Today is the International Day of Happiness. What makes us happier than spending time with our pets? Celebrate happiness with your dog today by taking a walk. Notice what makes your dog happiest on the walk–the smells? The bark at the dog in the house up the street? The leash tangle romp with his friend you meet along the way?
My dog Trystan’s greatest happiness is a game of squeaky toy toss. So today we’ll celebrate with some extra time spent throwing and retrieving his orange dragon, or his favorite floppy zebra. We’ll follow that up with another one of his favorite games–he barks, I bark back, he barks twice, I bark twice, he woofs, I woof. Try this with your dog and observe how she watches you. Trystan is thrilled by this communication between us.
What makes your kitty happy? A game of chase the laser light? A game of chase the feathers on the wand? Or maybe some time on the window sill watching the activity at the bird feeder? Maybe your kitty’s happiest time is curled up on your lap purring.
Happiness can be quiet time too. Sit with your pet, looking deeply at one another, and place your hands over your heart to do a TTouch heart hug, moving your hands in a circle and quarter, while you reflect on what makes you happiest about your pet. For most of us, happiness is that connection we feel with the furry companion we love.