The Approach

Before you became a dog parent, you were just you.

You probably forget what that’s like when you're in the thick of fulfilling all of the demands in the world including your dog's basic needs.

The Embodied Self Dog Training takes the approach of centering the human's needs first— setting YOU up for success to support your dog by supporting you first. Yes, we still train your dog! But first and foremost, we train the person at the other end of the leash to remember their humanness in the deepest sense possible. During sessions, we honor your present circumstances, learned perspectives, the future self you aspire to be, and all of the good and ugly emotions in between.

The Approach integrates the “dog” side of training intentionally and at your pace. Your dog won't make an appearance until the third or tenth session, or maybe every other session. We implement "dog stuff" like the leash, techniques and dog psychology into your self-embodying practice. We invite questions that challenge conventional dog training, emphasizing that realistic progress is messy and non-linear. We interrupt moments when we get caught up in the technical learning of dog handling to check in with ourselves to determine how and when we want to move forward.

The Embodied Self Approach to Dog Training is for people who…

… live with reactive dogs (to dogs, people, noises, etc.)
… live with a Velcro dog
… just brought home a new puppy
… live in a multiple dog household
… struggle to maintain leadership and boundaries with their dog
… struggle with making time for their dog
… have noticed their dog’s regression from previous training
… struggle with their dog’s undesirable behaviors inside or outside the home
… lack access to areas where they can walk their dog safely and comfortably
… want to expand their dog training beyond obedience and behavioral training
… want to have better synchronicity with their dog
… are neurodivergent and struggle with meeting their dog’s needs based on neurotypical standards
… want to improve the way they parent their dog in a way they would have benefited being parented themselves
… seek a more sustainable way to coexist with their dog
… live with dogs that just don’t know where to start!

How do we embody self in dog training?

We explore somatic and cognitive exercises to tap into your authentic self that influences your leadership and communication with your dog. We build and strengthen the skills to regulate during times when you struggle to support them.

These exercises might look like tuning into our breath, noticing tension in our body, exploring our voice, experimenting with new movements, collectively grieving until we collectively laugh, finding humor in hardships, maybe even considering that we feel physically ill because of something we just ate-- just to name a few! All of these things, whether big or small, matter when we engage with our dog.

Journaling is also part of the training process. Whether it's writing or drawing a stream of consciousness or documenting events or using guiding prompts to help you get started. You build more awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when you put it on paper. From then on, you can challenge and improve the habits that influence yours and your dog’s relationship.

Why prioritize self-embodiment in dog training?

The purpose of the Embodied Self Approach is for you to create meaningful connections to the information you learn about yourself and your dog. With training as more of a collaboration, you're able to find solutions and nuances that honor both of your needs. What you learn in training feels sustainable because you always come back to yourself for the answers. When we put you at the center, you empower agency over the course of training, the relationship with your dog, and most importantly, how you live your life.