"The dog that is giving us a hard time, is having a hard time."

I don't know who originally said this. I saw it somewhere on my Instagram, heck it may have even been about a child, not a dog. 

Anyhoosie, if it was you, tell me so I can credit you in the future. 

It's a simple statement that makes so much sense, yet hard to remember and easy to forget. Particularly if we have a full bucket ourselves at the time. 

It's common to shrug the dog off.

"Don't be rude."

"You're so stubborn."

"Be nice." 

"He/shes just being dramatic."

I can completely appreciate where someone is coming from when a pup is having a challenging time and therefore the human is a having a challenging time (I even heard myself slip on this one this morning).

And at the same time we can also appreciate where the dog is at too.

It's not their first choice to exhibit distress, barking, lunging, or anything else of the sort, however it is what they're capable of in the moment and a clear communication from them saying "hey, I'm not okay."

They're literally having a hard time. So let's be a friend and give them an exit strategy, a positive outcome, or a calming stroke of reassurance and support.