Many pet parents keep pushing the same training routine, spending hours practicing commands and trying the same techniques over and over. They’re hoping to shift their animal companion’s actions and responses, but aren’t addressing a key component: the energetic dynamic motivating the behavior. In this article, I explore how to train your pet smarter, not harder.
Sometimes a bark is not just a bark. Accidents in the house can signal something bigger going on in your life. Separation anxiety often speaks to broader feelings of guilt.
Dog training is not only about the dog — it’s about the pet parent, too. That’s why when you understand what your pet’s behavior says about you, you can train smarter, not harder.
After working with hundreds of clients over the span of a decade, I developed a profound understanding of the many ways our actions, beliefs, and patterns affect our pets, and created a roadmap to help pet parents create lasting change and powerful transformation not only in their pet’s behavior, but in their own lives as well.
When training our dogs, combining traditional training with an understanding of how our energy may be driving our pet’s behavior is crucial. Pets respond to our words, physical cues, and body language, but also to our energy and mindset. When we effectively translate our pet’s behavior, and combine traditional training with the mindset shifts in the process, we open lines of communication that create meaningful change for ourselves and our pets.
Here are mindset shifts we can integrate to train our pets smarter, not harder:
1. Move From Being A Pet Owner To A Pet Guardian
Outdated terminology like “pet owner” doesn’t honor the partnership and the role that our animal companions play in our lives. Terms like “pet guardian” or “pet parent” are more resonant with the direction our view on pets and animal companions is headed. Using more mindful verbiage is just one of the small but significant ways to reinforce a more collaborative mindset.
2. Shift From “My Pet Needs To Change, Not Me” To “We’re In This Together.”
One of the biggest shifts in mindset needed in order to learn to translate our pet’s behavior and train smarter, not harder, is to stop regarding the dynamic between ourselves and our pet from a place of separation, hierarchy, or dominance. Instead, approach it from a place of connection, collaboration, and shared responsibility. If we’re asking our pets to shift their behavior, we’ll have to make shifts as well, always stemming from the realization that we’re in this together.
3. Replace “I’ve Tried Everything And Nothing Works” To “I Have New Tools At My Disposal.”
As a responsible pet parent, you’ve likely delved into countless resources and techniques to nurture your furry friend’s wellbeing. Despite your dedication, you’ve encountered a disheartening sense of stagnation. But taking a mindful approach to pet training through the integrated lens of mind, body, and energy, helps you to leverage new techniques that elicit shifts in your pet’s behavior and, by extension, in your own life. By adopting this fresh outlook, you’re equipping yourself with new tools to drive significant change for you and your companion.
4. Modify The Focus From “I Want My Pet To Stop Barking” To “I Want An Environment Where We All Feel Heard.”
Focus on the outcome you want to replace the behavior, not simply on the absence of that behavior. For example, when faced with a barking dog, it’s common to think or say, “I don’t want my dog to bark anymore.” Instead of merely instructing him or her to stop, redirect and show your furry friend what constitutes a better choice in the moment and reward that behavior. By avoiding non-sequiturs, having a clear vision for how our pet should behave instead, and giving them effective direction on how to get there, we create more intentional and mindful shifts in our pet’s behavior.
5. Adjust The Perception From “My pet Is Stubborn Or Acting Out Of Spite” To “My Pet Is Trying To Show Me Something Bigger.”
Our pets tell us a lot about ourselves. By exploring our relationship with our pets, we can better understand our own motivations, beliefs, and attitudes. When our pets are doing things like having accidents right in front of us or looking straight at us while grabbing something they shouldn’t, it can feel as if they’re being defiant. But there’s always a deeper underlying motivation for this behavior, which often extends beyond the immediate circumstance and echoes in various aspects of our lives.
Mindful introspection allows us to trade deeply ingrained limiting beliefs for mindsets that pave the way for personal growth. This mindful approach to pet guardianship allows you to bond on a deeper level with your pet, while gaining powerful insight into your life as well.
By taking the time to understand the energetic and emotional motivation driving our pet’s behavior, we can identify how that same energetic pattern may be manifesting itself more broadly in our friendships, romantic relationships, family life, and career. Once we understand the motivation, we can change our mindset around it and create new outcomes for ourselves and our furry companions.
Training smarter, not harder, involves more than just repeating commands and hoping for the best. It requires a mindful approach that includes traditional training techniques, understanding the energetic and emotional dynamics at play, and adopting new mindsets that promote deeper connection and mutual growth. Shifting our perspectives and addressing the underlying motivations behind our pets’ behaviors will foster a more harmonious and fulfilling relationship with our animal companions.
Author Bio
Denise Mange is a certified dog trainer, animal communicator, pet numerologist, and founder of Pet Prana®. Her mindful approach to pet training combines traditional training with energetic considerations of pet guardianship. She has been featured in publications and media outlets worldwide, cementing her reputation as a pioneer in the field of mindful pet training. Her new book, Translating Your Pet’s Behavior: Learn What Their Behavior Says About You to Train Smarter, Not Harder, is a #1 bestseller in its category on Amazon. Learn more at www.petprana.com.