Oscar and I ring in the new year with some resolutions that are fun to keep!
It’s time to say goodbye to 2013 and say goodbye to 2014 with good friends, good food and good dogs. New Year’s resolutions seem like an impossible to-do list, which is why we usually give up on them by mid-January. But are you more likely to keep them if they share your dog?
I got the idea when I noticed that Oscar and I seemed to like hanging out on the couch more often. Granted, it is winter, and none of us is partial to the cold and snow. But that doesn’t mean we have to blaze until spring (and add more junk to all of our stumps). So here are some of my inspired New Year’s resolutions that I plan to keep going into 2014.
- Join a new class of “Doggy and Me”: Oscar is a smart little fella who doesn’t get a chance to socialize with other dogs very often. He’s not the biggest fan of dogs (although he does love people and squirrels). That’s why I’m signing up for an obedience class. He knows all the basics, but I’d like to go through it. I’d like to teach him some new tricks and work on some return and listen commands. Plus, I want him to make some doggy friends. I feel he is missing out on not having a DBF (Dog Best Friend) and working on some of his fear based behaviors.
- Try Doga: I’m not a big fan of yoga, but if Oscar is part of the mix, I know he’ll find it more exciting. I don’t know of any chapters in my area, but I’ll start looking. Oscar is only 10 pounds, so he’ll be easy to lift, if needed. And it will be fun to spend some extra time with him while doing sports.
- Go for more walks: I admit it—at the sign of any kind of inclement weather, I turn off the dog walk and turn on the TV. But in 2014, I’m going to adopt a postal-like mantra when it comes to walking. Snow, rain, volcanic eruptions and zombie ailments will not stop us from our daily walk. We’ll put on our coats, boots, and decapitators (for zombie-killing purposes only) and go for a walk around the neighborhood. We will not just go our usual way. We’ll hop in the car and explore different parts of the city, making new friends wherever we go.
- Take a Ride: My friends over at you What you did with your Wiener inspired me to take a further hike. I love communicating with nature and hiking through rocky trails. Jessica, who runs the blog, has two cute little dachshunds named Chester and Gretel, and these dogs don’t let their small size slow them down. I’d like to take some long hikes in our area. We’ll start small in the spring and work our way up to an all-day hiking trip in the fall when nature is at its best.
I don’t want to commit Oscar and me to a load of new activities – I want to make sure I follow up on them on a regular basis. I think by keeping the list compact, we have a better chance of sticking to it.
Do you have any New Year’s resolutions for you and your dog? Did it inspire you to create your own business? Please leave your resolutions in the comment section below. I will be sure to update you on my progress on this list.
