Just like the title says, you are the Boss of us. We rely on you to make good decisions to keep us safe and free from harm.  You make these decisions all the time. You keep us on a leash so we don’t run into traffic and you fence the yard so we can’t wander away & get lost.
Yet sometimes when it comes to other things you kinda drop the ball…like our medical care. I’ll give you a couple of good examples.
First, in my case. I fell down the stairs and broke my leg. I had to undergo 4 months of aftercare. That meant no running around. For the first few weeks I was only allowed outside to go potty. I had to stay in my bed and go to the vet. Life sucked. After a month, I was allowed to go for short 15 minute walks once a day. Life sucked a little less. I had to watch Cracker run & play & chase deer & rabbits and Momma wouldn’t let me join in. I was so mad & I pouted a lot.
During this time, I also had to learn to get groomed, (like life wasn’t bad enough). I was sure I was going to have a miserable existence and that I was doomed to a life of misery.
Slowly over time, I got longer and longer walks, then one day I got to go out without my leash! I was so happy. I could go anywhere I wanted in the yard and smell all the things I saw. One day Momma took me to the vet & he said I was completely healed & I was discharged from his care. I celebrated by chasing a rabbit. All the rules Momma made me follow really paid off and now I can run and play and I chase rabbits every day. Oh, and I learned how much fun grooming really is & now I love getting spoiled at The Spa.
The next case I want to talk to you about is Miss Bailey. Before she came here she could eat whatever she wanted and as much as she wanted. She was really fat and unhealthy. She had developed diabetes.
Well, she moved in here and her life changed. She was given 2 meals a day of calorie controlled food. She had to get 7 units of insulin twice a day. Did she like it? Absolutely not. The first time Momma put food down for her, she turned her nose up at it and walked away. But, Momma was diligent and stuck to her guns. Eventually Bailey ate her food and now she runs down the hall and wags her tail at meal times. Momma’s “stick to the vet’s rules” approach started to pay off very quickly, Bailey lost 2 pounds the first week. Now, 3 months later, she has lost a total of 10 pounds and is down to 3 units of insulin twice a day. She is a much happier dog, she wags her tail more, she runs and plays more and when Momma tells people that she is 10, they don’t always believe her. She will live longer now because she is healthier.
And the best part, next week, if her blood sugar is still low, she might come off insulin all together. How cool would that be?
This is why it is important for you to always remember that YOU ARE THE BOSS OF US. We may not like the decisions you make, but we are dogs. We aren’t able to make good decisions for ourselves. We need you to do that for us. ~ Muppet