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The Everyday Trainer Podcast
The Everyday Trainer Podcast
Rethinking Dog Training: Embracing Natural Instincts for Happier Pets
What if the key to solving your dog's behavioral issues lies not in strict training regimens but in embracing their natural instincts? This week, I share insights from my trip to Costa Rica, where I observed dogs living their best lives, free from leashes and constraints. We'll explore how the culture of treating dogs is evolving, comparing the regimented routines of passionate trainers with the more relaxed approach of everyday dog owners. I also provide updates on exciting upcoming events, including a transformative retreat in Joshua Tree, California, and a virtual shadow program for aspiring trainers.
Reflecting on the well-being of dogs in a coastal town, we'll delve into how ample exercise and social interactions can lead to happier, healthier pets. I'll share inspiring stories, like that of a local coffee shop worker whose dog roams freely to the beach and back, highlighting the stark contrast with the more restrictive lifestyles many dogs face in the US.
We'll reevaluate traditional dog training methods, advocating for a more holistic approach that prioritizes exposure, exercise, and natural living over mere obedience. From the stress of city living to the vision of going back to pack hikes, I'll share my candid thoughts on professional values and personal mental health.
You know the drill, grab a tasty drink and enjoy.
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Hey y'all and welcome back to the Everyday Trainer podcast. This week we're doing things a little bit differently. I actually had an episode recorded that I was going to play for you this week while I was on vacation, but after spending a week in Costa Rica, I wanted to bring up another topic that has been on my mind a lot recently, especially after being here and seeing all the dogs. So this week I want to talk with you about how we can fulfill our dogs in a natural way and how that can really solve a lot of behavioral issues. I've talked a lot in the past about the culture of dogs and you know particularly how it's changing and how we're treating them less like dogs and more like human babies. So I want to touch on that and what we can do to really fulfill our dogs in a natural way to create happy, healthy pets. So you know the drill Go ahead and grab yourself a tasty drink and meet me back here. Hey y'all, and welcome back. You'll notice today sounds a little bit different. I am actually recording this week's podcast episode on my little road mic, so I don't have my full podcast set up, but I'm actually sitting on the porch of an Airbnb. I'm in Santa Teresa, costa Rica, and we have a nice little rainstorm in the back, so it's not static, it's rain. A nice little ASMR podcast for you this week. Before we get too deep in today's topic, I want to give you guys a little bit of an update. So we are in the end of August, the last week-ish of August, and we've got some things coming up. So we have the retreat which is on September 11th through 16th.
Speaker 1:If you're a dog trainer or you're a professional in the industry, this is for you. We are going to talk about the interpersonal skills that are required to be a dog trainer and show up as a leader in your community. And what does that mean, meg? What are you talking about? So so much of dog training is not just actually training the dog. It's actually being able to like, explain the knowledge that you have and be able to communicate and coach people properly.
Speaker 1:I have the background of being a personal trainer, which is where I think I got a lot of my coaching skills from, and it's not really taught in dog training. In dog training, when you go to learn from somebody else, you're basically just learning about the hands-on leash handling, food handling, training skills and less about the people side of the business. But as somebody who has been in the industry and coached thousands and thousands of people, I know how valuable it is to show up for the people, not just the dogs, and a lot of new trainers that fail fail because they're just not great at coaching people, they're not pleasant to be around and, at the end of the day, how somebody feels after leaving a session with you or after finishing a board and train with you is the most valuable, because you can train dogs all day long, but if you don't have the skills to teach the owner the things and properly communicate in a way that you know engages them and encourages them, then your training really doesn't matter and you can be the best dog trainer in the world. But if you don't have the people skills or the communication skills like, you're just not going to be successful. And when I see trainers that are no longer trainers anymore, this is usually the reason. So I created the retreat because I wanted to focus on that. I think there's so much information out there as far as, like training the dogs go, but very little around the coaching skills and you know the business skills and the confidence that you need to be able to show up for your owners and grow a successful dog training business and get those referrals that we all know we need whenever we're growing our businesses. And this isn't just for dog trainers, it's for walkers or owners of, you know, like doggy daycare businesses, like influencers, whatever it is. The communication involved in motivating people is all the same. So this retreat is five days in Joshua Tree, california, which, like I'm so excited for that. It's going to be so much fun and we're really going to focus on those interpersonal skills. We'll have classes each day led by yours truly coaching you on these things. We're going to get really clear on our values, focus on growing our businesses, whatever that may be whether you want to grow online or grow a dog training business or a dog walking business and also about the wellness aspect of it how can we take care of ourselves and show up for ourselves so that we can show up for the dogs and the people that we work with. So we only have two spots left for that. So if you're interested in joining our retreat, I'll share the link in our show notes, but you can always check out my Instagram. I have all of the links there in my bio that you can apply for a call with me and we'll make sure that the retreat is good fit.
Speaker 1:Following that, we're doing our October virtual shadow program. My virtual shadow program is for dog trainers who are looking to break into the dog training industry but don't have the business skills. So this is a three week online course. The first week we cover all things dog training. So we cover the basics, our communication skills, marker words, leash pressure. Week two, we kind of get into how I structure the training sessions, things like breaking down what a board and train program looks like. And then week three, we get into all the nitty gritty, the business side of stuff, so how to own and operate a dog training business, what sort of business structures you need, how to set them up. We cover things like CRM setup, how to set up your Google my Business, setting up an LLC.
Speaker 1:If you don't know what any of this is and you want to be a dog trainer, I recommend you take the virtual shadow program. So this program is limited. I keep it to only about 10 spots each time and the reason that I do that is because at the end of the program you'll get a one-on-one call with me. You'll also get group calls each week and live training sessions as well. So it's an awesome little community of passionate dog people. We're really there to help you develop your training skills and grow as a business owner. So if you're interested in either the retreat or the virtual shadow program, those are coming up within the next two months, so I'll include the links to those. Essentially, you'll schedule a call with me, we'll chat about the programs, make sure it's a good fit and then you'll either, like you'll, receive an option to enroll in the program. So if those are interesting to you and you want to check them out, or you just want to chat with me, answer some more questions, schedule a call. I would love for you to join.
Speaker 1:All right, let's get into today's topic. I'm going to be quite honest. I have been having a little bit of like a crisis, because every time I travel out of the country to like I've been to Columbia, I've been to Nicaragua, I've been to Costa Rica this is my second time being here and every time I traveled to one of these places obviously as a dog trainer, one of the first things that I notice is the dogs. Like you rarely see dogs on leash. It's just a completely different culture around dog ownership and particularly here in Santa Teresa, this is a like beach town. It's very touristy, there's lots of people from places everywhere and everybody has a dog. Like this city is literally. I say city, it's pretty small but this place, literally everybody has a dog and it's like a dog park. You will not see a dog on leash. I have not seen one like misbehaved dog at all. They're all just so chill. They're chill around people, they're chill around dogs, they're chill around cars and you know, I think it has a lot to say about the way that they live. I think it has a lot to say about the way that they live.
Speaker 1:So in the US I feel like and I'm speaking from the viewpoint of a dog trainer, but dog training is a growing, booming industry. There's so many dog trainers across the country and we're all kind of preaching the same thing, which is you know structure and training and you know like just your day with your dog is almost very strict. So there's kind of two camps of dog ownership that I mainly see. The first is going to be like general population, general owners. This is kind of what I think of when I think of and I'm not saying this to offend, but when I think of, like the dog mommy mentality, where it's like you're babying your dog and you don't really treat them like a dog, you're more so treating them like a human child and you dress them up and just like your entire life revolves around them, you never leave them. It's a very, very different world than what I'm seeing here.
Speaker 1:And then we have the other side of things, which is more so, the viewpoint of dog, dog trainers, or you know passionate dog folks that are so invested in, like, their knowledge and the dog training industry and they're like, oh, your day should be structured, and we do. You know, multiple training sessions a day. My partner, toma, he's kind of in this camp which, like it all worked out because we wouldn't have met if he wasn't like a fangirl, a dog fanatic, but like he knows all the dog trainers, he knows all the methods, he knows all the things, he watches all the videos and you know, in his eyes, like life with dogs was so structured. And I feel like when he came to meet me he was like, oh, you're not nearly as strict as I thought you would be, I'm not doing multiple structured training sessions with my dogs each day and I let them be wild and crazy and roll in the mud and I let them meet other dogs. And you know some of the things that I kind of like preach about as a dog trainer like you know, don't let your dog interact with other dogs. He was taking like to heart and so like he would never let his dog like interact with other dogs, and whereas I'm like, yeah, it's fine, you know, like I trust my dogs. My dogs are like well-behaved and well-socialized and so I don't mind them like meeting other dogs.
Speaker 1:But for people who are like struggling with behavioral dogs, you know that's some advice that I would give is like, hey, don't let your dog meet other dogs that you don't know, right, it could lead to a fight and it happens all the time and that's. You know, a lot of the dogs that I train have gotten into fights, either through on leash greetings or dog parks or doggy daycare. So I have that, you know, kind of like warning to people and a lot of dog trainers do. In the US there's like the passionate dog trainer folks and then there's like the dog mommies who are just kind of they're on two different extremes, but they're both very extreme and I'm not saying that like one is better or worse than the other. But I think you know, kind of in both cases we've gotten so far away from how dogs should naturally exist and I know that you know like dogs are dogs because of us, like we've taken them out of nature. They're not like wolves or anything like that, but you know they are animals and I speak of this for ourselves as well.
Speaker 1:And you know like I'm on this vacation because I'm not going to lie with you all Like I was not in a good place and that's like not why I'm on vacation. I planned this like six months ago. But you know, leading up to this vacation, I was really like not in a good place at all. I was overworked. I feel like I wasn't living my life in any sort of alignment with, like my beliefs. I always preach about like taking care of ourselves, and you know the value of exercising and waking up early and eating healthy, but my life had just gotten so busy that I wasn't really able to do that, and so this vacation for me was just kind of like a reset, and I'm a big nature girly. I love being outside. If I I could be outside 24 seven, I would I actually like hate living in a house. It sounds so wild, but you know, last year I went on my like three month long road trip and I loved it because I was basically outside all day long and I I like lived outside, like I was essentially camping all the time and that's like my absolute favorite.
Speaker 1:And when I had to go back to the house I was kind of, you know, cleaning up my business a little bit. So I had to really hunker down and take on dogs and you know, I let people go and just focused on, like me, taking care of the house and my business and gradually, over time like we're in August now, this started at the beginning of the year Over time, over these like seven months, I just was exhausted, I was draining myself, I wasn't fulfilling myself in a way that is natural for me. And so, coming here, like, not only was it a big reset for me, but it's also kind of resetting my ideals around dog training, because I'm seeing how happy and fulfilled all of these dogs are. And you know, they're not doing structured walks, they're not doing training sessions. They're not doing training sessions, they're not getting the dogs working for food. Like, why are all of these dogs so well behaved and so stable? And I genuinely think that it's because they're fulfilled. They get so much exercise. They get to, you know, go to the beach and sprint and run around.
Speaker 1:And I met um guy who worked at a coffee shop and I was actually talking to him about this. He was talking about where I was from and I told him I'm from Florida and he was like, oh, my sister is in plantation. She fosters dogs there. And I was like, oh, no way, I'm actually a dog trainer. I love seeing all the dogs here just off leash and they're all so chill and happy. And he was like, yeah, you'll never see a dog on leash, like that's just not the culture of dogs here. And he was like it's so crazy to me that you know in the US like you have to like put your dog on a leash and like walk them or drive them to a place where you can take them off leash, and then you take them to a dog park and you let them go. And it's like there's so many other that like aren't used to being exercised or being off leash. And it's just he was like it's just not the same, like you just won't catch a dog here on leash. And he was talking about his own dog. He was like oh yeah, my dog. He takes himself to the beach. People play with him, they give him food, he runs around and then he comes back home at night, he sleeps in the house, he has a great night and then he does it all over again Like he's literally living his best life.
Speaker 1:And I was like that's it, you know, like that's why our like these dogs here are so happy and healthy and like they're not getting in fights with other dogs. They're not, like you know, biting people. They're not reactive like there were a couple dogs that were like reactive to cars, but it was really only two that I've seen so far and it's all the same dogs. And it's not just like mutts, it's like purebred dogs. There's like a Cane Corso. We've seen three Malinois, two German Shepherds, like some Boston Terriers, tons of Dobermans. These are working breed dogs that are in this town, that are just honestly vibing. They're just so chill and they're so happy.
Speaker 1:So I think like obviously one of the components to that is like these dogs are physically fulfilled. They're getting outside all day long and they're going for long walks. They're getting also to sprint, which I think is so important, like seeing these dogs sprint on the beach and even if they're like not with their owner, they'll just like get the zoomies and sprint like a mile down the beach and you're like wow, like that's probably really important for dogs health. Like when's the last time your dog has just like sprinted? You know, unless you're frequently taking your dog off leash, then like they really just don't get that opportunity. And you know, for me and my dogs, like I am very blessed in that I have a massive backyard. If you ever see videos on Instagram, I have a huge backyard and the dogs like every day get to go out and sprint and it's really like you know mimicking that like off-leash lifestyle. But not everybody has that and I totally understand that. But I do think that it's valuable to you know, figure out a way to fulfill your dog and allow them to have off leash time and allow them to sprint and just like get that energy out.
Speaker 1:I think so many dogs have reactivity and fearfulness and anxiety because they're not being fulfilled in that way. Like I, dare you, if you're an anxious person go to a super difficult workout class like run as hard as you can and try to be anxious afterwards Like you just can't, you know, and that kind of gets into my next thing, which is another reason why I think the dogs are so calm here, is because the people are. You know, and I talk a lot about how we want to act, how we want our dogs to act, and if you're calm, cool and collected, your dog is going to be that way too. Obviously there's like other factors that are coming into play, like genetics and, you know, like conditioned behaviors as far as behavioral dogs go. But a lot of times when I meet like anxious owners, they have anxious dogs and your dog is just kind of like mimicking how you feel all day. And I think you know the dogs here are so fulfilled because they're spending time outside and they're eating healthy food. Like I walked into a cafe yesterday and there's like a Cane Corso just like chewing on a big, like raw bone, like completely raw bone. There was like still meat on it and I was like this is great, you know, like this is what I suggest my owners have their dogs do, so it was just cool to see.
Speaker 1:But I think like two, the people here are living a different lifestyle than you know we do in the US and they're outside all day. Like everything is outside here. Everybody goes and like surfs or walks on the beach, everything is walking distance. So you're not like driving around in cars a whole lot. You know they're walking past busy cars and motorcycles and all of the things that we tell people to do to socialize their dogs early on. Like these dogs are just exposed to this like day in and day out, because this is what the people are doing as well. So you know the culture here and obviously this is just kind of like how a more like touristy town in Costa Rica or any like coastal place is going to be. It's going to attract people that value this lifestyle. Like for me, this is a dream. I'm like trying to plot how I'm gonna like move here.
Speaker 1:The last time I went to Nicaragua I felt the same way. I was like, wow, I will literally do anything to live this lifestyle. Like I am not a city girl, I am a like beach town person through and through. I love being outside all day Like I do not like air conditioning. I love surfing. I love like waking up in the morning and going for walks, like that's really what you get to be able to do here. So I think because the people are so fulfilled naturally and health is kind of at the forefront of everyone's values here, because of that they're getting to lead by example for their dogs.
Speaker 1:And I just think the lifestyles that we have in and I can only speak on like the US, but I know that it's like similar in like the UK and Europe I just think we've gotten so far away from any sort of like natural existence and I think we've kind of turned ourselves into like zoo animals with like zookosis if you've ever heard of that where like the zoo animals have like neurotic behaviors because they're not living in their like natural environment. So I think we've gotten so far away from that for ourselves, but especially our dogs. And like to just give you an example, I once had a dog training client who asked that I not take their dog on grass. They were like yeah, you know, they're just not a grass dog dog. I'm like okay, and to me that's just wild.
Speaker 1:I let my dogs roll in mud and get dirty and jump in the creek and just run around and be dogs and I think that's part of the reason why they're so stable is because I raised them to be that way and I love them so much and so I aim to fulfill them in that way. So on days when we're locked in the house all day, I'll take some time and take them to go run around in a field or I'll take them to go swim in the creek by my house and they love it. And afterwards they come back home and they settle and they take a nap and they love it, and afterwards they come back home and they settle and they take a nap and they're happy and fulfilled. And I just think, instead of buying our dogs all of the latest toys and puzzle, feeders and clothes and beds, I just wish that we would invest in our dogs, in fulfilling them in a more natural way. I think that it would lead to much about being healthy for ourselves and getting our morning light. I think it helps align us with a more natural way of being and, you know, makes us happier and in turn makes our dogs happier.
Speaker 1:And it's also kind of brought me to a place where I don't want to say I don't believe in dog training anymore, because that's obviously not true. Just because of the lifestyle that we live with our dogs, we do have to train them. I still believe in structured walks. I still believe in, you know, teaching our dogs a set of skills that will help us navigate life with them a little bit better. Like, for example, it's good to teach your dog a down so that when you go out in public, like if you need to, you can put them in a down. But you don't really have to do those things. And this is kind of what I'm getting at with. This is, like, you know, the dogs here, like they'll just go and like settle next to their person, like they're not putting their dogs into a command for the dog to be able to settle. And I think we've, you know, I'm going to kind of touch on like the other camp of like the passionate dog trainers or you know, or the dog owners who, it's their hobby is dog training. We've gotten so strict and structured and everything is coming through this trainer mindset that we don't allow our dogs to like think or breathe without like being in command.
Speaker 1:And I have personally never been that way with my dogs. I honestly don't even like train my dogs in like obedience at all. Like, for example, like Millie, my golden retriever, the one that I co-own with the breeder. Like she's about a year and a half now and I really have not done like quote obedience training with her and that I'm like luring her with food and you know, it's just like. She's just like learned by doing it and that's really how I raised Zoe Lucy. I did a little bit more of like structured training and obedience with her because she's drivey and it's like one of the ways that I can fulfill her. With Minka I did that because like she's my quote sport dog but like she's not really going to be a sport dog. So I've done these more like structured trainings with those two but with Zoe, and like Millie trainings with those two but with Zoe and Millie. I really haven't. All of the training that I've done with them is really just taking them out and exposing them so that they're nice and neutral and confident.
Speaker 1:Honestly, how I train clients' dogs is not how I train my own dogs. I feel like this is part of the reason why I've been feeling burnt out is because of the expectation of me as a dog trainer in the average person's eyes is that, oh, my dog needs sit down, place, heal, where I'm not really doing that with my dogs and people see my dogs like people will stop me and be like, oh my gosh, your dog is so well behaved, like you know, like that's so awesome, and it's not from teaching those things, it's not from like these active training sessions. Like my dogs are like that because I take them as many places as possible, especially in the first two years of their lives, so that they're exposed to everything. I don't do a lot of talking to them. I don't like baby them in that way and I also like I try to be as calm as possible and lead by example for my dogs.
Speaker 1:And as a dog trainer, my job is to teach sit down, place, heel and if you ask Toma, or like any of my previous trainers, I hate doing that part of training Like obedience. I hate it. I will literally hand a dog off to somebody and I'll be like teach this dog, place like I. Just I think it takes away from, like the relationship aspect of a dog. I think it makes dogs to out to be like less than what they are. They're very smart and they're very intuitive and they get what we are asking of them without us having to, like you know directly, police, yes, you know, like do that sort of training and for me it's just like I don't know, it's not like what I wanted to become as a trainer.
Speaker 1:Like, I think very early on, the things that I valued in dog training was like exposure, training and fulfilling dogs and walking them enough, when I started out as a dog walker, you know, a lot of the dogs that I worked with had behavioral issues and a lot of the dogs that I worked with had behavioral issues and a lot of it was just because, like they weren't being exercised enough. They were either sitting in a house all day by themselves, either in a crate or just out and their owner would like take them for, you know, a walk at night that was maybe 15 minutes long and it's just not enough. Like it's not enough for us and it's not enough for our dogs. And so when I was a dog walker, like I would go and pick these dogs up and I would go for long walks. Like I never really had a time limit with the dogs. It was like whatever amount of time that I had, like I would walk the dog basically as far as I possibly could, we would go on a different route every single day, like I tried to. You know, walk them down busy streets and take them past like houses with dogs barking and like do all of these things and just expose them and be like, hey, you know, like we're going to walk past this and you're going to be totally fine, and you're going to be totally fine.
Speaker 1:And just doing that, I was seeing like a massive shift in these dogs behavior and I feel like as I've progressed as a dog trainer, I've gotten further away from that, and more so in the world of like this sporty training. That kind of revolves around obedience and this is why I really look up to training trainers like Cherry Wolf, lucas or Oregon Tails, because you know, I know that they do obedience but that's not the foundation of their training, and especially with like behavioral dogs like if you're struggling with your dog's behavior, I'm sorry, but obedience training is not going to fix your problems. There's an underlying issue with the dog. I'm sure part of it is genetics, but I also think a big part of it that I see with a lot of the dogs that I work with is just a lack of fulfillment, a lack of a more natural way of living. And so we get these dog trainers that are just essentially running through the commands. They're just running through the commands, they're doing all of these active training sessions. They're not really treating the dog as like a living being and they're just doing what they know, which is like teaching commands and that in like our eyes, is a trained dog.
Speaker 1:And for me that's just not in alignment with what I believe. And so I'm kind of thinking like, as I go back, what life as a trainer is going to look like for me, and obviously I'm making the shift to more so online because I'm not going to be in the house. I'm heading out to the West coast and you know we're doing van life for a little bit with the dogs, so I'm not going to be doing like this traditional sense of dog training, which is like board and trains and you know lessons and stuff like that. So I've been kind of like thinking about what that's going to look like for me and honestly I don't really know. I'm in Costa Rica for two more weeks and I'm hoping that I have some sort of like awakening as what I'm going to do with my life and like as a dog trainer, but I know for a fact that, like I don't want to go back to the traditional like board and train structure, I really see myself doing something more of like pack hikes with dogs again, and that's something that I used to do a lot of, especially with like the board and train dogs that I would have, or like the daily training dogs or dogs who have already done training with me.
Speaker 1:Like I would go and pick dogs up and take them on these big group hikes and it was a huge part of my business and, honestly, I had to stop doing it because of the weather and I moved really far away from where a lot of my clients were and so I just didn't have the time to drive around. And two, that kind of like gets me into like my lifestyle in Orlando. Like I, I basically lived 30 minutes outside of like the city of Orlando and everything for me was a 30 minute drive minimum. Like even if me and Toma wanted to go get coffee at like a cute coffee place that's like not Starbucks we have to drive 30 minutes, and so I just felt like so much of my life was just like driving around and driving around and picking up dogs and so little of it was actually like fulfilling the dogs in the way that I wanted, and when you're doing something that's like out of alignment with your values, it burns you out so fast.
Speaker 1:I was like I'm telling you guys, I have like not been okay at all, like my mental health has just. I've been struggling so much because I've been feeling this way for a long time and I'm kind of like I don't want to do like this dog training thing, like this traditional sense of dog training, and even doing like sports with Minka, like I just have not enjoyed it. I did it for a little bit at first and then I was like no, this is not for me. And then I was like you know what, I'm going to give it a try again. I did more bite work with Minka. I did more like obedience training with her and it just like I don't know, like I just didn't really feel good about it. And I know that there are some dogs out there that like absolutely love it, like Toma's dog loves doing like obedience sessions with him and bite work sessions, but like minka, it was like she doesn't really love it.
Speaker 1:Minka doesn't love conflict and she was only able to do it through a place of like defense and like she's just not that dog, like she is the mediator with all of the dogs. If dogs are, like you know, tense, she'll like walk up and be like guys, guys, guys. Why are we being so tense? You know, tense, she'll like walk up and be like guys, guys, guys. Why are we being so tense, you know? And so like to get her to do like bite work in IGP, like basically we had to, like I don't know, make her get really defensive, and then she would finally like bark and like do the things. But it wasn't coming from a place of like she actually enjoyed doing it and so like I didn't really enjoy doing it.
Speaker 1:And's like you have a Malinois, like you have to do this, and I'm like she just wants to be a golden retriever, like she genuinely does. She's such a little cupcake Malinois and I tell this to everybody and they're like no, like you just haven't brought it out of her. And then they meet her and they're like she's weird. And I'm like, yeah, she is a weirdo. She would definitely be a much better like protection dog. But I think that is because it's coming from more of like a natural place, like minka is like obsessed with me and I think if I like taught her the picture of like hey, if I'm ever in an unsafe situation, like you got me, and she would be like, yeah, I got you. You know that kind of like internal motivation, whereas with like sports, it's more like a game and she'll be like yeah, I got you.
Speaker 1:You know that kind of like internal motivation, whereas with like sports, it's more like a game and she's like why are we doing this? I don't like it, you know. But even to like doing sports has kind of like made me realize how much I like dislike the like dog trainery things, the obedience, the like super structured training sessions and you just take your dog out from the crate and like work them and then put them away. It's like I hate that so much and I just want to go on hikes with my dogs and I feel like I can't because Florida is so hot and my whole life revolves around training other people's dogs and sending updates. That's like I feel like all I do as a you know dog trainer, owner of a dog trainer business, is just send owner updates. Like it's so silly. But let's say you're doing like three board and trains a day, like and you're sending updates to owners, like it takes a lot of time out of your day to like record what you're doing and then send it to people Like. Imagine any other job where you basically had to like prove what you're doing and then send it to people Like. Imagine any other job where you basically had to like prove that you were doing your job by recording yourself all day. And I think that's why dog training is so big on social media is because it is such like a visual thing. So we do have to do that.
Speaker 1:But that's another thing that was kind of like out of alignment for me is like I am not a texter, I am not a. I'm not great at like communication in that aspect. I'm great at communication like in person, like I'm very much like in the moment. So if I'm there, I'm with you, like I'm going to be talking to you, I'm engaging with you, like I'm listening, but to basically like live my life in a way where I have to like do these active sessions and record them and, you know, send them to owners all day. It was just like emotionally draining for me, and especially now, like in Florida. We're in the summer months and you're basically locked inside all day because of the heat and I am not an inside girly Like I will lose my mind if I'm inside for too long and so this trip for me has been so fulfilling in that aspect. And then I actually get to like be outside, not like die of heat stroke. I got like heat stroke a couple of weeks back because I was outside for like 30 minutes and it's just the worst. Like it's just the worst.
Speaker 1:So I'm really excited for like this new chapter for me in my like journey as a dog trainer or, you know, even just as a person, and for my dogs as well too, because you know that's another big thing. Like seeing all these dogs here be so happy and healthy and get to run around and be outside. Like I'm like my dogs would love this, like they would literally thrive, this would be their best life. Like I want this for them so bad. I want this for both of us so bad. I'm literally like Googling how to like ship your dogs to Costa Rica. So if any of you guys know, please let me know, because I would love to bring my dogs here, but like moving forward.
Speaker 1:Once I go back home, I know that the direction of my business is definitely going to change, because I want to live my life in alignment. I want to live my life in a way that values a natural way of being. I want to embody that because I think that's what the dog training industry needs more of. I think that's what dogs need more of. Our goal as dog trainers and professionals in this industry is always to help more people and dogs, and for me, I think that's the way that I can do. That is kind of lead by example of this is how we can fulfill our dogs naturally and allow them to run around and be dogs but also have those foundational skills so that if we want to take our dogs to a coffee shop, we can put them on leash and walk them down the street and put them in a down, but still give them that outlet to just be wild. I think that there's so much value in dedicating that space and time for our dogs to let them be wild, and especially when dogs have behavioral issues like, imagine if you never had an outlet to be yourself, you know, let them be a little wild. Be yourself, you know, let them be a little wild.
Speaker 1:So this will be a little bit of a shorter episode because I don't want to rant too much for you all. But I did just want to pop in and kind of check in with you all on my thoughts while I've been here in Costa Rica, having you know the existential crisis that comes with having a big life change, but it's been so eye opening to see just how a different way of life can lead to just happier dogs and happier people, and that's what all of this is about. So if you don't take anything away from this, at least take this Try at least once in the next week to take your dog to a place where you can let them run. And if your dog is not off leash trained, get a long line. They sell them on Amazon. You can get like a 30 or 50 foot long line. Hook your dog up to a long line. They sell them on Amazon. You can get like a 30 or 50 foot long line. Hook your dog up to a long line.
Speaker 1:If you're in an urban place like, drive around, find a field. I find open fields, like in the biggest cities. You can definitely do it. But instead of like dog mommying your dog, or maybe doing another active training session, dedicate a day for your dog where you can take them out and just let them be a dog and let me know how it goes and what you experience. So, on that note, love your dog, enjoy your dog, but let's try to fulfill them in a more natural way, and hopefully I'll check in with you guys.
Speaker 1:Next week We'll do another podcast. Maybe I'll record another one from my little hammock chair in front of my Airbnb while there's a rainstorm going on in the background of my Airbnb, while there's a rainstorm going on in the background. But you know, we're all here because we love our dogs and we want to give our dogs the best lives possible. So let's try out something new, right? All right, guys, thank you, as always. So much for being here. I will check in with y'all next week. Meet me back here and I'll see you then.