52 Weeks of Neighboring - Week 4

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Neighboring Tip of the Week - Take your dog for a walk, or ask a neighbor who walks one about their dog.

Welcome to 52 Weeks of Neighboring, canine edition! Our furry friends make the perfect conversation starters, so they’re fantastic for neighboring. In fact, we often call them the mascots of neighboring!

Do you have a dog? If so, for this week’s tip, we would encourage you to simply take your pup out for a nice, easy walk. We would also suggest that, before doing so, you set an intention to be as present as possible with the neighborhood around you. Of course, this may look very different for each person. One idea is to take time to focus on one or more of your senses throughout the walk. Along with this, as temperatures begin to warm up, folks will hopefully be spending more time outside. If you see a neighbor outside, we would encourage you to make an effort to strike up a conversation with them. Keep in mind that some of your neighbors may have had bad pet experiences, so be cautious if someone seems especially wary of dogs. Another idea is this: if you know a neighbor who regularly walks their dog, consider inviting them to walk with you and walk together!

Don’t have a dog? Don’t fret! This tip is for you, too. Have you noticed a neighbor who regularly walks their dog? If so, perhaps this neighboring experiment for you looks like making time to ask your neighbor about their furry friend. Pets are great companions for many, and people often love to talk about them. Perhaps you can also consider picking up a small bag of dog treats, and the next time your neighbor is on a walk, you can then ask if you can give some to their dog. Doing so may help you foster a friendship with not only your neighbor but their dog, as well!

This tip is also featured on an episode of our podcast, The Neighbor Next Door. The episode is titled “Neighboring Tip: Walking Your Dog”, and if you would like to gather more ideas or listen to us tell stories about our experiences with this tip, give the episode a listen on either iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play!

Happy neighboring!