Do your animals compulsively lick or pee when you're out?

If you don't know me, I have 3 puggies, Admiral (dad), Arcona (mom), and Anoo (son), whom I adore more than anything else! And yes, they're named after Star Wars aliens.

Anyhoo, thought I'd take a couple minutes to share with you a couple things I've learned with them... 'Cause if there's something wrong with them, then there's something (emotionally) wrong with me! If you're a pet lover, I assume you feel the same!

Anoo (youngest) was potty trained early on from his mama, Arcona, and daddy, Admiral. Plus, they have a doggie door, to boot. He was born here, so the transition to adulthood seemed pretty easy for him. He never had to break that bond that other siblings do. So why, after being potty trained, would he elect to piss all over my kitchen when I'm away?

If you understand that animals don't do things out of spite (sorry, that's a human quality!) then you understand that the dog isn't peeing because he/she is mad. With that out of the equation, I was hitting my head trying to figure out WHY this could be happening. There's nothing worse or more unsanitary that coming home to a pile of nasty, smelly PEE, and in your kitchen, no less.

After lots of digging I came up with this. If you're having trouble, perhaps it will work for you, too. Grab a shirt or something that SMELLS like you (an article of clothing works best, I think). Make sure it's safe (no buttons or anything they can swallow) and place it near them when you leave. The theory is that (some) animals have anxiety and pee out of nervousness. Thankfully, I was too exhausted for my ego to tell me this was silly, so I tried it, and it WORKED!!! Still does.

Now, if they pee trying to cover up another animal's scent, this is entirely different. They're spraying. It only works if ANXIETY is the issue. But point is, it does work! yippee!!!

Next obstacle I've recently overcome is the mama, Arcona, compulsively licking!! Why? Well, the vet says she could be licking outside stuff off her (allergy-related) which I don't think is the case, since she does it when she's been in most of the day. OR, they say anxiety, because they fear darkness (is it close to bedtime?). That IS when she licks, so I'm thinking this MIGHT be the case. I've discovered if I hug her snug up against me, she slowly STOPS licking. Think about if you're upset or anxious and someone gives you a hug.. how do you feel? Better, right? It's the little discoveries I tell ya, that make a world of difference.

Thanks for reading.

Pugs & kisses.

xo Jentri

Humanizing swords

Just realized I haven't written about whatever the hell I want to in a while - so here I am! ;)

The last month's been crazy. Through some tough emotional (work-related) stuff, I've been reminded of how much I appreciate the people that mean the most to me - and why.

Sometimes, we let our ego's care about other people's perceptions of us. And that's never a winning situation. So I asked myself one question:

Why would I be mad or sad if someone said something about me that wasn't true?

Can you imagine how celebrities must feel? Sure, they've got glamour and money, but I think we forget they're humans, too.

Recently, we had to let someone go on a project, (for a logical, valid reason) and that person questioned my loyalty and character. I had to stop the (email) conversation right there. I couldn't/wouldn't respond to that. It felt too much like blindly throwing sharp objects without knowing even knowing what was being aimed at (besides my head!).

Does this person not understand this is a business decision and not a friendship decision? Would this person have acted this way, or said these things to someone else, whom they maybe respected more?

Truth is, I don't really know this person that well.

This is the conclusion I've come to though. If someone doesn't really know you, they can let their mind run wild with false perceptions of who you are. And let's be honest, it's much easier to throw swords that way, instead of just taking responsibility for your own actions. But there's good news (hidden in) here.

I know who I am.

I'm a sister, daughter, wife, aunt, and lover of all sweet life... a human being, though never perfect, that has some friends other people would die for. I've been married for over 10 years in a loyal relationship to a strange, loving human being. When I give a compliment I mean it. And when I send out loving thoughts, they're sincere.

People are not one dimensional. And just because you see something one way, doesn't mean it's the right way.

People are colorful, and complicated.

But, when someone's on fire, sometimes you have to surrender to "it's better to be kind than right."

Their fight is not your fight. Their feelings are not your feelings. Let them work it out.

I say this because we all are complex beings. We all have baggage and pockets full of surprises. But if we're smart, we learn to deal with it, put it aside, and don't let it dictate how we run our lives.

It's so easy to judge, laugh, criticize or even love strangers from a distance, when they haven't been humanized, isn't it?

Every once in a while, I get frustrated in traffic, too. But then I close my eyes (while I'm stopped of course!) and imagine if the person driving the car were my dad or mom.. and it changes everything.

As Dr. Dyer says, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

I see this (above) message as a way of honoring our bodies and minds. Choosing peace, and as a consequence - freeing our minds from clutter and unimportant drama. Knowing we all have a choice as to how we respond and handle things in our lives, even when they're not ideal.

And today, I choose to forgive that person for throwing swords, even if they choose otherwise. 'Cause the way I see it is, there are only two kinds of emotions: Love & Fear. Guess which one angry swords comes from?

Wishing you all love, laughter, light, and peace as you go into your week... stay reminded of what and who really matters... there's no greater time to give yourself the gift of love, honesty, and respect - than the present.

Jentri