1. This is really about you, your dog is simply reflecting your own habits in so many ways.
2. You start to figure out quickly that so much about your dogs habits are also about your habits.
3. If you want to change a "bad" habit your dog has, you also have to change a "bad" habit you have... mainly following through instead of ignoring, putting up with, and just plain bitching about it.
4. Changing a habit is not always easy. Lots of emotions to process to change a habit. Anxiety (alarm), being a victim, aggressive (anger) reactivity, a lot of emotional responses in changing a habit.
5. What worked for someone else's dog may not work for your dog.
6. Food is not a motivator for many dogs. It has it's place but you may need to considered balanced tools and let go of the food only concept that work for a friend or family members dog. And you don't need to feel guilty or shamed about that.
7. If you have an anxious or reactive dog, this stuff isn't easy. It can feel like a roller coaster, one day good, the next not so much.
8. Like changing a deeply ingrained habit in yourself, staying vigilant to not fall into an old habit that feels easy even if the pay off isn't good is hard. A little bit of work every day over time is the key. Habits don't change overnight.
9. Dog training is all about us. We want to live a calm, enjoyable life. It has to be practiced in every little thing we do, including all the things that can come up with your dog in an environment we don't control all the players in.
10. Join me in Calming the Chaos with your dog. Listen to some amazing interviews on anxiety, essential oils, diet and relationships and get 30 days of prompts for you and your dog to live a life well played every day.
Calming the Chaos
No comments.