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Truth Tuesday

4/26/2018

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Train you mind, and your dog's.

TRUTH TUESDAY


Mental Health is just as important as physical health.


Most of us know this on a human level. We need to take just as good care of the mind as we do the body. For myself, I spent a few years focusing on my mental health OVER my physical health. Now it's time to focus on both again 😳🤣 We even compensate for the partners and spouses in our lives. We help them when they can't help themselves. We understand that often times inappropriate human behaviour is often a result of a lack of something or too much of something. Not enough mental or physical exercise, too much stimulation in our direct environment, poor nutrition, addictive behaviours, unaddressed post traumatic stress. And there's times when we need to step up for our human. Take their behaviours and help them find a way to manage them. Be the 80% when they can only muster 20%. Love them, but also help them set boundaries. Eventually, with enough respect, love and patience...you can help them find balance.


Some times the behaviours are too much for people. They can't or won't, be able to help another. It takes a special relationship to truly help a person overcome trauma, or correct a habitual behaviour. Rarely can we overcome these things without help. For myself, I had many people come and go during my mental health journey to balance. I had a lot of heavy past trauma to deal with. The load was great, and I put too much of that load on certain people. It pushed them away and eventually I came to rely on my service dog and a few select humans. I understood dogs and they understood me. Eventually I found a sort of peace. It was through support, love and hard work that I learned to control my reactions and find calm. I never thought I'd be the person who does yoga every day and utilizes canine and equine assisted therapy. Yet here I am, rocking it.


So whether the journey to peace is a mental, physical or spiritual journey (if we're being honest they tend to be two or all three in the end), we can all typically relate on some level. We need one another to survive and we need a new routine.


The same is true for our canine partners.


Mental stimulation is just as important as physical. Poor nutrition and under utilized working breeds are often a huge part of the problem when it comes to our dogs behaviours. Many times they are also dealing with too much stimulation in their direct environment and not enough mental and physical stimulation. The result can be the same as us: poor behaviours and over the top reactions. These can manifest as: digging, excessive barking, destructive chewing, separation anxiety, aggression or the inability to remain calm around other dogs, people, animals or vehicles.


Dogs also need our love, support and patience to overcome these things. We need to understand where their reactions are stemming from, and help them on a journey to balance.


What is your dog missing in their life? Do they need more exercise? More training? Less sitting around?


I can confidently mention that it is my belief that apart from trauma, most dog's behaviours are human created. We get a German shepherd and lock them in a small yard. We have kids and our dogs become a very small priority. We start our border collie in agility and never fallow through. We ignore it when our dog barks at a stranger, then panic when months later it turns into a nip. Then a bite. We leave it until it's gone too far. We're willing to put in the effort to help find personal balance, but get overwhelmed and defeated when it comes to managing our dogs
mental and physical health.


So when seeking balance with canines, we need to begin to give them what we would give our spouse. 100% when they can't muster anything but to fall apart. The dedication to get to the root of the problem. And a new routine.


Just as we need one another, our dogs need us. And we need each other. If you don't know where to start, reach out. There's so many willing and talented trainers in this area. Find one that suits your style. Put in the work. Make your dog a priority. Be their support. Start a routine. Find balance.


💜🐕🐾
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My Balaced pack- Pistol, Kitana, Vandal and Bosco

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Truth Tuesday - April 10th edition

4/10/2018

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TRUTH TUESDAY


My cousin paying tribute 💜this gave me goosebumps to see! It's the ultimate idea of "we are one". Every walk of life, every profession, every Canadian...mourns. This guy is the ultimate hockey dad! And he's also dedicated his life to serving and protecting us...but there's just some things you can't always protect. Accidents, tragedies...these things aren't a drug bust or domestic call. This is random and unpredictable and inconceivable. Yet, these guys will go out everyday and still, do their damnedest to try and never let any of us know this level of hurt. Every single day by monitoring our highways and responding to these calls when no one else would have the strength to. All of them would. Every single first responder deserves a tip of our hats. I just had a conversation about taking your hat off in places as a sign of respect. And this here, is the ultimate sign of respect. We remove cover for the anthem at every single hockey game across the nation. And so in this time...what a brilliant homage to leave his hat as a symbol of character. And love. I wish I had a "profession" hat to lay next to this. As we all take the time to put out sticks out, let us too, take off our caps and bow our heads as a collective, gesture of united love and togetherness. And as a tip of the hat to everyone who just did what was needed to be done in a time of utter chaos.


So today's truth?


Love one another.


I'd be remiss if I didn't take the time to acknowledge what has hit so, so close to home for so many families.


My own family, years ago, billeted players in this exact level of hockey. The AJHL. You may have a child playing the game, taking buses, leaving home to play...in whatever sense this tragedy has affected you, it is valid and it is real and you are allowed to feel it.


As these men ate, slept and breathed hockey, so do we with dogs. So for me, I kept thinking about my dog club family. How it would feel to lose one, never mind an entire group of them. We've spent thousands of hours together discussing, diagnosing, correcting, rewarding, playing, crying, rejoicing...we've laughed at each others goofs...cried in each other's losses...and celebrated each and every victory, no matter how small. We're a family. And to lose a member would be devastating.


Hockey's community is devastated.


So today, the truth is...love one another. Work hard, show up, train fair...out there on the field, it's just you and your dog. You're a team. You need one another to become that. And the thing that unites us is the theme of this picture. Love and respect.


Each and every time something has come up in my world, I relied on my dog family. They were my community. Even now, as I lose my best friend Bosco, they rally behind me with acts of love, respect...and support.


So let us remember to support one another in this time, and in all times.


Find your community. Find your tribe. Love them hard.
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One Year Ago Today I Changed My Own Life With THIS Post...Today I Still Live This Truth.

4/2/2018

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Today at the barn 🐄I learned big, giant, huge lessons. I have been learning these lessons for months now...on how to live💃🏼. And love❤️️. On how to let go and how to handle oneself when faced with challenges😳. Today, the daughters favourite sheep🐏 died (Mary, the one who had a little lamb). And man did she love that sheep. Like I love Bosco kinda love💞. And she missed school, but as barn boss said "now she knows what it's going to be like to truly have this life." Yup. You give and you give. You stay up all night🌙 with these animals that you love. You spend hundreds, even thousands💸 trying to save them. And yet, still, you lose them⚰️. This applies to cows, sheep, horses, dogs...all the animals in our lives. And so, she was learning to let go💔. After work, I got to apply a massive lesson that Theo (barn boss) himself taught me. How to handle a shitty situation. (How to deal with a friend screwing you over so badly...it feels like you're failing at life over and over. Trusting people, only to find out they never cared enough to take their responsibilities and handle their choices. Instead, it's all on me for "being too trusting". I'll be that person 1000 times before I'll ever be the guy you can't rely on...) Anyways, you can scream😡 and freak out...or you can determine your karma based on how you choose to react. Year ago me would have had a hay day (pardon the pun). Like epic friendship ending, crush them with my words kinda stuff. But today, I chose love💚. I chose to breathe. I chose to adult up, take the hit, and keep moving forward. Theo taught me that. He taught me that over and over with his endless patience and understanding. And that's how a businessman gets things done. That's how they continue to thrive. And how their business becomes a passion...or rather, how a passion becomes a business. A good one. With a solid name and the guts to do this crazy life for forever...thank you dairy barn🐮. Another win for our souls. 💜🔮The Universe and Karma...will take care of the rest.
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