Phyllis Smuland on Being a Good Leader to Your Canine Companions
Phyllis Smuland, long-time dog trainer for Doro and Tricia, joins Health Gig to discuss her path to becoming a dog trainer and how she began Canine Counselor Inc. Phyllis speaks on the importance of choosing the right canine companion, and how dogs look to their humans for leadership, safety and calm. Join us as we touch on the basics of guiding our dogs to good behavior.
More on Phyllis Smuland:
Website: caninecounselorinc.com
Email: caninecounselorinc@gmail.com
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Quotes:
If you want your dog to be calm, then you have to be calm. They're going to follow us, but not if we're frustrated, stressed, or embarrassed about their behavior. Phyllis Smuland
Being a good leader does not mean punishment and discipline. It means we guide the dog into good behavior. Phyllis Smuland
The most important thing is teaching humans to be good leaders for their dogs. Phyllis Smuland
Show Notes:
Phyllis Smuland: I actually started when I was really young. I used to go about the neighborhood and take all the neighborhood dogs out and sometimes packs the dogs and teach them all kinds of tricks and fun things.
Phyllis Smuland: I think we're all born with just some gifts and it's a matter of finding it.
Phyllis Smuland: I started training dogs professionally before I graduated from high school.
Phyllis Smuland: Having dogs [come] here in my home with my stable pack of dogs. I will bring a dog right in and they will tell me right away what that dog is made of. Is it afraid? Is it trying to take over?
Phyllis Smuland: Humans encourage excitement and try to wear the dog out and they end up energizing behaviors. And the dogs, they stop that right away because really what they're looking for is a calm coexistence.
Phyllis Smuland: Being a good leader does not mean punishment and discipline. It just means that we guide the dog into good behavior.
Phyllis Smuland: Wanting to go on a walk. If we're calm before we leave, the dog will be calmer on the walk and will be more likely to follow us.
Phyllis Smuland: A lot of times dogs are barking and reactive because we're tense.
Phyllis Smuland: We are embarrassed that our dog might bark at the neighbor. So we tense up and we kind of pull away at the dog and try to… And sometimes worse, we're verbal. So if we're yelling, we're kind of yelling right with the dog.
Phyllis Smuland: If we pick a dog that is insecure or tiny, we may nurture insecurity in the dog. And then we don't have a lap dog, so we have a fearful dog. And then it becomes possessive of us. And then they become aggressive and reactive.
Phyllis Smuland: We have the saying, ‘All fours on the floor all the time’. Any time those feet are not on the floor, the dog is not necessarily in a happy state.
Phyllis Smuland: The most important thing is teaching humans to be good leaders for their dogs.
Phyllis Smuland: Helping people choose the right temperament for their family, and that's critical.
Phyllis Smuland: We have a big issue right now with especially after the pandemic, with puppy mills. And we just go online now and we just pick a cute, fluffy dog on a picture.
Phyllis Smuland: We used to go visit breeders or go to a shelter or go to a rescue.
Phyllis Smuland: People get dogs that are not a match and then they expect that training and obedience school is going to fix that. And we can't fix temperament.
Phyllis Smuland: In the beginning it starts out with meeting with the family and meeting with their dog and answering a lot of questions.
Phyllis Smuland: I keep them for no less than a month. It takes 30 days for the neural pathways to change in the brain. So if we keep dogs for less than that period of time, they may just be starting to find balance.
Phyllis Smuland: My pack of dogs. When dogs come in, they help the dog get comfortable and balanced. And I'm part of that path, too.
Phyllis Smuland: It's all about helping those dogs feel comfortable, feel safe. Safety is huge.
Phyllis Smuland: I start working with my clients and I'm helping them first understand the dog from the dog's point of view. And then I start coaching them to be good leaders.
Phyllis Smuland: If you have an hour to walk your dog, but it takes 20 minutes to get everything calm before you go then take that time to do that.
Phyllis Smuland: If you have multiple dogs in the house, the one that's the calmest and the most relaxed is the one that is the leader, so to speak, or the alpha dog.
Phyllis Smuland: Silence is everything with dogs, because dogs are usually only vocal when things are negative.
Phyllis Smuland: Dogs most of the time are quiet. They're not vocal unless they're scared, frustrated, or territorial. And so and then when they react, if the humans starts to talk, the dog is going, Oh, you're barking with me. Okay, great. Let's do this together.
Keywords:
TriciaReillyKoch, DoroBushKoch, HealthGig, Longevity, Wellness, PhysicalHealth, MentalHealth, Health, HealthCare, Dog, DogTraining, CanineCounselor, Puppy, Canine