Focusing on things to be grateful for manifests a profoundly positive experience of your life.

Today, learn how expressing gratitude TO YOUR DOG creates a true fusion between family and dog.

Show Highlights

• Bennie & Devin argued about doing this episode, and Bennie persuaded Devin that gratitude fits into the idea of Family Dog Fusion.
• The relationship goes both ways: both dog-to-human AND human-to-dog
• Because your dog just experiences LOVE and can’t tell the difference between GRATITUDE love or any other type, expressing gratitude is for YOU, the dog lover.
• Gratitude is your secret weapon, because it takes the relationship to a whole new level.
• One way to display gratitude to your dog is to create the structure she so NEEDS to thrive and be happy.
• In researching this show, Bennie identified many benefits of having a dog:
  • Non-judgmental companionship
  • Enhanced feeling of security in the home
  • Improved immunity in children with family dogs
  • Therapeutic effects of happiness and relaxation
  • Increased feeling of responsibility and capability
• So many reason to actually BE grateful for our dogs.
• How can we express that gratitude in a meaningful way?
• Dogs are becoming a very big social part of our lives. This might be Devin’s answer to being single!
• Bennie takes a heartfelt moment to reveal how our relationship is built upon brutal truth when necessary, and not taking anything personally.
• The change in a dog when it understands that it is a PART of the family is amazing.
• Discussion about how “the hierarchy” creates a ROLE for the dog.
• Devin commits to buying Tim the Editor a beer because he made Bennie change his grammatically-challenged postulate “Structure is Rules” to the grammatically-accurate “Structure MEANS Rules” !!!!!!
• Creating structure in the home demonstrates to your dog that you love her because it gives her a role.
• Bennie’s personal Snuggle Time with his dog Oz.
• Devin proposes a new postulate for Bennie: Structure Means LOVE!

Homework

Consciously look for the things in your life that you do consistently. Then, add some specific, decisive “alone time” with your dog in conjunction with those activities so that your dog LOOKS FORWARD to those times.

Call to Action

Go to FamilyDogFusion.com/insurance to check out Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.

Also, email us your suggestions for our Kickstarter campaign to publish and launch Bennie’s book: Family Dog Fusion.

Get In Touch

Check out our show page in iTunes to leave comments and subscribe or send us a message.

Dog Training Resources

Dog Training Definitions

Dog Training Tips and Postulates

Dog Training Rules