Compromise

My dogs like to sun bathe when the sun is high in the sky.  Even though they have a doggie door available to them when I'm home, they prefer that I go with them when they go outside.  But I get nauseous in the hot sun.

Today, I figured out a compromise that works for both of us.   I sat on the floor right inside the doorway. That way, they can sit in the sun and keep and eye on me at the same time. And I get to stay in the air conditioning and out of the sun.

Dogs probably don't understand human negotiation, but I started thinking about other compromises I've made for the dogs. Things that accommodated them but didn't demand too much sacrifice from me.

I don't know Puddin's breed. She sort of looks like a Dachshund/Beagle mix. So naturally her nose is always on the ground. Not pulling on a 6 foot leash was hard for her.  So we made a deal. "I'll give you more space and allow you to move at a comfortable gate if you promise not to use all of that space and pull on leash.".  When we go to quiet parks, if no one is around, she gets 30 feet of sniffing space.

When Lupe first came to live with me, she was afraid of me and afraid to go outdoors. It was too traumatizing to make her go outdoors. And even if I did force her to go out, she was too afraid to potty.
But I discovered that if I put down newspapers in a corner of the house ( far form her sleeping area), she would go on them. So while she learned to be less afraid, I let her go on newspapers indoors. I still had to clean up her elimination but at least I didn't have to steam clean the carpets.   After a few months, she decided on her own to start pottying outside.  The newspaper pottying was something that worked for both of us.

How do you compromise for your dogs? Tell us in the comments section below.

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