Intentionally touching your dog encourages a new level of TRUST between both of you. When a dog learns to lie still for touching, it’s about building a relationship with your dog. Brushing, looking in your dog’s eyes, ears and touching or playing with his feet takes trust. You must trust that your dog will not mouth or bite you and your dog must trust you that you are not going to hurt him. I cannot tell you how many people have to take their dog to someone else to trim toenails or for grooming. This is something we need to focus on in order to truly build a trusting, loving and connective relationship with our dog.
Take time to intentionally touch your dog. Be mindful of who he is—what he likes, and what he doesn’t like. There is no trick or special skills; just pet and touch your dog with intent. When I spend time brushing, grooming and feeling every inch of my dogs, we both enjoy each other and TRUST each other so much.
Intentional touch has an amazing ability to create calmness and tranquility for all of us in this crazy time.