Good “Furrenting”: How To Build A Better Relationship With Your Pet

After a long tiring day at work, coming home to your furry little friends bring a different sense of comfort and healing. As a matter of fact, although it takes a lot of effort and patience, having a pet provides one with happiness a human can not provide.

Beside pet stores, you can find yourself a lovable companion in local adoption shelters where enthusiastic volunteers and staff will provide you with necessary information about animals — age, gender, health status and history. They’re also the one who understand these animals’ behaviors, and can offer you great advice before you make the decision of bringing one home.

By adopting animals from these shelters, you’re actually helping reduce the numbers of stray dogs and cats around the city. As a result, not only environmental problems and neighborhood safety are remarkably handled, but infectious diseases from animals are also kept in check.

However, there are times when having pets at home can also be challenging, and sometimes annoying. Remember that time when they “accidentally” pushed an expensive bottle of perfume to the floor? It’s not easy. But what can you do? These little furry pets always find their way to your heart. But if you want to become a better furrent, here are some suggestions that can make the whole process more enjoyable for you as a pet keeper.

Make your pet your travel buddy

Isn’t it a huge struggle to look for a reliable pet sitter when you need to travel somewhere far from home. And even when you do find one, you’re very likely to not enjoy the vacation because of worrying for your little “children”. On top of that, researches have shown that pets being left alone at home for too long can become depressed, and might suffer from anxiety.

So next time, why don’t you tag your four-legged friends along on your vacation? Taking them out for a coffee or a walk in the park will let them release their energy effectively and see the world with their eyes at the same time.

In fact, travelling with pets has become trendier lately. There are many social media accounts now featuring impressive photos of these dogs and cats having the best time exploring places around the world. Besides, to accommodate travellers' needs, resorts and hotels everywhere are welcoming you and your little companions with lots of appealing offers.

Or if you’re not a fan of long getaway trips, a staycation with your pet is also a fantastic idea. And in case you don’t want to be worried about cleaning up after your dogs or cats, camping will definitely make it easier as they are free answering nature’s call while being surrounded by nature.

Just me, my pets, and music

As a pet parent, it’s so frustrating when you have to clean up their mess, or pay for the things they break that you just want to vent your rage and despair at them but you just can’t because of those innocent eyes! Teaching your dogs and cats how to behave, therefore, is very important and music can actually help you.

A study from Glasgow University, Scotland revealed that dogs have their own taste of music. They would even jam to a melody that they can perceive. Also, each type of music can affect a dog’s behavior differently. For example, they tend to be calmer while listening to classical music. You’ll be surprised at how they would react.

Communicating by music helps refresh your relationship with your fluffy, or not, “children”, and boost their positive behaviors. So next time, try introducing your playlist to your pets, or let them watch videos of dancing animals for inspiration. You’ll be surprised to see them enjoying it!

Adoptify is an interesting campaign by Spotify and that matches pets with potential owners based on their musical taste.

Drink (responsibly) with your pet

Your hairy companions aren’t just cute, they are also a non-judgmental and able to show sympathy to their owners. Series of studies have proven that domestic animals can sense human feelings and offer comfort when in need.

As you may know, alcohol is also comforting. Some people often choose to drink alone as they find it hard to confide in someone else, due to trust issues or insecurities. However, that loneliness is not always healthy as it is connected to depression and anxiety disorders.

Animal-assisted therapy stands out as a wonderful way for those who suffer from alcohol abuse. This therapy takes advantage of the therapeutic and mood improving benefits from common interactions with animals. Low-self-esteem drinkers are often encouraged to take their dogs for a walk or teach them simple tricks like shaking hands or catching balls. Some dogs are specially trained to remind their owners to complete the tasks of the day. Simple things like this will gradually improve a person’s confidence and productivity as they stop abusing alcohol.

For that reason, alcoholics can keep their drinking habit in check and have a healthier lifestyle by welcoming a dog or cat into their life. People who need animal assistance should reach out to rescue station’s staff to learn more about the pet's characteristics. They will ease the confusion of new owners when they first get a pet home, especially for grown-up ones whose personalities have become more solid.

Tito's Handmade Vodka is an authentic American handcrafted vodka. In 1995, Bert "Tito" Beveridge obtained the first legal permit to distill in Austin, Texas. They batch their corn vodka using old-fashioned pot stills, and the vodka is naturally gluten-free.

In 2015, Tito's launched “Vodka for Dog People” as a way to rescue, protect, and find new homes for abandoned dogs.

Through donations and joint volunteering activities, Tito's Handmade Vodka has partnered with Wings of Rescue, Pilots N Paws and Mission Miracle K9 - a network of non-profit organizations - to transport dogs across the United States to their next home sweet home.

For the last 20 years, Tito's Handmade Vodka has been keeping more than 90 dogs from the company's headquarters and distillery. Vodka for Dog People has more than 2,300 partnerships with animal welfare programs each year.

Besides, "Coming Home: Stories of Canine Transport", a series about the journey of finding new families for the abandoned dogs from the "Vodka for Dog People" program, was also aired in August 2020. Read more about the donation process for “Vodka for Dog People” here.

This article is translated by L A M