Team Together Class

You have a dog, maybe more than one. Do you ever stop and really think about what a wild thing it is to live with another species? Sharing your world with a canine companion can be amazing! But there is definitely a steep learning curve for a dog inhabiting the human world. Whether you stick to neighborhood walks, take long hikes, travel or do sports with your dog, there are some foundation behaviors that will make life easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable for you and your dog. Team Together, a class based on Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed skills, gives you and your dog the skills to navigate the world together as a team.

Interested? Find out more HERE!

Spring Is Springing! Are You Springing, Too?

March sunrise.

I feel as though I’m greeting you from a great distance. It’s been a few months since I last wrote a blog, so there’s distance in time. The pandemic is still raging (please keep wearing your mask, get a vaccine when you can, and remember the vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent you from getting COVID, but it will help you stay alive--kind of a big deal), so there’s still social distancing and keeping connections virtual where/when possible. And additionally, there’s the change within each of us over time which doesn’t necessarily create distance, but does necessitate some maneuvering to figure out where I am in space and how to connect with you from this different space which also provides different perspectives.

While I am aware of the changes, I’m also aware of that which hasn’t changed. If you’ve experienced my guided meditations, you know that I bring awareness to and have you look for what is different as well as what is the same. Here are a few things I am aware of that have changed for me and my world: I am more aware of my need for quality human interaction; I only hit the grocery once a week for the whole household; I am now more comfortable with texting as a way to stay connected with friends; physical contact with other humans is nonexistent. Here are a few things I am aware of that have not changed for me and my world: Lilly is still my best pal; our walks are still a daily practice; patterns and rhythms are still foundations to my sanity; I still need a balance of quiet me-time and interactions with humans.

Here are a few things that have changed in the bigger picture: there are multiple COVID vaccines and they are reaching more people everyday; some politicians are not only listening to their constituents and the majority of the American public, but are taking moral stands; more people understand that mental health is health. Here are a few things that have not changed in the big picture: COVID is still here; systemic racism is still not being addressed; it is still harder to register to vote in most states than it is to buy a gun; there are too many deaths by guns every day.

Are you aware of what has changed and what hasn’t for you in your world?

My Intuitive Guide services have not changed. I am still here for you when you need a different perspective, and some deep relaxation or clearing, and this is still by phone.

My Doggedly Whole private training is still outside at a client’s home. My classes are also outside: I have ongoing Nose Work classes; and I am starting up some new classes next month. I am offering both Nose Work for Beginners and Team Together where you and your dog will learn foundational skills to help you both comfortably navigate the world together. You can find more information on these classes HERE.

May this find you soaking in the green, the new growth, and the emerging colors of a season of hope.

My thanks to you and your companion animals for being part of my world, and for connecting others with me and my work. I look forward to working together more in the future.

~Namaste

Clicker Class Time!

Lilly is having fun!

I love clicker training. I’m a clicker training, so I’m sure you’d never have guessed. Critters’ responses are fast; and they’re clearly having fun. Humans’ responses are fast; and they’re usually amazed. Clicker training creates enthusiastic learners of all species (humans included of course)!

These are strange times we’re currently experiencing and most of us, humans and dogs, are spending more time at home. Another great aspect of clicker training is that it increases and improves the bond across the species gap. With all this extra time together, this is actually a good time to learn clicker training. I’m starting off my online classes with a class for kids, parents, and their critters: Clicker Basics for Kids! I want to share: the basics of clicker training; a few foundation behaviors; a few tricks; the amazing connection; and the fun! If you’ve got a critter loving kid or know one, please pass along this class information. Register here.

What the humans will learn: 

• What clicker training is and the science behind it

• Good clicker timing

• How to create the behavior you want

• How to set everyone up for success

• A fun way to connect with their critter

What the dog or cat will learn:

• Click means a tasty treat is coming

• Nose target behavior

• Tell me a secret trick

• Mat behavior

• Posing for pictures

• Possibly more depending on the speed of training!

Note: this class is for kids ages 10 and up, and is perfect for cats, too.

Solstice Time and Another Announcement!

The summer solstice is Saturday. The earth is still spinning, winds still blowing, plants still growing and yet, so much has changed. Humans are not only remembering that we are part of the whole, but we are joining together in ways that have been a long time coming. The Black Lives Matter movement is a wave that has been building and now has enough power to start pushing away some pieces of the systems that maintain white racism in our country. While many of these changes that are happening are small and slow, there are larger pieces finally being shown in ways that many whites can no longer ignore. We all have biases and prejudices and being anti-racist is not some final resting point. Being anti-racist is an ongoing way of being. If you’re new to these issues or want to explore them farther, start with the New York Times bestseller list which is currently filled with books on racism. I find myself coming back, again and again, to the basic practice of paying attention to who I mean and who I include when I use the word “we” in thoughts and words.

Timing is something that fascinates me. I have a bizarre relationship with time and noticing how intricately things can fit together in time is something I pay attention to. Back in the fall I enrolled in a dog training program ready to up my skill set. All winter my plan was that in June I’d announce my graduation from the program and launch some new aspects of Doggedly Whole. With all the changes brought about by COVID-19 and other events in my life this spring, things have fallen into a different pattern than I expected. So, while I’m thrilled to let you know that I’m now KPA-CTP which means I am a Karen Pryor Academy-Certified Training Partner, I’m also excited to introduce Interspecies Family Balance as the umbrella name for all my work: from dog training to energy work, heart-centered work to help your whole family find balance. I’m in the process of updating my website, but you can still find the basic information here: Doggedly Whole for the dog training, and Intuitive Guide for the energy work.