Trust Your Gut

Trust Your Gut

You already have the answers. you just need to listen to them.

Disclosure: This site may contain links to affiliate sites that earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products and services that I personally use!

Yesterday was Fin pup’s 2nd Birthday! It’s so crazy to think that he’s only been with me for 2 years, it feels like he’s always been a part of my family. At the same time, looking back at photos and videos, it’s also crazy to think how far we have come in those 2 years, both him as a baby dog, agility partner, and best friend, and me as a trainer.

Getting Fin pup was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. On the one hand I had ambitions to become more competitive in Agility; I wanted to trial overseas, and had hopes of making a World Team. On the other hand bringing Casey home had severe repercussions for my relationship with Riley; he stopped playing with me for over a year, became more moody, and it seemed like we lost a piece of our special bond. Would the same thing happen with another puppy? I felt like I had just gotten my relationship back with Ri and didn’t want to lose that again. Also could I even handle a Border Collie? They’re a crazy high energy breed who needs a job and structure, could I provide that? Or would I end up frustrated with a dog I couldn’t live with. These thoughts terrified me, keeping me up at night, and causing me to question my capabilities as a dog trainer, and dog owner.

Well you obviously know that I got over these fears, bit the bullet and brought home my Wolfie….or did I? The first 6 months that Fin pup was home continued to be emotionally difficult for me. Not because he was a challenging puppy, far from it, in fact he seemed to just understand how we operated the minute he walked in the door. But because I continued to be plagued by self-doubt and this all encompassing fear that I would “break” my puppy. You see, in my effort to be prepared for all the trials of owning a Border Collie I had done A LOT of research. I read every e-book, article, Facebook post, that I could get my hands on, and of course everyone had their own opinions. I was worried that I was doing too much Agility, not enough Agility, not enough tricks, not enough enrichment, not living up to the super mom expectations that professional Facebookers and bloggers put out on social media. I was stuck in a world of analysis paralysis, listening to every piece of advice except for my own.

Eventually I realized that this wasn’t sustainable. That other people’s lifestyles of hiking 2 hours a day, training for an hour, and then providing enrichment didn’t leave me any time for me, especially once you consider I was working a full time job and also training a horse. I also wasn’t being very successful in my training practices. I would pick up one tip, use it for a session, then go chasing off after the next piece of advice, like a kid chasing fireflies only to have each one wink out as soon as you get near them. After far too much time, I realized that I needed to turn down the volume on these external voices, and turn up the volume on my internal voice. And you know what? Almost instantly I started seeing successes; success in my training, and success in my daily life. And I slowly started to realize that I didn’t need to seek out the answers, I already had them.

So to the new dog owner, or the old dog owner with a new dog, or the old dog owner just trying to teach a new trick I say “Trust your gut”. You are the one who lives with your dog. You know what works for them and what doesn’t, how much they can handle, how much you can handle. Don’t try to live up to other people’s lives or rules or definitions of success. They aren’t you. And sure, every once in a while you may hit a rut, and may need some advice, but seek out someone who has worked with you and your dog extensively, and don’t check your critical thinking at the door. Even a top name trainer may give you advice that won’t work for your dog. So take every suggestion home, and think hard about the Why of it, and really question how it is affecting your dog.