A nervous owner, with an insecure dog is an awful combination. You feed off each other in the worst way. When I first got Gordie, I was that owner. I was new to the dog training world. I studied dogs. I took training programs. I was a dog walker. I did boarding. I practiced training on any dog I could find (for free of course). All without having my own dog.
Then I got Gordie. I was eager to practice all these skills and knowledge on my very own dog. Excited. Ambitious. I started to realize my puppy was different than the other confident puppies. My puppy barked a lot. Cowered a lot. Was not welcoming of new people. Was very reactive. I started noticing I felt extremely nervous whenever I was in public with him. Nervous of what he would bark at next, a person, a dog, a garbage can, the wind blowing. I constantly felt embarrassed when seen in public with him. I felt ashamed. And then being an aspiring dog trainer, I felt hopeless. My ambitions turned into tears.
People would actually yell at my dog. A lady in a store scolded him and told him to stop barking at her, only making it worse. I scurred out of the store and drove home crying.
He taught me the most valuable lesson a dog can teach their owner. To be calm. To be in control. To be a leader. I fought both our demons. I practiced calm breathing techniques as one short stressful breath could trigger him. I worked on my confidence, as I did his. How can I expect my dog to be confident when I am not. He taught me to stand taller. He taught me to fake it until you make it – which for this case actually did work.
And now, one of my favorite things is to be given a dog with it’s tail tucked between it’s leg, and show that dog to trust me. Take my hand. Show that dog that the world is a happy place. Teach them how to open up their shell. And most importantly, I repeat, most importantly, show their humans that as well.
I now have no emotions when it comes to being around dogs. And I mean that in the best way. A dog could be barking or snapping at me. A dog could be losing it at the end of the leash. A dog could be scared. And I remain the same. Zen. Calm energy. Gordie taught me this lesson. My dog trained me.
