Ever considered going above and beyond for that man in your life who greets you with smiles and cheer every day you get home? Am I dreaming? Nah, I just mean that faithful pooch who is happy playing with a sock as he is chewing on a bone.
1. Keep the relationship healthy – don’t skimp on vet visits – make sure you’re up to date on your shots and heartworm meds and that your pet is healthy and checked out. Past that, don’t forget maintenance – just like us, our furry friends need exercise! In fact, they can be a wonderful exercise program! Walk around the block, play chase at your local dog park, make sure that you’re both 
enjoying life at full speed!
2. Enjoy a meal – if your city is a pet friendly one, tackling this should be no issue. Hit your local patio cafe or at least grab some coffee from a walk up window and plop down on a city bench. Make sure to bring Fifi or Sparky some water and maybe even a bagel to match the one you’ve got in hand! Eating together, while it sounds odd, is much better than eating alone – that’s plain unhealthy!
3. Be whimsical! Your pet likes being goofy! You be goofy too! Run around and play like you were four years old again, such youthful acts of kindness will warm your heart as much as it gets Roofus into an even better mood! Grab a few new toys or even give rise to buying a few of your own favorites that you can both share – ever consider getting a kiddie bowling game and watching him run after the ball or bark as the pins go down?
4. Don’t forget a healthy dose of discipline. Rules still apply to us, they still apply to your pets. Even if they are past the basics of sit, stay and come here….see if you can take etiquette a step further. Can they lay down if a child starts to pet them? Try shaking hands with a new human friend on command. These little tricks aren’t just impressive, they show that you’re still boss, and continue to prove that even old dogs can learn new tricks.
5. Bond. How much do you hug your pet? How much do you need to hug something every now and again? Even 6 seconds of a good contact hug will start those endorphins going. Even the seemingly one-sided talking to your animal (instead of talking to yourself) can help improve your mood levels. Sure, he’ll tip his head side to side….letting you think he knows what’s going on….perhaps he just may.
Living Aloud Allowed 
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