Whether it’s the pressure of society’s traditions or marking the end of a larger moment in time, many of us are motivated to form New Year resolutions. Last year was the first year that I formed resolutions for my pups.
Cookie and Chip’s resolutions were hopes that I had for what I would accomplish with each of them in 2023.
Resolution Tips
Any article about resolutions will give you advice that is applicable to all resolutions – keeping them realistic, achievable, etc. But there are three that are particularly important with your dogs.
First, keep it fun. Even if there’s a serious goal of improving behaviors (a la Chip), training should be fun – for both of you.
Second, consider your dog’s personality and interests. You may want to get them to jog with you, but if they don’t enjoy it or are not otherwise equipped for it, don’t do it! Make it YOUR resolution, not theirs.
Lastly, if the resolution is exploratory in nature like Chip’s trying new sports, be sure to monitor their response to it and adjust accordingly. Chip has a knack for barn hunt, and seemed to have fun. But, he refused to tunnel (a requirement to title beyond Instinct) and was difficult to leash up after his run. So, instead of just entering him in more trials, I’m going to take the time to try some training with it.
Similarly, I wanted to try nose work with him. After trying some initial training attempts after an unrelated class, he’s afraid of boxes. So whether or not we pursue anything will depend on whether I can help him overcome his fear.
Chip’s 2023 resolutions
Chip’s resolutions were easy, considering he was a few days shy of six months old and still learning how to behave. Here are his resolutions (and subsequent outcomes):
Change [his] “official” name from Leave It Drop It No Chip to Good Boy Chip!
Result: Achieved! He’s not perfect, but we did five classes with him throughout 2023, culminating in earning his American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen certificate.
Try new sport(s).
Result: Achieved! I hoped to introduce him to multiple sports this year, but we only managed one – barn hunt. While he earned his Instinct title, he has a lot to improve upon before competing in another trial. Hopefully, in 2024, we can try a barn hunt class to see if he stands a chance of competing again.
Make [his] sister ❤️ [him].
Result: Achieved! As evidenced by the below photo taken yesterday, Cookie let Chip snuggle with her for more than 10 seconds (it lasted several minutes!). Cookie is not particularly affectionate and usually relocates almost immediately after any attempt to snuggle with her. She is increasingly tolerant, and she even sometimes worries about him being left behind. Make no mistake, Chip is still an annoying little brother that Cookie needs a mental health break from on occasion. But she no longer wants to return him.
Dig more holes ‘cuz [he] ain’t nothin’ but a hole digger!
Result: Much to his father’s dismay, achieved! This was clearly a silly resolution and one that we hoped wouldn’t come true. But Chip has a penchant for digging holes. We’re managing the behavior by limiting his time unsupervised in the yard and ensuring he has better outlets for his energy.
Cookie’s 2023 Resolutions
At the time, Cookie was eight, going on nine, years. Over the years, she’s taken road trips and competed in multiple sports. The perennial good girl, defining resolutions for her was more challenging.
Do more sports (at a senior pace).
Result: Achieved! Similar to Chip, I’d hoped to do more than one sport with her at a senior level, but we only made it to barn hunt. While she participated, she is clearly no longer interested in the sport. I may enroll her in a class with Chip just to see if she regains an interest by taking a formal class. This resolution, though, was more about doing stuff with Cookie. She’s always enjoyed classes and loves pleasing us. So maybe it will take the form of classes next year, or maybe just going out for fun activities like farmers’ markets.
Tolerate [her] brother more.
Result: Achieved! Cookie has always been pretty patient, but she’s truly embraced the role with Chip. She is even more likely to initiate play with him than she was a year ago.
Eat more homemade food.
Result: The jury is out on this one. I intended on putting a Christmas gift from last year to use by making homemade treats. For many reasons, I ended up not doing this. On the other hand, we replaced Cookie’s kibble breakfasts with gently cooked food. Technically, it’s not homemade, but it is fresh food and higher quality than her kibble.
Move upstairs without anyone noticing.
Result: Failed! Like Chip’s fourth resolution, this was meant to be a joke that she would fail at. Sometime early this year, Chip developed a fear of the upstairs, so it’s now Cookie’s refuge. When she needs an escape from him, she goes upstairs and either lays in the guest room bed or next to my husband when he’s in the office.
2024 resolutions
I’d hoped to share our 2024 resolutions in this post, but I haven’t decided on them yet. I’m still reflecting on what we achieved last year and where I hope the pups are a year from now.
Follow us on Instagram to see us reveal our resolutions in a few days!
pawrentingtails.com 