Welcome to Mindfulness in Dogs,
The podcast for dog guardians walking the path of reactivity with heart and compassion for their dogs and for themselves.
I'm Biggie,
Dog trainer,
Life coach,
And longtime student of mindfulness with a big heart for the messy sides of living with dogs.
After many years with my own reactive dogs,
I discovered that real change doesn't start with training the dog.
It starts with us.
In this show,
We'll explore practical,
Force-free tools,
Grounding practices,
And compassionate strategies to help you and your dog find more calm and connection on your walks together.
Because calmer walks don't start with a quick fix.
They start with nervous system regulation,
So both you and your dog can feel safe enough to let your guard down.
And even the smallest shifts can bring ease to a tough walk.
This is Mindfulness in Dogs.
Welcome to the show.
Hi,
And welcome to the show.
This is Mindfulness in Dogs,
And my name is Biggie,
Coach,
Trainer,
And a human being with a big heart for the messy sides of life with dogs.
If you're listening,
You probably love your dog with your whole heart.
And maybe,
Like many of us,
You also feel the weight of reactivity,
The barking,
The plunging,
The stares from strangers,
And that mix of embarrassment,
Frustration,
And worry that can follow you home.
You're not alone in this.
Every guardian of a reactive dog knows the heaviness that can build up over time.
And today,
I want to offer you a story and a simple guided practice that may help lighten that load just a little.
So wherever you are,
Maybe sitting with a cup of tea,
Maybe walking your dog,
Maybe listening while you drive,
See if you can give yourself permission to be here fully for the next few minutes.
But before we dive in,
Let's take a breath together,
In through the nose,
And slowly out through the mouth.
If it feels good,
Let your shoulders drop just a little.
You don't have to do anything perfectly.
Just being here is enough.
Now I want you to imagine for a moment that your mind is like a backpack.
You carry it everywhere you go.
And every time something happens,
Your mind slips a little note inside that backpack.
One day,
You're walking your dog and someone in a hat walks by.
Your dog barks and lunges,
Your heart races,
Maybe you feel embarrassed.
And your mind writes a note,
Hats mean trouble,
And in it goes.
Another day,
Your dog reacts to a skateboarder,
Another note,
Skateboards mean danger,
And in it goes.
Over time the backpack fills,
Busy crossroads,
Strangers and phones,
Even the sound of jingling keys.
Each note says something like,
This is stressful,
Or this is embarrassing,
Or this means I'm failing.
And you don't even have to see those things anymore.
Just thinking about going for a walk can make your chest tighten,
Because your brain has already linked the backpack full of notes together.
That's not weakness.
That's not you doing something wrong.
That's simply what our remarkable human brain does.
It builds connections between things and creates meaning,
So as to protect us by preparing us for what might happen.
Or sometimes,
Or rather more often than not,
Those meanings stop helping us.
They weigh us down,
And the backpack gets heavier and heavier,
Even though you're still leading the same dog on the same leash.
So let's explore what it feels like to notice this backpack maybe even lighten just a little.
If it feels safe,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in,
And a longer breath out.
Feet your feet against the floor or the ground,
If you're outside.
And let yourself land right here,
Right now.
Now imagine that backpack resting against your back.
Notice its weight.
No need to judge it,
Just notice.
With your next breath,
Picture yourself gently opening the backpack.
Inside are those notes your mind has collected.
Each one has words written on it,
Meanings you've picked up along the way.
Take a moment to see if one particular note floats to the surface.
Maybe it says something like,
My dog is too much,
Or everyone's judging me,
Or I'm a bad guardian.
Whatever comes up,
Just notice it.
Hold it in your awareness,
As if you're reading it on paper.
Now gently bring your hand to your heart,
Or to your belly,
If that feels comfortable.
And take a breath with that note in mind.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine whispering a kind thought to yourself.
It makes sense that I carry this.
And stay with that thought for a moment.
Now imagine you have a pen,
And you're allowed to add another note into the backpack.
Something lighter,
Something kinder.
Something that opens space instead of closing it.
It might be,
My dog is asking for help,
Or we are learning together,
Or barking is communication,
Not aggression.
Or maybe something entirely your own.
Write that note,
And slip it into the backpack alongside the others.
And then try and notice how the backpack feels with this gentler note added in.
Does it shift the weight,
Even slightly?
Does your breath feel a little freer,
Even just a little bit?
Feel into your body,
And take your time.
Remember,
You don't have to empty the backpack.
You don't have to throw away the old notes.
They are part of your story.
But you can choose what else to carry with you.
And the more compassionate notes you add,
The lighter the journey becomes.
Now,
Take one more slow,
Steady breath in.
And out.
As you come back into your day,
Remember,
Your dog doesn't need a perfect guardian.
They need a present one.
A guardian who can notice the weight they are carrying,
And choose,
Little by little,
To add notes of kindness alongside the old ones.
Every breath you take,
Every gentle meaning you add to the backpack,
Helps both you and your dog walk through the world with a little more ease.
If this practice feels supportive,
I encourage you to return to it whenever the weight feels too heavy.
And if you know another guardian who could use this kind of encouragement,
Share the episode with them.
We all deserve to feel a little lighter on the journey with our dogs.
Because even the smallest shifts can bring ease to a tough walk.
Thanks for being here with me today.
