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  Present Moment Gratitude Write your dog a letter of gratitude, for everything they have brought into your life, everything they have taught you, and all the things you hope to experience together. Take a moment to read and reflect on this letter and all the emotions it might bring up in your body as a felt sense. A "felt sense" is a bodily-felt experience of a whole situation that exists before you can put it into words. Gratitude for the Past Write a letter of gratitude to each of your past dogs, who are no longer with you. Take...

  What is Biophilic Design?    Biophilic design is a concept that incorporates nature into the built environment to enhance the connection between people and the natural world, thereby improving physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This is achieved by integrating elements like natural light, vegetation, water features, and natural materials, as well as using designs that mimic natural forms, patterns, and spaces.    Many thanks to Dr. Niki Elliott who gave a very insightful presentation at the Polyvagal Institute gathering. I was especially interested in the concept of Biophilic Design as it relates to dogs and their nervous system regulation....

    If you feel your nervous system needs a reset, try one or more of the following: 1. Slow down. Gentle, mindful, and deliberate movements signal safety to your nervous system and the nervous systems around you. 2. Check in with your internal state, are you feeling flighty and stimulated, shut down and dissociated, or grounded and calm? Bringing awareness to your state can also bring compassion and understanding.  3. Give yourself a squeeze for containment, right hand under the left armpit, and left hand on the right shoulder. 4. Hum or sing your favorite song to self-soothe. 5....

The Sleep/Stress Cycle The often overlooked issue of getting enough quality sleep could be the missing key to regulating your dog's nervous system. As many of us have experienced at some point in our lives, it's difficult to get the proper quality and quantity of sleep when we are chronically stressed. And so we sometimes get "trapped" in a cycle where stress keeps us from sleeping, and then lack of sleep keeps us in a state of stress. This is why it is so important to focus on our dog's and our own healthy sleep habits.  Getting into a state...

Many thanks to Joy Eriksen for sharing this article with me. Joy is a CSAN if you need help feeding raw!  Read the Article Here: Functional Significance and Welfare Implications of Chewing in Dogs TLDR Bullet Points: 1. Denying dogs chewing opportunities may pose welfare concerns. 2. The shearing/abrasion forces during chewing help clean teeth surfaces and may reduce periodontal disease risk. 3. Chewing on harder substrates may stimulate bone remodeling in the jaws, strengthening bony architecture. 4. Chewing helps regulate the autonomic nervous system, reduces stress, and provides an outlet for behavioral motivation. 5. Chewing is a biological need...