“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?