Enlightened By Dogs With Kathy Kawalec

Don’t you hate it when other people get involved with you and your dog’s way of life? Or worse, when disrespectful dog people don’t follow the rules and cause a dramatic event to happen with your dog? It’s so frustrating when things happen that are out of your control. But, the one thing that you can control when the unexpected happens are your thoughts. Your thoughts can bring you (and your dog) down if you aren’t careful, which is why I want to shine a light on this topic to help you reframe your thoughts about those disrespectful dog people. Listen in to hear how you can reframe your thoughts using the Thought Reframe Protocol, a six-step process that will help you take control of your thoughts and stay connected with your dog despite what might be going on around you. In this episode: Why you need to stop being so hard on yourself How negative thoughts can break your connection with your dog How to use the Thought Reframe Protocol to reframe your thoughts How to put the Thought Reframe Protocol into acti

Do you want to start banking trust with your dog? The more trust your dog has in you, the better prepared you will both be when confronted with an unexpected or traumatic event. If your dog has experienced a traumatic event or has PTSD from such an event, supporting and making your dog feel safe is so important. As dog moms (and human beings), we hate to see a dog in any pain or emotional distress. If we could protect all of the dogs in the world from such things, we would. Unfortunately, we can’t protect every dog, but we can be there for our own. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll learn how you can start banking trust with your dog and what you can do to help your best friend recover from traumatic experiences. I also share how learning how you should behave during and after an unfortunate incident could save your dog from a lot of stress, anxiety, and further trauma. In this episode: Why communication and connection are so important How to be the person that your dog finds trustworthy How to s

Are you an advocate for your puppy or young dog? When dogs are young, they are very impressionable. An unfortunate event or situation has the potential to impact the rest of their lives. Exposure to an aggressive dog can make a young puppy nervous around other dogs as they get older. A bad experience with a vehicle can make a dog fearful around traffic. The list goes on and on! As dog moms, it is up to us to protect our puppies and young dogs. As their advocate, we need to make sure that we don’t put them in a situation that could potentially harm them in any way. We have to be observant and willing to keep our dogs safe no matter what. I have always believed that one of the best ways that we can keep our puppies and young dogs safe is by being their advocate. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, I share how you can be an advocate for your puppy or young dog by keeping them safe and building trust. In this episode: Why puppies and young dogs are so impressionable The importance of being your puppy or dog’

Bettina's life was turned upside down when they decided to adopt Murphy, a deaf dog with OCD, after seeing his handsome face on a rescue website. It quickly became apparent that Murphy had a LOT more going on than a hearing impairment... In this episode: How Bettina adopted Murphy and gave him a loving home How Murphy’s behavior suddenly changed after a swim in the lake Murphy’s OCD diagnosis and his experience with a behavioral specialist How Murphy’s behavior impacted Bear and Mary Why Bettina decided to join BPA How the BPA helped to bring peace and harmony back into Bettina’s life How much Murphy has changed since joining BPA Quotes: “We were like prisoners in our own house”  “The beauty of the Partnership Lifestyle is that it's not just for our dogs, it's also for us” “The safe, calm, & happy protocol was a lifesaver… we haven't had any fights in two years” “You have to take it day by day and you have to really pay attention to where his needs are because it's different all the time.” Want More of

Stella's wild child Henna was a special puppy who endured serious illness, affecting her brain and their relationship. Henna's lunging and barking at everything embarrassed Stella, who became stressed about the effect this out of control dog was having on the family. Resonating with the BPA focus on heart, connection and understanding, Stella joined the BPA and soon began to really 'hear' Henna. She soon realized that it was fear and lack of trust that was the driver for the unruly behavior. The Brilliant Partners Academy became their guiding light. When speaking about her time as a member of BPA, Stella said, “after just six months of being in BPA, our lives were transformed.” Stella and Henna have come a long way in a short space of time, proving that it doesn’t take an eternity to create a loving partnership connection with our dogs. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll hear Stella and Henna’s story from ‘the dark days’ of Henna’s unruly behavior to nowadays, where she has become the light and jo

Ros adapted to life with her two beautiful but reactive Vizsla girls by avoiding encounters with other dogs and becoming hyper-vigilant. But this was not a sustainable way to live and Ros soon found herself filled with anxiety about the possibility that anything would suddenly appear. People, dogs, cyclists, joggers, wildlife all caused panic, and the treat training around triggers did little to calm Ros or her dogs. Taking a leap of faith in joining BPA, Ros went to work learning how to be a good role model, remain calm and to be present and connected with her dogs. Analyzing every choice through the Safe, Calm and Happy protocol became a way of life. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll hear the full story from Ros herself and discover how joining BPA helped calm Phoebe and Myrtle, two adorable but reactive Vizslas! In this episode: Get to know Phoebe and Myrtle and find out what triggers their reactive and fearful behavior How Ros dealt with her dogs’ behavior before joining BPA Why Ros decided

Can you imagine being a first-time dog mom with a reactive dog that just won’t listen to you? This is the situation that first-time dog mom, Paulina, found herself in after adopting a reactive dog named Badi. Paulina struggled to understand Badi and couldn’t figure out why he always barked at other dogs and things outside the window. This caused Paulina to judge herself and to compare her dog with others, creating more frustration for both of them. Now? Life has completely changed for them both. They understand each other on a much deeper level and Paulina has learned to listen to her dog. In this special episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll hear all about how this first-time dog mom learned to listen and love her reactive dog named Badi. You’ll also get a unique insight into the Brilliant Partners Academy from the perspective of a first-time dog mom. In this episode: An overview of the problems that Badi and Paulina faced before joining BPA How life has changed since joining BPA The life-changing protocol

Does your dog compulsively chase little animals (and leaves blowing in the wind)? Perhaps your dog is frightened of traffic and is a nightmare to walk down the street? Well, what if you heard a story about a dog mom (and member of my Brilliant Partners Academy) whose dog had both issues? That’s right, this stressed dog mom was struggling with a rescue dog named Charlie who became very reactive around trucks, cars, bikes and pretty much anything with wheels. He also had an insane compulsion to chase things that moved and as a result, completely turned the family upside down. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll hear the full story about this dog mom, Sue Mimm, and her beloved rescue dog, a Border Collie/Springer Spaniel cross named Charlie. You’ll also discover what tips and tactics helped Sue and Charlie turn their life around and become brilliant partners. This is the first of a series of case studies Kathy is sharing on the podcast about dog moms who have struggled with their dog’s behavior and ho

In its purest form, unconditional love is not contingent upon your dog’s behavior. Yes, you might get frustrated or even angry when your dog misbehaves, but you don’t stop loving them because of it. There’s a reason why Kathy refers to members of the Brilliant Partners Academy as ‘dog moms.’ It’s because you are, in a sense, your dog’s mom. When you love a dog, you love them like a mother. Their behavior does not influence that love. You love them no matter what they do. We love our dogs unconditionally, regardless of how they behave or how many shoes they chew up! In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll hear part 3 of the 3-part series Kathy has shared on walking through life in partnership with your dog. In this episode, Kathy digs deeper into the unconditional love that dog moms have for their dogs and what this really means. Listen in to develop a deeper understanding of what lies beneath your dog’s behavior, and how you can get back to loving and appreciating your dog! In this episode: Understand

Do you ever feel like your dog “forgets” their training as soon as you leave the house? Walking your dog around the house or garden is one thing. Transitioning those skills to places outside of those areas is an entirely different story and often, the perfect recipe for disaster. After weeks or even months of practicing walking in harmony with your dog, it can be really disappointing when everything you’ve been training for goes out the window the moment you go to the park or wander too far from home. So, why does this keep happening? Why, even with a lot of training and practice, do you still struggle to walk in partnership with your dog? You’ll discover the answer on this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, where Kathy continues to share key segments from a coaching session with members of the Brilliant Partners Academy for her 3-part mini series on how to walk in partnership with your dog. In this episode, Kathy dives into why training doesn’t work in real life, what causes the difficulty in translating those

Are you having a hard time walking your dog? Do you find yourself dreaming of an alternate universe where your dog walks by your side and doesn’t pull on the leash or lunge towards other people (and their dogs)? If you’re nodding yes, this is the episode of Enlightened By Dogs you’ve been waiting for. The truth is that walking your dog can be really challenging sometimes, which is why Kathy is doing a deep dive into the layers beneath all the difficulties that we have walking our dogs in partnership effectively in real life. In part one of this three-part mini-series, you’ll get a sneak peek into one of Kathy’s coaching sessions with members of the Brilliant Partnership Academy. In this episode, Kathy talks about how you can be prepared for the unexpected when you’re walking your dog. Hopefully, this helps you to learn how to walk with your dog as partners. In this episode: The most common mistake people make when walking their dogs Why you should rehearse partnership principles and not just ‘practice’ them

Do you want to leverage your best self and become the person you always wanted to be? Not only that, but become the person that your dog needs you to be? Kathy believes that you can work on yourself while simultaneously building your partnership with your dog. To help you achieve that level of brilliant partnership, Kathy is sharing a series of fun exercises to help you improve your partnership with your dog on this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast. These exercises are designed to help you get in touch with what your best self is, what those qualities are, and what your dog needs from you. Many members of the Brilliant Partners Academy have completed these exercises and seen incredible results. They became the best version of themselves, their perspective changed, and their dogs blossomed too! So, are you ready to improve your partnership with your dog? Let’s get into the exercises! In this episode: What you can learn from other dog people How to identify qualities you admire in other dog moms Why

How can you tell what your dog is feeling? And, how do know if your dog is truly happy? These are BIG questions. We all want to make sure that our dogs are happy and they’re enjoying their live to the fullest. Nobody wants their dog to feel sad, frightened, over-aroused, or distressed. But, understanding how your dog really feels takes time. It’s easy to misinterpret your dog’s emotions and feelings because they don’t show their feelings in the same way as humans. So, how can you know what your dog is really feeling? In this ‘behind-the-scenes’ episode of Enlightened By Dogs, you’ll get to hear a part of a coaching session from inside the Brilliant Partners Academy! Kathy explains why it’s so easy to misinterpret our dog’s feelings and she shares how to know what your dog is really feeling. In this episode: How stress impacts you and your dog How to tell if you and your dog need a ‘stress reset’ Hear some amazing case-study examples from BPA members How to know what your dog is feeling The problem with havin

Do you have a dog who just won’t listen to you? Maybe your dog barks in the yard, pulls on the leash, or lunges towards everything (and everyone) they see. The bottom line is that whenever you need your dog to do something, they don’t. It’s frustrating when your dog won’t listen to you but…have you considered why that might be? In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy talks about the importance of identifying which activities and experiences you share with your dog that could cause your dog to become over-aroused and/or reduce the trust and connection between you both. You’ll also discover what really matters when you’re trying to build a loving partnership lifestyle with your dog (Spoiler – what really matters is when you’re NOT training your dog!). In this episode: How dogs learn to engage with their family (or pack) members Why it’s so important to remember that your dog is a socially intelligent being How to be a good role model for your dog Why you might need to take time to reset your relationship

Is traditional training really the best solution for a misbehaving dog? Or, is it only making the problems you’re having with your dog worse? Many people assume that training is the answer to all of the problems they’re having with their dogs. However, traditional training can often place a wedge between you and your dog, dismantling your relationship and making original behavioral issues even worse. So, what should you do instead of traditional dog training? There is a huge myth surrounding dog training and many dog moms are making one very unfortunate mistake when it comes to training their dogs. Find out what that mistake is on this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, where Kathy uncloaks the #1 mistake in dog training and shares the ultimate solution to help you build a brilliant partnership lifestyle with your best friend. In this episode: The biggest myth in dog training The problem with traditional training Why partnership-based training is the future of dog training Pros and cons of positive-based traini

Do you believe that your dog is perfect? Does a ‘perfect dog’ even exist? It’s surprisingly easy to slip down the rabbit hole of thinking that your dog is less than perfect. One minute you could be telling everyone you meet about your perfect dog and the next minute, your dog is the reason you want to scream out loud at the top of your lungs. The problem is that focusing on everything you perceive as ‘wrong’ with your dog only gets in the way of your happiness, and it’s time to change that. On this special episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy reminds you that your dog IS perfect. Kathy helps you to start enjoying your perfect life with your perfect dog by reminding you why you have a dog in the first place, and how to accept your dog for who they are in this stage of your lives together. In this episode: Why you need to focus on the ‘main thing’ Why your perception of the ‘perfect dog’ is unrealistic Why you have a dog in your life and why this should be your ‘main thing’ Studies that show the benefits of h

Are you getting in the way of building the future of your dreams with your dog? When we welcome a dog into our lives, we usually dream of living in perfect harmony together with (preferably) no ‘unwanted behavior’ exhibited by our dogs. This pretty much sums up the common ‘vision’ that many dog moms have before they bring a dog into their lives. However, many dog moms soon realize that achieving their dream life with their dogs will take time, care, attention, love, and a lot of patience. Kathy has worked with countless dog moms over the years and during this time, she has discovered that many of them make the mistake of putting their focus on unimportant things. They became so focused on these things that they can’t see that they are already living a happy and fulfilling life with their dogs. So, in this special episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy challenges you to start focusing on the right things – things that will help you to create the dream life you’ve always wanted with your dog. She also shares som

How do socially intelligent animals use emotion? And, what are the steps you need to take to achieve emotional balance? Dogs are socially intelligent animals. We know this to be true because we share our lives with our dogs. They’ve seen us at our best, and they’ve been there for us during our worst. It’s clear that, like us, dogs are socially intelligent beings, which is just one of the reasons why we love them so much! But, is there a way that we can help develop the emotional intelligence of ourselves and our dogs? Kathy explores this and more on this episode of Enlightened By Dogs. She talks about how you can improve your own emotional intelligence, become the strong, loving, and enlightened leader that you dog needs, and so much more! In this episode: How socially intelligent animals use emotion What emotional intelligence is The five skills of emotional intelligence and how to improve them Four steps to emotional balance Understanding that emotions are messengers Quotes: “If we want to earn respect an

What should you do when your dog won’t listen to a word you say? It can be really frustrating when your dog seems to have developed selective hearing, but (believe it or not) your dog isn’t ignoring you on purpose! That’s one of the great things about dogs. They aren’t spiteful or vengeful beings. They don’t go out of their way to ignore you. So, what should you do when your dog won’t listen? On this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy reveals how you can develop a closer bond with your dog and reveals what you need to do to change your story from ‘my dog won't listen’ to my dog loves to listen! In this episode: The real reason why your dog won’t listen to you Why you need to reframe your thinking to help develop a deeper understanding about your dog Why you need to learn to listen to your dog The importance of making sure your dog’s needs are met How to be a better role model for your dog Why you need to pay attention to how you interact with your dog How to develop a deeper bond with your dog so that the

Walking your dog is meant to be an enjoyable experience for both of you. You should walk side by side, facing the same direction, with the same destination in mind. Of course, this is easier said than done. For many dog moms, walking their dogs can be a stressful and frustrating experience, rather than a fantastic bonding opportunity. But, what if walking with your dog was easy? What if you didn’t have to dread every walk you took together? It sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, that’s exactly what Kathy teaches you in this episode of Enlightened By Dogs. Don’t worry, there are no anti-pull contraptions or strict training measures required - all you need is an open mind and a willingness to learn! In this episode: How we can learn from our dogs and become better people as a result Why you should ‘think like a mother’ when walking with your dog What it means to be a dog mom How to embrace the ‘mother thinking mindset’ and connect with your dog How to make walking with your dog easy Quotes: “All socia