Irene’s Approach to Pet Care
Positive animal welfare.
Everyone approaches pet care slightly differently, and in my opinion, it’s just a matter of finding the right fit for your pets. My approach to pet care comes from a combination of experience caring for many animals throughout my lifetime and the knowledge I have gained from my Master’s program and other experts.
My perspective is that pets deserve to feel safe, cared for, happy, and fulfilled. But how do you go about that? Well, I always put safety first: I carry a pet first aid kit with me, have taken a course on pet first aid, and have a pet first aid app on my phone at all times. I ask all of my clients for their vet’s contact information and make sure I have information on their health, allergies, and vaccinations being up to date.
When it comes to trying to make pets happy, research has shown that pets are healthier and engage in more positive behaviors when they know what to expect. This is where training comes in. Setting boundaries and expectations, creating a routine, redirecting unwanted behaviors, and rewarding desirable behaviors consistently helps your pets feel comfortable. When your pets know what to expect from you and from their environment, they are less likely to be anxious or unsure of what you are asking them to do. I use positive reinforcement, force-free training techniques, as research has shown that these techniques can strengthen the pet-owner bond!
Okay, now seriously, how do you help a pet feel fulfilled? Pet’s show intrinsically motivated behaviors. Dogs are often driven to chew, play, and interact with people and/or other animals. Cats are often driven to climb, scratch, and sprint/chase after things. This is where enrichment comes in. Helping your pets fulfill these intrinsically motivated desires in a way that doesn’t damage your belongings not only helps you, it helps your pets! Redirecting the behaviors towards objects that we want them to chew or scratch on and helping them get their energy out can make you both feel happier and once again strengthen your bond!
So when it comes to pet care, I focus on your pets’ safety while working to strengthen your bond through consistent expectations and making sure you and your pet are having a blast as often as possible!
I am also writing the Spotty Paws blog to bring you educational resources on training, enrichment, and companion animal welfare. Is there a topic you would like me to research and write about? Head over to the “Blog Ideas” page (here) to tell me about it!
