When I come home from work I know I’ll be greeted by the tap of my dog’s tail. I’ll often find Little One lounging in a chair, but if I worked late or had nighttime meetings she’ll be sitting by the door. It isn’t long before she rolls over for a tummy rub–they’re her favorite, after all.
We quickly move to the couch where we begin our conversation. She sits close and looks up while I talk and pet her.
I tell her that she put a smile on my face when I came home. And sometimes, that smile is exactly the thing I needed.
I ask her about her day. She looks up at me with her big eyes and I know exactly what she did. She basked in the sun. She looked out the window. She spent quite a bit of time snoozing. She may have even gone on a walk, if someone in my family took her on one.
And then I tell her about my day. Yes, I tend to focus on the stressors of my day, but when she’s looking at me with those big, beautiful eyes I know that she’ll sit there. And she’ll listen. What I say won’t bother her and she’ll just soak up the attention she’s getting.
As I finish up the story of my day, she starts to lean back so that she can get a tummy rub. This is when I grow silent and I just give her a tummy rub. She turns one way and then another, making sure that exactly what she wants out of that tummy rub.
In 2016 I’ve thought a lot about routines–specifically, my lack of routines. I’ve thought about cultivating a night routine, although I still don’t have a consistent one, and I’ve been waiting for summer to work on creating a morning routine. But one day, as Little One and I sat down for our after work chat, I realized that I do have an afternoon routine. One of the things I really love about this routine, it’s that a way for me to start to unwind after the day and, most importantly, it gives the two of us a chance to connect each day and keeps the human/dog bond strong. And it’s the best!
10 Comments
Jenny
April 25, 2016 at 9:09 amYour pup is too cute! I don’t currently have a pet but I do talk to my parents dog whenever I am home haha.
xoxo, Jenny
chelsea jacobs
April 25, 2016 at 10:00 amI talk to Gatsby nonstop, but especially when I get home after being gone all day!
Chrissy
April 25, 2016 at 11:24 amWhat a cute picture of your sweetheart!
I am the same – talk to my pets and I know for sure they understand me!
Shann Eva
April 25, 2016 at 12:42 pmAwe. Your little one is too cute. I love that you have a routine and talk about your day. It’s so nice to have someone that just listens.
Christine
April 25, 2016 at 1:26 pmAw, this is so cute!
Angela Tolsma
April 25, 2016 at 3:50 pmYour puppy is adorable and that sounds like the perfect way to unwind.
Rebecca Hicks
April 25, 2016 at 4:32 pmI love your pup!! So sweet. I think having a dog is one of the things I have loved the most about this past year. They love you unconditionally and there’s nothing quite like a sweet puppy lick and nuzzle to get you out of a funk.
Mistle
April 25, 2016 at 4:39 pmI love going home everyday to my fur babies. They make the day so much better. I talk to them and they just listen and give kisses (which are the best). Oh fur babies are the greatest thing.
Angie Agerter
April 26, 2016 at 12:37 amI don’t have an afternoon or evening routine with Roxy, but we do have a morning routine – more so in the cooler weather, once it gets a bit warm, it changes a bit.
Jessica
April 26, 2016 at 7:43 amI need to get a dog. My cats just don’t care how my day was. #terribleroommates