Well we are away again. This weekend we are in Derbyshire and we have dour woofs with us: Mia and Nessie, but also Tess and Squish..
I had brought a selection of chews with me as they all have different favourites.
Tonight, as I often do I laid them all out and they got to choose their own.
Now, you may think that actually, they'd just grab one, or they'd try to grab them all, but you'd be surprised to find that actually, they very carefully and delicately select the one they wanted.
For me, giving my dogs an opportunity to exercise freedom of choice is the least I can do. I control so much of their lives and many of those controls arw essential to keep them safe....others however are to help them fitbinto my life and confirm to societal expectations. As humans we choose when our Canine companions eat, sleep, walk....we even control when they go to the toilet and where. They are 100% reliant on us. This is why I cringe when I hear the D (dominance) word mentioned in relation to dogs and humans...
So for me, the least I can do is give them some small element of choice when it comes to a recreation chew...
Freedom of choice is not only a great enrichment activity, it can help boost confidence as well as a great boost for your relationship.
Do you let your dog choose their own chews?