What Dog Training Has Taught Me About Health

Anyone who knows me personally knows how much I love my dogs. I got my first dog as a “grown-up” in 2020. He was an 8-week-old Australian Shepherd and I named him Cooper. He is the apple of my eye. He is the kind of dog that sticks by your side. He doesn’t even need a leash to go for a walk around the neighborhood. He is unphased by squirrels or other people or dogs, paying only mind to me. He knows all of his commands, and has a sixth sense for emotion, which has me in the process of getting him certified as a therapy dog. Most people that meet Cooper say, “I wish my dog was as [insert any positive adjective] as Cooper.”

But it wasn’t always that way. The first month of Cooper's life I was convinced he was possessed by a demon. He had crazy energy, he bit, scratched and chewed on my husband and me all the time. I was on the verge of considering sending him back to where I got him from. But I knew (or at least hoped) it was just a phase.?

Prior to getting Cooper, I had spent hours scouring the internet for reliable resources and the right training tools to use especially with him being an energetic herding dog. You see, growing up as a kid, I had a Cocker Spaniel, Daisy, who was the sweetest dog around, but she had a notorious reputation for getting into trouble. She refused to listen and she would jump up on counters, steal food from the garbage, and occasionally run off and crash a neighbors party just to get food scraps.? I vowed that if I ever owned a dog again, I would make the commitment to train him/her properly so I could take my dog to more places and know they would be able to behave.?

Equipped with the knowledge from the internet, I learned how to communicate with Cooper effectively. I learned to be forgiving as my dog is not a robot, and will not always be “perfect” on command. I learned what consistency with daily training provided for him, and I learned that there is a balance of “play hard, work hard.” Since the time of writing this, I have seen the transformation in Cooper from the tasmanian-devil-puppy he was to the good ol’ boy he is today. He has learned to trust and respect my fairness with him, and this in turn makes our relationship rock solid.?

What does this have to do with health, you might ask? A switch went off in my head when I saw the results I was having training Cooper throughout the years. The fundamentals for “being healthy” are nearly identical to the fundamentals of training a “good dog.”?

1. It’s not going to be perfect in the beginning

Just like a puppy, you cannot be expected to know everything about health and wellness. You learn from trial and error. When you see results, you know that is “positive” reinforcement, and you are encouraged to keep doing that thing. If you see negative results, that is “negative” reinforcement and should deter you from continuing that habit.?

2. Consistency is key, but so is moderation

I would drive myself crazy if I trained by dogs 24/7. However, my dogs DO get trained 7 days per week. Some days I have more time and can teach them new things, other days it is simply just repeating known commands and expecting them to do the basics (like don’t jump when I have food — sit nicely).?

We need to learn the same with our health. Some days, you may try to push yourself by eating a little more healthier than normal, or trying to push yourself in a workout. Other days, you may need to balance your training and nutrition to just stay afloat and maintain.?

3. Don’t be too hard on yourself

Being perfect 100% of the time is nearly impossible. Rather, look at yourself today and say, “I want to be better than yesterday.” If we overeat, drink too much or don’t feel like exercising, that's OK – but don’t make it a habit. Just like one good day won’t make you, one bad day won’t break you either. Like my dogs, they can get into funks and not want to train or go for a walk one day. That is part of being a dog (or human, in our case).

4. Set realistic expectations through good communication

Expecting my dog to learn how to walk nicely on a leash doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes getting used to the leash, becoming aware of surroundings, learning what I expect, and repetition - repetition- repetition! With your health, you need to realize where your starting place is, understand where your goals are, and become comfortable with the process it will take to get there. This leads us to our next section…

5. Understand your “why” for the goals you set

Why would I want my dog to walk on a loose leash if I didn’t plan on putting them on a leash often? Your goals should be linked to your desires and outcomes. Walking loose leash is cool, but it’s necessary if I want Cooper to be a therapy dog. It’s not necessary if he is going to be on a farm exclusively herding sheep. You need to define your goals, and determine if your process (i.e. exercise, diet, mental state) is actually helping you work toward those goals.?

6. When goals are met, set new goals

Let’s keep with the loose leash analogy. When I started Cooper out on the leash, we ONLY walked in the backyard at my home. That’s because there were no distractions and the area was familiar for him so all he had to worry about was what I was trying to communicate with him. Once that mastery came, we moved to the driveway where we encountered (from a distance) cars, people and other animals. And so the progression came when he mastered that, we went into the neighborhood and crowds to continue to build his skill and confidence.

This is similar to how you should approach your health. If you can add one thing like eating 3 cups of veggies per day, or getting enough protein daily, then you can start to build on that process. Maybe your next step is cutting out sweets after 7pm, and then moving toward cutting out processed foods 80% of the time. If you start with a goal too big and too unfamiliar, it likely won’t be reached or sustained. The kicker is, you can’t put a timeline on this. You can only move forward when the goal you set previously becomes a habit.?

7. Motivation is grown from having respect in yourself and your ‘team’?

You have to trust yourself and your team that you have built around you – from friends and family to trainers and medical professionals. A good support system can help keep you moving toward your goals and provide you with guidance when needed. Like Cooper, he no longer needs me to “tell” him what to do all the time, he knows what is expected of him, and will do it without cueing. He has learned through trust and repetition how to live his best life.?

8. Balance your work and play

If you are someone that struggles with seeing the vision for your health, or feel like you are ‘stuck’ due to injury, lack of motivation, or not enough education of what may be ‘right’ for you, that is why I am here – at Meliora wellness, our goal is to provide insight on exercise and injury prevention, getting in the right frame of mind, and teaching you sustainable nutrition habits to create lifelong change. The term Meliora is latin for “in pursuit of better.” You, like Cooper, are not a robot and cannot be expected to be perfect with diet and exercise all the time. With the right help however, we can take you from tasmanian-devil-puppy to good ol’ boy in hopes to give yourself an opportunity at a better life.?

Want to see if I can help you? Email me at [email protected] to set up a free phone consultation!