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Big Feelings? Energy Matters!

Published 4 days ago • 1 min read

Big Feelings? Energy Matters!

In puppy classes, most of us were told to be exciting, be upbeat, sound happy.. and that is great advice - when you want to excite your dog.

With our big feelings dogs though, we often want to calm them down, slow them down, help them relax. When calmer is the goal, use your "Morgan Freeman" voice.

If your dog has big feelings, your energy matters - and it matters a lot.

Match your energy to what you're actually asking for.

When you want excitement—recalls, heeling, engagement—bring the energy. Use your voice, your movement, your enthusiasm.

But when you want calm? Channel your inner Morgan Freeman. Deep. Slow. Deliberate. That warm, velvety baritone that makes everyone want to stop and listen.

This is about more than your voice too. It's how quickly you reach for and deliver the treat. It's how fast you walk. Whether your shoulders are tense or relaxed. Your dog reads all of it.

In the podcast episode, I discuss more on this including two examples of dogs - one who needs more, and one who needs less.

Teaching our dogs to regulate their arousal (both up and down) is an important skillset, so we can have the biggest, most enriching lives possible with our furry friends.

Cheers,
Christina

p.s. I have a free webinar on arousal on July 15th. Can't make it live? Register anyway and I'll send you the recording.

"Good Dog!" 3 Steps to Helping Dogs with Big Feelings

2738 Holden Corso Rd, Nanaimo, BC v9x 1n5
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Positive Dog

Christina Young, BSc, CDBC, PCBC-A

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