Does every Saturday in the Fall find you watching your favorite team play football? I have a friend who has to put his dog in another room when he is watching a game on TV, because all cheering and yelling (by my friend) scares his furry buddy. Another friend tells me he keeps treats on hand; when his team does something really good and he cheers and yells, he gives his dog a treat. So instead of feeling frightened or left out, his pet is excited when his owner cheers, and then he enjoys a yummy treat! (My friend swears his dog understands two words – football and touchdown.)
Sharing our interests with our pets is one way to make them feel included, and part of the family. If you love to play football, talk about football, watch football, anything football, find a way to share that with your dog.
You can’t take your dog with you to most college games but there are plenty of dogs associated with college football. Start with the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Washington Huskies. The University of Tennessee has Smokey, a Bluetick Coonhound. And Boise State uses a Labrador Retriever named Kohl to retrieve the tee from the field after a kickoff.
When you’re not watching a game on TV, take your canine buddy out for a walk, maybe to a local field where you can practice your own passing or punting skills, and teach your buddy to retrieve and bring the ball back to you. Before long, you will be able to practice that perfect throw with lots of spin, and your furry buddy will retrieve it for you. Or, buy your pet its own football dog toy to play with – make sure it’s small enough for your pet to pick up with its mouth, but too large to be swallowed.
Keeping your pet active will help to keep it healthy. And any interaction between the two of you will help to make the bond of friendship even stronger – a benefit that will pay dividends long after football season comes to an end, when you’re speaking of pets.
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