Why I decided I needed help with my mutt 🦮🐶
I realised I need help with my dog🐾🐶
We adopted Tina after my mum passed away, and it’s been a bit of a struggle getting a feeling for her, and her for us. She runs after cats, and disappears on the walks. At home she seems … sad? Sometimes, and goes off to be in a room away from us 🫣
After a few months of dabbling, I decided this was a moment to swallow my pride (I’m a small animal veterinarian, for goodness sake! I should KNOW how to train a dog, right!?!?!). I sought out a good trainer recommended by a vet who specialises in behaviour, and chose to be humble and listen to her 👂🏽
I booked 4 sessions and am already feeling the change. Obviously we are not training Tina at all, actually. We are training myself and my family to look for her clues and interpret them. To talk “dog” in a way Tina can understand. To assure her we are here for her, and we can provide safety 🦮
I learned that it actually takes quite a while for adopted dogs to settle in and adapt (my prior dogs were rescued as pups, so completely different experience) 🥹
And again, my biggest learnings have been to 1) STAY CURIOUS and 2) DON’T ASSUME I KNOW. Staying humble and not thinking I HAVE to know everything, that it’s OK to seek advice and second opinion 🤓
Staying humble and accepting our marvellous, imperfect humanness takes so much pressure off. We don’t need to know all the answers. We just need to know where our limits are, and ask for help when we reach them 🙋🏻♀️
Both training our own dogs, when we’re working as the amazing veterinarians we are, and … for everything in life really.
Don’t try to be perfect at everything. Stay humble. Stay curious. Keep learning, and have fun doing it.
In your corner,
P.S:If you’re feeling burned out because you’re running around like a headless chicken 🐓 trying to be perfect, know it all and DO it all, hop on a coaching session with me and together we’ll pull apart how and why you’re setting such high expectations for yourself - and how to stop and pause. Even if you decide not to work with me for now, this first and free session will gain you a lot of clarity and a new perspective on your problems. Book your free session 🐾HERE🐾
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