We’ve been dog owners and a foster home for dog rescue organizations for over a decade and seen many trends in training, nutrition, gear, etc. We are not that plugged into social media and share little if anything personal. However we do take note of other people’s experiences and challenges of pet ownership.
Most people post cute pictures of their dogs and of the beautiful places they’ve been. Many are very skilled with a DSLR camera and photo editing, so they look amazing … and therein lies the issue. A lot of people do simple things like edit out the leash (we do that sometimes too for aesthetic reasons) and add filters to their pictures. Some of them would take a bunch of pictures when they are at a beautiful or unique location and post it to their various social media accounts spread over several months. Some even alter the image entirely to look like they are amongst the blazing golden fall leaves place or winter wonderland with perfect bright white snow.
People who spend a lot of time on social media know this but otherwise don’t give it much thought. It is easy to look at a picture of a dog in a beautiful or visually interesting setting and think that is that dog’s everyday life. For somebody getting through a challenging period in their life, maybe dealing with financial or health issues, or having a dog with behavioral issues, seeing pictures like that can make them feel inadequate. A person whose dog has behavioral issues can’t take that candid shot of their dog off leash or somebody with a reactive dog can’t take that cool urban shot of their dog. They start to think “what is it that I’m doing wrong? Why can’t my dog be like them?” But one should remember that social media is a snapshot, it doesn’t tell the whole story. For all you know that candid off leash action shot was edited to have the leash removed, that cool dog in the urban setting could’ve had a meltdown right after the picture was taken. Alternatively, what that picture doesn’t convey is that the owner worked extremely hard over possibly many years, missing vacations, getting into arguments with family members, missing work and or sleep just to cope with their dog and modify unwanted behaviors. Some very popular instagram celebrities give their dog a sedative so they can bring their dog to busy public events for the sole purposes of taking pictures and gaining followers. Some people constantly lose their dog because they’ve not been trained to behave off leash or break park rules for the sake of those pictures. Some unfortunately abuse their dogs away from the camera. The point is that we don’t know the reality behind those pictures.
So my advice is stop comparing yourself with others. Be kind to yourself and don’t force that amazing shot at some interesting location and just enjoy the moment. Strive to be happy and appreciate the little things. Live in the present and enjoy the time you have with your dog whether it’s watching TV in your PJs or out on some road trip adventure. Your dog doesn’t care if they don’t go anywhere or that they don’t have the latest dog toy … they just want to spend time with you!
