Let me introduce Walter, our highly skilled, intrepid Irish Setter!
Out in the yard today trying to get caught up with the weeding, Walter our lively Irish Setter (see above) insists on being by my side at all times. He has an on switch and and off switch, either running around telling the world what is what (he likes to bark at passing cars and trucks) or lays down on the floor completely exhausted. There is no middle ground with him.
So, as he was protecting me from the evil sticky vines that tried desperately to grab my legs, I got to wondering if dogs have Doshas. Our neighbors have two dogs that I would classify as high Kapha, and up the hill there are two chihuahua's that must be high Pitta, that or they have highly imbalanced throat chakras, they never stop yapping! Yeah, weeding can be a lot of work in the middle of the day in August and the mind is easily distracted.
After making my way back indoors I was determined to learn more, and sure enough there is a wealth of information out there about Ayurveda for your pets. Dogs Naturally Magazine lists the constitutions (Prakriti) and I guess it is up to the owners to try to determine what is the closest dosha that matches their furry friends. The descriptors are appropriate and after reviewing I came to the conclusion that our Walter is a Pitta-Vata knowing his issue with burning himself out, his hair, skin and being prone to ear infections. He also HATES missing a meal! If you are more than 10 minutes overdue he is on your case big time. He is super slender and runs like the wind until he forgets what he was chasing; butterflies, birds, bumble bees are all fair game.
Which brings us to the cat, our Lily. She was named after Harry Potter's mother by my oldest son years ago when she was born under the stairs to our basement. High Kapha for sure. Slow, deliberate, she is an ace mouser, huntress extraordinaire! With super soft fur, she has a rock solid constitution, never get's sick. Not super active and does not like to play with toys and cat nip, she can always be found in a handful of her favorite lounging spaces.
Are you interested to learn more about Doshas for yourself or someone in your life? Consider taking the Prakiti quiz to find your consitution and then the Vrkiti quiz to check if you are working through any imbalance. Also consider how your constitution plays in with that of your pet, do they balance your own or help to elevate an imbalance you may have?