Dog Training Begins in the Gut: Part 1

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It breaks my heart that so many pet owners still don’t know the truth of what commercial pet food is doing to their beloved animals; barely supporting the health of some, commercial pet food is literally poisoning many others. 

 

We are struggling far too much in training programs with dogs who are coming to us inflamed in the gut, anxious and edgy with overloaded adrenals, and overall toxic from being pummeled with crap diets and health crisis “band-aids” for far too long. Think about it… if you aren’t your best self when you don’t feel well, how can we expect our dogs to be patient, tolerant, easy going, friendly, confident, sociable, or comfortable and secure when they don’t feel well?

 

This blog is a FREE resource to compliment the conversations I find myself sharing with dozens of dog owners each week, desperately trying to determine the best possible care for their pets of all ages, breeds, and health backgrounds. The advice contained here is an evolving summation of our most basic and commonly shared insights at Home2K9, recommendations, and personally experienced success principles that pertain to what to feed your dog, and how to help your dog remain healthy – or become healthier – through proper nutrition and responsible healthcare practices. Well, it’s a start at least, there is a vast ocean of advice to be corralled when it comes to addressing the needs of individual dogs.

 

I am not a veterinarian, and I am not a certified or licensed animal nutritionist. What I am, is a dog owner, trainer, and rescuer, who has been repeatedly failed by “professionals” in both categories. That experience runs parallel to how dozens of medical doctors failed me as I suffered from repeatedly worsening symptoms of auto immune disease for over 25 years. We have similar issues in our healthcare industries for both species, so I work hard to train my clients to become better advocates overall for their dogs, and themselves.

 

After thousands of dollars wasted, too many dogs and humans observed struggling and suffering, I became an avid student of human and canine nutrition to help my personal dog. I only wish it was easier to cover everything I anticipate might be relevant to you in one fell swoop; it can be overwhelm to try, so this is meant to be at least a solid start. I encourage you to dig deeper beyond my opinions and advice, and take advantage of the wealth of resources just a web search away.

 

It’s important to know that the commercial pet food industry and pharmaceutical companies are very often significant financial backers of Veterinary schools, as well as revenue sources for veterinary practices, compensating doctors for the prescription and sale of their products, and providing singular source education regarding the impact or efficacy of those same products.

 

Also, similar to human medical doctors, veterinarians must CHOOSE to extend their education to include any depth of knowledge regarding biologically appropriate nutrition or holistic/alternative or natural medicine, and too many doctors do not make this elective choice.

 

Why? I would say it’s mostly because the additional education is expensive on top of expensive, and time consuming, and we are a culture of quick/easy/cheap/painless pursuits as often as possible. Unless or until we start removing our support from those who don’t, and select more carefully the practitioners who do, we will not see this standard increased.

 

As previously mentioned, I was once very, VERY sick also. Much of what I learned through helping dogs, became relevant in helping myself as well.  Indisputable facts exist in both species such as; diet effects health, avoiding chemicals and prescription drugs is essential, resolving mental and emotional wounds and addressing state of mind are all key in changing the manifestations of the body. If it weren’t for the sources in my life who stood for what NATURALLY helps us thrive, I wouldn’t have a previously chronic and life threatening auto immune disease in remission today, feel better than I have ever felt in my entire life, and now help others find the same freedom and healing through my virtual coaching programs.

 

As a dog owner like you; I hate seeing dog owners frustrated and in pain because they can’t help their dogs feel better, or live longer. If your dog is joining us for a training program at Home2K9 Dog Training, or you’ve adopted a dog through Hope2K9 Rescue, it will likely be suggested that you make some of the adjustments to your dog’s diet mentioned below. Don’t worry though, we’ll stay with you for the long haul, and help you problem solve what is most valuable for your dog – one step at a time.

 

Without further adieu, my top three things (and there are many more) to pay attention to for a healthier, happier, better behaved dog:

 

  • Avoid antibiotics, steroids, pest control, and anti-depressants – Dogs whose bodies indicate they may need these “treatments,” are telling you about a deeper issue/imbalance that you don’t want to simply put a Band-aid on, or miss getting to the root of. We must learn to look deeper.
  • Manage vaccine exposure very thoughtfully – This may include further spacing between standard protocols for puppy shot series, seeking titer testing to determine immunity and verify actual need for vaccines, seek single antigen vaccines as opposed to bundles, avoid vaccinating your dog when they are already sick/inflamed. Dig in HERE for more about vaccines.
  • Feed a biologically appropriate diet – There is no one-size-fits-all, and enhancing kibble by adding fresh and nutrient rich foods should be a minimum goal – even a 20% addition of fresh/raw food has shown to reduce cancer rates and other diseases in kibble fed dogs. A canine appropriate diet is high in protein, low in carbs, and contains a reasonable amount of variety. Kibble alone is NOT adequate for our dogs.

 

ANTIBIOTICS

 

Antibiotics are like carpet bombs to the immune system; targeting bacteria that is not desired, while also effectively killing off the good bacteria that is necessary for immune balance. Antibiotics and steroids are discussed by Dr. Karen Becker here, and the main thing you need to know about why we advocate avoiding antibiotics, is that even one round requires a LOT of work to bounce back from, and the average immuno-compromised dogs never truly do. If your dog’s body is sending up a “flare” that leads you or your vet to think antibiotics would be wise, then something far deeper needs to be addressed.

 

And don’t get me started on all the times the doctor hasn’t even known what was wrong with a client’s dog, but suggested antibiotics to experiment with whether or not the issue goes away. Try natural solutions FIRST, and risk less fallout. Be consistent/patient when you do go the natural/gentle route because it can take longer to see results sometimes, but will be safer and often more long term successful at solving the issue than a guesswork round (or several) of antibiotics.

 

VACCINES

 

Vaccines are not the enemy, and I am not anti-vaccine, but they can be an incredibly damaging aggressor in the story of your dog’s health and well being if not used sparingly, or with respect to the individual dog. I am anti over-vaccinating dogs, and unfortunately I have never had a client in all my years who has brought me a dog who wasn’t over vaccinated.

 

There is too much evidence we administer vaccines in excess, and many veterinarians are speaking out against the dangerous chemicals and side effects inherent in these standardized protocols. These are the same shot series your vet has likely recommended that do not take into consideration an old dog, a young dog, a sick dog, or even a perfectly healthy one who already has sufficient immunity if titer tested. Vaccines can and do create auto immune diseases, and severe, life threatening malfunctions in the nervous system.

 

While I respect that some vaccines may be necessary for establishing immunity or to satisfy licensing requirements and maintain responsible disease prevention, I stand for being informed and rational about how and when you apply these hits to your dog’s system. I stand for fighting back against the outdated vet recommendations that are compromising the health of our beloved pets with a one-size-fits-nobody approach.

 

Vaccines can ravage your dog’s immune system, cause injection site sarcoma, and produce significant systemic inflammation. Numerous dogs are struggling with “acid reflux” as a result of vaccinosis, but you won’t hear your veterinarian warn you about that. Learn about what is actually necessary to build immunity, educate yourself on single-antigen vaccines, and consider titer testing prior to beginning a vaccine regimen – especially for rescued dogs with unknown history who may already be covered. Again, this information is so crucial to responsible pet stewardship.

 

I’ve linked many resources to compliment and expand on this topic. Do I want you to take their dog training advice? Not so much. But in their specialty of nutrition or holistic/alternative medicine, they are qualified. I strongly encourage you to follow their Facebook pages, YouTube channels, and to dig deeper into their websites and articles or published works. Dr. Jean Dodds, Dr. John Robb, Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker – do share a WEALTH of nutritional and veterinary science knowledge that will change your life as a pet owner for the better.

 

Dr. Dodds said it best when she said that if we can’t avoid vaccines, we should be focused on how to build our dog up through their diet and healthcare to survive the insults to their system every few years. 

 

Which brings us to…

 

DIET

 

 

If you’re determined to make a positive difference in your dog’s behavior – you must start with enhancing or changing your dog’s diet.

That’s right, I have trained my team that we cannot ethically discuss training plans, or counsel on how to eliminate unwanted behaviors and create a happy or healthy dog, without discussing what constitutes biologically appropriate canine nutrition. We have several Facebook videos detailing items we suggest adding to kibble to enhance and better complete a kibble-based diet, but we prefer to see dogs on fresh or raw foods. For us, health and behavior are deeply interconnected, and we never skip an opportunity to help dog owners understand that “garbage in = garbage out.”

 

Too often, dogs who have been reactive, overstimulated, highly excitable or nervous, are actually in pain, agitated, worn down, or jacked up on crap – and many from a very early age. It’s incredibly difficult to “train” a dog in that condition, or to “train” those symptoms out of a dog. It’s far better system to help our dogs feel their best, so they perform optimally and require less guidance or rehabilitative work in general, then the real value of training can be shown. When they don’t feel well, they don’t perform well.

 

As a pet steward your focus should be on building immunity to withstand an intermittent and unavoidable assault to your dog’s body, and on questioning why a chemical is the preferred method to treat issues such as allergies, arthritis, or flea control (something the body can and should be able to manage naturally – if it’s a healthy body). That’s right, question your vets, PLEASE. Make your decisions based on the dog in front of you, and common sense overall. Pest control can be achieved naturally in most cases, and occurs authentically when the body is healthy anyway.

 

Commercial pet food is incomplete; founded BEFORE veterinary medicine was even officially established, and now – in many cases – it continues to be a poisonous “food” that is designed for convenience and profit. It is one of the greatest marketing accomplishments in history, that the pet food industry convinced us our dogs could survive and thrive on kibble alone.

 

All too often, we cannot do our best work as trainers and behaviorists unless or until a dog has detoxed from a history of hits to their immune system – the most common being any procedure requiring anesthesia, vaccines, antibiotics, and steroids or prescription kibble. The consequences of this cocktail over time are predictable and problematic for nearly every dog, so if we could reach every dog owner who is struggling today, those who desire the best possible health, behavior and relationship potential with their dog, we would implore them to go for the gut.

 

Focus on building immunity and decreasing inflammation… then commit to being patient. As with any worthwhile goal or transformation, the road is usually not easy, and things often look worse before they look better. If your dog has been sick/consuming crap for a long time, he/she will likely need to consume a biologically appropriate diet and have the right nutrients provided to them for at least half as long as they were on the wrong track – before you see the long term/lasting changes you’re after.

 

Build your support system, connect with others who have gone before you and who can help you avoid overwhelm or laziness. Now that you’re aware of what to avoid, and what to start looking for, below is a list of my particular go to supplements that I buy for my personal dogs, or have used to treat issues in a variety of dogs throughout my career. Some of these items are listed on this site’s shop if you’re interested in snagging them through an affiliate link for convenience, but can also often be found locally at your health food store, or a high end pet food retailer. REMEMBER, it’s important that you understand there is not one diet that works perfectly for all dogs.

 

I suggest working with a qualified veterinarian who is trained in holistic and alternative medicine, preferably one who can advise on the use of homeopathic and Chinese medicine, as I have found a ton of personal support and success in those partnerships as I addressed various issues with my dogs throughout the years. What’s great about beginning your research and getting a grasp on the value of natural medicine, is that you’re be more inspired to invest in the right sources going forward, and you’ll be more confident in the changes you need to make to help your dog.

 

A short list of supplements to educate yourself on and consider for your dog (adding to kibble or as a part of a fresh, raw, or cooked diet, many of which can take the place of prescription drugs and their resulting harmful side effects:

 

  • Probiotics (tripe, fermented veggies, kraut juice…)
  • Omega oils / coconut oil
  • Tumeric (golden paste is a tumeric based supplement that includes coconut oil and some pepper corns to make the tumeric more bioavailable)
  • Garlic (good old raw garlic repels pests!)
  • Colloidal Silver (AMAZING helper for building immune armor in people and pets)
  • Flax meal (scores points in the omega department)
  • Sardines (in water)
  • Raw eggs (shells can be given too, they contain calcium and other valuable minerals)
  • Fruits and veggies – depending on your dogs state of health there will be some that are much better for them than others
  • Super greens, or single source leafy green supplements
  • CBD – so incredible for so many things
  • Chinese herbs, homeopathics, aloe vera
  • apple cider vinegar
  • The list could go on forever!

 

I honestly could go on forever, and this blog already took a couple of weeks to get to this point. We offer FREE support on our Facebook page Q&A show each week, just email kai@home2k9.com with the subject “FIF Q&A,” and we provide FREE consultations during our monthly community class, Hope4Hounds, in Valley Center, CA. I also encourage you to sign up for our mailing list here on our website if you haven’t already done so, to ensure you receive future content just like this.

 

I will continue to expand on these suggestions and offer as much information as possible, thanks for being a responsible and dedicated pet owner!

 

To your training success,

 

Cam

 

The Worst Dog Owner With the Best of Intentions

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Author: Linda Beard

 

Hello, Leaders!

Thank you so much for such a warm welcome to my first blog! Your response both pleased and humbled me.  It also got me thinking that I should let you know a little bit about who I am, and how I came to be offered this opportunity to engage with you on an official basis.

 

Simply put, I may well be the Worst Dog Owner With The Best of Intentions. I did not rescue or adopt my dog, Nigel. I purchased him. From a backyard breeder I found on the internet. When I purchased him and brought him home, he was only six weeks old.

 

My purpose in acquiring Nigel was to have him fill a rather immense emotional void.  I was still grieving the loss of my oldest son, and the subsequent loss of my son’s dog, which I had kept after my son died.  Nigel, a miniature dachshund whose full adult weight was expected to be no more than eleven pounds, was, in my mind, meant to fill in those emotional craters.

 

I brought Nigel home on the Saturday prior to Martin Luther King Day in 2015.  I live alone, and was scheduled to work on the following Tuesday.  I had three days to get this puppy acclimated to my home and my expectations before I left him to his own devices.

 

I was absolutely determined to never crate my dog, because I firmly believed that to be a cruel practice. So, I placed potty pads on the bathroom floor, and proceeded to encourage Nigel to relieve himself there. No way was I going to take him outside – he didn’t have his full set of vaccinations!

 

By the time Tuesday rolled around, Nigel’s feet had barely touched the floor:  I had carried him everywhere, and had even allowed him to sleep with me in my bed. His potty training was progressing nicely – all I had to do was carry him into the bathroom, place him on the pad, and viola! – he would produce either pee or poop! Who says puppy raising is difficult?

 

But, when I left for work, just in case he didn’t quite have the potty training down,  I placed him in a dog show ring, which I had constructed on my living room floor, complete with a potty pad, sleeping area, feeding area, and toys. Lots of toys. I enlisted a neighbor to check on him now and then. All those so-called experts online, who wrote about crating puppies, had obviously never even thought of using a show ring on their laminate flooring!

 

By the end of the first work week with Nigel in my home, I decided that he really didn’t like being confined.  So, I did the only logical thing – I gave him the run of (most) of my condo while I was away for ten hours. (I blocked off the bedrooms, dontcha know.) Sure, he missed the potty pad in the bathroom now and then (ok, quite often) but he was happy, I decided, because he had unlimited freedom!

 

I didn’t put a leash on him until he was six months old.  There was no reason to, really.  I wasn’t going to take him out into the world until his vaccination record had no blank spaces.  Even then, I wasn’t going to expose him to other dogs. What if they had fleas?

 

Nigel had already been given plenty of exposure to people, because I took him absolutely everywhere in my free time. I went through a succession of carriers – the over-the-shoulder sling pouch, the purse pouch, and the most ridiculous of all – I actually got an infant shopping cart seat cover so that I could put him in the cart on my weekly Target run! (I have photos!)

 

By the time Nigel was one year, eleven months old, he was entitled, bratty, spoiled, insecure, anxious, and heavily suffering from Togetherness Addiction. He knew that I was a complete pushover,  that I had no leadership skills.

 

I decided this would be the absolute ideal time to bring him to Home2K9 and sign him up for Board and Train – not to learn any manners, mind you, because I thought he was adorable and perfect – but so that he could become my service dog, and we could be together forever, everywhere.  I was not at all trying to get away with anything – I was genuinely that clueless.

 

Nigel entered Board and Train on Sunday, December 11, 2016.  

 

Nigel was returned to me on Friday, December 23, 2016.

 

Nigel holds the record for the shortest stay in H2K9 Board and Train history.  He was completely unprepared for crating. He fought his trainers as if they were his captors. In Nigel’s mind, that’s exactly what they were. He bit his trainers. He refused to go on potty walks. He preferred to soil in his crate. He barked and cried through the night, making whoever had kennel duty miserable.  Nigel’s final act of defiance was to launch a hunger strike lasting nine days. Concerned for Nigel’s health, Cameron had arranged a meeting with me and Nigel on December 23rd, to see whether I reacted with sympathy or resolve towards my dog.

 

It turns out that the photos and narratives Cameron had posted during Nigel’s Board and Train experience had been the beginning of  a wake-up call for me.  His photos and narratives were markedly different than all of the other dogs in the program, regardless of their presenting issues. It was clear that I had handicapped my dog’s emotional development to an alarming degree. He was uncomfortable in his own skin. He had never been given guidance to make good decisions, to develop self reliance or self confidence.  

 

Nigel literally had no idea how to “dog”, and I was completely responsible for his sad condition.  The only right thing I had done was to bring him in for Board and Train, even though I had done that for the wrong reason.  That had also become clear to me.

 

As Cameron evaluated my dynamic with Nigel, I resisted picking him up, or speaking sweetly to him.  I knew I had work to do.  I knew I had failed my dog.

 

The next several months were a combination of private lessons with Cameron, me, and Nigel. We joined every H2K9 Pack Walk. We attended every Hope4Hounds community training class. I worked diligently on Nigel’s training at home, literally withholding affection towards Nigel, to effect a major shift in our dynamic.  I crated him at night, and during my daily work hours, for four months. When the time came to express affection, it was limited, earned, and appropriate.

 

My priorities with Nigel completely changed.  I no longer saw Nigel as a potential service dog. I realized that developing myself as my dog’s leader, setting clear boundaries, establishing a symbiotic relationship with my dog, served me far better than a relationship of dependency upon his service to me ever would.

 

I began to see him as a dog, not a furry human, not my salvation.  I wanted him to be confident, to respect me as his leader, to be well mannered and calm, and to make good decisions. I wanted his life to be fulfilling for both him and me.  

 

Cameron holds her Hope4Hounds classes on the third Sunday of every month, at 12 noon, sharp.  There are no exceptions to this schedule, even if that Sunday happens to coincide with a holiday.  

 

On Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017, Nigel and I attended the Hope4Hounds class.  Afterwards, anyone who was interested was given the opportunity to have their dog tested for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate, established by the AKC as “the gold standard of canine behavior”. Each dog is tested on ten specific behavior objectives,  and must pass all ten in order to be awarded a certificate. Ironically, passing the CGC is highly recommended, though not required, for service dogs.

 

Because I wanted to evaluate what Nigel and I had learned in the previous months,  I elected to have Nigel tested, and  I am elated to report that he passed!! (OK, he was a bit of a squeaker on the objective requiring the dog to remain calm while his owner walks out of sight for three minutes, but he did pass!).  Having an affirmation of Nigel’s training progress,  from an objective source (AKC),  fueled me even more!

 

Nigel’s training is every day.  If I start to let the “little” things go, it shows.  I default to “soft” with him, so my training is every day, too.  

 

I’ve learned that I can and must be firm and clear with my dog.  I’ve learned that crating my dog ensures that he is safe and feels secure, and that it is the kindest thing I can do for my dog.  Nigel and I now have an authentic relationship, based upon mutual respect, established boundaries, clear expectations.  

 

Prior to my exposure to Balanced Training, I saw nothing wrong with the way I was raising Nigel.  But once I immersed myself into the training methods, followed the stories of other dogs’ training as well as my own, a light dawned. Everything that I had held as a kindness that I was giving my dog was actually having a detrimental effect on him.  That was clear in the photos and commentaries which accompanied his training journey. I had to train myself, and reframe my concept of what my relationship to my dog should be. I had a lot of epiphanies along the way, did a lot of soul searching.

 

Nigel and I have emerged all the better for my decision to recognize and learn a new way of relating to my dog, and to dig in and do the work with him.  

 

It’s amazing that an event can occur which totally challenges a firmly held set of values, which results in a clearer perspective, and changes our lives for the better, if we allow ourselves to be open to the opportunity for change! 

 

 

I invite you to share your goals with our group, The Leaders Lounge is a perfect place, and perhaps the first steps you are incorporating into your routine which will help you create the change you desire. Putting this in writing will also help hold you accountable, and will inspire others to work toward their goals, too. Let’s make 2018 the year we take action! I guarantee you won’t regret it. 

 

To building the life of your dreams,

 

Linda Beard

Alpha B Columnist

Damn the off leash dog! How to handle when “life” happens out there on the walk.

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I’m not sure what’s worse…
1) the off leash dog approaching you unexpectedly or
2) the leashed dog complete with disconnected/disrespectful owner exclaiming, “It’s ok! He’s freindly!”
Ugh! Face. Palm. Right?
Either way, I know you’ve experienced both, perhaps numerous times, and how to handle these situations is among the most common questions we receive here at Home2K9, in the Leaders Lounge, and during our FREE monthly community class, Hope4Hounds.
My team and I set out to answer these questions in a comprehensive video today, so I thought I’d take a moment to ensure you were notified and flagged of this content – in the event that it might be helpful for you!
Keep reading for a ton of key breakthrough ingredients broken down for you to create a successful result out of these clustercuss encounters, but if you don’t have time to read everything now and just want the video, find it
>>> HERE <<<
The biggest issue with answering this question for you is that there are SO MANY VARIABLES in these situations, and while we can address the most common dynamics of an off or on leash meet, we struggle to articulate exactly every detail that might be present or otherwise play in to your success or failure when faced with this challenge.
Your dog, their history, YOU and your energy, the other dog and THEIR handler… so many potential triggers stacked up on BOTH sides, that you really must look at these scenarios as something you can do your best to train for, but never fully control/prevent/guarantee the outcome of.
And you know what? That’s ok. Your best is good enough, and struggle is not failure.
You only fail if you quit. So let’s start by taking the pressure and blame out of the mix, and focus instead on moving forward. All that matters is that you decide to work at it, that you determine to set you and your dog up for the best possible outcome if/when you’re confronted with challenges, and that you commit to learning from the result – however perfectly imperfect it may be.
Sound good? Ok. Here we go!
Some of the key ingredients to ours and our client’s success in these scenarios are listed for you below. Have a look, dive in to the video visual examples, and let us know if you have any remaining questions. We’d love to hear from you about anything we might not have clarified on one of our LIVE stream Q&A shows, Fix It Friday, on the Home2K9 Dog Training Facebook page.
How To Handle The Unwanted Dog Encounter- On or Off Leash:
1) STAY CALM!
Your physical energy, mental process (the dialogue in your head), effects what happens next more than you realize. True story. Do not underestimate the power of building mental grit in other areas of your life to improve your mental game when caught unawares by a stressful/pressure fueled safety risk – particularly where animals are involved.
Dogs read energy before verbal commands or any amount of noise you manage to cough up in a panic, so become a zen master of your body and mind, and train yourself to stay cool and collected under pressure so your dog, and others, will trust/respect what you say when the stakes are high.
2) Any self-respecting individual, recognizing the impending threat of an unsanctioned dog confrontation, calls out to the oncoming dog/owner and advocates immediately – zero hesitation.
Your aforementioned mental game should include the immediate thought (ghetto voice optional), “Oh helllll no, this ‘aint happenin on my watch!”
Optional messaging to owners of dogs leashed, or not, may include “Sir/Ma’am, we are leashed because I cannot guarantee a safe and appropriate greeting, please call/leash your dog right away to prevent a bad experience for everyone.”
Other choice words may be required, but honestly it’s so very rare. You don’t need to be a jerk, but nowhere in the history of EVER will you see one of us pros fall victim to a selfish and irresponsible owner’s behavior, we just simply do not go down as easy as we see our client’s routinely do.
Here’s where that personal development hooey becomes far less hooey, and far more POWER. If YOU think you deserve the time of day, and shouldn’t have your day (or perhaps your months and/or years of hard work) ruined by someone literally CHOOSING to own the road, then you step up and take action to prevent it. You teach people how to treat you based on how you treat you. BOOM. <—— THIS is why we trainers have to get deep with you guys and really push you to not just handle your dog better, but to handle you better too. 
3) Correct your own dog if you can/need to, but not because you’re freaking out and don’t know what else to do.
We often see handlers panic, start correcting their dog (too late), and then later have the perspective that their dog fall apart when faced with the challenge. In reality, what happens more commonly is that the handler was behind the eight ball, didn’t have a cool head so they missed their “window” to act/lead/advocate, and the dog has therefore taken action and jumped past the correction level for a meaningful boundary to be established by the handler.
Alternately, handlers will just simply be correcting for the wrong thing, and now we have a dog who is more confused, more frustrated, or even more nervous/anxious/fearful than before. Bummer for all. We talk about these nuance timing details in the video, please be sure to focus on your education of reading your dog’s body language, and recognize the importance of training to decrease the struggle for your dog, as well as INCREASE your window of opportunity and chance of success at delivering a well timed and clear direction/correction to your dog if needed when the stakes are high.
4) Body blocks are effective, use your body when you can.
Since dogs deal in energy and body language FIRST, not verbal communication, it is extremely powerful to understand the ways in which you can use body/spacial pressure to establish your boundaries with dogs.
When you are approached by a dog and you wish for them to in fact retreat, step toward them, not away from them. 
As trainers, we instinctively use our bodies as a tool, it is actually our best/first/most important training tool when communicating with dogs, and by handling many dogs (especially with such variety of personality/temperaments) over the course of our training life, we learn to do things such as step in or out, raise or lower a hand/arm, and pull our shoulders forward or back to convey meaningful requests, corrections, or even demands on dogs. This clarity creates respect, and thus reduces risk of behavior based in status challenge, arousal, or even over excitement.
You can learn this also, and you will find that experiences being approached by dogs you are not interested in engaging with will become much less stressful and dangerous when you are prepared/confident to take action with this readily available tool.
So those are my basics for you, and I can’t wait to hear how some of these tips may help you in your experiences with dogs approaching you in the future. We simply cannot guarantee you won’t confront these issues, but you can confront your own struggles to manage the above keys, and you can prepare your dog better.
Keep up the great work, training (and our relationships with dogs) are a journey, not a destination. What matters is that you keep moving forward.
Last, but not least, are you in the Leaders Lounge?! Lots of great progress being made over there by dog owners and trainers, just like you.
To your training success,
Cam

Hello Leaders! A New Year’s manifesto to face fear, and conquer doubt.

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Author: Linda Beard

 

Hello, Leaders!

How exciting it is to be welcoming a new year – it’s a year that is full of possibilities, opportunities, potential! Of course, it’s up to each one of us to set the stage for that success.

Maybe you remember that I wrote a piece in the Leaders Lounge back in December, regarding a favorite lamp in my living room that broke, and my subsequent realization that I didn’t need that lamp at all. Well, there is an important lesson behind my choosing to post that essay.
Once that essay was written, I hovered my mouse over the “post” prompt. And I began to think. My brain told me that the essay was stupid – that it wasn’t worthy of the Lounge, that it didn’t deal with a specific dog training success, (complete with photos), that it was too unconventional for the Lounge space, blah, blah, blah. To shut off the noise in my head, I clicked “post”.

My gut (instinct, intuition) had told me to write the essay. My gut told me that there was value in what I had written. My gut spoke softly, but insistently. My brain hollered and berated that the essay was ridiculous. It was louder, and more insistent, than my gut. But my gut told me, softly, that my brain was bullying me, and I should not listen.

How many times has your gut steered you wrong? How many times has your brain steered you wrong? Is the score about zero to a bazillion? Our gut is guided by our subconscious, which has the sum of all our experiences, sorted and stored, ready to dispense the correct response on a moment’s notice. Our brains are guided by our conscious self – the one with all the inhibitions, doubts, excuses, fears – the part of our Self that’s afraid to take a risk.

And you know what happened when I took that risk? I got invited by Cameron to write for her beloved business, Home2K9!! I’ll tell you now, that her invitation was quite literally a dream come true. Writing has been a release for me, for as long as I can remember. I have been told on many occasions that I should write more often, or write for a living – but I never found any venue wherein I felt that I could contribute meaningfully more than once or twice.

My journey with Home2K9 evolved quickly from client to lifestyle. Home2K9, and Cameron, have expanded my knowledge of my dog, of my Self, of the limitless possibilities that the world has to offer, which are ours for the taking.

As a result, I am no longer content to just schlep through life: work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep…. I want Purpose. I’m frustrated that I see so many people who have realized their Purpose, their Passion, their Calling, and proceeded to evolve into the life they were meant to live. I’ve lived a life of caution, of planning, of playing it safe. I haven’t dared myself, unless my back was against the wall. Absent an urgent need, I haven’t challenged myself.

It may seem a small thing, but accepting Cameron’s offer (read Challenge!) is a risk for me – I am stepping into my Fear of Failure, doing the very thing that I have dreamed of doing – contributing a relevant, official role in the Home2K9 community. I don’t want to blow this opportunity, but even if I do, I won’t truly blow it, because I will learn something important through that failure.

Follow your gut. Listen to it, respect it. Shush the noise in your head, and go within, to your true Self. (Meditation helps tremendously – but that is another essay!) If you do, you may well find your passion, and you may well be guided to an outlet for that passion. It’s so simple, that it hardly seems like effort, but it is. “Stepping into fear” (how I love that phrase of Cameron’s!) may be counter-intuitive, but it allows us to experience our Authentic Self. It feels amazing!

Now here’s the thing – I want you to experience the thrill of stepping into your fear – of doing something, however big or small, that you’ve wanted to do, but have prevented yourself from doing due to fear of failure or embarrassment.
It’s time to redefine your boundaries, and Just Go For It. I challenge you to do One Brave Thing in the coming year, and to let us know in the Lounge what that was, and how your experience unfolded. I am anticipating awesomeness!

 

To building the life of your dreams,

 

Linda Beard
Alpha B Columnist