Your Training Ground

My puppy, Toby, is almost 6 months old. He’s got a lot of energy and likes to run very fast.

But he also has a few things to learn. He’s still jumping up on people when he’s excited, digging holes in my parents’ flower bed and under my deck, scratching at the door when he wants attention, using his teeth on your hand when playing, and the newest one- chasing cars off the yard.

I’m not overly concerned with these behaviours; I know we will get them figured out.

I am in close connection with a dog behaviourist/trainer. What I am learning is that there is no “time for training”. Dog training takes place in every interaction with your dog, not at a set time of the day, or when you think, “Now, I will train my dog.” Your dog is learning from every interaction - even as simple as how and when you give your dog attention. (How and when you give your dog attention is giving him so much more information than you may think! You are training him to be a calm dog or an anxious dog.)

Our “life training” is very similar. What I mean by “life training” is our personal development- developing and growing into whatever person we want to become- not what job or career you have, want to have, or what you do, I mean who you are.

Every interaction you have with life is your training ground.

If you are training to become an angry, short-tempered person, then that dish that broke on the kitchen floor, or that technology glitch in your computer gives you opportunity to train yourself to be angry and short-tempered.

If you are training to become a calm, patient person, then that dish that broke on the kitchen floor, or that technology glitch in your computer gives you opportunity to train yourself to be calm and patient.

Who are you training to become?

Can you see your daily interactions as your training ground?

PS. Wondering who the dog behaviourist/trainer is and how to have a calm dog? Check out her website, calmcanine.ca. (If you are familiar with The Stress Experts, I think you might even recognize her.)

Here’s to conquering stress.

With heart,

The Stress Experts