16 Things Your Dog is Grateful for This Year

Gratitude is such a powerful emotion; I love taking time to consider the things in my life that bring me joy and allow me to feel grateful. My dog, Jake, and getting to train dogs for a living are right there at the top of the list.

I’m sure your dog is one of the top things you are grateful for as well.

Last year I wrote a blog post about 13 Things Your Dog is Grateful for and I thought it made sense to update that post for 2021.

Researchers debate whether dogs can feel gratitude, but we pet moms and dads know they can. All it takes is a look at the face of a rescued pup when you take him home and give him his own bed and you simply can’t deny that dogs understand gratitude.

So, I unscientifically asked around to all my dog friends who want to share the following list of things they are grateful to YOU for! Dogs were able to add a couple of items this year due to the pandemic so I guess the old saying that every cloud has a silver lining is true.

So, without further ado, here are 16 Things Your Dog Is Grateful For This Year:

1. That they have you in their life.

2. The Pandemic because they got to see so much of you!

3. The Pandemic because maybe you adopted them during your quarantine!

4. That you feed them healthy meals that provide good nutrition and dietary variety.

5. All the lovely treats you share with them.

6. That you walk them multiple times a day and that some of those walks are their choice of which way to go and how long to sniff.

7. That you provide them with a safe, secure and comfortable place to sleep.

8. That you keep them healthy with regular veterinarian visits and wellness practices.

9. That you keep them from getting lost by microchipping them and keeping them on a leash or in a fully fenced play area.

10. Belly Rubs!

11. That you support them to have excellent behavior by humanely teaching them what you want them to do by using rewards and never punishment.

12. That you provide safe, fun and enriching toys and activities to keep their mind engaged.

13. That you take time to be close to them and give them lots of cuddles and ear scritches.

14. That you never raise your voice or hit them when they make mistakes or do something you don’t like.

15. That you have committed to keeping them as part of your family for their entire life, even when they are old or it becomes inconvenient.

16. That no matter how silly they are, you love them unconditionally.

What can you add to this list? Ask your dog!