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!
Your 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
I talk to Gatsby nonstop, but especially when I get home after being gone all day!
What a cute picture of your sweetheart!
I am the same – talk to my pets and I know for sure they understand me!
Awe. 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.
Aw, this is so cute!
Your puppy is adorable and that sounds like the perfect way to unwind.
I 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.
I 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.
I 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.
I need to get a dog. My cats just don’t care how my day was. #terribleroommates