I am a professional dog trainer. For years, people called me “Lynne the dog trainer,” treating “the dog trainer” as my last name. Then one day, I became a mommy. I was now “Lynne the mommy of a newborn.” It was such a change in my identity that I hardly knew how to handle it. It changed my entire view of the world. All of you moms know exactly what I’m talking about. The way we perceive things, do things, handle situations–all of it changes when they stick that cute little bundle into our arms. One change I had not expected was how my recommendations to my dog clients would change.
The first client I worked with after my first baby was also a new mom. She had a young golden retriever. It was a basic training client, nothing too advanced, but golden retriever puppies do what golden retriever puppies do. He jumped, pulled on the leash, chewed everything, and knocked everyone around with his tail. Out of habit, I explained to her that she needed to spend 30 minutes a day working on training the dog. She looked at me in that new mom panic…the look that said she hasn’t slept in days, she is way busier than she thought she would be, and the dog was just not the priority…and I realized I understood her. I knew there was no way she was
going to take time away from her sleep or nap times to spend 30 minutes straight to work with the puppy. I knew it, because I was living it.
I laughed right after it slipped out of my mouth and we altered our program. We found ways to incorporate the training into her routine, and we devised shortcuts to help her control the dog faster. Please know, there is no magic wand to allow us to entirely skip working with the dog if we want a well behaved companion. But there are some tips and tricks.
And that is what led me to start this blog. Four kids later, I recognize moms just have a different set of needs. I find myself needing to teach the dog to ignore the moving peanut butter and jelly sandwich at nose level (guess how we learned Twas a necessary skill!). “Heel” no longer looks the same when you throw in a stroller. Chewing on those smelly diapers is unacceptable, as is destroying a toddlers favorite stuffed animal. You know, the one, irreplaceable toy they can’t sleep without? We don’t just have normal visitors over, we tend to have a bunch of kids around. Things we expect from our pets change when kids enter the picture.
So there it is, the gist of this blog. I am a dog trainer, but first I am a mommy. I understand how hard life as a mom
can be, and what a dog adds to that picture, and, well, moms just need to stick together.
If you’re a mom, what sorts of issues do you have with the family dog? Tell me about it, and if you give me specifics, I may even write a post about it!
The Dog Training Mommy Helping moms help pets! 