How To Offend Zoe...

Zoe is pretty easily offended by things. She is not a fan of being wet so it was pretty funny when Phoenix hopped out of the river and shook all over her!

What offends your dogs?

Shake It Off! Trying Not To Be So Negative!

I love how dogs are able to just shake off their problems. Something worrying you? Shake it off! Did something embarrassing? Shake It Off. The other dog in the house bugging you? Shake it off! Mom calls you back from chasing bunnies? Yeah, shake that off, too! Does anyone else have that Taylor Swift song stuck in their head yet? You're Welcome.

I wish it was that easy for us humans! With my anxiety, I often find that it's hard to let things go or just shake them off. I tend to dwell sometimes on the bad things versus the positive things. It actually keeps me up at night and I will often run through the things I should of done or should of said. Unfortunately there are no do-overs and what is done is done. Too bad there are no time traveling devices yet!

The fact that I focus on the bad things sometimes was pointed out to me by one of my trainer friends who I happen to idolize. She said "focus on the good" and "you will create good". At the time this was said to me, I took it negatively. (Of course, I did! Right, because that's what I do to myself.) It hurt my feelings because the thing that I had posted about I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I wasn't being that negative, was I??? After thinking about it for a few days, she really made sense and she was totally right. Why is it that I can be a positive trainer and focus on all the great things my dogs are doing but I can't do that for myself? Then I realized that sometimes I really do dwell on the bad things my dogs do, too. (They are not bad that often but I still do it.) Holy crap. Is there no hope for me?

I think that my major problem happens to be that I've been let down so many times and so many crappy things that have happened that I just tend to expect bad things and so it's easy for me to not see any good. Which I definitely want to change. I've made some small steps to surround myself with people who are supportive and people who get me. 

This is one thing that came up when I was interviewing for my new job. How it's so important to positively reinforce the people who are attached to the leashes of the dogs. I've gone to a couple of classes at work so far (which I totally love!!!) and I've found it very easy to praise the pet parents. Being easier on myself is a lot harder! Whoever said we are our own worst critics was definitely right. I need to learn how to let things go and see the good in myself as well as others. I'm going to work on that.

How do you shake things off?