A few years ago I decided to try and help some of my long distance students by posting things on-line. It started with a YouTube site, then this blog, then the Newsletter, Facebook, then came the on-line classes . . . you get the picture. I makes me proud when I get the reports how my journey has effected yours:).

The positive feedback I get from so many of you fuels my fire, the passion I have to see dogs all over the world  live the best lives possible . Of course all of that starts with their owners. But, and you knew there would a BUT, and from where I am sitting today my butt has been growing dramatically over these past few years. I am back at a place I swore I would never get to again, but 15-18 hours a day sitting at the computer has got me here. I am not in the kind of physical shape I want to be and I need to be, to be the best for my agility dogs and my self!

However, I have taken back control, gotten organized and am finding a way to do it all:). A way to get back into great shape and continue to help everyone I want to on-line. It started in June when I hired a consultant who is helping me to better organize my time. Next, I started working out “when I could” which grew into hiring a personal trainer to work with me four times a week.  The next big step was hiring my first full time employee who started this week. Before long I think I will be back to my “fighting” weight while still being able to support everyone here on line.

My diet was never too terrible, I eat very healthy but I have a bad “over indulgence combo” that is crippling. My weakness for sweets which when combined with my extended obsessive time at the computer, is a bad combo, very, very bad combo. So here is the thing that I know very well. If you want to be healthy, it really doesn’t matter how many of the “good” things you do for yourself it is the “not so good things” that sabotage our dreams.

You can buy organic, eat 6 small meals a day, and cut out all white sugar and flour from your diet you want. But if you drink a six-pack of beer a night and smoke 2 packs of cigarrettes a day you are just not ever going to be a “healthy” person!

It isn’t all the good that we are doing that is the key to change, it is eliminating all of the not so good things that count the most. For me it is putting a limit to the time I spend on the computer (I bought a $10 timer and I put a limit of two hours at a time to sit here) and of course controlling my sweet intake. My goal is no more than 5 hours a day at the keyboard a day . . . it won’t happen this month, but I will get there!  And it is keeping my sweet intake isolated to my one “cheat meal” per week.

If I can do that, along with my regular workouts that I have gotten back to (still lovin’ my cellercizer but it is back to the gym 5 days a week for me:)), I anticipate things will fall into place for me.

Deserts like this amazing one I enjoyed in Italy are now relegated to my one “cheat meal” per week.

 

So what does all of this have to do with dog training? Every day I read comments here and on Puppy Peaks about all of the good things you are doing in your training. “Yes Susan, I do practice 10 recalls a day in my back yard but my dog still won’t recall off of other dogs” or “I am consistent with my handling at every trial I go to, but I still never get a clean run!” You have to consider what is your “over indulgence combo”  or “trio” or “quartet” . . . you get my drift! What are you also doing that is sabotaging your dog training goals? It doesn’t matter how many recalls in your back yard you do if your dog plays keep away with his favorite toy twice a training session or hops the fence and has you chasing him around the neighbourhood on a regular basis.

As for your handling, how often are you breaking things down and rehearsing the skills that leads to the clean runs? Or maybe it is the opposite issue. Maybe your are ONLY practicing the shorter skills sets are are not running full courses often enough to develop the teamwork with your dog (if you need some ideas about either you MUST check out our CKC fundraiser E book I wrote about in my last blog post).

Why not take an inventory right now. Take stock of what you need to isolate and eliminate from your dog training or handling in order to accomplish your goals. And if you want to tackle your health issues at the same time, I welcome company on my journey back to being the fit person I once was and so desperately want to be again!

Today I am grateful for Melissa, our first full time Say Yes Dog Training employee, I am sure many of you will make her cyber acquaintance over the next little while.

Okay thats it, I am pushing away from the computer right now:). Those of you that have bought and looked at the new ebook combo I would LOVE to get your feedback. What did you like best, have you tried anything yet? How did it read, how do you like the format? Please share!