So what is a unicorn dog?
Unicorn dog is the phrase often given to the type of dog we all compare our own to. They are the dog you see happily relaxing at the pub, lapping up attention of passers-by, the dog you see strolling down a busy street or marketplace without a care in the world, the dog that interacts beautifully with all people and all dogs, seemingly without any issues at all. Simply, they are the dogs we often look at and wonder why our dogs aren’t the same and ask ourselves what we are doing wrong.
The thing about unicorn dogs is that they are the ones we see. They are actually few and far between but we don’t see the dogs that are scared to leave the house, the ones that are walked in quiet areas to avoid people or dogs or the ones who would leave a puddle on the floor if taken to the pub so we don’t compare our dogs to those ones. You can bet there is far more of these dogs to compare ourselves to but they are not right under your nose everywhere you go so we tend to forget they are there.
We also sometimes don’t realise that these unicorn dogs aren’t unicorn dogs after all. They might be sat in the beer garden but if you look closer, their tail is between their legs while their owners happily enjoy a drink not realising their dog would rather have been left at home. It’s so important to understand your dog and read their body language but often people don’t and dog owners think their dogs are much happier than they really are.
It is human nature to compare, but next time you see a dog in a situation where you wish you could have brought yours along, ask yourself if the dog is really happy or would they rather be left at home? Does your dog want to come or is it you that wants them there? Is your dog really missing out or do they actually have a content life that’s enriched in other ways? It’s important to have realistic expectations when rescuing a dog and also find ways to manage their spoons so they can enjoy their lives and take part in certain things without putting them in compromising situations.