Owner’s Perspective
For the past three years, Duke the Goldendoodle has treated my sneezes with the utmost respect. Each one met with a comforting paw on my knee, a single bark for solidarity, or an adorable cock of his head, as if to say “bless you, human.” But one day, the unthinkable happened. I sneezed, glanced at Duke for the requisite interaction we shared…and got nothing.

Now, you may wonder, why the alarm? People don’t acknowledge dog sneezes, right? Well, that’s not how it goes in our house. From the first day I brought home little Duke, I’ve “blessed” every dog sneeze, cough, or yawn. And in response, Duke has always reciprocated– every human cough, hiccup, and yes, sneeze, he has acknowledged in his own lovable way.

But that fateful day, Duke just looked at me, blinked twice, and then resumed his gnawing on the bully stick from The Hungry Puppy. Was it the allure of the deliciously chewy stick that distracted him? Or was it a conscious decision to dismiss my sneeze? I felt a pitiful pseudo-sneezing fit coming on, just to regain his attention…but what if he STILL ignored me?

I stared at him, searching his brown eyes for answers. Duke, oblivious to my internal turmoil, innocently wagged his tail, his furry snout buried deep into the bully stick. My heart sank. I realized it. My sneezes were deemed less important than a bully stick.

Duke’s Take on the Sneeze Snub
Just another day in paradise. There I was, relishing the best chewy stick my human ever gave me, a bully stick from The Hungry Puppy. Heaven, I tell you, is a fresh chewy, and NO INTERRUPTIONS.

Then, it happened. The human SNEEZED. Usually, I love this. Means I get to reciprocate the kindness of acknowledging MY sneezes. But THIS time, it was DIFFERENT. She disturbed my chew time, my me-time with this bully stick.

Who does she think she is? INTERRUPTING the chewy stick? It’s CHEWY TIME. This is SACRED. I mean, COME ON. Have some RESPECT.

I decided, in all my canine wisdom, that it was high time this human learned a LESSON. So, I ignored it.

My human seemed off after that. She pretended to sneeze (I’m not stupid, I KNOW a fake one when I hear it!), and when that did not work, she just sat there, looking at me with those pleading eyes. But hey, she started it.

Crisis Averted
Despite the torment of sneeze ignorance, I knew I had to make things work. Duty (or rather, Duke-y) called. So, I picked up my phone and dialed The Hungry Puppy.

You see, Duke’s love for bully sticks is only surpassed by one thing: freeze-dried treats. So, I opted for a variety pack of Duke’s all-time favorite freeze-dried treats from Primal, Stella & Chewy’s, and Dr. Marty. I needed something that meant more to Duke than a simple sneeze – something that would grab his attention and never let go.

When the treats arrived an hour later (God bless express delivery), I saw the excitement in Duke’s eyes. I knew then I had made the right call.

The very next day, after enjoying his gourmet freeze-dried treats, I sneezed. And there it was – a bark, the tilt of the head, and a paw gently placed on my knee. I’d like to think it was the comforting familiarity of our shared ritual that brought him back, but deep down, I knew better: Duke was definitely motivated by the treats.

Crisis averted. Sneeze acknowledged. Dog no longer hates me (until the next chew-stick incident).

Don’t let a silly misunderstanding get in the way of bonding with your furry friend. Sometimes, all it takes is a delectable treat. Visit The Hungry Puppy for all your freeze-dried treat needs — because sometimes an apology needs to be freeze-dried. Free local delivery available, or stop by and bring your pup to try out at the dog park!

• 🦴 Freeze-dried treats – because every snub needs a delicious comeback
• 🚀 Express delivery – because sneeze-ignoring situations demand urgent actions
• 🏪 In-store shopping – Bring your pup for the full experience
• 💚 Lots of love – We get it. We’re dog people too.