Week 1 Newsletter
Welcome,
We’re so excited to be hosting/participating in this January challenge, and also to be sharing it with you all!
Let’s get right into it.
The challenge is to get out and work with your dog, completely undistracted - no phones, music, podcasts… just you and your dog - everyday this month. Each Monday you’ll receive a newsletter with addition tools and resources to add to the upcoming week.
**Disclaimer - if you have a dog that’s very troubled, dangerous, biting you or others; please seek out professional help asap and don’t do anything to pt yourself or others at risk.
Day 1
Just get out there and get a baseline, take a walk with no distractions. Be aware of what your dog is doing, what they're interested in, their body language, their reactions to things in the environment, etc. But also pay attention to yourself, e.g. your feelings and emotions. Is there anxiety, embarrassment, joy, frustration…?
I recommend writing down these initial impressions so that you can refer back to them and compare at the end of the month. I plan on keeping a daily journal myself.
Days 2-7
PRAISE EXERCISE:
I want to help you to master your praise game. All week we’re going to work on praising our dogs with more purpose and intention. This may sound like something you’ve already got locked down, like tying your shoes, and I get that. But if you’re able to open your mind to the idea that you can improve, you can transform how you and your dog relate.
The exercise I’ve got for you will center on developing a soothing, encouraging, and affirming way of praising your dog. It will help set the tone for everything else we do in the challenge, as well as give us an amazing reinforcement tool that can be used anywhere.
Below is a 7 minute video explaining the exercise. See the video’s description adds further clarification.
This week, start every walk with about 10 minutes of this exercise before you head out. After your walk, finish with an addition 1-2+ minutes more.
** STRETCH CHALLENGE **
KONGS
Kongs (I use Kongs, but whatever stuffed chew toy you prefer is fine) are a fantastic tool to drain energy and enrich your dog’s feedings. They’re a simple, relatively cheap tool with many practical applications. Every piece of frozen kibble they extract reinforces laying down, being quiet, chewing an appropriate toy, being in a kennel...
Every day this month we will be adding a Kong to each of our dog’s meals. It’s entirely fine if you don’t want to use/purchase them, they’re not required for the challenge.
Here’s an easy recipe:
Fill a bowl with kibble and water, soak for 5-15 minutes
Drain
Stuff Kong
Freeze until frozen
That’s it!
Here’s a couple factors to consider that will make it more or less challenging for your dog:
Soak time
How tight you pack the Kong
**Don’t make it too difficult when you first introduce these. Ideally, you want the dog to successfully empty it on their own. Gradually you can make them more and more formidable.
Please follow along on our IG stories, tag us in your stories, have fun, and get out there and connect with your dogs!!