What if “bad behaviours” are actually your dog communicating they don’t feel safe?

If you have experienced challenges with your dog’s behaviour, and traditional operant approaches haven’t really helped, then this conversation is for you! It’s also for you if you’re interested in understanding your dog’s behaviour from a more emotional and trauma-informed perspective. AND, it’s also for you if you want to learn how to be a better advocate for your dog. 

I mean, basically, anyone who likes dogs, works with dogs, or lives with dogs needs to listen to what Laura has to say, because when more people are able to have compassion for dogs’ trauma and their own traumas, I am convinced the world will become a more loving place.

Dr Laura Donaldson is a former university professor-turned certified dog trainer, certified dog behaviour consultant, and Karen Pryor certified training partner whose work really focuses on, in my opinion, creating a paradigm shift around how we frame and approach “undesirable” behaviours in our dogs like reactivity and aggression. Laura has dedicated herself to improving the wellbeing of dogs by getting rid of the notion of the “well-behaved” dog, and instead, focusing on how to support dogs in experiencing deep safety, and emotional resilience, so that they can navigate anything they encounter in the world.

In this conversation, Laura and I talk about how asking our dogs the question “what do i need to learn from you to help you feel safe in this context?” can be truly be life-changing for your dog, and for you. We talk about how understanding the impact of trauma on our dogs, and the links between trauma and aggression, can help us to understand and have compassion for our own traumas. We also discuss some techniques that you can use with your own dog to help them release and ground the charge they feel in their bodies from trauma, including Laura’s grounding work, and other processes like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and energy work.

Laura is launching a new training this January called Transforming Puppies, which she talks a bit about in this conversation you’re about to hear. You can find out more about this training, and all of Laura’s other trainings on her course platform, which you can find below.

For more information about Dr Laura Donaldson and her work, visit her website:

https://fourpawsfourdirections.com/

You can find out more and register for her webinars on her course platform:

https://laura-s-school-1f3f.thinkific.com/collections

This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! If you are looking for a safe space to explore shadow work and your own traumas, our moon magic and shadow work journals and workbooks might be a useful support for you. You can take a peek at them on our Aspirationery instagram account.

TIMESTAMPS

00:22 Intro

05:50 Prioritizing your dog’s emotional needs through grounding

08:15 The body keeps the score - trauma is stored in the body

11:15 Understanding and redefining “bad” behaviors

19:20 The link between trauma and aggressive behavior in dogs

21:05 Redefining reactivity in dogs: why this label doesn’t work

31:00  Building emotional resilience in your dog

33:35 How Laura embarked on this journey

38:38 Why trying to stop the behavior is not a helpful approach

45:25 Practical tips you can do to help your dog with trauma, including EFT and the Triple Heater meridian

50:44 Teaching your dog non-violent social processing as a strategy 

56:33 A client example: a dog in Manhattan who was too scared to go outside

1:03:24 Transforming puppies and puppy class: Changing the expectation of dogs being seen and not heard

1:12:05 How Laura’s experiences with dogs have helped her address her own trauma

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.