Find your Center

The most overlooked aspect of affecting our pet’s behavior actually has nothing to do with our pet. It has everything to do with us.

People often come to me struggling with an aspect of their pet’s behavior that they don’t like - excessive barking, pulling on the leash, spooking horses, not listening, the list goes on.

As we explore what is going on for the pet, I start to notice that whenever these things are happening, the human is thrown off balance. Sometimes they’re not in balance before the event happens, sometimes the event itself triggers the human to become out of balance. It doesn’t even matter which one comes first - the reality is that the person is attempting to solve a problem from an unbalanced place.

That’s no better than expecting someone to calm down by being told “CALM DOWN!” Yeah, not happening.

Whenever asking your pet to make a change in behavior, step one always starts with assessing your own state. Are you breathing? Are you aware of your feet and the rest of your body? What are your emotions doing? Is there tension in your body?

The best part is that often checking in can result in a shift in the pet, even without actually asking for anything.

The next secret? It works with people, too. 😎