Good Morning Fabulous Reader,

Tuesday, I had an hour-and-a-half-long virtual meeting with a Dog trainer for my golden retriever Buddy -- the one who has been having all the challenges lately.

Very similar to an intake call that I would do with a client; we spent the entire time talking about Buddy’s history, habits, behaviors, environment —- any medical problems he has, likes and dislikes, etc. The trainer came prepared with a ton of questions for me to gather more detail about the situation and help her develop a well-rounded picture.

We also went over a care plan. Like any good coach with a new client, she validated my feelings of overwhelm, acknowledging that this is a very tough situation. Still, she gave me a little hope that change is possible and that there are many avenues we can try.

I’m sharing all this with you because of the very real correlation between my working with a trainer and what it is like for someone to coach with me. It is not a quick fix; it is not a magic pill. You will not get results right away, in a week, or a month. You might be able to see some improvement in a short time - but it’s not going to show up as the result you're looking for right away. There will be little improvements in behaviors that will add up and eventually result in the outcome you’re looking for.

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Yes, I am comparing training a dog to changing your habits to achieve weight loss. You cannot bite off too much at once. You have to be very selective in the things that you try and the behaviors you work to modify. And one thing the trainer did say is that she is a very “less is more” kind of trainer — think 2-3 minutes per day. In coaching, what we would do is very similar. My clients can so easily get overwhelmed by all the things they want to change or feel need changing - but when we focus on the smallest action that we know they can successfully do each day and build from there, we lay a foundation of success.

Throughout the conversation with the trainer, she kept saying that while there were all of these different things we could try — we don’t have to do all of them; we could just start with one and go from there. Her goal was that by the end of the call, I came away with a plan for what I would do next and could see a bigger picture of how all these things worked together to get me the success I was looking for eventually.

And she was very clear that I would have to decide what success looks like for me, my family, and Buddy. Because while my goal is not to have to regime my dog - I am also very aware that continuing to live in a city that has a crazy amount of fireworks all the time might not be the safest place for him.

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One BIG connection that the trainer helped me see — which thinking back now I don’t know why I didn’t make this connection —- Behavior is Pain. So often, when a dog is acting out or having destructive behavior, it is because they are in pain, and one way that shows up is an increased sensitivity to noise and then the need to escape. We know Buddy has hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis and that he’s has had surgery on one of his hind legs, and while he needs it on the other, that is not in the card for him. So he very clearly has pain - and while he has been on some gabapentin, we do not have an official pain management protocol for him (yet!). But this connection she shared with us gave me hope —- because it makes perfect sense now that he has been extra sensitive to noise and jumping out windows and clawing at walls when we are not home. The stress of the fireworks only compounds his pain.

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So while I am embarrassed that my dog has been in pain for so long, I am ready to take action and have a clear path forward.

In terms of you and how this relates to a weight loss goal or body change goal —- a lot of what I do with clients is take closer looks at your behaviors and figure out why they are happening. I teach you to develop the awareness to notice your needs and see how better nutrition, improved and focused movement, and setting up a supportive environment can help you get close to your goals. This is literally what I will be doing with my dog in the coming weeks - and while making any change is scary, I am hopeful because I sat down with a coach, and she showed me that change is possible. It won’t happen all at once, but working with her to help tweak things, navigate obstacles, help me stay accountable, and feel supported on this journey might be the best thing I ever do for my dog.

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Coaching is a blessing. When you connect with someone who provides that safe, supportive environment for you to cry if you need to, organize your thoughts and emotions, and then figure out the next practical step it can feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

Until next time,

Morgan