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Enlightened By Dogs: Living with Cooperation, Not Obedience — Kids & Family
Enlightened By Dogs: Living with Cooperation, Not Obedience

Welcome to our podcast where we dog moms discuss modern, enlightened dog parenting! Each week, we’ll take a dive deep into the human-dog connection and explore strategies that will inspire you to create connection and cooperation with your dog…no obedience training needed!

We meet up at the intersection where training and behavior meet Heart and Soul…and where we leave behind the ‘power over’ obedience training paradigm we inherited and lead the way to an enlightened ‘power with’ approach. Join us for an inspirational and educational journey as we explore what living in cooperative partnership with our beautiful dogs looks like in real life.

Brilliant Partners are kind, loving, calm, clear, confident, and cooperative … and when WE learn how to be a Brilliant Partner, our dogs do too.

Kathy Kawalec is an author, writer, the founder of Dancing Hearts Dog Academy and creator of the Brilliant Partners Academy, The Foundation Formula, Herding Partners Academy, and Creative Alchemy Passion Plan.

Latest Episodes:

EBD187 Let Your Dog Reduce Your Stress Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

It's no secret that our dogs make us feel happy and safe, that's one of the many reasons we're on this partnership journey with them.

Have you ever wondered if we do the same for them?

The connection we share with our dogs is a two-way street, but it's often easy to forget that their idea of 'happy and safe' is quite different from what we think it is.

In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explores the premise that we may be unintentionally keeping our dogs from doing things that keep them balanced. She explains how allowing our dogs to "do what they do best" is beneficial to the partnership lifestyle.

In this episode:

Kathy shares anecdotal research on how our stress affects our dogs
What keeps dogs centered, happy, and thriving
How to help your dog remain balanced in a stressful situation

Quotes:

"What dogs do best is to live in the moment and really experience what's happening around them."

"We have this close connection and a tightly shared social intelligence that causes us to affect our dogs in a very significant way."

"Dogs do things that humans don't do in this day and age, and they can help us with that if we allow them to."

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EBD186 What To Do When Your Leashed Dog Is Triggered Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

How do you react when your dog is triggered by external factors while you're enjoying a walk together?

The answer is almost never the same across the board, however, a common mistake is to react to the trigger alongside our dogs. Unfortunately, we can't guard our dogs against all the potential triggers in the world. What we can do is offer support.

In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explains how staying connected with our dogs in these situations can be beneficial. She also runs us through some useful tips for leash walking our dogs.

In this episode:

How to support our dogs when they are triggered
When and how to rely on the safe, calm, and happy protocol
Why a dynamic partnership with our dogs is beneficial

Quotes:

"You are either a #winner or #learner, and learner equals winner."

"The more experience we get, the more competent we get at staying connected with our dogs."

"If we cannot feel safe, calm, and happy in situations our dog needs us to be, things won't go well."

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EBD185 Agency, Choices and Freedom for Our Dogs Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Creating clear opportunities for our dogs to say yes or no brings us one step closer to that brilliant life we want with them.

This may seem a bit odd, especially since we live in a world where having a well-trained dog is considered a badge of honor. However, the true badge of honor is earned when our dogs choose to be responsible as opposed to being trained to be responsible.

Realizing they have a choice doesn't only help our dogs feel more in control, it also introduces more trust into your partnership.

In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy breaks down the process of giving our dogs the freedom to make choices. She also shares six choice protocols we can use to get our dogs involved when making decisions.

In this episode:

What giving our dogs freedom looks like
How to use choice protocols and clarity questions to give our dogs choices
How freedom impacts our dog's decision to say yes

Quotes:

"We can have attentive, responsive, and responsible dogs through living a partnership lifestyle."

"Clarity helps create that feeling of agency, freedom, and responsibility."

"This principle of choice, responsibility, and freedom is for anyone who wants to live an enlightened and connected life with their dogs."

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EBD184 6 Ways to Build Resilience Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

When did you last think about resiliency in terms of your partnership with your dog? Unfortunately for most people, the answer is "never".

Life tends to throw curveballs every now and then, both in the human and dog communities. How you deal with these unfortunate occurrences is a function of your resiliency. But what does this mean for your partnership with your dog?

In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explains the importance of resiliency in building a strong and successful partnership with your dog. She also explores various sources of your dog's resiliency and the elements that will help you build it.

In this episode:

Where resilience comes from
How to help your dog feel more resilient
Tips from Kathy's resiliency masterclass

Quotes:

"Resilient partners don't just give up when life gets hard."

"Resiliency in us, and our dogs, comes from the inside out."

"Remember there are no failures, only opportunities to learn."

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EBD183 - A Tribute to Our Dogs Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

Our dogs give us so much, don't they? Each day they make our lives better. Every time we connect with them, admire them, appreciate them, we experience a love of life unlike anything else.

In this special episode, Kathy invites you to join her in sharing gratitude and appreciation for your dog. She also shares two materials dear to her heart and pays tribute to her dogs and her relationship with them.

Take a comfy, quiet seat, and grab a pen and paper, ready to note down your thoughts during this emotional and insightful episode.

In this episode:

Kathy shares an excerpt from one of her favorite books
A love letter from Kathy to her dogs
An invitation to write your own love letter to your dog

Quotes:

"The benefit of having your dog in your life far outweighs all the other things."

"Dogs teach us so much in being able to enjoy the moment that we're in."

"My entire being swells with gratitude and love for the blessing of my life with dogs."

Want More of Kathy?

EBD182 Using the Power of Curiosity to Increase Connection with Your Dog Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

When was the last time you felt truly awe-inspired?

Awe is a complex emotion, and tapping into its power can do amazing things for you and your relationships. It encourages us to be curious, think outside of the box, and generates feelings of inspiration that can help us believe that almost anything is possible. But how does this relate to your partnership with your dog?

In this episode, Kathy talks about her daily G.L.A. practice and how it impacts her connection with her dogs. She also shares a few ideas about how you can get into this practice, what it can do for your relationships, and why curiosity can help you step into a world of infinite possibilities.

In this episode:

What G.L.A. is and why Kathy practices it
Why awe and inspiration can lead to a better partnership
How to shift your mindset from problem-focused to solution-focused

Quotes:

"What if our struggle exists simply to inspire us to move into a place of curiosity?"

"Altruism, general well-being, and compassion can dramatically influence our interactions with our dogs."

"When we allow awe to become an integral part of our everyday life, we're better able to cope with struggles and challenges and unexpected experiences."

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EBD181 An Unbreakable Bond Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

What does your connection with your dog do for your life? Does it help you be a better partner? A better person?

Your bond with your dog is powerful. But facilitating this amazing and transformative connection isn't always straightforward. Sometimes we can lose focus on living our happiest lives with our dog and get lost chasing the ideals of a "perfect dog" instead.

In this episode, Kathy shares her tips for maintaining or re-finding your partnership's focus and reframing your mindset about your unbreakable bond. She also talks about why acceptance is key to finding happiness with your partnership, exactly as it is.

In this episode:

How to keep your sights on "the main thing"
Understanding what having a dog does for your life
Three ways to work towards a stronger connection with your dog

Quotes:

"Ask yourself, why do you have a dog in your life?"

"Studies have shown that when a dog sees they're human, that their brain secretes the same substance as ours when we're in love."

"Dogs present us with opportunities to be better versions of ourselves day after day."

Want More of Kathy?

EBD180 How to Help Your Dog Self-Regulate Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Did you know that a feeling of disconnection from our dogs could be what's causing them to be anxious or reactive?

Humans and dogs are wired to seek connection. It's part of our quest to find safety and comfort in our lives, and if that connection is disrupted, anxiety and stress start to kick in. We get lost in 'the red zone.'

In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explores the idea of co-regulation between humans and our dogs and how this relates to our nervous system. She explains how we can easily fall into the 'red zone' or the 'orange zone' of stress and how we can move to the 'green zone' instead.

Tune in to learn how by regulating our own behavior, we can help dogs to do the same and lead safer, calmer, and happier lives.

In this episode:

Why humans and dogs are wired to connect and seek safety
How to get out of the stressful 'red zone'
How we can keep our dogs in the 'green zone'

Quotes:

"We are wired for connection."

"You and your dog are biologically searching for a connection and looking for cues as to whether we are safe and available for connection."

"Once that whole process of anxiety and reactivity and over-arousal is triggered, it's like a self-generating loop."

Want More of Kathy?

EBD179 Why Your Dog Won't Listen Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

What do you do when you feel like your dog just isn't hearing you?

All behavior is communication, so how your dog responds to you (or doesn't respond to you) is a type of behavior that could be trying to communicate something. But it can be challenging not to take it personally when you feel like your dog isn't listening to you at all.

In this episode, Kathy shares how reframing your thoughts can transform how you interpret your dog's listening skills and get you back to a place of trust. She also talks about how asking questions about what's really going on can help you create a plan that prioritizes connection over correction.

In this episode:

How to reframe your thoughts about your dog's listening
Why role modelling can help you guide behavior
How to create a plan for when you feel that your dog isn't listening to you

Quotes:

"When we believe that our dog is not listening, what I would invite you to do is to reframe that into, my dog has a need that isn't being met."

"As Brené Brown says, clear is kind. Unclear is unkind."

"We want to strive for connection instead of correction."

Want More of Kathy?

EBD178 Communicating With Your Dog On Purpose Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Communication is the single most powerful tool we have for connecting with others but are you aware of how you're communicating?

Any time you interact with your dog – or anyone you have a relationship with – you're exchanging messages that can either lead to success or struggles. This might be conscious or unconscious, as both you and your dog speak to each other in ways that go far beyond verbal communication!

In this episode, Kathy dives deep into what it means to communicate with your dog. She talks about why considering the intention behind your dog's communication can help you understand them better, how you're unintentionally communicating, and the two key components to the language of partnership.

In this episode:

What is communication?
How to stop accidentally training your dog to ignore you!
The conscious and unconscious ways to communicate with your dog

Quotes:

"When we dive into how to be a better partner, how to be the human that our dog needs us to be, things start to change. We start to feel better, enjoy life more, we're more resilient, and we can handle the things that life throws at us."

"Communication is the single most powerful and effective tool we have."

"If you consciously communicate with your dog, whenever you are interacting with your dog, you are in opposition to the first thing that happens, you're actually teaching your dog to be attentive and responsive to you."

"What's the intention behind the communication?"

Want More of Kathy?

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