11/21/2025
Relationships are not linear. They breathe. They stretch. They wobble. They evolve.
We often talk about relationships ā with our dogs, our students, our partners ā as if theyāre built only through the āgood moments.ā The tidy sessions. The breakthroughs. The wins that look great on camera and feel even better in our chest.
But the truth is: the highs donāt create the relationship. They simply reflect the foundation youāve already built.
The real work ā the real connection ā is formed in the lows.
When everything is smooth, itās easy to be patient. Itās easy to be kind. Itās easy to feel like the relationship is solid.
But who are you when the dog shuts down?
Who are you when a student hits a wall and doubts themselves?
Who are you when your own motivation dips or life feels like pressure from every angle?
These are the moments that test your identity inside the relationship. And more importantly, theyāre the moments that shape the identity of the relationship itself.
Because lows arenāt failures. They are information. They are invitations. They are the places where trust is either strengthened or weakened.
And honestly ā itās a privilege to experience the full spectrum of a relationship. To walk beside dogs who bring you both joy and challenge. To coach students who trust you enough to show you their strength and their vulnerability. To love people who gift you their whole selves, not just the polished parts. The fullness of relationship ā the high peaks and the gritty lows ā is where life feels the most real. Donāt shy away from it. Donāt try to tidy it. Embrace it. Itās a gift not everyone gets to experience.
The low moments ask you to slow down rather than push harder. To listen rather than correct. To support rather than judge. To hold space instead of filling it with pressure. To choose compassion over convenience.
Anyone can celebrate the highs. But it takes awareness, humility, and commitment to show up fully during the challenges ā especially in dog training, where emotions run high on both ends of the lead.
A dog who struggles, a student who feels lost, a human who is overwhelmedā¦ these moments donāt ruin relationships. They deepen them ā if you stay present.
Every high gives confidence. Every low gives clarity. Both are essential.
And the more we embrace this ebb and flow, the more resilient, honest, and connected our relationships become. In dog training. In coaching. In partnership. In life.
Show up in the highs.
Show up in the lows.
Show up as the same person in both ā steady, grounded, and compassionate. Thatās where unshakeable relationships live.
