10/06/2024
Vanessa and Zeca were at their wit’s end when we first talked. 😭
Despite working with several dog trainers, reading countless books, and taking a few courses, they felt utterly trapped with their two rescue dogs.
They couldn’t leave the house without their dogs whining and howling within minutes. 🥺
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. 🫣
Having friends over? Not a chance. It was a barking nightmare. 💥
𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.
Determined, Vanessa and Zeca swallowed their frustration and decided to trust a new process. 🫶
A few months later, they sent me an ecstatic message that read, “WTH are we doing 5x/week for 2 hours outside without the dogs??” 😅
All fear on walks had vanished, and their dog acted like she never had an issue, even at night. 🥹
They could even have construction workers at home and introduce new dog sitters without any meltdowns. 🤩
A new life? You bet.
𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲?
1. We debunked common dog training myths and moved away from obedience.
2. We shifted focus from the “bad” 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.
🙏 Look, it’s natural to want to change your dog’s 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. 🎈
Start with empathy, and watch the magic unfold.
