One Moment Worth

by Candice Segal, proud K9Yogi and Pet Parent

What is this moment worth?

A few years ago, if you had asked me what “one moment” with Nav-ah meant, I could have given you a very long list.

Nav-ah is my Miniature American Shepherd, and when she was younger, life was full of moment.

One moment might have been her running and jumping over obstacles on the agility field.

Another might have been her tearing around the garden after a hadeda.

Or flying through the air to catch her frisbee.

Or bouncing around, completely focused, trying to catch bubbles.

There were so many moments.

So much energy.

So much possibility.

Today, Nav-ah is thirteen and a half years old, and “one moment” has a very different meaning.

Now, I might wish for one moment of a comfortable, pain-free walk in the park.

One moment of her enjoying her K9Yoga exercises.

One moment of a quick little game in the garden with Caleb, her younger brother.

One moment where I look at her and think, there you are, Nav-ah.

And perhaps that's one of the hardest things about sharing our lives with dogs:

You never know when your last “one moment” of something will be.

The last time they race across the garden.

The last time they jump into the car without hesitation.

The last time they chase a ball.

The last time they run beside you.

We don't always recognise those moments as the last while we're living them.

And maybe that's why the moments we have today matter so much.

Living her best life — today

Yes, Nav-ah is getting older.

She sleeps a lot more than she used to.

She has more aches and pains.

Things that were once easy now sometimes require a little more thought — and a lot more adaptation.

But she is still Nav-ah.

She wakes up in the morning excited about breakfast.

She still has very strong opinions about the multiple treats she expects throughout the day.

She loves her tummy tickles.

And she loves K9Yoga.

So instead of focusing only on what she can no longer do, I try to focus on what she can do today.

We adapt.

We experiment.

We find ways to keep her mind and body active while respecting the dog she is now, rather than expecting her to be the dog she was thirteen years ago.

We've tried going for walks in a backpack.

Let's just say... the backpack has not exactly been a roaring success.

We're currently working on the stroller.

And sometimes our “walk” is simply a slow wander around the block for a sniffari — stopping to investigate all the important smells along the way.

Sometimes she can walk the whole way.

Sometimes we carry her for part of it.

And that's okay.

Because the goal isn't necessarily to go further.

It's to make this moment a good one.

Sometimes, one moment is very small

I've realised that one moment doesn't have to be spectacular.

It doesn't have to be an agility run or a flying frisbee catch.

Sometimes it's a few minutes of gentle trick training.

Sometimes it's a little K9Yoga session.

Sometimes it's a tummy tickle.

Sometimes it's watching her happily eat her breakfast.

Sometimes it's seeing her have a little play with Caleb.

Sometimes it's simply walking around the block, stopping every few metres because there is apparently something extremely important to smell.

These moments might look small from the outside.

But to me, they are enormous.

Because this is the life we have together today.

And I want Nav-ah to experience as much joy, engagement and connection as she can — in the body she has today.

What is your one moment?

Perhaps your dog is young and your moments are completely different.

Maybe it's watching them discover the world for the first time.

Maybe it's the first run on the beach.

The first hike.

The first agility competition.

The first time they confidently jump into the pool.

Or perhaps your dog is somewhere in the middle of their life, and you're trying to keep them strong, active and capable for as long as possible.

Or maybe, like Nav-ah, your dog is getting older and the definition of a “good day” is changing.

Wherever you are in your journey together, I think it's worth asking:

What is your one moment with your dog today?

And more importantly:

What is it worth to you?

For me, it is worth doing whatever I can to help Nav-ah live her best life in the moment.

That means visiting Ansi at PetFit, learning how to adapt to her changing needs, and keeping her mind and body engaged through K9Yoga.

It means accepting that sometimes we need to change the goal.

Sometimes we build.

Sometimes we maintain.

Sometimes we adapt.

Sometimes we rebuild.

And sometimes we simply celebrate what our dogs can do today.

Because a healthier lifetime isn't about keeping our dogs exactly as they were.

It's about helping them make the most of every stage of the life they have.

And perhaps that is what “one moment worth” really means.

Not waiting for the perfect moment.

Not waiting until tomorrow.

But recognising the moment we have right now.

So, what is your moment worth?

Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing more One Moment Worth stories from our lives with our beloved FURkidz — young and old.

The moments that make us laugh.

The moments that challenge us.

The moments we never want to forget.

And the small, everyday moments that mean more than we sometimes realise.

Because we never know when a moment will become a memory.

Make this one count.

🐾 What is your one moment with your dog today? And what is it worth to you?

K9Yoga • PetFit • THRIVE

A healthier lifetime starts today.