When Your Dog Loves You But Doesn't Trust You

The day Leo lost trust in me

Leo took a while to relax and become the happy, goofy, friendly puppy all the neighbours loved.

After spending some time in the streets fending for himself, he was weary of men, cars, broomsticks when I found him at 4 months old.

Once he understood he was safe and had a home, his delightful nature came out.

He was my first dog so it wasn’t all smooth sailing but we were doing fine until one night, we went for a last wee before bedtime when a large dog - no leash, no owner in sight - approached. Leo was happy to “say hello” and they seemed to be playing for a bit when suddenly, things got tense.

Next thing I know, my Leo is screeching with the other dog on top of him.

All I knew to do is join the screaming match 😳😳

I did manage to pull Leo out by his harness but he had been bitten.

He was hysterical, and so was I.

Turns out, the bite wasn't serious but the shock went deep.

After that incident, he took an “attack is my best defense” approach when we’d meet other male dogs in narrow spaces ..

Can’t blame him, really but walks were never quite the same after that.

I often think back to that moment, wondering if he lost trust in me that day.

Like, “I love her but boy, you can’t rely on her to handle a tense situation .. I better take care of things myself” 😛

I promised him I’d do better.

I’ve not stopped learning since…

If you find that your dog walks aren’t as much fun as you wish they were, you’ll love the upcoming live masterclass with the lovely Miranda Wimbush:

Join us LIVE for "Creating Calmer Walks with your ‘Reactive’ Dog" with Miranda Wimbush

17th May, 4 pm Europe
(3 pm UK, 10 am ET, 7 am PT)

Walking your dog can be a stressful affair when your dog is reactive.

You'll end up trying to avoid other dogs and/or people. And it won't always be possible ..

So how CAN you have stress-free walks with your dog? That’s what I’ll explore with Miranda this week.

As a lifetime dog pro and the mom to a sensitive boy, Willy, Miranda knows first hand what it takes to live and love a sensitive dog. She will meet you where you are at and support you in connecting and understanding your anxious rescue dog with so much love and compassion.

Miranda is a Certified Professional Dog trainer, Family Dog Mediator and Veterinary Technician. She is also trained in Transformational Life Leadership Coaching as well as Reiki and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and is currently a HeartMath Certified Mentor. She has the knowledge and skill it takes to support both ends of the leash

She has transformed the lives of hundreds of "reactive" dogs, many of these rescues, using the most cutting-edge, gentle and effective methods available. She offers the Worry Free Walks program to transform your walks with your anxious dog, and the Heart Connection program which supports dog guardians and pet pros who are facing grief and compassion fatigue.

So if walks with your dog are stressful ...

Bring your questions and join us!

If there is a topic or expert you’d love me to invite, please let me know.

This week’s Pawsome Human: Lisbeth Borg de Waard - Beyond Words: Talk Less to Communicate Better With Your Dog

In this refreshing and insightful episode, I'm talking to Lisbeth, the founder of the Nordic Education Centre for Ethical Dog Training, Nordic Dog Training for short.

She shares how severe health struggles led her into the world of dog training, and how Turid Rugaas's work on calming signals inspired her to explore ways to help dogs and their people. The two key elements are 1. learning to "speak dog", i.e. to understand what dogs are communicating through body language and behaviour, and 2. communicating in a way that's easy for dogs to understand. And .. you guessed it .. that's not through lots of words 😛

Lisbeth has a huge toolbox of surprisingly simple and highly effective ways to communicate with your dog. In fact, her video about the Hand Signal, well my dogs' reaction to it 😛, was what made me reach out and invite her onto the podcast.

If you sometimes feel that a lot gets "lost in translation" between you and your dog, you'll love this episode!

Find out more and get in touch with Lisbeth

https://www.nordicdogtrainer.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nordicdogtrainer

Gift yourself a time-out and listen in on our conversation https://share.descript.com/view/DcgVCzQA636

If you prefer to listen ... subscribe to the PODCAST

It’s on Apple podcasts and everywhere else, so you can access it from your favourite podcast app.

If you enjoy listening, please consider leaving a rating and review so other dog lovers can find the show and join the doggie fun.

Are you a canine professional?

A trainer, coach, behaviorist, nutritionist, holistic vet, or other canine expert with a holistic approach?

Would you like to be a guest on the podcast? Do you know someone you think would make a great guest? Could you use some help expanding your canine business through online events and programs?

Go (or send them) to https://soultouchedbydogs.com/pros

Check out the Shop

How about a mug with a picture of YOUR dog, for your morning coffee or as a gift, using the proceeds to sponsor dogs in need and help the people who help dogs?

If you’d like one, hit reply and let me know.

Send me a good-quality photo of your dog and I’ll create the design and send you a link where you can purchase it.

They get made to order so it takes 10-12 days to arrive. €15 + shipping.

(Shipping depends on where you are of course but will be somewhere around €5-12. I’ll check for you before I go and create the design, so there won’t be any surprises)

Get your Soul Touched by Dogs t-shirt

The moment I had the idea for the mugs, I knew I also wanted t-shirts 😝 and I’m super happy with mine 🐾🐾😊😊

If you want, you can get yours here https://mavericks.tpopsite.com/product/t-shirt-woman-soul-touched-by-dogs-dark-blue (they come in a few different colours)

If it doesn’t come in your size, let me know. I do work with another supplier so we can find an option that works for you.

Just like with the mugs, the proceeds will be donated to help dogs in need.

And as always ..

If you know another Soul Touched by Dogs, please send them to https://soultouchedbydogs.com 🙏🙏🐾🐾

Until next week,

Anke