I always find it fun to look at these things in our wonderful world, and see what often happens between people and their dogs.
Mans best friend has such potential, it has such ability to be a positive influence on our lives from mental health and wellbeing, to structure, to teaching us about respect and consideration, and about ourselves…
Dogs are great teachers, and that’s why I want to quickly run through the three biggest problems I see dog parents struggle with.
1 — Miscommunication
I’ve often said that I’m “Just a therapist who specialises in the dog part” — because I am! I am here to iron out the creases in your household that wrinkle because of the relationship between you and your dog.
These creases come from a disconnect in communication, which is pretty obvious, right? Because we don’t speak dog, and they do their best at speaking human… but they’re still not there yet sadly (one day!).
2 — Astronomical Expectations
Sometimes we expect too much from our dogs! We expect them to be more than they can possibly be — and this more often happens with puppies than it does with grown dogs. And those expectations come back to us and often result in things like the puppy blues.
Perfection doesn’t exist and we really need to take that burden off of ourselves and our puppies! If we do that, and roll with the proverbial punches? Then we can really start making progress!
3 — Not getting it right, right from the start
Puppies are not quite a blank slate (due to genetics and epigenetics) but, I will say? They’re as close as you get (particularly if you get a good breeder involved!). So training them up early, and being patient, and setting them up for success from the very start, is one of the most impactful things you can do.
From socialization to training, to respecting their space and understanding their health needs. Puppies are complex, and so is getting it right… that’s why I can help!
Introducing 2021’s Top Pet Blog — Rebarkable! Specialising in puppies, I give free information 4 times a week, about how best to care for your pup. So go check it out!
