The Ease in Doing

Do you make it harder, more complicated and then you become confused about what to do to help your dog?

Make it easier on you and your dog.

When you observe your dog having a hard time in a given situation(s), take a few steps back and reevaluate.

If the hard time is hearing outside noises, play some music inside.

Identify what noises that are troubling to your dog and pair them with something your dog loves when you’re able to.

When you can’t, play the music.

When your dog has a hard time seeing another dog on a walk and this creates tension and frustration within you, then go somewhere more secluded even if its your backyard to practice, play or run around with your dog off leash.

If you don’t have a backyard, you can do the same at a sniffspot location!

Then take the steps to practice pairing the experience at a low rate of exposure (really far away, limited time ect) and pair this experience with something your dog loves.

This will start changing your dog’s mind about the experience and it will help lay the groundwork for a new habit.

All behavior change is is your dog doing something differently.

You’re not erasing, stopping, fixing, breaking ect.

You’re just offering up an opportunity to a different solution.

It truly is that simple.

When you start unraveling the patterns of what gets in the way of making things easier on you and your dog, then you will uncover more about yourself and you’ll experience more joy in spending time with your dog in return.

Discover for yourself what’s possible.

Keep It Simple

I was chatting with someone last week about their ambitious goals that they had for themselves and their dog.

They wanted their 8mos old puppy to feel comfortable meeting others, calm and quiet in the house, be engaging with their human when out and about in the world.

These are great goals to have and work towards.

You’re focusing on how your dog feels and wanting to prioritize their welfare and wellbeing.

Sometimes, taking the next step to move towards your goals, you get confused.

When your dog starts barking and lunging at strangers and other dogs, you become frustrated because this is the opposite of what you want.

What may be getting in the way is you’re not proactive in setting up your environment so your dog can be successful. Through your proactiveness, you’re also creating peace in your day. You remain present in each moment you and your dog are experiencing together.

How can you teach your dog what to do when they see a bicyclists or another dog out of the window and your attention is taken away when you’re busy on your computer, talking on the phone, doing other chores around the house?

Someone else shared with me that she struggled with her dog barking and going crazy at the front door when people walked by.

She was surprised when I asked her how does she feel when this happens and what does she do in response?

She shared she feels tightness in her chest and her response is yelling her dog’s name.

She also shared this didn’t work and asked what other strategies can she learn?

I asked her what does she want to feel?

She responded with calm and peace. She can feel this way when she takes space.

Take space is what I encouraged her to do.

Dogs will bark. When she can take a moment and reconnect with herself, she can then respond in a calmer and more peaceful manner.

She then can practice the strategies she already learned, but because of feeling overwhelmed and caught up in the swirling, the strategies she already learned aren’t accessible to her.

She’s emotionally flooded and unable to think clearly.

The mind is wonderful as it can plan and take action. When the mind is overwhelmed because the body and mind are disconnected, we feel lost.

When you reconnect with yourself, find presence in the moment, you can then make choices of how to respond with your end goal in mind.

Taking the next step towards your goal may be less about your dog, but more about how you are showing up and with what energy you’re bringing into that moment with your dog.

Curious how your presence and awareness of how you show up in your day to day can pave the way for a deeper connection with your dog?

Set up a time to chat!

Ask for Support, Your Body and Your Dog Will Thank You!

You do all the things for your family.

You’re juggling work, taking care of things in the home, your family and you feel like you don’t have space for yourself.

On top of it, now you are the one who is the primary caregiver for the dog you and your family added to the family.

You believed everyone was going to share in the responsibilities in caring for your companion animal, but you found yourself doing this too.

You’re exhausted and frustrated.

You’re at a crossroads.

You’ve vented your frustration with your family about what your dog is doing and they go into problem solving mode.

Their solutions don’t line up with your values of ensuring the care and welfare of your dog.

Your whole body tells you, pain, force and intimidation is not the answer or the direction you want to go in how you want to show up for your dog.

What you didn’t see clearly before, but now you do is that what you need is support not permission.

Support in how you take space for yourself to reset.

Support in seeing the connection of when you take time to be present with your dog, not only does your dog receive connection, companionship and love, but you receive too.

You receive relief from the swirling of anxiety and confusion from all the doing for others and what you give yourself and your body is calmness from the raging storm inside of you.

When you see the fruits of your labor in how your dog starts seeking you out when otherwise he would feel fear and frustration, you want to throw a party!

I invite you to include yourself in that party too.

You, along with your dog deserve celebration. Taking the step into prioritizing yourself, what your dog needs and putting into action skill building exercises which strengthen the flame of connection you know is already lit, you fan the flames to create more fire and energy to do this all again.

Maybe, the support you desire is for your family to help you out with other responsibilities while you take the loving leadership role in your dog’s life.

Want to explore what is showing up for you? Let’s chat