Failures are A Stepping Stone to Your Wins

“We should never doubt how much we can accomplish, if only we can awaken to that potential and exercise it daily. The plan that is executed a little bit at a time, day by day, will have infinitely greater realization than the plan that, though grandiose, has not been given sufficient time and attention.” David Dillard-Wright, PhD.

This quote resonates with me so much because it speaks so profoundly to the work and success my clients experience not only in seeing their dogs change, but also what they themselves are achieving.

Let’s be real, it’s not just about the dogs, but it’s about you too.

You may be feeling defeated because you feel alone in your pursuits of helping your dog be more comfortable in new settings, but your friends and family don’t understand why you’re so concerned. They may even be telling you, it can’t be done.

You may feel you’re alone with moving forward on helping build your dog’s confidence because no one around you is supporting you and even questioning your choices.

Your confidence is lagging, but you still hold on to the hope that change is possible because your belief in desiring a better life for your dog resides within you.

What you don’t realize is that your life will change too.

Transformation is the result of working towards the success you want to achieve.

Simply put, transformation begins when you embody what you want and feel it deeply and take action every day towards your goals.

Change itself is not simple.

When milestones are being met and success happening, you feel on top of the world, but it can feel like a grind when you’re in a lull.

The lulls can really feel like a derailment, but it’s a normal part of the growth cycle. Without the lulls, you won’t be able to achieve something greater.

The pet parents and the coaching clients I support through their programs go through the hills and valleys of change.

They are struggling with aggression between their resident dogs and have witnessed severe fights between them.

They want their dogs to gain confidence and feel more comfortable with the world around them.

They are new business owners and are seeing how their business is much more about them than they ever thought!

Each of the pet parents and coaching clients start off in similar places, unsure and a little apprehensive, but they have a deep desire for something more.

What grounds them in their coaching programs is having a support system to help them through their growth.

  1. Surround themselves with others who have a similar mindset. When we are around others who share in our values, we feel validated and feel heard.
  2. You embody how you want to feel. When you perceive a failure as a personal fault, pangs of guilt and shame overwhelm you. You want to blame yourself or others. It is important for you to hang on to what it is you want to feel when you achieve your goals. This is your life raft. Holding on to what you want to achieve will encourage you to keep moving forward!
  3. Learn to receive what messages are coming your way regardless of how you judge them. Celebrate the wins of learning every day. The more practice you put into acknowledge the gratitude of what you accomplished, you’ll see more of this in your life. Recognize the opportunities that present themselves when you experience a failure. Remain objective and reflect on what this moment is saying to you. What adjustments are needed? This is the ebb and flow in growing.
  4. Invest in yourself and your dog’s relationship. Investing is not just a financial commitment, but it is making the choice in committing your time and energy into what you want to achieve. Committing to your goals will inevitably lead you taking action a little bit at a time. This dedication you have in creating a better life for yourself and your dog will also be what you rely on when you experience those dips in learning.

Are you ready to get started on your journey?

Sign Up

What are Your Expectations?

I read this quote the other day by Rona Minarik, “Expectations are premeditated resentments.”

I don’t know about you, but this blew my mind.

As a trainer and coach, I often hear from clients about their deep feelings of frustration in how their dogs are “not listening” or “not obeying the rules”.

When we expect a dog who remains at an emotional age of a 2 year old toddler to follow the rules immediately and explicitly every single time and they don’t, you are already setting yourself and your dog up for failure.

Your expectations are the building blocks for the type of relationship you’re building with your dog and when the foundation is rocky, how can you expect your dog to trust or feel safe with you and therefore make the choice to be with you?

You are creating the life with your dog to be frustrating and this is making you angry.

When you ask yourself, what motivates you to create these expectations, what shows up?

Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others?

What do you feel when you think about how others may be perceiving your dog’s behavior?

You have the power within yourself to change how you feel about your dog which will directly impact how you perceive your dog’s behavior.

When you recognize you’re feeling angry and frustrated because you’re telling yourself your dog is “bad” or “disobedient” interrupt this thought pattern.

When you become conscious of these limiting beliefs in the present moment, you can begin recognizing what’s laying beneath the surface and this is where your own transformation can begin.

You begin recognizing you are not your feelings.

Your emotions don’t control you, but you have the power to change how you feel about what’s going on with your dog.

How do you take a step back from the situation and reevaluate what’s going on?

Find Out More!

Living an Embodied Life with Your Dog

The felt relationship goes beyond what we know or what words can describe intellectually.

The felt relationship is embodied in the heart and where a deep connection and bond is with another being.

Love springs up and expands our worldview of what is possible and where you can go on this journey together.

Dogs are emotional and sentient beings who deserve our love and our connection.

Let go of old notions of what living with a dog looked like and instead choose how you want to feel living with your dog.

One of my clients did just this.

She wanted her dog to experience a life well lived with her, but traditional dog training classes fell short.

She saw the skills she was learning were useful, but it didn’t touch on how to integrate these skills into daily living activities.

My client wanted to get to the heart of the matter and help her dog feel more comfortable in new situations and around other people and in a changing environment.

She and her dog are learning how to communicate with one another.

She gives opportunity for choices and she’s learning every day what her dog needs and wants.

This is what the Growl to Grow Dog Training and Support Program is all about-building connection and guiding you how you embody the relationship you want to create with your dog.