Dog Training Hawaii

On Being Nice

“She was nice to me so I made something nice for her.”  ~Lucy Hanson

Oh the lessons we learn from children and dogs!  Hoku, a dog who came to my dog training retreat to work on some confidence spent a little time with my favorite little girl Lucy.  Lucy is only 5 years old but has the soul of a wise women.  Listen to her story about Hoku and apply it to who ever you are with today.

On Being Nice First ~ Just Like the Dog Wags Just Because

How many times has someone done something nice to you and you didn’t take the time to do something nice back?  Or how many times have you thought about doing something nice and that’s where it stopped.  You just thought about it.
This includes your dog’s ability to make you smile with the authentic joy of just seeing you come home, no matter what mood you arrive on the scene wearing.

Dogs give us great joy in their ability to except each day as it is and truly revel in moments of joy.  Take note and emulate the behavior. It will reward you greatly.

On Sharing with Others

Pay it forward.  As we receive blessings, of any kind, share those with others. That is the best “return on investment ” we can have.  Love and kindness are the biggest investment.  Do something good for someone, everyday, and the rewards will be much better than any interest rate on a bank account, and amazingly enough this will bring you the abundance you’ve desperately been trying to acquire.

Big Island Dog Beach Shack

This week at Big Island Dog Beach Shack at the Alii Gardens Marketplace Kailua, Kona Hawaii I’m offering a free dog food cooking class.  Our dogs are part of our family and their health and longevity become part of our own joy. *note sign up even if you aren’t in Hawaii, there will be video teaching true nourishment for dogs for you too!

For too long we’ve been excepting big dollar marketing in the dog world as absolute truth.  We’ve been told we MUST feed our dogs kibble because it contains the correct vitamins and minerals for a dog’s well being.  Never mind that there is no other nourishment in the processed food that many times comes from road kill, diseased animals and a whole lot of “meal” products from corn to we’re not sure what it is!  Even a premium dog food is processed, processed, processed and takes a toll over time on the liver.

Adding the right vitamins and minerals is really easy and real food is way more nourishing than any McDoggie kibble diet.

Sign up for my Dog Food Cooking Class and find out how to add things like calcium and omegas and coconut oil to your dog’s real food diet.

Do something nice for your dog since your dog is nice to you everyday!

Stop the itching, scratching, licking madness and increase the years your dog has with you.  Everyone will wag more!

*By the way, I’m VERY interested in your dog’s struggles with itching, scratching, licking, ear troubles, any of that.  Answer these three questions specific to your dog and I’ll send you information on how to best treat your dog using natural remedies.  Or tell me your story in the comments below!

Much Aloha to you and your dog.

Jt Clough lives on the Big Island, Hawaii, and practices health, happiness and natural remedies.  Her work at ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about/wishing to happen for so long.  She is a dog whisperer for our best friends and studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication.

 

Fear of Failure, Joyfear & The Dog

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown own your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”—One can derive the life lessons that can only come from trying, failing, learning, and trying again. This is the epitome of having no fear of failure. ~Steve Jobs

The Fear of Failure

Unless you are living under a rock and have been for a long time you know about Apple products and the raging success they have made on our digital market, from music to computing. We have Steve Jobs to thank for that. Well, him and a bunch of people that worked with him. But he was one to stand up and talk about failure and how he chose to use it as a catalyst to success.

Fear is the base for the probability of failure in our minds’. It is the biggest thief of our dreams, our passions and becoming our best selves. It is even the base of disappointment in our besties including dogs.

Fear is a safe place to hide out. It is the reason we don’t get what we want out of life and only talk about what we are going to do some day soon. Fear makes sure that everything stays the same. Fear sucks.

Is Fear Defining Who You Are?  How you React to the Situation of Life Everyday?

Do you listen to the drone of others telling you… “not a good idea”, “you shouldn’t do that”, “you can’t do what you want to do it’s just not the way it is”, “life is difficult”.

Is it that it’s said enough, “you should be afraid”, that we believe it?

And then we repeatedly say it to ourselves. Unconsciously. I am afraid to do something new. I am afraid to be who I am.

Something changes when adulthood shows up. When we were kids we believed we have the powers of SuperMan or Ms. Marvel.  For real.

We had plans to be an astronaut, a scientist, an artist, make the whole world a better place, the best teacher ever, a fireman. What is it that changes so drastically? What makes us afraid to be who we are, make our dreams reality, find our true passions?

What Fear Does

It steals who we are, what we do and how we act.

It changes the face of our own dogs, who by nature are very in the moment. In fact if you have a dog that suffers from fear aggression or separation anxiety it’s time to take a look at what is going on in your own life. Yes, of course seeking a professional dog trainer’s help this case is high recommended, but….

Consider the fear is projected from your words, your actions, all that you comes with you upon entering a room.

Joyfear*

original word creator: Leo Babauta at ZenHabits

Recognize fear in the moment and start rewriting your story right then. Write it down. What are the reasons you have fear around it? You’ll start seeing a pattern or big fat ugly excuses.

Begin the transformation to joy.  Take your fear and create joy.  Joyfear.  Really, like love and hate, it’s a fine line.

When it comes to the dog… well they can’t write their own fears down but if you should be dealing with this issue, look at all that is around when the fear happens and then come up with three things you could do to change the picture for your dog. *Note, an easier project when understanding how dogs think and learn.

You have the control panel to change the fear in your life. It’s starts with recognizing that it exists and every time it jumps up and rears it’s ugly face, think differently.

“What if I let myself enjoy this moment? How can I appreciate myself and take action in a new way today? What is good around me, and how can I contribute to it?”

“What steps can I take to feel calm? To write the book I’ve dreamed of? To move from the city to a quieter more serene life? To move to New York city? To become a (fill in the blank)?

Take This Fear and Shove It

My friend and colleague Tess Marshall has written and teaches a course called “Take This Fear and Shove It”. If any of this resonated with you check it out. It could just be the start of your dreams come true.

If you do have a dog with fear issues, it is worth having a clearer understanding of your own fear. The picture will be much brighter when it comes to communicating calm to your dog and ultimately when it comes to your own daily habits.

Jt Clough lives In Kailua Kona on the Big Island, Hawaii, and practices health, happiness and natural remedies, while working as a habits coach for people looking to live healthier and happier lives.  She is a dog whisperer for our best friends; and studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication.

Kona Dog Training Gone Hawaii Style

Dogs are fun. They teach us lots of things if we take the time to spend with them.

Some of the things I like most, taught so very well by dogs are:

Give your attention to what is right in front of you.

Use what you have.

Be in the moment.

Wag over it.

Dogs are ones who do not dwell in the past and are not ruining their day today worrying about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

The one thing I hear around Kailua Kona is, “There really are not a lot of places or things to do with dogs here.” I’m sure I’d hear that same thing in many places on the mainland as well.

Not true.

But let me say that may mean finding new things to do with your dog if you are accustomed to dog parks or dog friendly events. It is true that many places don’t allow dogs on the Big Island. That being said, you’ll need to start creating it in places that may not at first come to mind, or may be an adventure in itself.

“Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.”

J. Petit Senn

 

There are trails in the mountains and by the ocean on the Big Island. It’s an integral part of it’s majestic beauty. You can find them, hike them, walk them, run them or find a beach trail as a destination play adventure.

All you need is you, your dog, a leash, some poop bags, water and bowl. Make your own version of Nerd Fitness or create your own K9 Cross Fitness Workout. Get out and enjoy this Healing Island and spend some time with your dog.

 

Thanks for reading.  My hope is to give you inspiration and thought provoking ideas to take your very next step in creating your own paradise from where you are now!  Please subscribe to Big Island Dog and follow me on Twitter.   Retweets are cool too.

As a 9 time Ironman finisher, change maker and author and creator of  5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs and K9 Cross Fitness Classes in Kailua Kona Hawaii I encourage you to make that change you want so badly today!