Ep. 06: Deepening Your Relationship With Your Dog, Part 2

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About This Episode:

In 2017, Marissa wrote a book titled: Human-Canine Behavior Connection – A Better Self Through Dog Training. In this book, she explores her favorite topic: relationships. One of the relationships she explores which is most obvious is the one with your canine; however, she also explores the not so obvious. Marissa claims our relationship with our dogs is a window into how we relate to the world around us, especially in our human relationships. In Part 2 of this 2 part podcast, we’ll explore what that means and dive into the last 3 relationship concepts.

Support & Co-create

Dogs have needs just as much as we do! It’s important to pay attention to what your dog and you need daily and in this relationship. Not addressing a dog’s needs can lead to poor behavior choices due to lack of exercise and/or mental stimulation. Get your free mental stimulation gift today to prevent this from happening! Not addressing a person’s needs can lead to feelings of resentment and frustration which can do damage to a human or even canine relationship. Pay attention to what you both need and determine if there is a way to compromise!

Develop & Maintain Trust

As Dr. Susan Friedman would say if you’re going to make a withdrawal from the relationship trust account, make sure to deposit many more positive experiences to maintain a healthy balance. One of the best ways to do this for dogs and human is through the power of choice. A few examples include:

  • Allowing them to make the decisions on where to sniff during a walk.
  • Allowing them the choice to remove themselves from a social interaction with another person or dog.
  • Allowing them the choice to choose the treats or toys you engage with during training and play time.

Celebrate

My favorite thing about positive reinforcement training is that this practice trains your eye to notice and reward the good choices your dog is ALREADY making. A skill we can use on ourselves and our loved ones!

If you want to learn more from Marissa:

Marissa’s Book:

Marissa’s Ignite Boulder Talk:

Contact Marissa:

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