10/06/2024
Vanessa and Zeca were at their witโs end when we first talked. ๐ญ
Despite working with several dog trainers, reading countless books, and taking a few courses, they felt utterly trapped with their two rescue dogs.
They couldnโt leave the house without their dogs whining and howling within minutes. ๐ฅบ
Walks were equally distressing: one dog would lunge and bark at other dogs, men, and kids, while the other shook in fear from the moment they stepped outside. ๐ซฃ
Having friends over? Not a chance. It was a barking nightmare. ๐ฅ
๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ.
Determined, Vanessa and Zeca swallowed their frustration and decided to trust a new process. ๐ซถ
A few months later, they sent me an ecstatic message that read, โWTH are we doing 5x/week for 2 hours outside without the dogs??โ ๐
All fear on walks had vanished, and their dog acted like she never had an issue, even at night. ๐ฅน
They could even have construction workers at home and introduce new dog sitters without any meltdowns. ๐คฉ
A new life? You bet.
๐๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ?
1. We debunked common dog training myths and moved away from obedience.
2. We shifted focus from the โbadโ behaviors (symptoms) to the emotions causing them (problems).
3. We met specific needs at home to build confidence and well-being.
4. We restructured walks to make them beneficial and enjoyable.
5. We built trust in the relationship by understanding each dog and their body language.
๐ Look, itโs natural to want to change your dogโs behaviour immediately. But if I could give you one tip today, it would be this:
Listen first, understand them first, be their hero first and drop the catalog of commands you built. ๐
Start with empathy, and watch the magic unfold.
