Can This Relationship Be Saved? A new lens for assessing & repairing dog/human relationships

Some dog and human relationships hum along comfortably in harmony. Others go sideways in quiet ways, or perhaps much more dramatically. And more than a few were never fully on the tracks to begin with.

What makes a dog/human relationship with a dog work – or not work?

Most importantly, how do you figure out what’s really going on, and how to help improve or repair the relationship?

When a dog/human relationship is struggling, we tend to reach for Training with a capital T. There is a tendency to believe that the right amount of chicken and cheese or enough practice of some behaviors will fix whatever is wrong. Sometimes missing skills really are the whole story. But far more often the issue is more complicated, involving perspectives, needs, choices, safety, expectations and limitations.

Creating healthier relationships requires a new way to assess and understand this dynamic intersection of dog and human. Although training advice is often full of shoulds and nevers, there is no universally right way for a dog and person to be together. Instead, our goal needs to be finding what genuinely fits this particular pair, and identifying where the rub may be that causes friction.

Healthy relationships share key aspects, just as troubled relationships have signals that something needs adjusting. And the solution(s) depend on our ability to see the big picture.

What you’ll come away with

• A clear-eyed framework for assess a dog and human relationship
• How to use the Magic Microphone on both ends of the leash
• How to tell whether a dog is on comfortable ground or quietly struggling, and why a poor fit can run in two directions
• How and when to use the four repair options of Management, Mitigation, Training, and Accommodation

Who this is for

Whether you’re raising a puppy, welcoming a new adoptee or foster, weathering adolescence, building a performance partnership, or living with a worried or reactive dog, the same questions apply. Is this a good fit? If not, why not? And how do we help?

If you are wrestling with reactivity, anxiety, disconnect, disappointment that a dog isn’t the dog you pictured, or the worn-out sense that you have tried everything, this webinar will help you see clearly and decide what comes next.

Suzanne’s compassionate approach to both ends of the leash will help anyone discover new perspectives for assessing and understand the complexities of the dog/human relationship.

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