Feeling empty from fulfilling your dog’s higher than average needs? 🥹
Feeling burnt out? 😥
Tired and overwhelmed? 😩
Keep reading, you’re probably doing something KEY that isn’t helping you… 👇
You may have forgotten to put your needs first!
This can be a sign of codependency with your dog. 😳
And let me tell you… this is VERY COMMON, and can be a BIG OLD blind spot for many of us. Until your body starts to scream at you and your adrenals are fatigued… and your hormones are unbalanced and your relationships begin to suffer - and then BAM! 💥
You realize… you forgot about the things you love to do, that were part of your routine before your pup NEEDED you. 🥺
You see what’s happened… you forgot about YOU!
Taking care of you IS taking care of them. Permission… to fulfill your need(s) first.
They’ll thank you for it. ❤️
#selfcare #selfkindness #boundaries #caninecoach #connectioncoach #restabdreset #dogtrainingtips #burnout #reactivity
Stuck playing the blame game… with YOURSELF?
I think we could save ourselves a lot of self punishment or blame if we understood that who our dogs become as they age is a product of the sum of their experiences (good & bad), also known as nurture… AND… their genetics … aka nature (which you likely had no part in).
Nature versus nurture is a hot topic in our industry - and I believe it is BOTH of these things and how they interact with one another that causes your dog to be who they become!
So, permission to drop the “did I do this” thing - it’s not often helpful in moving you forward with your goals.
It’s not your fault & things aren’t always as simple as looking for someone to blame ❤️🩹
Trying to change your dog into who you want them to be can cause a lot of friction. The act of acceptance is a bumpy road & one that likely requires some professional support.
I’m here for you if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or are struggling while grieving the dog you thought you were getting. That’s okay! ❤️🩹
#dogbehavior #caninebehavior #doglove #dogcoach #honouryourdog #honoryourdog #canineconnection #connectioncoach #selfreflection #reactivedog #sensitivedog #reactivedogsunite
When you find a place to walk your dog that FEELS safe, your entirely vibe may be different, and your dog will pick up on that. When you’re relaxed & calm, and present, it invites them to be the same.
If you feel edgy, it’s likely for good reason, they probably aren’t comfortable either! ❤️🩹
If you’ve found yourself a wide open vantage point or one way trails like this, with ample visibility, you know how enjoyable those walks can be, compared to “gauntlet walks”, where you’re sort of left in survival mode with an activated nervous system the entire time.
Hello cortisol! 😅😭
Happy hunting for a little slice of heaven, get creative where you can, and ENJOY the peace! ❤️
#walkinpeace #sensitivedog #dogtraining #trainingtips #connectioncoach #conciousconnection
Friends! Let’s get real. 🤷♀️
The city is fast. It can be a LOT for sensitive beings, especially dogs. 🤯
It’s hyper stimulating for the best of us if we aren’t totally habituated…
Can you for a hot second 🔥 imagine having super power senses like your dog and being able to tap into everyone’s emotional states, wellness, mood, hormones, pheromones, etc?
THEN add sirens and scraps and animals and textures… it’s a FEAST for the senses AND it’s no wonder our dogs can present with overwhelm.
Overwhelm looks different for everyone (coming from a highly functioning easily overwhelmed human).
For you dog it could look like:
- leash frustration 😖
- excessive relentless annoying leash pulling 🤪
- barking at people, dogs, birds, cars 📣
- refusal to walk
- wanting to go home
- disassociation (literally don’t know you exist outside)
- “submissive” behaviour, being low, saying hi and rolling on their back, appeasement
So if you think there’s something wrong with your dog - think again! ❤️🩹
Your dog might be responding to a hell-a stressful highly stimulating environment that they are simply struggling to navigate.
Can we slow down, drop the agenda, find some compassion & be open to another perspective when we think about how much of a pain in the butt they can sometimes be? 🥹
We brought them here and it’s our job to HELP THEM… not FIX THEM!
How do you think your dog displays potential overwhelm?
#caninecoaching #canineconnection #connection #compassionate #dogtraining #dogs #doglove #dogcoach #behaviourist #caninebehaviour #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #trainingtips #relationshipbuilding #slowdown #conciousconnection
Do you have a chronic pattern of fixating on changing or improving people, pets or things around you? 👋
Maybe it’s your dog who does this thing that you simply CANNOT handle anymore, or your child who never puts their shoes away, or your partner who doesn’t pick up the wet towel, or your family member who won’t help themselves, or your couch that no longer matches your living room vibe…
This often allows us to fantasize about how we will feel AFTER the thing is fixed… or stops doing what it was doing that bothered you… this can sometimes be a response to the feelings that comes with helplessness. Or overwhelm. Or a lack of control in one area of our life, causing us to displace that into another area of our life - one that might be easier to control… insert your dog here. 🫣
Play with me here! This is the NOS METHOD (I made that up 🎉🤷♀️😁):
1️⃣ Try to NOTICE when these intrusive fixations come into your mind regarding your dog’s behaviour, notice the fixation, notice the grasping, the obsessing over CHANGING or improving it… notice the desire to fix it, stop it or get rid of that behaviour… woah… we do this a lot! 😅
2️⃣ OBSERVE & reflect. What is the FEELING their behaviour ignites in you, even just for a moment, what FEELING might you be trying to escape that their behaviour brings up for you? This can be hard, be gentle on yourself.
3️⃣ And then, SHIFT YOUR FOCUS, think about the opposite things, all the things you love & adore about them, the milestones you’ve surpassed, the tiny baby victories you can remember, the small changes you’ve noticed in them (and you), the deepening of your relationship, etc. Find your gratitude.
Shifting from helpless fixation to gratitude & self awareness can truly impact how we SEE our dogs (and loved ones), and help us get to the root of what actually might need our loving attention within us. ❤️
#dogcoach #dogtherapy #healingwithdogs #learning #selfdevelo
Dogs with big feelings often have humans with big feelings too. ❤️🩹
Sometimes our dog’s behaviour brings out OUR big feelings that we otherwise do a good job at NOT feeling.
My invitation to you is to simply get curious about how your dog’s behaviour at times makes YOU feel…
Where else do you feel that feeling in your life?
What would it feel like to befriend that feeling?
Sit with it for a minute?
Breath it in instead of pushing it away?
Would it move through us better if we surrendered to it?
Does fixing their behaviour allow you to evade this feeling? For just a little while longer?
Feel, or don’t feel - neither are right or wrong.
I’ve noticed lately how easy it is for me to avoid uncomfortable feelings with distractions… dopamine hits… to do lists… “responsibilities”, and then I walk Cedar and BAM! There it is again. 🥹😩
An inability to control things makes me feel uncomfortable. 🫣
Thank you Cedar for bringing my awareness to this time & time again, so I can learn to surrender, and move through it with a bit of self compassion, instead of blaming you, for how you make me feel. ❤️✨
What does your dog invite in you?
What big feeling do they instigate?
If you want a safe place to discuss these big feelings and this sometimes confronting experience - join our Connection Companions Online Emotional Support Group for dog people - link is in my bio 💕
#selfdevelopment #canineconnection #dogtraining #dog #connection #conciousparenting #conciousrelationships #coach #coaching #dogcoach #support #community
Alright people - let’s get something straight.
✅ Controlled - on leash dogs with “sensitivity” or “reactivity” to other dogs are JUST AS entitled to enjoying on-leash designated public parks or trails as “friendly” dogs are.
✅ When someone advocates that they need space & asks you to control your “friendly” dog that you have wrongly assumed was welcome to run up to them on leash, in an ON LEASH area, BE KIND, humble & considerate. Making your uncontrolled dog someone else’s problem or fault is truly unfair.
✅ Everyone deserves the right to enjoy nature - by being mindful and considerate of other’s experiences or needs, and following the rules, everyone can feel safe & continue to help their dogs learn to feel safe too.
3 reasons why you should care:
1️⃣ It’s unfair to assume all dogs & people want your dog running up on them.
2️⃣ You can seriously set back someone’s training progress and attempts to help their dog stop reacting and learn to feel safe around other dogs, this is devastating to most people!
3️⃣ The implications this has on the human’s nervous system, not to mention the dog’s, can be long lasting. It’s emotionally stressful to keep your off leash dog and our on leash dogs safe, and you’ve now made that our responsibility!
🎤 drop. #reactivedogs #dogtraining #dogcoach #kindistheway #bekind #beconsiderate #dobetter #dogtrainingtips #dogs
Working on recall or engagement in distracting settings? This game is for you! 🎉
Cedar’s attention in the woods has improved SO MUCH since I’ve used a long line to manage him but in new settings (with deer and bear smells), I’m still cautious about giving TOO much freedom when I fully unclip him!
Here are a mindful way of getting them engaged with you.
✅ imagine an invisible connection between you two and walk forward with them…
✅ walking loudly in a quiet area, come to a sudden stop - when your dog notices you stopped say “yes” excitedly and then reinforce them with something very high value (you might need to encourage them to commit to coming back to you with some noises or gestures to collect the goods)
✅ repeat often without distractions present (no people or dogs - the forest is likely enough of a distraction to start with)
✅ if they don’t notice that you stopped, make some noises and hide behind a tree to see if they get curious and then “yes” and reward when they see you!
Have fun with it, and try to be mindful to set them up for success by doing it when they are already tired or in an area that it not super novel or enticing for them.
#dogtraining #trainingtips #connectioncoaching #dogcoach #relationshipbuilding #dogs #recall #recalltraining #conciousconnection
Recall red flags 🚩
Don’t get me wrong Cedar is allowed to get curious and explore his natural environment. In fact, I let him wonder a lot without micromanaging him. But there’s a safe time and place to do that. When we are dealing with bear and cougars or dead salmon rotting in our near proximity, I don’t really want him following these smells! Insert long line & recall practice!
Two behaviours that tell me it might be time to put him back on a long line for a few minutes are:
1️⃣ Air scenting
2️⃣ Nose to ground intensely following a smell
When near roads or in dangerous areas, personally I like to err on the side of caution & pay close attention to his body language cues.
If we are in the middle of nowhere and there’s little risk involved in a SUPER FUN squirrel chase or scenting adventure… this dude is permitted the freedom to explore without my micromanagement.
Happy adventuring friends! 🥰
#dogcoach #dogs #bodylanguage #speakdog #translator #adventuredogs #comoxvalleydogs #coach
