Start with Your Values

Last week, my client was walking me out the door after our session.

He had an “aha” moment.

He turned to me and said, “I now know why you asked me during the discovery call what my level of commitment is in working with my dog.”

I got curious and asked him to share what he learned through our time together.

He shared how teaching his dog wasn’t an overnight quick fix.

He’s experienced through our time together how breaking down the skills into manageable bits helps his dog understand what to do instead.

My client shared how he struggled with his dog pulling and barking at everyone and everything.

For my client, this is dangerous since my client has mobility issues and so we not only came up with several ways of keeping both him and his dog safe.

As he shared his frustration with his dog pulling and barking “all of the time”, I asked my client after our session, “did your dog bark at the people passing by, the teenage yelling to get her father’s attention?”

He said no.

I asked him, “did your dog pull you down the driveway?”

He said no.

I asked him what changed.

He shared what changed was how I guided him to wait for his dog to check in with him, to play Engage/Disengage when his dog was watching the person yell to her dad.

He also shared how the connection with his dog is what made the difference.

I agreed. His connection with his dog shifted over our time together and this is the foundation for everything he wants to do with his dog.

It’s not enough to teach cues.

You have to go further. The trust and the connection is what will transform your relationship with your dog.

From the bond you share with your dog, then you can achieve what you put your mind to and considering what your dog wants to do too.

Remember you’re a team and being apart of a partnership requires both the person and dog to be on the same page and adjusting for what’s happening, how you both are changing and growing and what the purpose is in choosing a direction and path to go on.

If you desire a deeper relationship with your dog and value growth and connection over what your dog can do for you, set up a Discovery Call with me.

Let Your Dog Be Your Guide

I was chatting with one of my coaches the other day and she mentioned the idea that “we’re all just trying to get our needs met.”

This resonated with me because each one of us from humans to our companion animals are seeking out ways to meet our core needs of connection, belongingness, certainty/consistency, novelty, growth and contribution.

Connection: The need to have secure attachments and loving bonds with trusted caregivers.

Belongingness: Feeling our lives are significant and have meaning.

Certainty: Predictability. Consistency. This is where all of us including our dogs, develop a feeling of freedom in being our selves.

Novelty: New experiences, adventure, playfulness and anything and everything that enriches our lives.

Growth: Learning, expansion, developing our skils, passions and abilities. Reaching new heights and taking healthy risks.

Contribution: Service and sharing ourselves with our world. All of us (including our dogs) are social beings even if cultures assert independence and doing things ourselves. We weren’t meant to live isolated from one another. We were designed to live in community with each other.

Our dogs show us everyday how these core needs are important to them.

They guide us (if we listen) to deepen our awareness of what truly matters.

Our dogs are our guides to better understanding ourselves and what is important to us because they live their lives authentically and effortlessly.

What would happen if you took a cue from your companion animal and stepped into living your life more aligned with what we all inherently need (connection, belongingness, certainty, novelty, growth and contribution)?

What does that look like for you?

Feel free to share in the comments!

“If It Doesn’t Challenge You, It Doesn’t Change You”

Sometimes what your dog’s behavior is showing you, is confusing and you don’t know what to do.

The confusion gets you stuck and you become so focused on the problem all you see is a dead end.

The feelings about failure and shame bubble up even before you take any action.

Your gremlins start running the show because they whisper in your ear, you can’t handle this.

Before you give up, a part of you recognizes, you’ve been here before.

You know what its like to encounter a problem and you figured out solutions before.

You start to feel an openness in exploring solutions because your commitment and dedication to your dog and his welfare and wellbeing matter to you.

Challenges are meant to expand ourselves, not to defeat us.

Digging a bit more, trusting yourself and holding on to knowing you can also figure out how to handle whatever comes your way will not only change you, but it will bring you closer to the relationship you desire to have with your dog.

Receiving support along the way can motivate you to keep going when moments of wanting to give up creep in again. Your willingness to keep going is what makes the difference.

Schedule a Discovery Call to see if partnering with me will encourage you to keep going.