Mystic Dog Mama Dr Alexia Mellor

How can you create emotional sustainability in your life with your dog?

This week’s episode is completely focused on YOU as the dog parent. ESPECIALLY if you’re the parent of a reactive or challenging pup like Lucky. 

My guest today is Jess Adam of Handlers and Humans! Handlers and Humans is all about bringing mental health to the dog world, and Jess is the perfect person to do this! As a licensed psychotherapist, she is also the dog mama to a beautiful 10 yr-old lab-pit mix named Dio, who has experienced his fair share of challenges with anxiety and reactivity, as well as being a lovable, silly, perfect boy. Through Handlers and Humans, Jess brings her skills and experience from the mental health and coaching worlds, to help other dog parents navigate the highs, lows, and various challenges that come with having a dog who struggles a bit with some aspects of the world. She also helps dog trainers know how to better support their human clients.

This is such an important conversation to have. When we have a reactive dog, or a dog with other complex feelings and behaviours, it can be tempting to keep the focus on our dog’s behaviours, their needs, and keeping them under threshold, but I know firsthand, as I’m sure many of you do, too, when we have reactive encounters when we are out with our dogs, we, too, experience the fear, shame, embarrassment, and even trauma associated with those encounters. And this can send us over OUR threshold. Speaking for myself, I know that my nervous system can become just as dysregulated as Lucky’s due to an off-lead dog running up to him, or just because I have to be constantly vigilant, looking out for potential triggers that we need to avoid. It’s exhausting, and it can feel really isolating, so I’m thrilled that Jess is having this conversation today to highlight the need to care for our own mental health, and recognise our own thresholds. She also shares some really great tips for how to do just that.

Jess and I cover a lot of ground: from allowing ourselves to feel the grief that comes when our expectations of having a dog don’t match our experience, to acknowledging the emotional impact of having a reactive dog on us, and finally, to getting to the point where we can see the gifts that lie within life with a complex dog.

I know you are going to get so much out of this episode, and it’s my hope that you leave this feeling seen, as well as having some practical things that you can do today to support yourself on your journey with your dog.

And Don’t forget, I’m holding a giveaway to win a free animal communication session! If you’d like to be considered for the opportunity to win this free animal communication session with me for your pet, all you have to do is rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, take a screenshot of your review, and send it to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama. I’ll draw one lucky name and announce the winner in our special 6-month anniversary episode that airs Saturday, June 8th 2024. To be considered for this, please make sure to send me your screenshot no later than Friday, May 24th, 2024.

https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama



https://www.handlersandhumans.com/

https://www.instagram.com/handlersandhumans



DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

TIME STAMPS:

00:22 INTRO

05:37 MEETING JESS ADAM OF HANDLERS AND HUMANS & HER REACTIVE DOG, DIO

14:00 YOU DIDN’T CAUSE YOUR DOG’S REACTIVITY

21:00 WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE OVER THRESHOLD - USEFUL APPROACHES AND TOOLS

38:25 NOBODY NEEDS FIXING, INCLUDING YOUR REACTIVE DOG

43:30 GRIEVING THE LIFE YOU ENVISIONED WITH YOUR DOG

50:00 GUIDING AND STEWARDING OUR DOGS TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE WELL WITH US

1:01:00 WHAT DIO HAS TAUGHT JESS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN

1:06:00 OUTRO + MY 3 TAKEAWAYS

"This is how we stitch the world together."

I hope you’ve got a cup of tea with you, because you’re going to want to settle in for this BEAUTIFUL conversation.

Have you ever experienced a deep longing to connect more deeply to your dog, to the natural world, to the cosmos? Well, you are going to LOVE this episode.

My guest today is Dr Saskia von Diest. Saskia earned a PhD in plant pathology, and has a background in postdoctoral research on how intuitive interspecies communication is used in agriculture. Since then, Saskia has pursued her passion for supporting others in having their experience of communicating with non-human Nature, and develop that both for their own benefit, and for the collective benefit. She has been communicating with various forms of Nature for 11 years, and with 15 years’ experience in teaching and facilitating in various countries, Saskia loves creating opportunities for individuals and groups to connect and communicate with Nature’s healing power and practical wisdom. She’s also trained in Family Constellations and in the Way of the Warrior Healer. Saskia founded Ecofluency in 2021, to consult, teach, and facilitate Nature communication experiences, for individuals, groups and organisations, and to promote other voices in this field.

In this conversation today, Saskia and I talk about how Ecofluency developed, and we do a deep dive into what it means to connect and communicate with all of life, all of consciousness, and why this is so needed in today’s world.

Spoiler alert: Not only can YOU communicate directly with nature, but you are ALREADY doing it!! 

Saskia shares her own story of how entering into Nature communication helped her heal a deep sense of loneliness. She also talks about a communication session where a client’s dog who was crossing the rainbow bridge helped to reframe and shed more light on the spiritual roles that humans and dogs are playing for one another. Saskia also shares a surprising message from the land to a client who wanted to protect it. And she provides us with some really easy tips for starting your own nature communication journey today with your own dog. 

This is one of those conversations that will remind you of just how important your personal thread is to this whole tapestry of life, and leave you changed.

If you would like to work with Saskia, starting May 6th 2024, she is running a 6-week online course that is designed for all experience levels. For more information, visit Saskia’s website, https://ecofluency.org, where you can find out more about her offerings, including this course and a Summer Solstice workshop she will be holding in the UK.

If you’d like to enter to be considered for the opportunity to win a free animal communication session with me for your pet, all you have to do is rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, take a screenshot of your review, and send it to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama. I’ll draw one lucky name and announce the winner in our special 6-month anniversary episode that airs Saturday, June 8th 2024. To be considered for this, please make sure to send me your screenshot no later than Friday, May 24th.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

TIME STAMPS:

00:22 INTRO

06:50 Meet Dr Saskia von Diest of Ecofluency: from PhD in agriculture to Nature communication

24:00 What is Ecofluency? Finding our way back home

31:31 Communicating with electrons and comets - it’s all possible!

43:11 Show yourself love and compassion to heal the Earth 

50:40 How Nature communication and having a dog are catalysts to spiritual awakening

54:25 A beautiful lesson from a dog crossing the rainbow bridge

1:00:00 Easy tips to start exploring Nature communication today + Saskia’s upcoming courses

1:11:00 What Nature has taught Saskia about what it means to be human

1:12:15 OUTRO + Details on animal communication giveaway!

Today we are talking all things predation. What is that, you might ask?? Well, predation is a natural sequence of behaviours that your dog loves to do, and some of it, you might not be so thrilled about. It includes things like sniffing and stalking, as well as behaviours like chasing and eating things they find on the walk. In fact, most of your dog’s favourite hobbies are actually linked to predatory behaviour. I mean, did you see that reel I shared of Lucky hunting for socks?? Straight out of a wildlife documentary film! My guest today is Simone Mueller, a certified dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant from Germany who specialises in force-free anti-predation training, and she joins me to share some really easy ways you can turn your dog’s natural predilections for predation into training gold! Her training, workshops, and books, all focus on Predation Substitute Training, which involves creating fun activities that serve as safe alternatives for your dog to express their need and desires to engage in predation.

So, if your dog is reactive, tends to chase things like squirrels while you’re screaming at her to come back, or scavenges everything he finds on the ground, you’ll learn some helpful tips and tricks you can apply today. From creating games that match your dog’s passions, to talking to your dog as a practice, Simone answers listener questions, and shares some really practical ways you can help your dog be more dog in a safe and fun way.

Simone Mueller, MA is a certified dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant (ATN) from Germany who specialises in force-free anti-predation training and is the author of the three books of the Predation Substitute Training series and is proud to be an Associate Trainer at the Scotland-based Lothlorien Dog Training Club (AT-LDTC) and a member of The Initiative of Force-Free Dog Training, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe (PDTE).

Follow Simone’s work on Facebook and Instagram: #predationsubstitutetraining

Learn more: http://www.predation-substitute-training.com

To purchase Simone’s books, please consider using the following affiliate links. When you use these links, the podcast may receive a commission at no extra cost to you, and this helps to keep the podcast running.

“Hunting Together: Harnessing Predatory Chasing in Family Dogs through Motivation-Based Training (Predation Substitute Training)”

Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3VlDyoi

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3TCZeei

This episode was sponsored by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery.



TIME STAMPS

00:22 INTRO

04:05 Introducing Simone Mueller and her dog, Malinka, who led her to dog training

06:58 What is predation, and what is predation substitute training?

14:00 The hormonal cycle that is part of predation

18:00 Markers of predatory behavior in your dog

20:15 Introducing predatory substitute training activities to your dog

30:40 Domestic dogs are more determined than wild canines

33:45 Simone answers listener questions

57:30 What dogs have taught Simone about being human

59:20 OUTRO



DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

Thank you for joining me for this special episode of the Mystic Dog Mama Spotlight Series. These are episodes where I invite incredible mystic dog mamas to come on the podcast and talk about their stories, and how their dogs, or in today’s case, dogs and horses, have had an impact on their lives. It’s an opportunity to explore the variety of ways animals are impacting us, and it’s one of my favourite parts of the podcast.

Today’s guest is Rhiannon Anderson. Rhi shares her experiences of living with Muscular Dystrophy, and how equine therapy and a connection with horses, -in particular a beautiful Clydesdale mix named Larry - have helped her to navigate a world that isn’t built for disabled people. She talks about the ways Larry has helped her experience profound emotional and healing breakthroughs, and given her the confidence to step more fully into an expanded version of herself. Rhi also talks about her beautiful border collie, Millie, who acted as both a physical and emotional support, and even learned some useful tricks like pulling off Rhi’s socks, even if she did get carried away with it!

Rhi also shares how she developed her blog, Living Abled, as a way to deal with the fears and stresses during Covid, and how this personal project ended up catalysing a whole community, and led her to starting her own life coaching business to help support other people in their struggles.

At just 24 years of age, Rhi is an incredible young woman who is such an inspiration! I know you’re going to love hearing her story, and I hope you are just as inspired as I am by her!

And, just before we get started, a quick reminder that this episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery.

If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured in an upcoming Spotlight Series episode, please reach out to me in Instagram @mysticdogmama!

Find out more about Rhi’s coaching services at: https://livingabled.com.au

Connect with Rhi on Instagram https://instagram.com/living_abled

TIME STAMPS

00:22  Intro

03:16  Introducing Rhiannon Anderson of Living Abled

06:00  The roles that dogs and horses have played in Rhi’s life living with Muscular Dystrophy

08:47  Talking about Rhi’s perspectives on the conversations around ableism and disability

10:55 Horses offering the opportunity to do the inner work, without judgment

13:30 What does equine-assisted therapy look like for Rhi?

19:50 How equine-assisted therapy helped Rhi process grief

26:30 Rhi shares her own breakthrough experiences with Larry the Clydesdale

37:50 Rhi’s Living Abled blog as an outlet that then catalyzed a community

42:00 From law to life coaching

47:00 How to work with Rhi

51:20 We are the ones writing and telling our stories

54:00 Rhi’s takeaways

56:30 What have horses and dogs have taught Rhi about being human

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.

Yep! Your dog has a purpose, too! Today is a really juicy episode, and if you love to have those big-picture conversations, as well as get into some practical suggestions of how you can create change for you and your dog today, then you’re going to love this chat I had with dog trainer, dog behaviorist, and ethologist, Kim Brophey! 

You may know Kim from her TedX talk on why framing our dogs as “pets” has been to their detriment, or maybe you have come across her applied ethology-based L.E.G.S course, which involves taking a step beyond training to also look at a dog’s behaviour in relation to its environment, its genetics, and its individual self. Kim aims to build bridges and invite others to contribute to a new conversation about dogs- one that challenges us to redefine how we perceive, talk about, and treat our canine companions as a society.

Whether you’re familiar with her work or not, I know you’re going to get so many nuggets out of this conversation, so definitely message me on Instagram @mysticdogmama with your “aha” moments! I’d love to hear them!

Kim and I go deep into how behaviour issues don’t exist in the wild, and how our dogs’ behaviours are telling us about how we may or may not be meeting their needs, and what we can do about that. We also talk about how our dogs are the new “canary in the coal mine,” showing us where we are going wrong - not only in relation to our dogs’ health and wellbeing, but to our own, and the planet’s, and how shifting our perspective from a focus on training our dogs for obedience, instead to creating a state of welfare for them, can have life-changing results -again, for our dogs, but also for ourselves.

THIS is the conversation we need to be having alongside doing all the things to help our dogs better live in and cope with the world we have put them in. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Kim mentions some resources in this chat, and I’ve left links for you in the show notes, along with how you can connect with Kim and her work.

Just a quick note that this episode was sponsored by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery.

To find out more about Kim and her work, visit: https://familydogmediation.com or follow her on social media @familydogmediation

And to purchase a copy of Kim’s book, “Meet Your Dog,” please consider using the following affiliate links. When you do, I may receive a commission, which helps keep the podcast running.

Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3wReDyN

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3v7OA67

The article that Kim mentioned: 

Montgomery, J. Evolutionary Mismatch, Emotional Homeostasis, and “Emotional Addiction”: A Unifying Model of Psychological Dysfunction. Evolutionary Psychological Science 4, 428–442 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-018-0153-9



TIME STAMPS

00:22 INTRO

03:50 How the idea of “pet” has affected how we understand who our dogs are

10:30 Dogs as our canary in the coal mine

14:00 The need to look upstream when we identify a problem

21:50 Behavior problems don’t happen in nature, so why do our dogs have them?

29:30 What are your dog’s L.E.G.S. and how do they affect your dog’s behavior?

41:45 Applying L.E.G.S. to your own dog - and yourself!

50:04 Even positive reinforcement is coercive

56:15 Resisting the temptation to blame ourselves, or our dogs - it’s not you, it’s the system

1:01:00 The more separated we feel from nature, the more we need our dogs

1:03:00 What does the future look like for dogs?

1:08:00 What dogs have taught Kim about what it means to be human

1:10:00 OUTRO

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant profession

We all know we should exercise, but we don’t all know how we need to move

Well, whatever it is you’re doing while listening to the podcast, (apart from driving!) I know today’s guest, Wendy Welpton, is going to inspire you to think about how you can incorporate new ways of moving while you’re doing it. Wendy founded Reclaim Movement after a running injury at age 40 turned into 4 years of chronic pain. In her search for answers and to reclaim her own movement again she discovered natural movement. Natural movement, if you aren’t familiar with it, is the philosophy of training real life practical movements to be able to keep using them as we age. It also involves strengthening and mobilising whole-body movement patterns that are underused in today’s modern world. When Wendy started using natural movement in how own life, it made her realise she had found a way to move for life. Wendy’s aim is to help you embrace a movement-rich life, at any age, to improve mobility, strength and confidence to keep moving well and doing the things you love for as long as you want. 

I first came across Wendy’s work through her Instagram reels where she shares really simple ways to incorporate a variety of movements into the things we are already doing. Wendy’s philosophy is that it’s not about adding more things to your to-do list, but instead, doing what you’re already doing more intentionally, whether that’s practicing balancing on one foot to put your shoes on, sitting on the floor to fold laundry, or even squatting to clean you dog’s paws after a muddy walk.

In our conversation today, Wendy and I talk about really simple ways you can start modifying and improving the quality of your movements right now, regardless of your mobility level. We also talk about how to turn your everyday routines with your dog, including your daily walk, into joyful opportunities to support your strength and mobility - along with your dog’s - so that you two can have many years of health, happiness, and fun together.

As we get started, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that this episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be. You can check out our shadow work and moon magic journals and workbooks, as well as our popular “My First Period Tracker” for young girls and tweens on Instagram @aspirationery.

Ok, on that note, let’s get moving!

TIME STAMPS

00:22 INTRO

03:55 Introducing Wendy Welpton of Reclaim Movement. What is natural movement?

05:25 Wendy’s journey from 4 years of chronic pain to natural movement

13:30 Easily adding natural movement into your daily activities

17:45 Gratitude for our body vs punishing our body

19:50 The value of getting on the ground regularly - especially with your dog!

27:30 The dog walk as a prime opportunity to engage your body - and your dog’s body - in new, playful ways

34:19 Embrace your inner weirdo

38:20 Shake things up and find more joy

43:00 The mind-body connection for releasing pain, and stuck emotions

47:10 Top tips for walking in alignment and preventing falling

54:18 Work with Wendy

57:02 What dogs have taught Wendy about what it means to be human

59:04 OUTRO



Get in touch with me on Instagram @mysticdogmama



More about Reclaim Movement:

Website & Free Resources - https://reclaimmovement.co.uk

Instagram - https://instagram.com/@reclaim.movement

YouTube - https://youtube.com/@reclaim.movement

Podcast - ‘Make Movement Matter’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts



Check out the videos Wendy mentioned on walking techniques:

Want to walk more efficiently? 2 simple body adjustments you can implement today

Uncovering the surprising pre-walk routine you didn't know you needed!youtu.be

5 Natural Movements to prepare your body for walking wellyoutu.be

DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other releva