Slow and steady…gets the toenails trimmed? While that may not be my guest’s official motto, it’s one she would probably agree with. Dr. Deb Jones wrote the book- literally- on cooperative care, an approach to animal care that requires patience but yields great rewards. Her years as a psychology professor, dog trainer, and writer have taught her a lot about the importance of hard work and how almost anything is achievable if you’re willing to take it slow and be consistent. Tune in for a conversation about ripple effects, feeling successful, and doing what you need to do.

Links worth clicking:

• Cooperative Care Facebook group
• Cooperative Care Certificate
• K9 in Focus, Deb's training site
• Some of Deb's most popular books: 
  • Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry
  • Dog Sports Skills, Book 1: Developing Engagement & Relationship
  • Dog Sports Skills, Book 2: Motivation
  • Dog Sports Skills, Book 3: Play
  • Dog Sports Skills, Book 4: Focused & Engage!
  • In Focus: Developing a Working Relationship with Your Performance Dog
  • The Focused Puppy
  • When the Loss is Deep: A Companion Animal Grief Journal
• Feeling exhausted and stressed? Take the burnout assessment to see where you stand and start your recovery journey.

https://colleenpelar.com/127  

This post may contain affiliate links. When you click them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that my guests or I have used or have experience with.

Grief is a part of life for all of us, but--as too many pet professionals know all too well--there is a particularly deep strain of it that often runs through work with animals. That grief, and the toll it takes on on us--not just mentally and emotionally, but physically and even spiritually--is the reason so many of us become utterly burnt out.

Although she isn’t your typical pet professional, today’s guest has a deep and abiding love for animals and is intimately acquainted with both the joy and the grief that a life spent alongside them can bring. As a chaplain, grief worker, and strengths coach, Dallas Rising spends her time helping others learn to process the emotional, spiritual, and physical ramifications of deep loss. Join us for a conversation about trauma, healing, finding the sacred, and experiencing and joy.

https://colleenpelar.com/126

We hear a lot about the importance of “staying positive,” but with depressing headlines bombarding us what seems like every waking minute and the inescapable “doomscrolling” so many of us get sucked into, staying positive can be hard. It can even seem pointless or naive. Isn’t it better to confront reality, no matter how harsh, than be constantly trying to Pollyanna our way out of things?

Humane educator Heddie Wittlin-Leger is no stranger to the harsher aspects of life. In particular, her work with incarcerated individuals has shown her plainly how dark things can get. But she still believes in the importance of finding that silver lining and focusing on the positive, not the negative aspects of any given situation. Tune in as she and I chat about thinking outside the box, the ability of people to change against all odds, and the joy of life with a disabled dog.

https://colleenpelar.com/125

Burnout is an issue that affects almost everybody at some point, and pet professionals are no exception. Often it seems to hit us out of nowhere, but looking back the warning signs were almost always there- we just didn’t see them at the time. Learning to recognise those signs in the moment and respond appropriately can save us from falling into burnout, bitterness, and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Writer and dog trainer Teoti Anderson is no stranger to burnout, and she’s learned from experience the best ways to guard against it. Join us today as we chat about setting boundaries, learning not to take things so personally, and the importance of recognizing when you need chocolate.

https://colleenpelar.com/124

Debbie Martin isn't only a vet tech. She's also a subject matter expert, an author, a public speaker, and a “psychiatric nurse for dogs.” Connecting all these roles together is a love of the relationships formed in each one, with both people and their dogs. Debbie joined me today to talk about the many hats she wears and how each one brings something to her life. Listen in as we discuss the similarities between child and puppy development, learning to meditate, a near-death experience on the highway, and living in the moment.

https://colleenpelar.com/123

We often hear that we need to “find our purpose” in life. But so often, that’s easier said than done. What does it even mean to “have a purpose” and how on earth are we supposed to determine something simultaneously so vague and so weighty? How do we know if we’re right or if what we’ve latched on to even is a “purpose” at all?

Stephanie Frank has worked in computer technology, then as a business consultant, and finally as a dog trainer, but it was the poignant words of a friend’s widow that ultimately helped her define not just was purpose meant, but what her particular one was. She joined me today to discuss not only finding one’s purpose, but living without regret and learning to trust the universe.

https://colleenpelar.com/122

Not everybody leaves a successful culinary career to take up dog training almost on a whim. But my guest today, Susan Marett, did just that. Along the way, she’s learned a great deal about everything from self-acceptance to the care and keeping of parrots.

Join us today for a conversation about encountering oneself, the best cure for sadness, taking up your rightful space, and even a sidetrack into falconry. Plus she gave us not one, but two sets of words that inspire her. Talk about overdelivering!

https://colleenpelar.com/121

As anybody who has ever loved one knows, animals can help us be better people. Emotional regulation, compassion, and trust are all things that animals help us grow in, no matter our age or circumstances. In fact, it can even be its own form of therapy- literally. Today, licensed professional counselor and self-described “horse girl,” Kim Cardeccia joined me to talk about how she combines her love of horses with her practice of therapy to help people learn to bring their brightness to the world.

At first glance, there wouldn’t seem to be much in common between interior decorating and dog training. But, like so many things in life, scratch the surface and you find more similarities than you might think. My guest today, Kym Iffert, left the world of interior design to pursue a career in dog training, and found that the skills she used as a decorator gave her a valuable perspective on dogs. Join us as we discuss her journey from beautifying spaces to training dogs, the difficult decision that led her there, and finding joy and purpose even in hard and draining work.

https://colleenpelar.com/119

We talk a lot about the importance of “being yourself,” but what exactly does that mean? How are we supposed to do it? And how can we help other people do it as well? Although it may not be what we first think of, one of the most important things we need in order to be our authentic selves- and help others do the same- is safety. Only when we feel safe are we able to really explore ourselves, to be honest about our weaknesses, and lean in to our strengths.

Dog trainer (and aspiring therapist) Kristina Bryte came on the show today to talk about creating a space where not only people but animals can feel safe to be their true selves.

https://colleenpelar.com/118

The term “free spirit” is frequently used to describe all different kinds of people--hippies, artists, slightly crazy geniuses. Really, almost anyone who lives life a little off the beaten path. But what does that phrase actually mean? Just what, exactly, makes one a “free spirit?” And if you’re not one, can you become one? If so, how?

Today on the show, I talked to dog trainer Carol Sumbry about this very topic. Join us as we discuss her (rather circuitous) path into the world of animals, feeding your soul, and finding moments of gold in your everyday life.

https://colleenpelar.com/117