What is Canine Fulfillment?

My favorite definition of "fulfillment" is "satisfaction as a result of fully developing one's abilities or character." Using this definition as the framework, I will share my take on what canine fulfillment is. Firstly, it's important to say that full spectrum fulfillment happens on an individual level. One size will not fit all. We could also examine this question by zooming in specifically on breed fulfillment or we could zoom out to examine what creates fulfillment as a living breathing being on the planet without regard to species. Here, I will be examining and sharing specifically about dogs as a whole. Outside of this, I recommend breed research to further understand your dog along with individual "research" by getting to know your pup as the unique being they are through observation and interaction.

There are multiple dimensions of what I would consider canine fulfillment; I will be addressing mind, body, and spirit to make this list as well rounded as possible. Here at Pawse, we believe that as fulfillment increases, not only does joy and general satisfaction increase; but poor choices and unpleasant/unproductive behaviors also decrease; a beautifully inverse relationship.

I'm going to attempt to write the components of fulfillment in order of [my] perceived importance; I'd like for this article to read as building blocks. My hope is that they will bring ideas of where you can give to your dog and make their experience of life even better. We have built our pack and boarding services on the foundation of these pillars and have observed great success with them over the years. We will continue to dive into the details of this over the next few months of newsletters.

Time dedicated to being fully present with our dogs is essential to their fulfillment. Undivided attention increases connection, allows us to learn about them and provides us the opportunity to attune to their needs. Our dogs can feel our presence and awareness. When we choose to spend intentional time with them, their bond to us strengthens, just as quality time benefits the relationship with our family and friends.

After time; structure and clarity are the next elements that our dogs need in order to feel fulfilled. A clear framework increases a sense of safety. What are the rules and are the rules consistent? If the rules are clear and consistent, the dog is relieved of having to make all of their own decisions. This increases relaxation and contentment.

Next we have physical fulfillment through both movement and nutrition. Health of the physical body improves longevity, confidence, metabolism, and joy. I encounter many dogs who get 30 minutes to an hour of walking time a day. This is not enough. Beings thrive when we have opportunity and outlets for movement. We are biologically designed to walk, run, play and move! Our dog companions depend on us to provide this opportunities for them.. The nourishment and health of our canine friends is also largely in our hands. High quality and nutritionally balanced meals digest well, give energy to our cells and ultimately feel good in the body.

Socialization: Exposure to new environments, social time with balanced canines, exploration with the nose and quality time with respectful humans are all factors of optimal socialization. We believe that navigating new and varied experiences creates enrichment and makes life more full for our pups.

Facing fears and working through perceived challenges: Referring back to the "fully developing one's abilities or character" part of the fulfillment definition; supporting a dog through what they see as life's difficulties will always result in a more resilient, capable, and secure canine. Examples of this are helping a dog who fears people through said fear, guiding a dog who is overstimulated by the sight of other dogs on leash to a neutral state, or supporting a dog who barks at visitors into feeling safe and secure when others come into their environment.

Freedom and autonomy: Once respect, trust, reliability, and clarity are built into a human-canine relationship; providing off leash freedom to foster self-expression, the ability to move without limitation and the exploration of familiar and new environments is one of the most beautiful gifts we can give to our canines.

I hope this list helps provide insight to you and shows you our thoughts and experience on/of what creates a joy filled dog. If you should have any questions or requests for information about our experiences, please reply to this post and we would be happy to share and go into more depth.