Keeping Up the Practice

The adolescent phase of raising a puppy lasts awhile, but not forever!

I worked with Olive and her pet parents last year on building a loving connection and bond.

We didn’t work on formal manners.

We spent time on encouraging Olive to settle and relax and for her to make the choice to do so.

They spent time in practicing life skills with leash walking and calming games.

Mat work for sure helped Olive to make the choice to take a break as well as make a choice to settle in more distracting environments.

Olive’s pet parents shared with me how they attended Bark in the Park with her a couple of weeks ago.

Bark in the Park where the Mariners baseball team opened the gates to fans bringing their companion dogs with them to a home game.

They took this as an opportunity to practice mat work in a new scenario.

With the help of some yummy treats, Olive continued to make the choice to relax even with the distractions of other dogs and people she loves saying hi to as well as new sounds and smells of a baseball stadium.

Olive and her pet parents continue in putting in the practice.

They experience confusion of why Olive does X and they make the choice to surrender back into the practice when frustration hits.

As they continue to show up for Olive in a way that Olive needs, they as a family continue to have breakthroughs of reaching a new level of their relationship with Olive.

They continue seeking out opportunities in living an integrated life as a family!

The foundation is laid when you learn how to connect and form a loving a bond with your dog in a dog friendly way.

You make the choice every day to show up and continue the learning.

Curious about how to reach new milestones with your dog?

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Ready v. Willing

These two little words have been floating around my mind over the last couple of weeks.

Ready and willing are vastly different.

Ready is about preparedness.

It’s the idea that the work and practice you’ve done to get you to the starting line of anything you’re working towards prepared you for what’s next.

It’s like the repeated practice of a particular skill.

You feel confident because you took action and have an experience and maybe even some level of predictability of how the test, the game or the real life experience will play out.

Being ready is the act of doing.

What about being willing?

Willing to do something is taking the leap of faith.

Willing to try something new without the physical experience of doing.

It is the embodiment of eagerness in taking action towards something you may not have any evidence of how it plays out.

Being willing is the trust in yourself in what action you take towards a goal you set for yourself.

Trusting your choice making and following your inner wisdom of where you want to go and how you show up is the first action step you take in creating something new for yourself.

It’s like jumping out of a plane and the parachute is your trust you’ll be ok.

The parachute is the symbol of your inner knowing and trust in how you’re moving forward.

You can’t know for sure what you’re capable of until you are willing to do something differently.

A new routine for yourself.

Discovering a new connection with your dog you never knew was possible.

Putting yourself out on a limb and showing your heart to a friend.

Yes, these things are scary.

You don’t know what it looks like in real time.

Yes, your limiting beliefs will show up and tell you not to do them.

A professional coach is someone who is in your corner walks alongside you as you continue on your journey.

The coaching relationship will support you through the ups and downs of doing or learning something new can help clear the path of what your next step or jump is in you life.

If you’re curious about how coaching can support you in your journey, set up a Discovery Call with me.

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Embodying Compassion Is Counter Cultural

Pet parents shared with me their experiences working with other pet professionals who left them feeling undervalued, demoralized and defeated.

When a pet parent feels overrun and not having any options, this can send them into a spiral.

Spiraling thoughts of limiting beliefs leading them into not taking action because they think “what’s the point.”

One pet parent shared with me how she didn’t leave the house with her dog for over a year because of another pet professional observing her dog showing signs of fear said to the pet parent, “either you’ll have 10 years of joy or you will have 10 years of frustration” and handed her a dog training pamphlet.

The lack of compassion and black and white thinking doesn’t keep the light on at the end of the tunnel.

Even in this situation, this pet parent still searched for training and coaching which aligned with what she and her dog needed.

A professional who not only understands how the emotional lives of our dogs influences how they behave, but a professional who is able to connect with the person in front of them and get at the heart of the matter.

Shedding light on what the pet parent’s core desire feelings are and guiding them to reach the connection and freedom they want life to look like with their dogs.

As pet parents take action based on how they want to feel connected with their dogs, they learn how simple games can lead them to their goals.

Along the way, the strengthen their own confidence and accomplish not only what they want their dogs to achieve, but also how they live a more integrated life with their companions.

Are you desiring for something more in your dog training and coaching journey?

Do you want a pet professional who will not only share with you the knowledge, but also coach you through the hills and valleys and learning, so you and your dog can have an optimal level of learning?

If you’re curious and want to find out more about how professional coaching can enhance your dog training experience, set up a Discovery Call with me.

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