My Dog Is Therapy

I have found that, over the years, my approach to dog training has changed. Where I once treated every dog as relatively the same, I now know this to be false. Where I once thought that only one certain tool should be used when training a dog, I now know to be poor judgement. Where I once looked at what the dog was telling me as secondary information, I now know that to solve the problem, I need to hear the dog first. With each revelation and new piece of information absorbed, I have come to the full understanding that dog, is my therapy. I don’t mean therapy dog, that’s a different discussion entirely. I mean, by learning how to teach dogs, I have allowed myself to learn from them. And this learning has allowed me to become more aware of myself, my limits, my strengths, and my weaknesses. This learning has allowed me to grow. Any good dose of therapy should have similar effects. If you have a therapist, and you find that after a pro-longed period of time, you are still stuck in the same place as where you started, either you are not listening, or, you need to find someone who will help you help yourself, to move forward. Life shouldn’t just be about surviving, but about growing and thriving. All this knowledge, courtesy of a dog—that’s pretty powerful stuff if I do say so myself!