Last night at our house we had what I refer to as a ‘Bone Night’.
What is a Bone Night? I’m glad you asked!
Bone Nights are nights (or sometimes days, depending on the situation) where I pick up a bunch of raw bones (one for each of the dogs), and they spend the afternoon or evening or what have you in their kennels, happily chewing on their spoils. This gives me time to do something that doesn’t involve any of them directly, but ensures that they’re fulfilled and happy while I’m otherwise occupied. It also ensures that their teeth stay clean and healthy, which is why my almost-twelve-year-old Dobermann still has teeth that are completely clear of plaque, and my Chihuahua (pictured) hasn’t had to have a dental yet, despite being eight years old.
There are a number of reasons why I might choose to give my dogs a Bone Night, and I’m going to list some of them for you here:
1 ) It’s date night. My fiancé is incredibly good about the fact that I’m ALWAYS BUSY. I mean, yeah, he knew what he was getting into when he started dating me, but since then I definitely decided to go back to university full time, aaaaaand then I started my own business. So it’s not like I’m LESS busy (or even the same busy) as I was when he met me. Date Nights coincide with Bone Nights so that I know that the dogs are occupied and enjoying themselves, even though I’m not actively doing something with them at that time.
2 ) I’m not feeling well. Maybe I had a bad day. Maybe my body is being a jerk (it thinks it’s old already). Maybe my emotional or mental energy reserves have just been used up and I’m running on fumes. Whatever the cause, I know that my patience, tolerance, and ability to deal with the things that my active, high-energy, too-smart-for-their-own-good dogs like to throw at me (I’m looking at you two, Trip and Tierney) are a lot lower than I’d like them to be. Bone Nights make sure that I’m not risking unfair reactions to potential canine shenanigans AND that the dogs are happy and stimulated as well.
3 ) I just need a break. Adulting is hard. I don’t care who you are, adulting is HARD (unless you’re a multi-millionaire with no kids, no responsibilities, and no conscience, I suppose). Work, school, kids, pets, relationships, family… all of those things take time and energy, no matter how important they are or how much you love them, and sometimes you just need to let yourself rest. Bone Nights are a great way to take your dogs out of the equation so that you can have some you time to recharge and recenter yourself.
It’s really important to remember that while yes, we absolutely need to ensure that our dogs are properly physically, mentally, and emotionally stimulated on a daily basis, we also need to make sure that WE are in a state of physical, mental, and emotional well-being that ALLOWS us to meet their needs the way we should be. That way everyone stays healthy, happy, and SANE. Well. Mostly sane? Yeah. At least mostly sane. It also means that any behavioural or training challenges that you’re currently dealing with suddenly have a way of seeming a lot less impossible.
So if you’ve had a bad day, date night with your partner is long overdue, or you just want to be able to disappear into the bathroom for a good, long soak by yourself without having to wonder what the dog is getting into, try giving your dog(s) a Bone Night, so that everyone gets to enjoy their evening in a healthier, happier, and sanity-friendly way.
For more information regarding the benefits of raw bones and other healthy options, check in with our friends at Evolution Raw Pet Food. They’ve got the knowledge AND the goods to make sure you and your dogs both have a fabulous experience.
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