Change in Mercury

It’s a new year, and right now, we’re in Mercury Retrograde, for those of you who follow that sort of thing. Just sayin’.

However, Mercury Retrograde is always a great time to think about stuff. Maybe you aren’t going to change it right now (because Mercury can mess with anybody’s best laid plans), but it’s a positive time to reflect and plan. So let’s start with your relationship with your animal friend.

Paper and pencil (or maybe a tablet and electronic stick, or if you’re a good typist, open a document) may help this process.

What’s good about your relationship with your pet? Here, I’ll do this with you.

What’s good with my relationship with (I have so many to choose from!) RY (the cat - he’ll be so pleased): He snuggles at night. He is healthy. He likes to play. He always has something to say. He follows me around, and is especially adept at helping with Yoga. 

Ry being kissy-face

That’s just a few of the things that are great about my relationship with Ry. So what’s good about your relationship with your beloved? Take a few moments and write it down.

Now - what could be better? RY: He asks to go outside when we’re going to bed, and I mean he’s a little snot about it - meow, meow, meow at the door. He steals the other cats wet food, as if he’s starving (his size indicates this is not an issue). He sometimes talks incessantly, especially if he feels he is being ignored (and his idea of being ignored and mine can be quite different). 

What would you like to change about your relationship with YOUR pet? Write it down.

Notice that in my case, the naughty list is a little shorter than the nice list. I can’t complain too much about Ry - he’s a great cat. (Now he’s all puffed up and proud of himself.)

The question now becomes - so what do you (I) do about these “problems”? Mercury Retrograde will give you lots of time to do some research and really search your soul about what you want to change. Maybe your dog pulls when you go out for a walk (we’ve got three dogs, and they’re all pullers - obviously we did not do enough training when they were pups to stop that nasty habit - so what can we do to improve the situation, and keep our arms in their respective sockets?). What would you like to see happen? Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to just be able to walk along with your pup on a loose leash instead of being dragged?

Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya!

Yes, it is possible. It requires some understanding on your part, and a willingness to do what’s necessary to make the change. So first, consider the energy level and age of your dog. Is she young and goofy, or a little more settled, and just high energy? (Just. Ha HA!) In both cases, she might need some preliminary exercise to make walking on the leash a little more acceptable. Does she like to play games? Do you have a back yard or someplace where she can run before leash time? We have a huge yard, fortunately, and our dogs will run themselves ragged out there. We also take them to the dog park and let them get the ya-ya’s out before we do a leash walk. That helps a lot. Figure out what will work for you, and for your dog, and then implement it. It’s got to work for both of you, or you won’t keep at it, and that’s the second most important point - consistency. If sometimes you let your dog be crazy on the leash, then when you want her to behave, she won’t. It’s all or nothing. 

She does need someplace to be crazy and silly, though, because that’s part of her personality, and it’s up to you to embrace that side of her and love her for it.

How does that phrase go? “What we resist, persists.” I don’t know who said that, but geez, it’s true. The more I thought my mare LiLi was an unreliable git, the more she acted out around me. Once I changed my thinking to understand that she is actually quite sensible, she started showing me that part of her. I stopped resisting who she is - a big horse with an opinion. I started listening to her opinions, and working with them, instead of against them. We get along quite well now. 

Not LiLi

So if you have a dog that needs some ya-ya time, let them have it, and love that part of their nature. Enjoy what your dog is bringing to you - exuberance and a love of life that can be quite compelling if you let it.

Mercury goes direct this series on January 18. You’ve got some time to do your thinking and observing and planning. Take this time to really get to know your animal, not who you think he is, but who he really is. You’ll be amazed at how your relationship will change.

If you need some help, just let me know.