It’s the time of year for thoughts about thankfulness. I asked pet lovers online, “For what do you thank your pet or pets? Anecdotes about their wonderfulness are welcome! How do you show your gratitude to them? How does your daily life with them reflect your thankfulness for their importance to you?”
Here are some of the answers from pet lovers around the world:
Adrienne Critchlow (United Kingdom) I thank them for being exactly who they are, unafraid to let me know when they’re struggling; for enjoying the great outdoors with me; for choosing to engage in my training sessions. I thank them verbally, with toy play, treat games, scent games, hunting games, by letting them choose what they want to do next or where they want to go. I’m just forever grateful to them for merely being in this world with me.
Alisha Ardiana (California) I love taking our dog hiking on the beach. It’s our happy place.
Photo by Alisha Ardiana
Melissa Jolene Viera (Massachusetts) My dogs challenge me and inspire new adventures. I thank my dogs often in the ways that make sense for them as individuals. Midday walks, permission to dig in the yard, or ice-cream outings are just a few examples. My senior dog gets special thanks and I always ensure he gets one-on-one time with me no matter what the day brings. Training my dogs is my hobby and it gives me so much joy, and I thank them for playing the training games along with me. My dogs are not robots—they are individuals who deserve gratitude for all that they do. The way we thank them should match their own unique personalities.
Deb Hunt (Washington) My furry loves are all rescued. They’re appreciative, as am I. We rescued each other, and the love exchange is in our eyes, hearts, and touch. We’re all in tune with each other by our vibe.
Eric Bellows (New York) They know just what you need, and when and if you are open to them. They give back what you give them tenfold with their devotion, love, and the fun energy they share with us daily. I can honestly say that if it weren’t for my dogs, I would’ve given in to the darkness I battle daily with PTSD and bipolar, so I am eternally thankful and therefore devote my life to them and their needs. I will sacrifice my life if needed to give them life.
Oona McGuinness (Washington) As a lifelong cat owner, I find that my furry roomies just come and demand their rewards as needed.
Amy Suggars (Ohio) I am grateful for my dog Katydid because she is truly my companion! She kept me company through the long days of isolation during the pandemic. Because of her, I have gotten back into dog sports, which has resulted in the rekindling of old friendships and the making of new ones. To paraphrase Roger Karas, she is not my whole life, but she makes my life whole. Besides telling her every day that I love her, I also say thank you to her for being part of my family. I show my gratitude to her by giving her a good quality of life. I take her places to do activities that she enjoys (such as running, swimming, and retrieving) and try to enrich her life by training and showing her in competitions. The training challenges her brain and competitions give her a chance to go to new places and meet new people and other dogs. I feed her the best quality food I can afford and do all I can to keep her healthy and stress-free. Dogs are never with us long enough, and I want to show her as much love as I can every single day she is with me.
Darcey Byrne (Washington) Good one! So thankful that they give back. Some chickens are more cuddly than others and demand “pick up and pay attention to me” time. I am very thankful for their poop that goes into my compost (best compost ever) and makes my vegetable garden grow well. They love when I toss earthworms from garden to them. They get quality time every day from us and they honestly seem to give it back. And let’s not forget those farm-fresh eggs!
Isabel Alvarez Arata (Texas) My dog, Titan, changed my life in many ways. He inspired me to enter the pet care industry, has been my constant companion through many difficult times, and has taught me so much about myself. I thank him by honoring him in his golden years. He’s 15+ now and still enjoying life because we are doing everything we can to ensure his quality of life. We are patient with his struggles, gentle with his aging body, and constantly assessing his changing needs. He’s an angel from heaven and deserves all our love.
Karla Smele (United Kingdom) By doing everything they want … even getting up at 3 a.m. to flush the toilet so my dog can drink out of it.
Harve Morgan (California) My pet is a bird, a dusty headed conure, the largest of the species. She was naked when I rescued her, having plucked all her feathers out that she could reach. Lived in horrible conditions. I’ve now had her going on 25 years and she has yet to go up on my hand. I don’t force her. I let her give what she wants to give. She does give me kisses through the bars of her cage. She does entertain me, make me laugh. I show my gratitude by taking good care of her, by giving her play toys, by cleaning her cage, by sneaking food that she likes but shouldn’t have. I think it is a marvelous thing to have a bird, the most free animal in the world, accept you as a friend. She earns my gratitude by just being my friend.
Kellie Snider (Pennsylvania) Well, they make me feel loved. I show my appreciation by petting them when they ask for it, feeding them, giving them training and treat time in the evenings. And generally making my life revolve around them.
Neil Rubenstein (Florida) It’s simple … I let her be a dog. I always advocate for her and keep her safe, but she is her “own” dog!
Kellie Snider Neil, this is my style, too. I don’t currently have a dog, but my approach was to teach them what they needed to know to get along in the Land of Humans, and then let them be a dog. Even the one little dog I had got to be a dog. He walked on the ground and rolled in stinky stuff like a proper dog. Sometimes what they needed to know wasn’t much because they were a good fit anyway. Sometimes it meant protecting them from an unpleasant situation through some sort of management.
Kathy Smith (North Carolina) As my puppy Loki is working for me in the show or obedience ring, it has become our tradition to “go shopping” on Saturdays during a dog show weekend. We go through the vendor booths, and I let Loki pick out a toy and/or treat. While his collection of toys has grown, I also have a happy puppy who looks forward to weekends full of dog shows!
Trillium Schlosser (Oregon) I let her do all the things. She’s my best friend. I take her for car rides now that it’s cool, even if I’m just going to the store. I let her sleep under the covers if she’s cold. I give her the last bite of my dinner. I buy her quality food. I wait while she picks raspberries off the bush. She lies on me if I’m sick or sad and gently licks my tears or hand. I give her treats for no reason. I save apple peels because she loves them. I brush her so she doesn’t get tangles. I let her have the almost empty peanut butter jars. I’d do anything for her.
Glenda Lee (Maine) Gosh, I’m thankful for so many things my girls do. Little things like Dixie’s letting me brush her under the tail, which she hates. Both girls for letting me dry them after a damp outside trip. Daisy, who always steals my place on the bed, for willingly moving and making room for me. Dixie for being so careful not to plop her 120 pounds on me in bed. All the things they’re thanked for with words, pets, belly rubs, and, if they are inclined, cuddling.
Sandra Sandy Machado (Florida) I thank my Maya for teaching me to better relate to my clients with challenging dogs. Maya taught me how it is, day in, day out, and what it can do to your social life. Maya brought my empathy to a whole different level. Also, after my two-year-old nephew came to visit for over a month, I called all my clients with kids to apologize if I ever made it sound easy—or even doable.
Jill Gibbs (Montana) I’m grateful to my dogs for keeping me active. They force me to take them on daily walks. They humor me in all of the dog venues I train and trial them in. They keep me moving and I feel this helps keep me from debilitating symptoms. I have MS and I am doing very well. I credit a lot of that to my dogs.
I could never repay them for what they do for me. Homemade Jillcookies and dock diving are top pay options.
September B. Morn (Washington) My Rottweiler, Viggo, will fetch to hand anything I ask him to, from dog dishes out of reach at the back of the crate, to flashlights that slip from my hand and bounce down the hill and into the muddy pricker thicket. I thank him by saying “Thank you, sweetie, you’re so smart and good! Smart and good!” while petting/cuddling him. If it’s something amazing (like that flashlight, which I could not possibly have found in the dark and really could not have even gotten to), he gets good treats—cheese, meat, or a piece of whatever I’m eating. My Sheltie, Daisy, finds my chickens when they escape and run into the brush. Then she comes and tells me and takes me to them. Then she herds them toward me so I can scoop them up in a big fish landing net I use for that. I’m very grateful to her for doing this, because I’d be unable to find them myself, much less catch them and take them to safety. I thank her by telling her how fabulous she is to do this. She loves doing it and loves being praised for doing this job, which she made up for herself and thoroughly enjoys. She leaps and barks with joy after we get the job done together and I tell her how great she is.
What does your pet do that provokes your gratitude?
How do you show your pets their importance to you?
It’s always the time for thoughts about thankfulness!
