What Your Pet Really Wants From You: Presence Over Performance
Just this week, I came across an article in HuffPost that explored a very special kind of dog walk—the kind I’ve been offering for years.
It’s not about clocking miles or checking a task off your to-do list. It’s a soulfully present walk. One rooted in connection, trust, and deep presence—using your dog’s own innate language.
What Nine Years of Pet Companionship Have Taught Me
Over the past nine years of working in heart-centered pet care, I’ve learned to listen to what your pets are always trying to show us.
They’ve taught me their rhythms and preferences—what lights them up, what makes them feel safe enough to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and most importantly, what allows the heart connection between you and them to truly thrive.
Whether your beloved companion is a dog, cat, rabbit, tortoise, guinea pig, or red-eared slider turtle, one truth remains the same:
They crave your presence more than anything else.
And that presence often requires us as humans to step outside our habitual, screen-filled comfort zones.
The Screens Can Wait—They Can’t
To be truly present is to disconnect from the phone, the tablet, the TV—just for a while—and meet your pet where they are. Not half there. Not distracted. Fully there.
They don’t split their attention. When your animal companion is with you, they’re with you. Fully. With eyes, ears, body, and soul. And that’s what they long to receive in return.
When Dogs "Talk to the Neighbors"
I’ve seen firsthand what happens when that presence is missing. A person comes home after a long day, barely says hello, maybe pats their dog on the head—and then flips on the TV.
The dog, eager for connection, goes outside and starts barking at the neighbors. And yes—barking is communication. It’s talking.
Here’s what’s really happening:
That bark is a way to grab your attention. And your dog knows that even if you respond by yelling, you’re at least responding. They now have your full attention—even if it's not quite the form they hoped for.
What They Want Most Is You
Animals live for our attention, love, presence, and connection. They don’t keep score. They don’t need perfection. They need you.
Even the most independent-seeming pet lights up with your presence. The truth is:
Your presence has the power to brighten their world.
And the more consistently you offer it, the more deeply they meet you there.
Presence is the Path to Deep Listening
We often hear about surface-level versus deep communication. The same applies to your relationship with your animal companion.
Presence is what unlocks their deeper language.
The language of energy. Of gestures. Of quiet invitations to play, rest, explore, or simply be together.
When you meet your pet in this space, something profound happens:
You begin not just seeing them—but feeling them. And you start to understand that you’ve been in a dialogue all along.
