You Can Stop Looking Now… You Found Me!

by Dr. Carolyn Lincoln | Membership

If you ask me what I can do for you, I can tell you that I am a veterinarian, that I love competing in dog agility and that my passion is animal behavior, but even though that confirms I am a credible source, it isn’t enough. I want you to know that after 25 years of practice and many more living with cats and dogs, I understand the importance of your relationship and I can help you make the changes needed to get the behavior you want. I can help you develop a relationship that is full of love, companionship and joy and that is my reason for being.

Your Relationship

When your relationship with your dog is a problem, it can be surprising how much it affects your life. It can affect your home, relationships, health, finances, self-esteem and more. Your feelings can range from sheer frustration to confusion to despair. Those feelings make sense if you can’t invite your friends or even your family over because your house reeks of cat odor. No one wants that. It’s hard to love your dog when he barks and lunges at other dogs when you are out walking. It’s normal to wonder what the neighbors think. And it’s easy to feel angry when your kids ignore and can even hate your new puppy – the one they begged you for – because it “nips” (bites) them all the time. You can feel like a complete failure.

Are You Crazy?

And then, you wonder, how do you explain the love you still feel? “Why?”, you may ask. You may wish you didn’t because it would be so much easier to resolve the problem. Of course, an hour later, you are laughing at some silly thing they just did, enjoying a game outside or tearing up as you look at those big soft eyes that melt your heart. Not to mention that you made a “promise” of a “forever home”? A deep *sigh* and it’s easy to “think about the problem later” or decide you are overreacting.

These crazy feelings aren’t crazy; they are typical and you are not alone. These are not “just pets”. They are individuals with feelings and personalities that depend on you and become part of your family. You are their world and sometimes, they are yours.

So How Can I Help You?

At some point, though, the problems cannot be ignored, especially if safety is an issue. But most information available is very general or the step-by-step directions are too narrow and don’t fit your situation. The solutions also often lack a good explanation of the concepts which is needed to make good judgements on the steps you need to take.

On this website, I want to provide you with a deeper understanding of the concepts and more strategies for managing and solving your dog’s behavior problems. To achieve this, I will address a problem over a number of blog posts. In most cases, you will still need help from a professional but if you do see someone, you will be more prepared and make better use of your time and your investment. For some cases though, you will find the solution here so you can manage your dog’s problems and that’s my greatest hope.

Are you struggling with a behavior or training problem? Let me know in a comment below or through my contact page.