Let Us All GATHER With Gratitude

As many of us gathered around the table together this past week to celebrate Thanksgiving, many of us shared what we are most grateful for in our lives. A theme throughout the holiday season for many is the feeling and practice of gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful emotion. It can change our perspective, open our hearts and minds, and ground us in our reality. But it is a practice. We often don’t wake up feeling grateful. It takes practice and diligence to remind yourself that gratitude is imperative to the improvement of our mental and physical health. Without gratitude, we could lose out on the many joys of life. That being said, I find it easier to feel gratitude when you have a dog in your life.

When I look at Rooney, my heart fills with joy and I always feel so grateful to be in his life. While our dogs remind us that we have them to feel grateful for, they also remind us how to express gratitude. Dogs look at us and thank us for every meal, for every treat, for every walk, for walking in the door, for waking up in the morning, for being home, and the list goes on. When Rooney looks at me and his eyes say “thank you”, I remember that gratitude is not only about a feeling, but also about an expression.

So I asked myself, how do I show Rooney that I am grateful for him. Here are some of the ways I do my very best to give Rooney gratitude and ways you can show your dog you are grateful too:

• Pets: just the simple act of petting Rooney expresses love and gratitude that he is in my life. I pet Rooney first thing every morning when I get up and I pet him right before I go to bed every night. I never want to start, or end, a day without him knowing that I love him, and I am so grateful he is there.
• Walks: giving your pet daily exercise is a great way to show them your gratitude. They need the exercise and the stimulation in order to live an enriched life.
• Shelter: of course Rooney is always inside at our house, however, bringing them inside isn’t the end of the story. As pet parents, we have the opportunity to provide our pets with the best shelter possible. Meaning, we not only invite them inside but provide them with their very own space and the best bedding for their needs.
• Time: giving of your time is a great way to show gratitude. In addition to providing your pet with the proper exercise and training, you can just simply be there, when they are there. Sit with them, read with them, be home with them.
• Training: training shows your pet gratitude by providing them with treats and food incentives, in addition to providing a necessary level of mental stimulation that every dog needs.
• Food: Providing your pet with high-quality food is a wonderful way to show your pet your gratitude. For us, that means feeding Rooney Petcurean. Petcurean is a wonderful family owned company that has always focused on high-quality ingredients for their pet food. Just recently, they have made efforts to improve upon their recipes with their new line of food, GATHER.

GATHER

Petcurean is an excellent food source that we have fed to Rooney for over a year. He absolutely loves the flavors, and I know I am providing him with a balanced high-quality food that was designed by veterinary and pet food specialists. But what makes GATHER different from other Petcurean recipes? This time, their focus was on creating the same great product while improving sources and sustainability.

“GATHER is a new pet food line crafted from certified, organic, non-GMO and sustainably produced ingredients.

Petcurean went through the trouble of finding the farmers, growers, and fisherman that met strict sustainability practices. Their sustainability standards can be summarized in 5 requirements:

• Following humane animal welfare practices
• Protecting water supplies and limiting water use
• Protecting farmer, rancher and producer livelihoods
• Ensuring the preservation of natural resources
• Actively working to preserve biodiversity

Petcurean’s efforts in sustainability don’t stop at the food and food sources. The company also wanted to make sure that they were reducing waste by switching to a 30% bio-based plastic bag. GATHER allows us to know that we are providing Rooney with healthy food to show him our gratitude and we can show the earth our gratitude as well!

Tell me, what is your favorite way to show your pet gratitude? Does GATHER sound like a pet food that would be good for your pet?

Disclaimer: I am a blogger advocate for Petcurean. I am compensated for providing my opinion on Petcurean products. However, My Kid Has Paws only provides reviews for products that we feel our audience will enjoy. Additionally, Petcurean is the food we feed Rooney every day.