I absolutely love our advanced classes. These are the Teams that might have started out with a simple goal of a single puppy class, or practicing a good recall, or a fun tricks class, and then for whatever reason, they continue, and grow, and gain an advanced set of skills. Cool people, cool dogs, cool life!

I can never predict who these Teams will be, it really comes down to a persons interest, their dog, and the chemistry that drives them as a Team.

Today, after our advanced scentsABILITIES class was finished, we were all sitting around chatting, one person asked me why I can be around the reactive dogs in this class but no other person could.

You see, we have quite a few extremely talented Teams, that are also working through some level of behavior modification. We have fear, cautiousness, under socialized, timid, reserved, and ‘incredibly happy why use self control’ type of dogs in our advanced classes. In life they have work to do, and in work they are Super Freakin’ Stars!

These dogs are brilliant, they have a high desire to learn, they rely on work as a safe outlet, and they thrive with their owners that understand them.

So why?

I am not a person who loves every dog, I have met some complete dog jerks in me life, and I am sure these dog jerks thought I was a person jerk, I am super sure the feelings were mutual. I am not a person who proclaims “all dogs love me, WATCH!”, this is a disaster each and every time I see it play out, TOO MUCH!. I am not someone who proclaims to be a ‘whisperer of some sort’. And I do not read aura’s, or minds, or souls.

It’s super simple, no mystery really. I watch, I observe, I allow, and I interact when the feelings are mutual. It comes down to being a safe person, and a person worth trusting. When I am with a dog I am an open book, no ego, just me.

Today Little Charlie, Big Charlie, and Little Maggie reminded me that feeling safe goes a long way, in fact their lives depended on it for some time. Being their calm in the storm, their safe place, the place where they can fly whatever Freak Flag they want to, and know that I am 100% okay with this, has allowed them to be successful in our small space, and hopefully a bit beyond. And it gives them an opportunity to grow, explore, and learn.

They greet me if they want to, they say hi without hesitation and know it is safe, and they show me who they really are without me asking them to be who they are not. They make me smile deep inside, and with this there will always be a lasting connection to another living being. Again, the feelings are mutual.

So today, just allow things to be, connect on an honest level, truly honest. Observe, learn, and be that human worth trusting. It is truly that simple.

With gratitude and love, Nancy