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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:

From Pennies To Riches with Our Dogs Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

Would you step over a $10 bill to pick up a penny? It's unlikely, but what if that penny were the beginning of a trail to unimaginable riches. That's the premise of today's episode of Enlightened By Dogs. Kathy takes us through some of the stories of her Brilliant Partners, and the deeply rooted successes they are having with their dogs!

In This Episode

The Penny Trail
Sally's tale and tears of joy
Jane's coaching take away
Helen's subtle shift
Jennifer's quick note
Brilliant Dog Partner Precepts

"Find your own penny trail"

"He thanked me for the relief from the pain he had been feeling"

"Let me speak to you in a way I know you understand"

"The answer is to pay more attention to my dog, and not the environment"

"He chose to stay, and focused on the task at hand"

"We work together"

"Be Brilliant"

More Enlightened By Dogs!

www.enlightenedbydogs.com

EBD019 How to Be Your Dog's Superhero Sep 24, 2018

Show notes

Do you ever feel like you need superpowers to manage everything in your life? This episode goes deep into how to be our dog's superhero!

We fulfill the role as a parent, a teacher, a coach, a dog partner in activities that we do together, like dog sports, therapy, and work.

We are our dog's friend and companion, and we are our dogs' student.

That is a lot of hats to wear!

There is a lot of complexity to our relationship with our dogs, and I think that complexity is one of the reasons that we have difficulty in some situations.

First realizing that we are fulfilling all those different roles, then understanding what they are is a great place to start.

In This Episode

The roles we play in our dog's life
Becoming a good teacher
What qualities matter to you and your dog?
Being a true friend to your dog

"We fulfill the role as parent, teacher, coach, partner in all the activities we do together"

"We can also into overwhelm and get stressed, and that can make our life more challenging than it needs to be" "There is a lot of complexity to our relationship with our dogs, and I think that complexity is one of the reasons that we have difficulty in some situations."

"There is so much more to it than being our dog's trainer."

"You are responsible for teaching your dog the steps"

"We can just be ourselves when we're amongst true friends"

More Kathy!

www.enlightenedbydogs.com

EBD018 Trust Changed Everything for My Anxious Reactive Dog Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

Trust and trustworthiness is on Kathy's mind today, and Deb Bauer is here to talk about it. Deb is an amazing woman who is contributing to the world of dogs on so many levels. She's an expert on dog behaviour, as well as holistic healings. She runs a Program called Both Ends of The Leash, where shelter dogs get a second chance in a very unique way. She shares her story of giving up control, and giving rr dog a reason to trust her.

In This Episode

Shocking reactions to puppy class
Trying everything and getting nowhere
Taking off the trainer hat
How to be trustworthy

"I did all the things you're 'supposed to do' as a trainer"

"He felt like he had to take matters into his own hands"

"I stopped trying to fix my dog"

"It takes a lot of courage to try something"

More Kathy!

www.enlightenedbydogs.com

EP017 What To Do When Your Dog Is Distracted Sep 10, 2018

Show notes

Today Kathy talks about getting distracted. Your dog gets distracted, you get distracted: this episode covers why it happens and what we can do about it.

Over the past 30 years, lots of dogs have visited here at my farm for life skills training, behavior transformation, herding training and more. There is LOTS of distraction.

Oh, the smells and sights on a farm! If the critters themselves weren't distracting enough ... there's the sheep poop…the horse poop…the chicken poop…it's heavenly for the dogs and hellish for their person. (yes, there is lots of poop on a farm, and you know how much dogs love poop)

With all this personal experience with distraction from both sides of the counter, I have cracked the code on the Root Cause of Distractions.

And, I have figured out how you can keep your dog focused in all circumstances.

Are you ready? Listen to today's episode!

In This Episode

What happens when the flow of information stops between us and our dog
The dialogue loop and tips to improve it
Why the ownness is on us
Learning from our distractions
Focusing on the task at hand

"Distraction happens at the worst possible time"

"We are in our own heads and we're not with our dogs"

"They're just lost and lonely because we're not present"

"We want to understand our dog's perspective"

"You want to be engaging with your dog"

Register for Kathy's free Brilliant Partners Workshop!

Dog Behaviour Breakthrough: A Relationship Revolution

http://dancinghearts.link/bpaworkshop

EBD016 Rescue Dog Rehab: Desperate to Brilliant Sep 04, 2018

Show notes

Sue is a dog behaviorist with a story to tell! When she first took Charlie home, he was shy and playful. Out of nowhere he became fearful of almost everything. Conversely, he also chased animals of all sizes!! He was like Jekyll and Hyde! He was the star of his training classes, but in the outside world? He was a completely different story.

In This Episode

Charlie's unexpected fearful side
Trying everything and getting nowhere
Charlie finds a farm and sheep - and life falls apart
The recommitment to Charlie
What do I want, what does Charlie want?
The factors that resulted in a happy, well behaved Charlie

"Charlie was going to be part of our family and do everything with us"

"He was a working dog, and he needed a job"

"Yes, you're stressed, How can I help you now?"

"We had to start having fun again"

"I didn't train him to stop chasing animals, he stopped because we have a partnership"

"I am your loving partner, how can we work through this together?"

"Just because we can, doesn't mean we should"

Register for Kathy's free Brilliant Partners Workshop!

Dog Behaviour Breakthrough: A Relationship Revolution

http://dancinghearts.link/bpaworkshop

EBD015 Dog Training Fail - Trading Away What You Want Most Aug 27, 2018

Show notes

Do you need your dog to down/stay on a mat? Or are you willing to exchange that for something much more amazing? Today's episode goes deep into what we truly desire from our dog's behavior, and why we might be taking a more difficult approach than necessary.

Listen in as Kathy takes is through the process to trading away the things we truly want, for the things we want right now.

In This Episode

Why we dog enthusiasts have dogs in our lives
Trading what you want right now, for what you want most
Kathy's dogs have a hilarious vet visit that ends in a great teaching moment
What do you want from your dog?

"The question is: are you willing to be the human your dog needs?"

"Who says that your dog must be an obedience robot ... the dog gods?"

"Our dogs are all different, and that's okay"

"Always ask yourself: Why do you think you want that from your dog?"

"Partnership happens because your dog understands their responsibility and looks to you for positive, loving leadership ... and does that because of who you are and how you are as a human."

Register for Kathy's free Brilliant Partners Workshop!

Dog Behaviour Breakthrough: A Relationship Revolution

http://dancinghearts.link/bpaworkshop

EBD014 Reactive Dog Transformation - Cindy Shares Her Story Aug 20, 2018

Show notes

A reactive dog can be a heartbreaking situation for someone who has big goals. Especially when that dog is supposed to be an agility superstar and ends up biting someone out of fear. What do you do when something serious happens? How do you turn that around? Cindy joins Kathy on this episode of Enlightened By Dogs to share Lyric's story of trust, and triumph!

In This Episode

A dream that turned into a reactive nightmare
When all of the typical things don't work, what am I supposed to do?
Revisiting the baby steps and building trust
Taking the pressure off and getting into the ring
Advice for new dog lovers and trainers, and the impact of a strong relationship

"All my hopes and dreams were going down the drain" - Cindy

"I was trying so hard to help her and I couldn't help her" - Cindy

"We have to work really hard at forgiving ourselves" - Kathy

"The trust comes when your dog knows that you understand them" - Kathy

"No matter how positive the reinforcement is, it's still pressure" - Kathy

"It's a way of life rather than a training program" - Cindy

"We can't fix anybody else but we can certainly control how we react to things and how we approach things" - Cindy

"You gotta let go and trust your feelings" - Cindy

Register for Kathy's free Brilliant Partners Workshop!

Dog Behaviour Breakthrough: A Relationship Revolution

http://dancinghearts.link/bpaworkshop

EBD013 Enlightened By Dogs Q&A with Kathy Kawalec Aug 13, 2018

Show notes

Do I engage with my dog all day long while they're awake? What triggers the behaviours you don't want your dog to have? Kathy answers these questions and more in a Q&A she hosted online! She also gives you the opportunity to jump in on a very special offer she has going on right now!

In This Episode

Live Q&A
The clarity chart
Cleaning up our life with our dogs

"Having a high level of trust and confidence changes everything"

"Just like us, our dogs have their own life"

"Which activities that you do with your dog trigger the behaviour that you do not like?"

"We can not change anything if we keep doing he same stuff"

Register for Kathy's free Brilliant Partners Workshop!

Dog Behaviour Breakthrough: A Relationship Revolution

http://dancinghearts.link/bpaworkshop

#012 Soul Love And A Dog: Interview with Teresa Bitner Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

Grief, growth, love and life are on tap today as the author of Soul Love, Teresa Bitner is joining Kathy on today's episode of Enlightened By Dogs! The book is about how a dog taught Teresa and her sons how to live, love and breathe again after their family is struck by tragedy.

In This Episode:

Teresa starts the life of her dreams and having it change in a flash, and writing about it
Finding Hans, and how he helped the family heal
Perspective and tips on coping, and the stages of grief
How do we support a loved one in need

"I lost myself. I didn't know who I was afterwards"

"I do encourage people to write about your loss"

"There is such a special bond you can form"

"Figure out how to let yourself grieve"

"Listen more. Talk less."

"Are you able to find love right here where you're at?"

More Teresa!

www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com

More Kathy!

www.enlightenedbydogs.com

EBD011 The Main Thing - Why Do You Have A Dog? Jul 30, 2018

Show notes

The Main Thing in this episode is why do you have a dog? Is it to have that perfect pet? Or is it to have a best friend and companion to experience life with? Sometimes we go down the rabbit hole of thinking that our dogs need to be compliant when in actuality, there are far more important things to garner from a relationship with our dogs!

In This Episode

Losing sight of the main thing and how it can happen to the best of us
Why do you have dogs in your life?
Meeting our dog where they are and accepting them as they are
Releasing the pressure of timelines

"I think we lose sight of the main thing an awful lot"

"It's almost as if our dog is there to reward our ego"

"Having dogs enabled me to learn how to be a better human, to be a better version of myself."

"We can only start where we are"

"We enjoy the process of getting there with our partner"

More Kathy!

www.enlightenedbydogs.com

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