01/02/2023
Keep strong fellow dog professionals
Let's talk about mental health and working in the dog industry.
Mental health problems can and do affect anyone. Noone is immune to The Dark Cloud.
Vets, for example, carry one of the highest rates of su***de across the population (high stress job with a lot of responsibility, and sadly excellent access to the means).
I myself have battled with poor mental health throughout my life.
There's a lot of criticism on social media - perhaps worst of all, from other professionals. Unfortunately, small businesses such as mine have to use social media to promote their services.
There's a lot of pressure - from society, family values, comparisons with others - to be successful. No wonder we worry about money and work evenings and weekends because we don't feel justified in turning down business.
We're also living in a post-expensive-Christmas cost of living crisis. Clients are, understandably, having to cut back on training, getting their dog groomed, and going for their routine vet checks. However, this has a massive impact on small businesses.
There's also pressure to work with dogs we may not otherwise be comfortable working with. It should not be an 'occupational hazard' for groomers, dog walkers, trainers, vet clinicians, to be bitten. It's frightening, knocks your confidence, and only feeds into that fear of failure.
Imposter syndrome anyone? Feeling not good enough to do your job. Dwelling on the tiniest of mistakes, what you may have missed, how you could and 'should' have done more for that dog.
And the euthanasia cases. If your job involved working with dogs who are put to sleep, this really does take its toll and feeds into burnout. You can only lose beloved dogs and bear the ill-placed guilt so many times.
Never have dog bites been in the media as much as now. Dog walkers, for example, are receiving stick from all sides questioning and criticising their competence, their mistakes, their business.
Many small businesses have to deal with human clients who don't pay on time (or not at all) who question their prices, who aren't on time to their sessions, who don't take responsibility and then blame the professional for the repercussions.
Many dog professionals have completed much training, but once that training course ends you're on your own. No training course teaches you how to deal with any of the above. And then, many dog professionals are women. Who often lone work, travel to unknown places to help strangers, who take abuse from some clients and the rest.
We work with dogs ultimately because we love them. We want them to be happy, to be well. We also care about people. After all, all dog professionals work with people as much as the dog.
Dog professionals - be kind to yourselves. Give yourselves the compassion you give your clients.
- Reflect on what could be learned from any mistakes (there may not be anything) then let them go.
- Accept that s**t will happen. It is unavoidable.
- Recognise the good you do - after each day, identify what went well. Write it down for days when you need reminding.
- Feeling unsafe from a dog or a person is NOT an occupational hazard. When your gut is saying don't go into that house, don't take on that client, don't approach that dog - listen to it. It doesn't make you incompetent, weak or a failure - it makes you responsible.
- Say no, and practice it.
- Keep your time boundaried, especially if you run your own business. End sessions on time, charge well for your time, have a cut-off every day for when you'll reply to emails/messages. Have at least 1 day off every week. Boss putting pressure on you? Don't wait for someone else to respect your boundaries for you - they won't. You need to enforce them yourself. Put your foot down - as much for others as for yourself.
- Reach out to other professionals to debrief and offload.
If any other dog professional ever feels like s**t, wants to vent, get a second opinion on a case, or to cry without being alone - I am only ever a message or email away.
For regular support for your work and your wellbeing, join my community of dog professionals here https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83561018
