Here at my house we are preparing for another upcoming school year.
This isn’t an average, run of the mill, school year for us. This year, my youngest is entering Kindergarten and my oldest is heading off for his first year of college. Our family is about to go through some major changes. It won’t be easy. In fact, some of these changes will be quite difficult and stressful. But here’s the thing. Change is good. It is stressful, yes. But, it’s still good. Without change, without stress, we don’t grow. We don’t get better. Change, and the stress that accompanies it, can be a gift, as long as we allow ourselves to learn from the situation and don’t let the stress swallow us up. It’s going to be hard to see my son off to college. To leave him to learn and grow on his own without the safety net of his family right there. But it’s time. He’s ready. And I have no doubt that this will be good for him. I respect him enough to stand back and watch him take this journey. It’s going to be hard to send my youngest son off to school on the bus like I have his siblings before him. This little guy has had a rougher past than his siblings have. He has medical and emotional needs that are different. He has a traumatic history. But I need to let him go. He needs to know that I have faith in him. He needs to learn and grow and see what he can accomplish. My kids know I’m here for them if they need me. They also know that I am not going to rush in and save them every time their life gets messy. I have been a parent to a lot of children with a large range of differing needs over these last decades. One of the many things I’ve learned is that I don’t do my kids any favors by making life too easy for them. If I wrap them in bubble wrap, never let them make mistakes, and keep them away from anything remotely dangerous, they may be safe, but at what cost? I would be protecting them for my own peace of mind, not for their good. And they would lose out on many important life lessons. Life with our dogs can be similar. It can be hard to watch a dog go through stress. It can be difficult to watch our dogs battle with fear, aggression, or other issues. The rougher the dog’s past, the harder it can be to see him under stress. But without some stress, there is no growth. Sometimes we have to be firm as we help our dogs make progress. Sometimes we have to push our dogs forward, in spite of their past, so they can take the next step in their education or training. It’s always rewarding to watch a dog overcome an obstacle, whether it’s fear or something else. I love to watch as the successful dog prances back and forth in front of their “parents” with pride as if to say, “Did you see what I just did?” It’s truly enjoyable when we see the hard work, the change, pay off. We can help your dog overcome the problems you are experiencing. You too will find the peace and joy when you see the hard work, the change, pay off. Let us show you how. The first step is to schedule your free, no obligation evaluation. Click here to schedule your evaluation online now. You pick a day and time that works best for you. A trainer will meet with you and your dog (and anyone else that you would like involved in training) and go over some history, find out your training goals, and discuss training options. We can usually provide you with some free tips to help you start seeing immediate results. You can find out more about all our training options and get any questions you have answered. There is no pressure or obligation to buy anything. Here is the link to schedule your free evaluation: https://www.cleverk9mi.com/schedule-evaluation-session.html Happy Training!
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