We’re Back! And Talking about Burn Out

 

This holiday season hit HARD! We were busy as could be, just like I am sure most of you were. The dogs loved Christmas, and by that I mean they thoroughly enjoyed ripping open their gifts. I wrapped up the third unit of the CPCFT certification program, which was the most intensive yet. I started taking on in person clients and developing my online program (to be launched soon!). The dogs and I got in as many miles as we could on our local trails, played tons of “crazy time” (essentially fetch on steroids), and fit in some training here and there. It is bittersweet to be returning to a more regular schedule after the holidays. 

To be honest I really needed a break. I limited formal training, posted less on Instagram, and as you can see I have not been active on the blog. This was easier said than done. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep all of the juggling balls in the air. Something always has to give when there is too much on your plate. I could feel that moment coming so for the sake of myself and my dogs I took a step back. 

I absolutely love the community we have found on Instagram. There are so many people that are incredibly supportive of us. We have learned so much, found inspiration, and even made real world friends through our account. When our days and weeks became super busy, it was clear to me that every moment I spent on Instagram was a moment I wasn’t giving to my dogs. I spent less time scrolling and more time playing and relaxing with my family. Why is it that time flies so quickly when it is spent glued to a little screen? 

I took a step back from “formal” daily training with Chief and Chickie. Chief loves obedience and has alway shown great interest in our sessions. He has primarily trained for food. Chickie came along and completely changed the way we do things here. She complies with food driven training, but excels at play based training. We have spent a lot of time practicing this new method and enjoying the results. This has proven to be a much needed and very fun change to our routine. I could feel the dogs and I just going through the motions, rather than making training an engaging and productive process. A short break and restructure of our training activities was exactly what we needed to avoid total burnout. 

How many of you have felt this way, and felt alone because of it? The burnt out feeling can be very isolating. When you look around, especially online, everyone seems to be on top of things and even accelerating full speed forward. Guilt is often associated with decreased productivity, which makes burn out periods even more difficult to come to terms with. I write this to tell you that you are never alone in these feelings. Taking a step back is OK, and even encouraged from time to time. There is a big difference between slowing the train down and the train flying off of the rails. If you don’t take the time you need to care for yourself, caring for others (in this case dogs) can be nearly impossible. My dogs demand an excessive amount of my time and attention, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wanted to mentally prepare myself to step into the new year able to give them the effort they deserve. 

A date on a calendar isn’t a catalyst for change for me. It is however a great symbol of motivation. We all experience burn out when we have big goals paired with large amounts of responsibility. Don’t let the fear of the work ahead dissuade you from getting the job done!

“Dog Mom Monday” thoughts on a Tuesday

 

Photo by Ella Everrett, Sport Dog Photos

Life has been challenging lately, for a lot of reasons. Some good, some bad. New job, busy schedule, daylight savings, cold weather, and just having a lot on my plate overall makes it feel like I never stop moving. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I am a very go go go type of person. But inevitably the days come where I don’t have that spark. 

I woke up this morning at 4 AM to Chickie puking up the end of a bully stick she ate the day before. My alarm was set for 4:30 AM, so I closed my eyes and tried desperately to grasp that last thirty minutes of sleep before kicking off a busy Monday. The alarm came, I got up. As I do every morning, I open the bedroom door, Chief and Vinny run downstairs. Chickie procrastinates at the top of the stairs by scratching her neck with her back leg in a sorry attempt to distract me and make her getaway to where the cats sleep. She eventually runs downstairs too, barking at the top of her lungs the whole time in excitement to go outside. I let the three dogs out and turn on the coffee pot. In that moment I thought to myself “Wow, this feels like a lot”.

Did I need to bring home another puppy last spring? No. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. This doesn’t mean that I don’t feel overwhelmed from time to time as I head into a day as a full time health care professional, soon to be certified canine conditioning coach, wife, and handler of three dogs (two of them being very high energy). This morning, these thoughts crept into my mind. I was feeling like I didn’t have enough to give my dogs. Enough time, enough energy, enough drive, enough skill. I went outside to play fetch for a few minutes while the coffee brewed. We came back inside, I poured a fresh cup, and sat on the couch. Chickie sprinted through the house and tackled her duck toy then proceeded to throw it through the air for herself over and over. She spotted me on the couch, noticeably slowed down, and hopped up next to me. To my surprise, she laid down next to me and let me just pet her and quietly enjoy the moment. She rarely stops moving, and even more rarely accepts pets without plenty of playful biting. 

In this moment, I realized none of my fears or worries are founded in truth. I have the most incredible dogs that make me feel capable and loved. They have plenty of opportunities to do the things they love, and are challenged to learn and grow on a daily basis. They are fulfilled, and cared for likely even better than I take care of myself. If you’re a dog person and feel the way I felt this morning, take stock of all of the positives and try to see past the negatives. So many of us live a similar existence- we wake up, take care of our dogs and family, go to work all day, and come home wishing we had more time to do the things that fill our cup. This week, I am going to consciously appreciate my dogs for everything positive they offer to my life. I might be tired and busy as many of us are (especially heading into the busy holiday season), but I will keep putting one foot in front of the other and give myself a lot of grace along the way. I hope this hasn’t come off as complaining, because it is truly anything but. This is a reality check and my way of proving how relatable we all are. If you need encouragement, you know where to find me. Let’s get through the hard days together.

Trick Training Isn’t Just Trick Training

 

I don’t remember what spurred me to start trick training with Chief. Maybe it was joining the Instagram dog community and seeing all of the amazing things dogs are capable of. One day I realized I couldn’t name all of the tricks Chief knew because the list was getting so long. I started a document in my phone and that motivated me to keep making the list longer and longer. Suddenly, Chief achieved his 50th and most impressive trick, the foot stall. Trick training has always been a cornerstone of our relationship and obedience foundations. 

When Chickie came home, I decided I wouldn’t dive into trick training with her. I had an entirely new road map in mind for her training and was sure it would bring us success. I quickly hit an impasse with her training, and realized what I thought would work wasn’t a good match for her spunky little personality. I shifted gears and tried a more silly and less rigid approach to her training. One day, we were working on introducing the heel position, and she essentially offered an orbit with not prior experience. I couldn’t believe it- this trick took me almost a year to teach Chief! From there, I started to incorporate more tricks into her training sessions. She caught on so quickly and proved that she loves a challenge. 

Trick training is so much more than entertainment for others. Through trick training, my dogs and I have strengthened our trust in each other, improved our communication, and built our confidence with each new skill we’ve unlocked. I used to think training was “sit, down, stay, heel” on repeat. When I was forced to get creative to keep my dogs engaged and excited to train, that’s where the real progress began. 

When I feel our training is becoming stagnant, I find a new trick to train. When we go to the vet and my dogs are hypervigilant in the intimidating surroundings, I ask the vet techs to do tricks with my dogs to help them have fun and ease their anxiety (this has actually worked for us on many occasions). When my dogs need a quick mental and physical workout, a ten minute trick session leaves them tired and fulfilled. There are so many times I have used trick training to work through difficult situations with my dogs. 

Ultimately believe trick training will make me a better canine conditioning coach. This practice has helped me learn to split and scaffold movements which is an important part of conditioning. I can more clearly break down actions into pieces for the dog to learn and build upon. Certain tricks require strengthening specific parts of the body to ensure they can be completed safely and successfully. I credit a lot of Chief’s strength and athletic ability to trick training. 

I would recommend to everyone to spend five minutes a day, three to four times a week teaching your dog a new trick. You will be amazed at the difference it makes in their focus, engagement, and eagerness to work with you. Plus, imagine all of the fun party tricks you can have prepared to show off during the holidays! I am so grateful for the opportunities that truck training has brought us. Chief has his AKC Advanced trick title, and was even invited to perform live trick at a large fundraiser event this past fall. We are always working to improve ourselves and stay creative in training through trico What tricks should my dogs learn next?

The Great Internet Debate- To Walk or Not to Walk?

 

One aspect of having dogs in my life that I have always loved is dog walks. My family dog growing up loved going for walks and Vinny, who doesn’t like much of anything, looks forward to his walks with great enthusiasm. When Chief came into my life, he went for walks too… eventually. It was five months before he decided he would allow me to walk him on a leash. As soon as his leash went on, he would throw on the brakes and refuse to move. I tried food luring, play, and every tip the internet experts had to offer. I even brought him to an antique car show where he refused to walk, so I threw him in my backpack. He was an instant sensation at that event, and as funny as it was I still couldn’t believe that my new puppy didn’t enjoy walks. 

As part of the instagram dog community, I have noticed both ends of the spectrum exist. There are dog people who cannot fathom letting their dog go one single day without a walk, and people that swear walks are useless for dogs. I used to think that dogs require a walk every day and viewed it as a primary form of exercise for them. Chief taught me that there are plenty of other ways to fulfill your dog’s exercise needs than just walks. So which camp is right? 

Since this is my blog, I will give you my take on the matter. I still love and rely on dog walks for many different reasons. Personally, I love walking and feel fulfilled by spending time outdoors with my dogs. I work 12+ hour shifts in healthcare, so some days the only way I can exercise all three of my dogs is on a morning walk. Walks are an incredible training opportunity as well. I use walks to teach proper leash walking and heeling, and to play engage-disengage games with potential triggers for my dogs. I always bring treats so they are paid for their good behavior. Chief struggled with car reactivity as a puppy, which is a common issue in herding breeds. We utilized walks to reverse this dangerous behavior. 

On the flip side, I can see the argument to NOT walking your dog. So many dog owners get caught up in the monotony of the day to day, not realizing how important every second they spend with their dog is. Dogs lives are short, and they spend their time waiting for us to share ours with them. My cattle dogs like walking, but truthfully they don’t love it. I learned to fulfill them in other ways. One of their favorite activities is off leash trail walking. Our neighborhood walks can be stressful for them. We have a lot of off leash, front yard, outdoor living dogs in our area. We have had countless run ins with some friendly, and some not so friendly, dogs on walks. I know my dogs harbor some anxiety from these events. Going on trail walks in the woods allows them to enjoy off leash freedom. We rarely see other people and dogs which gives them time and space to decompress. They are much more mentally fulfilled by this as well, you can tell by how hard they nap afterwards. 

As is the same for a lot of dog related disagreements, I don’t think there is a right answer. It comes down to training and loving the dog in front of you. All dogs are not the same, no matter what stereotypes suggest. I went from having low drive, low energy mixed breed dogs to high maintenance cattle dogs with a myriad of daily fulfillment requirements. Part of bringing a dog home is selflessly prioritizing their needs. They rely on us for their basic needs, but deserve to have us go above and beyond to fulfill them on a daily basis. If your dog loves walks, take them for walks. If your dog prefers other forms of exercise, make time for them to do what they love as often as your schedule allows. At the end of the day, they just want to spend time with us. I will always walk my dogs, but I will also always work hard to figure out what they enjoy most and provide them with a life full of it!

GRC Dog Sports- A Newbie’s Explanation

 

All photos by Noey Chapman // BAD DOG CLUB

When I adopted Vinny, I had no idea what incredible potential dogs hold. Vinny taught me about the “scary” potential of a dog- reactivity, bite risk, fear, aggression, and so on. Through this journey, he made me the capable and confident handler necessary to keep him safe and above all alive. My cattle dogs on the other hand taught me the incredibly positive potential of dogs- drive, athleticism, focus, relationship, obedience, and shared companionship. They opened up a new world of dog handling and ownership to me. This of course included dog sports. I am always looking for new ways to challenge our team dynamic and help my dogs reach their full potential. This led us to GRC dog sports. 

Since this is an up and coming sport, I will try to touch on the basics so you can better picture what we are involved in. GRC stands for “Gameness, Relationship, and Control”. Gameness refers to the dog’s overall willingness to participate. The dog should be able to overcome and work through stress, while showing a controlled demeanor. Relationship focuses on the dog and handler relationship, how willing the dog is to work for the handler, and their team dynamic throughout the trials. Control assesses a dog’s self control, not to be mistaken with the handler controlling the dog. The ingenious aspect behind this sport is that it encourages the dog to make good choices independent of the handler’s guidance. You can imagine how this builds a stable, confident dog.

This sport was originally founded for American Pit Bull Terriers and has now expanded to welcome any dogs. This is the ultimate sport for reactive dogs because the long term benefits for participating can be exactly what they need to break through their fear based responses to their triggers. The dogs train for and participate in Social Responsibility trials. The dogs show their ability to be obedient through different verbal command tests, loose leash skills, and a “liberty” portion where the dog shows their ability to independently make good choices. 

After the dog and handler team has passed the social responsibility trials, they are able to move on to the drive events associated with GRC. This includes slat mill racing, weight pull, wall climb, and spring pole. It is easy too see how such a vast variety of events and skills will challenge each dog differently, allowing them to overcome their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. 

So how did we get involved in GRC dog sports? Last winter one of Chief’s trainers first introduced the idea to us, saying how great Chief would be at the drive sports. I had never heard of this sport before so I started to research it. Turns out, the founder Jay Jack is based in Portland, Maine which is fairly close to us. At the time, I didn’t feel that our schedule would allow us to pursue regular training in Maine so I tucked the idea away. Fast forward to this fall, a club started in our area based out of the Bad Dogs Club in Hooksett, NH and we were invited to join! I was very nervous, as I always am when trying something new. The added layer of uncertainty in bringing your dog with you into a brand new environment is something that doesn’t get easier, but having Chief as my partner in crime motivates me to show up despite my fears. 

I feel so fortunate to be included in this club. The members are supportive, welcoming, and bring a wealth of experience to the table. We troubleshoot each other’s challenges, find creative solutions, and learn together. We have been involved for just over a month now and I am happy to say Chief and Chickie are loving it. We are currently working on confidence building with Chickie and fine tuning obedience with Chief. Chief has always loved formal obedience training so this is an extremely enjoyable sport for him. As for Chickie, she tends to be more sensitive than Chief ever was, which presented a significant learning curve for me. This club has given her a new environment with strange people and dogs to work around, and is teaching her to be confident and trust our relationship no matter the situation. 

I cannot recommend this sport enough to any dog. No matter what your dog enjoys, they will find an aspect of this sport that they love to do with you. I can’t think of a better way to build drive, work on obedience, and strengthen your relationship with your dog. More GRC clubs are popping up all over the country, you can go to their website to find an affiliated club in your area. If I inspire you to do anything, I hope that is to try the new thing with your dog that you’ve always wanted to try. Their time with us is far too short to put things off until another day. You never know the potential of your dog, no matter the breed, unless you give them the opportunity to show you what they are made of. I look forward to updating you all as we continue to work towards our GRC goals!

My sport dog became my best friend

 

When I made arrangements to bring Chief home, I will never forget what my now husband said to me. “If you’re going to get the dog, you know you have to do the things.”. The “things” he was referring to were dog sports. I had never been involved in dog sports before Chief came into my life, and I was determined to do so with my new little heeler. Chief came home and as you all know, we did the things. 

It started with disc. I had four month old Chief out on the field at disc league. He was so young and clumsy, but he loved to play rollers. He didn’t know how to retrieve them yet, so that became a challenge for us. A few months later, he was fetching frisbees like a natural. 

Next, we got involved in agility. Chief was great at the drills and enjoyed playing with me, but didn’t seem to be loving the game. We had a lot of frustrating moments- he would run off after other dogs or to visit the instructor during group class, he would avoid obstacles to stay close to me, and he even did a swan dive off of the A-Frame. We reluctantly walked away from agility after a few months, which was hard for me as this was the sport I intended for us to do. 

Next came dock diving. If you read my post “Our Rocky Road to Dock Diving Success”, you already know the back story on this sport. Chief was scared to swim at first, although he was a great swimmer. Then he was scared to jump off the dock, although he was diving like a pro off of the pool ramp. Soon enough he was diving full speed ahead and gaining distance every week. He was always the calmest dog in line at competitions, patiently waiting for his turn. Until he wasn’t. Suddenly standing in line was a major challenge for us as Chief screamed at any person and dog that dared to walk within feet of us when he was near the pool. Over time, we have learned to manage this behavior so he can safely continue to participate in this sport. 

Nosework has proven to be a wonderful environment for us. The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) is extremely invested in creating a safe and welcoming environment for all types of dogs and handlers. In our class, we follow “crate and rotate” so each dog can enjoy their searches without worrying about the presence of other dogs. Chief has excelled in the early foundations of this sport and is able to participate fully unencumbered by his big emotions. We plan to continue this sport and hopefully trial in the near future. For what it is worth I recommend nose work to anyone looking to do more with their dog. It is easy to get involved in, mentally challenging, and so rewarding to watch your dog happily work through searches!

Throughout all of these experiences, I have referred to Chief as my “sport dog”. I think this title has a different meaning to every dog and handler team. To me, it started out by meaning that this is my dog dedicated to competing in sports and getting me involved in the dog sport world. As you know, I place high value on relationship building with my dogs as this is the foundation of obedience and successful training. Through this process, my sport dog surpassed this title and became something so much more significant to my life. 

Chief is my best friend. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for the opportunities he has given me and the companionship he provides me. Today I can say with honesty that I do not care if he competes in a dog sport ever again, as long as he is happy and healthy. If he someday decides that dock diving isn’t for him, we will no longer compete. This summer I found that I enjoyed our private dock rental practices so much more than competing. Him and I could both be ourselves and play the game together without expectations or results on my mind. This dog has added so much value to my life, and I hope to provide him with a life he loves to wake up to every single day. 

We are starting a new dog sport this week, and I am extremely excited about our future in it. I will share more as we go, but for now know that this sport is full of components of training that Chief is passionate about. My sport dog is my best friend, and I will always put that title at the forefront of our relationship. If you see us doing dog sports, know we are there because he loves it and I know our participation is fulfilling for him. Never do something solely because you think it is what is expected of you. Find what you (and your dog) love and give it your all.

Are you scared to start?

 

I certainly didn’t coin this phrase but I heard it in a song recently and felt the need to share- it is never too late to start. These thoughts aren’t necessarily just about dogs, but I will put them in this dog blog. I want to share this reminder with people who know us, have supported us, and maybe even look to what we do for inspiration. 

Everyone moves so fast, myself included. We are all chasing the next goal, big event, or life move. I recognized this pattern in my self over the last few years and set out to change my pace. I can’t be alone in having settled for jobs that weren’t the best place for me, or not taking chances because I didn’t know where to start or where the “chance” would take me. Change is hard, and I recognize that. If I hadn’t chosen change, I wouldn’t be writing this blog today. I wouldn’t have three dogs that I absolutely adore, a house they love to make a mess of, a husband that supports me so strongly that he created and manages this blog, or any of the goals and dreams I have today. 

I grew up wanting a dog, to the point of asking my parents for one every day. I ended up rescuing my family dog, Buckley, at age 16. He came to us as trained as a family could hope a dog to be, so he simply existed to make us smile. He never attended a training class in his entire 15 years of life, yet rarely misbehaved beyond a little too much barking at inopportune times. When I rescued Vinny, I had never experienced a dog with such severe behavior issues. I was forced to choose a new path to learn how to safely handle this out of control dog. Through this process, I was given the confidence that I needed to bring a high energy, working breed dog into my life (shout out to Terence at My Dog’s Mind for believing in me). This dog, of course, is Chief. 

Chief inspired me to train dogs because I enjoyed it, not just because it was necessary. This was the start of a new lifestyle for me. Before dog training, I worked as much as possible, I was always tired, and I was hyper focused on image and fitness. Dog training became the healthiest of obsessions for me, and I have Chief to thank for that. His tenacity to try anything for me with his huge happy heeler grin on his face forever changed my perspective. With our success, I continued to gain confidence in this new journey.

Many times I have doubted myself. I am in my 30’s, married, work a job I went to college and grad school to qualify for, and have all of the expected responsibilities of adulthood. How could I start working towards a completely different lifestyle now? If I let these thoughts darken the bright light ahead that I work towards every day, I would never have met so many incredible people in the dog community, tried new dog sports, started this blog, or applied for the CPCFT program. I used to see my future as a long road to retirement. I now see clearly that this is not the only way. It is not too late for me to try to let my passions inspire my future. 

This is my story, and I urge you to take some time to think about yours. What can you start today that will improve your future tomorrow? Since we are dog people, let’s start there. Have you been making excuses instead of taking action? Sign up for the training class, try the dog sport, start preparing for the difficult hike you’ve been intimidated by, plan the meet up with the local person you get along with best on “dogstagram”. Since my cattle dogs came into my life, I don’t dread the early morning alarms, walks in complete darkness to get in the miles before work, and all of the coffee spilled on myself while trying to simultaneously wake up and play frisbee in the dim light of New England dawn with them. I wish I had started down this path years ago, but I would rather start today than never start at all. It is never to late to start working towards creating a life you love to wake up to every day.