dog_interview quetzal what if it falls on the floor? then it's mine 140425 ... ovenbird What can you tell us about your childhood? Well, on the surface it may have looked like warm laps and tasty kibble and gentle hands, but there were some dark days. You may not realize this but hubcaps exist. And when you pass them there are distorted dogs in there. They are twisted and deformed and terrifying and that kind of shit leaves its scars, you know? There are also garbage bins. You can’t trust a garbage bin. And let’s not even talk about the trauma of having your nails trimmed. Look, puppyhood is romanticized, and yeah, every child in this world wanted to give me treats and pet me, but no one talks about how overwhelming that can be for an introvert. Nowadays I have my one person and she knows that I’m not interested in socializing much. We understand each other. But that understanding takes time to build. It’s not easy being a small and fragile creature in a world with sharp teeth and in those early days I always believed I was moments away from being eaten. It’s better now. I feel safe, I bark at the neighbourhood dogs from the balcony, I can use my eyes to tell my person when I’m hungry, I know to avert my eyes when I see a hub cap. I wouldn’t want to go back. 250924 ... ovenbird Dogs are regularly cast in the role of “support animal” for their people, but we rarely talk about canine mental health. Can you comment on your own experience with anxiety and self-care strategies? The world can be a scary place, especially for a small dog. My bark may be bigger than my bite, but my bark, honestly, isn’t that big. There are a number of things that make me nervous including: having my harness put on before going for a walk, strangers coming into the house, sudden movements, and having to pee in the dark. I often look to my favourite person for reassurance, but I also depend strongly on squeaky toys. Squeaky toys are underappreciated comfort tools. My personal favourite is my emotional support croissant. It’s a perfect size and shape for chewing on. It’s soft and fuzzy in my mouth and it has a really satisfying squeaker inside. I bring it with me when I go for my bedtime pee after dark. My not-favourite person says I’m “weird” for carrying around my croissant, but my favourite person is always supportive. She even holds my croissant for me while I pee and gives it back right after so I can take it to bed. Anyway, my advice is–you should never feel ashamed of the things that bring you comfort, even if other people think they’re silly. This world has a lot of hard edges, so if you have something soft in your life wrap your jaws around it and hold it to you. There’s nothing wrong with you for wanting to sink your teeth into something that won’t bite back. 250925 what's it to you? who go blather from