Grateful for Dogs on This and Every Thanksgiving

It goes without saying that on a holiday devoted to gratitude, that I am grateful for my dogs. While they are occasionally a source of concern (both of them being prone to minor but mysterious and undiagnoseable maladies), they are daily a source of amusement and affection, companionship and comfort. They help me professionally, as models for WDJ, test subjects for product reviews and training techniques, and as helper dogs in training classes. And perhaps most importantly, they make me get outdoors to walk—a cure for most bad moods, depression, lethargy, or headaches, and a huge component of my mental health maintenance program.

While my own dogs have been a lifelong source of love and learning, so has all of dogdom. The free-roaming dogs of the rural area where I spent my childhood were as friendly and familiar to me as the kids I rode the bus with—that is to say, some nice and some who were best avoided! From those rural roots I learned about the respect that a well-trained dog can inspire from watching our rancher friend’s Kelpies work cattle, and how dogs who are unguided and unsupervised usually come to tragic ends. Later, force-free dog training and behavior modification deeply informed how I parented my son—“catch them in the act of doing something right and reinforce!”—and I am immeasurably proud to see him carry on that sort of parenting.

I’m also grateful for the humans who have come into my life through dogs. Some of the most generous, compassionate, and selfless people I know, love, and admire are those who work to help dogs. This includes people who work with dogs professionally, such as shelter workers, trainers, veterinarians, and vet techs, but also people who volunteer as foster providers, transporters, trappers, fundraisers, and artists. And my best friends are all “dog people.” We may not know the names of each other’s partners, but we know everything about each other’s dogs, including their food allergies and titles obtained! And when our beloved dogs pass away, we share each other’s deep grief.

If you’re like me, you will take the opportunity on this Thanksgiving Day to show your gratitude to your dogs. Most of us will provide our dogs with a special meal on Thanksgiving—but it will be even more significant to them if you take them for a special walk to their favorite place, and let them sniff and explore at their pace (and you will feel better for having taken a walk, too!). But consider extending your gratitude for dogs in general by sending a donation to or volunteering to help needy dogs at your local shelter. The staff and dogs will be even more grateful.