Behavioral training all boils down to redirecting the brain. Redirection is necessary when you or the dog are on a path of one-way thinking. 

Fresh light should be brought to the table with a different perspective. This new light and perspective should make you think about the situation differently. The action of redirecting can follow soon after.

Behavioral training is making all parties aware and conscious. 

Everyone has a huge story or situation. I listen through everyone’s story. I begin to decipher and decode their situation through my non-opinionated outlook. It is becoming balanced with the animal to understand the problem. 

Decoding the problem isn’t always straightforward. Often, the primary key elements that play a role in the situation that has arisen more often than none get left out unknowingly. The person eventually cracks emotionally at this point because they have no choice but to be conscious of the missing link. Then this is where we can start to move forward.

Solving The Puzzle

When working with someone, I remind myself that I have to tune in to their feelings no matter the rhyme or reason, left-right, or high-low. I have to find out where they are really at.

You explain to me your puzzle. I take your puzzle, whether it is missing pieces or not, and study it. From the beginning, it’s decoding. After the puzzle pieces are all accounted for, it’s straightforward follow-through. It’s time to begin the process of rebuilding the puzzle.

If I’m handed the puzzle and the puzzle pieces look correct (meaning the dogs environment and everyone involved are balanced), we still have to disassemble it and check the puzzle as a whole if a problem still exists.  

We should look at this as a drive, a want, a desire, a passion for truly seeking out the root cause. I’m not scared to dismantle the puzzle to ensure we are correct.

When I have a correct puzzle (meaning, the dog’s guardians are in a balanced state and live a balanced life) but something is still obviously wrong, I will disassemble the puzzle and put it back together without a second thought. 

Suppose I’m confident on a level that the puzzle is 100 %, but there is still an issue. This is where I distinguish between signs and symptoms. Signs are anything behavioral. Symptoms are an internal hardwire issue that usually winds up being health issues. This could be a wide variety of internal things arraying from tumors, aneurysms, invisible pain, etc. Things that can’t be fixed—This is why breaking a perfectly good-looking puzzle may be necessary. 

BEHAVIOR TRAINING TAKES THE EXTRA MILE OF PARTICIPATION

It can be hard for people to be accountable for their actions, especially if they do not see or believe in them. Sometimes, the real battle is getting someone to accept their accountabilities. This is done by painting a picture, with the correct colors, in the correct way about the correct thing. It is a custom picture for that person helping them let their guard down, accept their accountabilities, the role involved, to accept the truth and ownership.

Being a behaviorist has nothing to do with obedience. It is breaking down the defense and judgment walls of people and dogs. It is a process of clearing the slate and rebuilding from there. For most, it’s a passion to want to help. For some, it’s not only passion but a compelling passion. They must help. 

Some behaviorist stops at a level because of pressure. As trainers, we should tell people, hey, this is where you went wrong. Understandably, in some instances, this can be difficult. If something needs to be said, it should be. Nothing can be left on the table for successful rehab. This is where you become your worst enemy.

Everything is on this planet for a reason. That’s why things are not impossible. To be a tool or asset to think next level or to open your mind from another side. To simply put it, we can think differently, on different levels, if we are open to judging ourselves and are open to help.

We keep striving to the next level. We are here for the same thing. Balance. A behaviorist should take the blows for the people. Stoop to their level and be accountable with that person. At which point a true connection is formed. Trainers can take this personally, and this is where they fail.

I’ve been forced to own accountabilities I didn’t want to face. I understand it sucks. I continually have to bow my head and own my accountabilities. It’s a part of the process of striving for what is good.

I want them to understand on a level of compassion and feeling that I’m on their level. When I do this, I can help find the first step for them to take. If I do not open my mind to that, then that’s where we sit and spin. 

IT’S A MILE A WORD, GET TO THE POINT

Everybody has ten thousand words to say. Every word should count in behavioral training. The first thousand words out of their mouth are where the problem lies. We want an outcome, but we need to start with the first words to get to our goal.

We should be able to fix it in the thousand words instead of the ten thousand words. I need those thousand words to count. I’ve learned to perfect and help guide people to tell me what counts in a thousand words, even if it’s a phone conversation. 

Even in those thousand words, we can shape and shift dynamics by focusing only on that individual dog and the problem. I can relate to you. That’s where it has to count. I can simplify things.

THE ROAD CAN BE HARD

Behavioral trainers should strive to be at the highest level. Even if it means euthanasia, a dog wants to sacrifice for the greater good. Sometimes, putting a dog down doesn’t mean it’s wrong. 

A dog’s soul purpose, which we help create, is to solely serve us on every level and be a pure asset to us. 

Euthanasia is the last resort. You should understand it’s very serious when euthanasia is brought up. We do not take it lightly. We do all we can to rehab animals and give them an opportunity. 

We should know that millions of animals a year are getting euthanized because they couldn’t find help. So how is it justified that a good dog gets euthanized because he couldn’t find help while time and energy are going into a dog we know is unadoptable? 

Right now, we have not come up with a solution to help all dogs. It’s a heartbreaker. You prevent the ball from rolling if you get too emotionally attached. The rescue world is cold as ice some days. The intent is to help all animals. When we realize some animals can not be reached, it can feel like a failure through all the sacrifices. In the end, though, we have to keep the ball rolling.

Sometimes a dog’s demise is for the greater good. As much as it may hurt emotionally or physically, a dog would rather give his life for the greater good. If an unfixable dog knew he was giving his life for the greater good to help ten fixable dogs in a human term, he wouldn’t think twice. 

We get emotionally invested. Time invested in an unfixable dog is wasted if we know the dog is unfixable and can not move on. That time wasted could have euthanized 100 fixable dogs because we spent so much time on an unfixable dog.

The truth can be hard sometimes.

 PREVENTING SURRENDERS IS PART OF THE SOLUTION

I want to prevent people from giving up because they can not find a solution that works for them. It’s hard to find good affordable help in this line of work. We have resources to prevent these surrenders and a way for people to get help. 

It starts with balance. Balance is a starting point of achieving the finish line. Balance gives us a plan to get there. 

Individualism, realism, and communication come into key the most. Balance is a choice; you have to choose to want for a greater good or greater avenue, think positive. When you think negatively, choose to think positive for a greater good vs. a greater negative. If you always think of the negative, you will get negative.

This is rather simple. Talk positive, get positive. Think solutions, not problems. You’ll start to realize there are many solutions to problems. If there is no solution, it’s not a problem. It’s a fact. To many people are worried about the negative. They need to focus on the positive. The positive is real.

I do not believe anything is impossible. Nothing is impossible. Everything is preventable, adjustable, fixable, flexible, and possible. 

Your actions must speak louder than your words; even if it doesn’t work out right away, it will work out. Have patience with yourself. If you are ten steps back, one step forward means more than those ten steps back. Do not hold onto the ten steps backward. Hold onto the 1 step forward. It proves all steps can be corrected and conquered.

WE LEARN, WE GROW, WE HUMBLE OURSELVES

Balance has no time, money, instant reply, or neon colors. Balance is what’s within you. Within me, I’m grateful for today.

 To be a true behaviorist, you have to be willing to go the extra mile and bring yourself to walk a day in their shoes and understand and accept this is a reality for them. You are doing what it takes to help their reality for the greater good. 

In common, we are all trying to strive and achieve the same goal of balancing peace within ourselves. Live, laugh, love, equals balance—simple goodness.

 FINDING BALANCE INSIDE TRAUMA

I was drinking coffee enjoying my Sunday afternoon. I looked out my bay window. Within 30 seconds, I thought my son was dead. That feeling is not replaceable. No feeling has ever topped that one. 

Balance is key to helping heal others. We can imagine what we can do for others if we can do it ourselves. I strive to make every one of you succeed to your highest potential. I know the cost of me putting all my effort into love is worth it.

The world is full of unexpected stuff no one can wrap their head around. The best we can do for all this world has to offer is open our minds to learning as much as possible. Self-recognition is growth expanding, opening the horizons to new opportunities to something one didn’t see or know.

When your mind is expanded to every avenue, whether understandable or not, stay strong. Do not stay negative. It will not benefit you. 

When the doctors explained their negative outlook about my son, I had the opportunity to venture down the road of negativity or choose to believe positively. I chose to believe positively when all doubts were put on the table.  

Positivity is a chain reaction leading to results. Positive attitudes transform into positive events and outcomes. The power of balance can define your life. 

Balance is not always about trauma and bad. Sometimes behavioral is the smallest thing, but it can mean a big thing to an individual because they don’t want that thing they hold on to, shaken or out on the loose. It’s ok from the lowest to the highest extreme. 

What do you personally believe in? What is your belief? Some people could look at me and tell me I willed my son to life, and I would be a fool to say I don’t believe you.  

I think the whole point of balance is centering on worst to good, high-low, left-right. I want every person who comes to me feeling they are at a max inside themselves that I’m there with them. We will build this back up together. I can relate, and I will be there for you. I have been through every worst and best-case scenario that I can relate to most people, whether it’s good or bad. Maybe that’s what makes me a good behavioralist.

We are each meant for our roles. Each role we are given is to expand, grow, educate whether you are an animal or human. Find what works for you by being open to the possibilities. Find your balance with your dog.