Flip the Script on Guilt

One of the greatest pieces of knowledge I learned from the Body Mind Method which I share with the pet parents I work with on a daily basis is that how you feel impacts how you think and how you think impacts how you feel and how you feel impacts how you think.

As you can see, this pattern goes on and on and on!

Understanding how our body mind connection works, is transformative in how pet parents show up and care for their dogs.

Often, pet parents are striving to be the leader or even the utmost responsible in caring for their dogs.

For one of the pet parents I serve, this feeling of responsibility leads her to doing all the things, training all the time, playing every minute, essentially putting all her focus on her dog.

What this leads her to express how she feels when this pattern shows up. She expressed feeling trapped by her dog, depleted of energy into doing what she also needs to take care of herself.

Then when she has zero energy to keep doing all the things, she then moves into blaming her dog for not meeting her expectations and even blaming herself for not doing more or knowing what else to do.

Blaming herself and her dog leads her into a disconnect of how she can empathize with herself and her dog when a lull in learning shows up and instead made her feel guilty.

Empathy is a crucial component in any relationship. It allows the space to objectively see the the situation and be creative in coming up with solutions and listening to yourself in what feels like the right choice.

Reframing the tough moments leading her to feel guilty and instead asking herself if the blame is true or if there are other possibilities allows her to open up what else could be going on.

Also recognizing the pattern of when answers aren’t quite clear, when the new situation is out of the ordinary and how this can cause some internal chaos of how to handle the situation can cause us to spiral is where your growth can happen.

When you uncover your patterns and beliefs, you can begin to shift into a different way to respond, because you feel differently about the situation.

When this pet parent learned and made the choice to change her pattern cycle, she’s given herself permission to take a break and make the choice of how she wants to feel taking the next action with her dog.

By taking a step back, she is giving herself space to check in with herself about how she wants to feel and she can then take action based on her choosing.

This allowed her to recognize her dog was uncomfortable being at the groomer because she too felt uncomfortable with the situation. She made the choice to not move forward with that appointment and she and her dog left.

She now clearly sees what her and her dog need to work on for her dog to be set up for success with other pet professionals.

Dog training is learning about how to teach a dog life skills, professional coaching helps you learn how to change your own pattern cycles and beliefs.

Together, these can transform your relationship with your dog.

Are you curious how this approach can empower you too? Set up a Discovery Call with me!

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Meet Hank and His Lovely Family

Hank was found living out in the woods and just surviving out in Eastern WA.

Hank met his pet parent after Hank was rescued by a local shelter and his pet parent just happened to visit one day.

His pet parent fell in love right away and brought him home to meet his other pet parent.

Hank was skin and bones and unsure about people and other dogs.

Hank was adjusting to life in a home when all he knew was living outside and fending for himself.

He spent most of his early days at his forever home outside.

Hank felt pretty unsafe and even started growling at his pet parents and friends that stopped by.

His pet parents knew right away they needed support in helping Hank trust his new surroundings and build a connection with them that Hank felt good about it too.

They also wanted to teach him with love, kindness and gentleness.

Hank learned that both of his pet parents are the source of joy for him, he seeks both of them out, is more relaxed at home that he spends more time inside than outside and his pet parents are learning more about what Hank is communicating with body language.

They understand that the growling is a sign that something is distressing to Hank. They are learning how to help him before this happens because they learned about how Hank communicates and how to do greetings with people when Hank is ready rather than the strangers coming up to him without an invitation.

And since Hank never learned to walk on a leash, we are weaving connection with his pet parents with a leash walking pattern game 123 reward during a spider walk.

His pet parents learned the value of moving slowly and gradually and allowing space for Hank to guide them rather than them controlling the situation.

If you’re interested in strengthening the relationship with your dog through gentle approaches, set up your Discovery Call with me!

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Flex Your Thoughts and Beliefs

There are times when we have to shift our patterns and challenge our limiting beliefs because they no longer serve us.

For many of the pet parents I serve, they are actively questioning their understanding and belief systems around their dogs because they are making the choice to see their dogs differently and desire to change their thinking.

Letting go of beliefs that dogs need a powerful hand, dogs need to be under our control and dominated or else they will take over.

When you are presented with new information and it contradicts what you were taught to believe can be challenging to do, but it’s not impossible.

It requires keeping your thinking flexible.

You may be questioning what you know about how you grew up with dogs and how they were treated when you were younger.

You recognize now, pieces of what you were taught don’t fit in with what you’re learning now, but you are open for accommodating the new information.

Go slow. By taking one small step in changing how you show up for your dog can shape how you interact with your dog and seeing your relationship with your dog with new eyes.

Stay empathetic. We have real needs like food, air to breath and a safe place to sleep. Our dogs do too.

It doesn’t end there. We share needs with our dog like the desire for connection, trust, safety and freedom.

When we can accept we have shared similarities it opens us up to see the world through our companion’s eyes.

When they hurt, we hurt. When they feel love, we feel love.

Challenge the pattern of thought when it arises.

When you experience your dog growling and the belief comes up that this is wrong and a dog shouldn’t growl at me.

Ask yourself, “is that true?” What else can be going on?

When you can take a step back and consider the point of view from your dog, you will start opening your heart rather than repeating patterns and beliefs which keeps you small and limits what’s possible for you and your dog.

Choose curiosity and stay open minded.

Do you want to live a life with ease with your dog? Set up a Discovery Call and find out you can achieve this!

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