I have a 3-year-old Border Collie/Lab mix named Meechie. She’s smart, stubborn, high energy and sadly under the impression that she is the pack leader of my home. I didn’t understand exactly what that meant or how problematic it was for both of us until I started an online dog-training program and started making strides to correct this fundamental problem. Not surprisingly, Meechie isn’t a big fan of having her status threatened and I certainly am not enjoying the process of stripping her from her title. I do it though because it’s important.
Dog Training Concepts and Our Life
I bring this all up because when I sit with my clients and discuss the areas of their lives they are working to change, I can’t help but notice that some of the principles I’m using when training my dog are really applicable to life in general and should be applied to everything we do.
How to be the Leader of Your Pack
Check out these four simple concepts from this dog-training program that I believe we should all adopt when trying new things.
First, set yourself up to win. You make the most gains long-term by not pushing things too fast.
Second, keep track of how you are progressing. It’s so easy to forget how far you have come and how quickly you are making improvements.
Third, always remain calm. Getting escalated and angry will never make anything you are doing better.
Finally, stay positive in your mindset. The thoughts that you hold, greatly affect everyone around you.
New Exercise for 2019
So, for all those out there who have set some New Years resolutions for 2019, I invite you to adopt these “dog training” concepts into your life. It might just not be as overwhelming as you think to make positive and lasting changes. Good luck!