Welcome to Bark & Wag 15 Minute Vet Talk – I am your host Polly ReQua Today we are talking to Kersti Nieto, trainer at Dog Training Camp USA in Raleigh, NC on what to do when you become frustrated with your dog and dog training. Things are not going as plan  - what do you do?   COUNT TO TEN In these moments it’s critical that I don’t let my temper get the best of me, because my dog is going to associate that anger and negative energy with being introduced to stranger dogs. The solution? Rather than fume, I count as I remove my dog and I from the situation. I count to ten. TAKE DEEP BREATHS While we’re counting and moving ourselves into a safer place, I’m also taking deep breaths. A natural response to stress is to tense up, but if you want your dog to return to being relaxed, you’ve got to return to that relaxed state too! Breath deeply as you count, until you don’t feel like a rubber band that’s ready to snap. Sometimes I also take a moment to stretch or sit down. SHIFT YOUR FOCUS Letting go of those prior incidents or frustrations is just as important as physically relaxing. Choose not to stew on whatever failures have come your way, and instead find a new, positive focus. Think about how nice the weather is, or queue up a fun song on your phone to listen to, it’s up to you. Usually your dog has already bounced back to their happy selves after their trigger has been removed, so take a page out of their playbook and return to the now. LEARN YOUR OWN TRIGGERS You may not think it’s true, but you have triggers just like a reactive dog. I get very tense when I see a loose dog, even when I am in control of the situation, or we’re separated by a fence. It’s something that takes me right back to when Topher and I were attacked, so I have to work hard not to let the sight of a loose dog send me straight into “flight” mode. Talk to your trainer about your own triggers, and how to work through those scenarios. Having a specific set of cues for you to follow reduces your own triggered reaction, in addition to helping you train your dog. IDENTIFY WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL When out and about with a reactive dog, it can be easy to get angry at those things we have little control over. We can’t control who else is going to head to the park today, or how their dogs are feeling. We can’t control the volume of the trucks that may go by, or the squirrels that may dart in front of us. Yet, it’s easy to get bent out of shape by these occurrences because of the impact they have on us, but in the end, it's not worth it.   Instead of letting a lack of control over your environment work you up, try to prepare the actions you’ll take when these uncontrolled events occur: whether you’ll try passing another dog while walking, or how you might redirect your dog away from chasing a squirrel. When you take time to think about how you’ll react and train while you’re out and about, you’ll always be setting yourself up for a greater level of success. DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP It’s often said that most dog training problems arise with the owner, not necessarily the dog. However, that doesn’t mean beating yourself up for every error or misstep. Be gentle with yourself; after all, you're learning new things too. It takes time. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE This is a really great exercise for any of life’s little frustrations. When that latest outburst on a walk or a round of window barking is threatening to derail your good day, step back and think: will you remember this episode in a day? What about in a week, a month, or a year? In the grand scheme of things, the frustrations that are trying to ruin your day will be some of the easiest things to forget over time. Don’t waste any energy keeping those frustrated feelings around: let them roll off your back, like water off a duck. TALK ABOUT IT What happens when you keep all that frustration locked in your own head? Usually: you stew about those issues until you finally snap. If possible, talk to a professional trainer about