Building Confidence

When Gigi arrived to the States from Korea, she was petrified.

She was shaking and panting when she was being transported to her new home.

Gigi was also unsure of the world in general, but being with new people and a new place to live was also very overwhelming.

As we discussed Gigi and my client’s training needs, we discussed how building a trusting and secure relationship is one of the first building blocks for reaching any training goals.

My client was committed to Gigi and only wanted the best for her.

One of areas of focus for my client and Gigi was helping Gigi learn to see the car as a positive place for her versus the negative one she experienced.

Over the course of our 6 weeks together, my client and Gigi hit so many milestones and witnessing Gigi learn and the relationship grow between her and my client was my proudest moment.

Gigi learned:

✅ family members were safe and enjoyable people to be around

✅ strangers or unfamiliar people coming up to the house isn’t that big of a deal

✅ strange or sudden noises really aren’t that big of a deal

✅ relaxing is a much more enjoyable behavior to do

The biggest achievement my client and Gigi obtained was Gigi’s willingness and comfortability with getting into the car.

Make no mistake, even though the video seems to show how effortless this skill is between my client and Gigi, the learning wasn’t all smooth sailing.

My client rode the waves of success and really felt those valleys of not seemingly moving anywhere or even feeling things were moving backwards.

Days and even weeks when Gigi looked nervous about the ramp and wasn’t comfortable stepping one paw into the car even when just before Gigi spent time in the car and even ate meals in it.

My client dug deep.

She reframed her goals for Gigi.

Still my client showed up and met Gigi where she was in the moment of learning.

My client learned taking breaks and doing other bonding exercises was beneficial to the goal of encouraging Gigi to make the choice of going in the car.

They practiced walking up the ramp together in random areas away from the car.

Gigi and my client even spent time playing Find It around the car without the expectation of getting into the car.

Today, all of these steps came together and Gigi willingly went into the car several times and was encouraged along the way by my client.

I had a little dance party for them to celebrate since Gigi would have been too nervous for my client to do so in this moment 🙂

The moment Gigi chose to enter the car. A huge win for her and my client.

Are you willing to stay open to going with the flow and even learn about yourself along the way?

Do you have goals you want to achieve with your dog, but don’t know how?

Have a computer and internet?

Let’s chat! As a dog behavior consultant and coach, I can help you achieve the goals you want you and your dog to achieve regardless of where you are located.

https://fourpawsandyoudogtraining.as.me/

Expectations

During a webinar I attended last week, the host, Heidi Metro said “who are you when things get tough?”

This made me pause.

Life is not about everything being happy and plodding along in a forward motion.

Life and our experiences or even your dog’s experiences and how you see them can appear to be anything but what you judge as progress.

Leaving you feeling annoyed, frustrated, angry, lost or even wanting to give up.

In many situations, when you experience set backs, this can dismantle your expectations.

Let the perceived set backs blow up your expectations.

Once you allow yourself to let go of expectations, you will be able to be in the moment of what your dog truly needs.

Sometimes, this is taking a few steps back or it’s trying something new, or its just taking a break.

When you can shift your perspective from focusing on achieving the next goal and you just show up and meet your dog where he is at in this moment, this shifts you into one of compassion and empathy and allowing you at least step a foot into your dog’s world.

Recognizing your dog’s emotional state in the moment can be the guide in moving you forward.

Not sure how or what your dog is feeling?

Curious about how your dog’s emotional state impacts your dog’s behavior?

Want to learn how you can let go of your own expectations and how to show up for your dog?

Let’s chat and I can share with you how my Growl to Grow program can support you!

https://fourpawsandyoudogtraining.as.me/

Doggie’s First Aid Kit Must Have’s!

Going on vacation last week filled with hiking adventures with my dogs, I immediately thought of “what will I do if Jack or Bernie get hurt?”

Luckily, we were all safe and returned home relaxed and refreshed.

Then a client reached out and asked what to put in a first aid kit besides tweezers?

I did some research and came up with must haves for your dog’s first aid kit that give you peace of mind before an emergency happens!

Before going into the list, make sure you are working with your dog on cooperative care, so they are used to things like muzzles, scissors or a razor, being in a crate so in the event of an emergency happening, they are not additionally exposed to potentially scary situations on top of being injured.

  1. Waterproof case: This will keep all of your first aid essentials dry and I would even set up a couple of them, so you have one for each of your cars and in your home! You may even find a doggie first aid kit and add/take away the things you find are most important.
  2. Scissors: These will be used to trip fur away from lacerations or abrasions. These can also be used to cut gauze.
  3. Gauze: In the even of an open or gaping wound, have various size gauze rolls that you can apply quickly to stop any active bleeding.
  4. Syringes: I would say get 2 for each and label. One will be used to apply rubbing alcohol to your scissors, tweezers and tick removal tool, so it will be a clean instrument so as to not contaminate any open wounds. The other syringe will be used to apply hydrogen peroxide to clean out a wound. Why a syringe, well you can use less to get the job done so you don’t waste any.
  5. Tick Removal Tool: These look somewhat like a key. This type of tool slides over the body of the tick and you can more easily pluck it out of your dog’s fur. With long coated or double coated dogs, using the scissors to cut away the extra fur to see the tick may be necessary.
  6. Blanket or towels: These can easily be wrapped around your dog in case of a large wound or even to be used to help with combating heatstroke. You can soak the blanket or towel in cool water and drape on your dog, resetting as necessary.
  7. Emergency Blanket: These look like aluminum foil and can be used if your dog is going into shock. They reflect light, so they can be used to signal for help.
  8. Styptic Pencil: This helps stop mild bleeding. If your dog breaks a nail, applying this pencil can stop the bleeding quickly.
  9. Rubbing Alcohol: This will be used to disinfect your scissors, tweezers and or tick removal tool.
  10. Hydrogen Peroxide: This can be applied to a wound or to gauze which is then placed on the wound to keep the area clean until you see your dog’s veterinarian.
  11. Crate and Muzzle: A good life skill for your dog to learn is comfortably being in a crate and wearing a muzzle, so in the event of an emergency, this experience doesn’t added to your already distressed dog.
  12. Veterinarian Phone Numbers: When you’re in an emergency, you don’t want to be google searching your vet’s name. Nor do you want a pet sitter trying to track you down for your local vet information. Instead, tape the numbers of trusted vets to the inside of your dog’s first aid kit and ensure anyone who is caring for your dog away from you knows where to find it and access it.
Enjoying some hiking in Oregon with my fam!

https://fourpawsandyoudogtraining.as.me/