5 Tips For Getting Through Depression

Life doesn’t always play fair. I’ve had  my fair share of rough times and this month was no exception. But it never stays bad, whether youre going through depression, anxiety, stress etc. Sometimes we just need a little reminder that things are going to be ok. We’re getting close to that time of year when a lot of us can feel stuck in a funk. So I wanted to share with you some of my tips for getting through a rough spell.

1. Communicate

Speaking to others can help a lot more than you think. Talking to others about our problems isn’t easy, and if anybody tells you otherwise they’re lying. Sometimes it’s pride that gets in our way, we’re embarrassed to be seen struggling. Sometimes it’s fear of not being understood.  Whatever is holding you back, don’t let it anymore. Speaking to someone, getting all of those thoughts that are whirling around in your head out into the open can really help relieve some of the stress. It’s comforting to confide in those we are close to. A good friend won’t judge you whatever you’re going through right now.

2. Treat Yourself

Take some time out, even if it’s one night on the weekend. Take a warm bath with a Lush bath bomb, watch your favourite movie/tv series, get your hair done, paint your nails, stuff your face full of chocolate or go see a movie with your friends. Take some time to do whatever it is that personally makes you feel better.

3. Self Care

We live in a world where our personal needs can easily be pushed to the wayside. Are you looking after yourself? I know this question can often come across as patronising. But it is anything but, when we’re stressed or down we often slack on our basic needs. Try to make sure you are eating enough and regularly. And make sure you are getting enough sleep, it is amazing how much better a decent nights sleep can make us feel. It won’t fix your problems but being tired won’t help either.

4. Avoid Toxic People

This is hard. It’s especially hard if those people are family members. Toxic people aren’t always that obvious to us. I look back at some of my friendships and I think wow... why did I stick around for that! You don’t need people around you who are negative, bitchy, jealous, pessimistic etc at the best of times. So you sure don’t need them at your worst. If you can’t remove them completely, spend less time around them. Gravitate towards people who cheer you on and are a positive influence in your life. And thank me later.

5. Don’t Bully Yourself

And by this I mean stop beating yourself up over things. This is particularly hard if you are competitive or a perfectionist. But seriously there are enough mean people in this world who are more than happy to tear people down. Don’t be your own worst enemy. 

You are doing the best you can. You WILL get through this. And I promise it does get better.

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7 Tips For Training Your Dog

Training your dog can sometimes be incredibly frustrating, both for you and for your pooch. If anyone tells you otherwise they’re either lying or have what I like to call ‘Proud Parent Syndrome’. Which I use to describe people who refuse to acknowledge that their dog (or even child) ever does anything wrong. So I wanted to share some tips with you that I have learnt from both being a dog owner and from working with dogs most of my life. To hopefully help you both on your journey to pet duo extraordinaire!! Or…ya know….a proud pet owner with a dog who finally listens.

Positive Reinforcement

I cannot emphasize this enough, your dog will be happier and learn much quicker with positive rewards. Are you essentially bribing your dog? Yeah…Kinda. But it WORKS. Studies have shown that training in a positive way is much more effective than other training methods used.

Positive rewards aren’t just food related, it can be anything your puppy loves. From his favourite tug game to his favourite ball. In fact the more your dog wants whatever you have the harder he will usually work to receive his reward. Remember your affection alone is seen as a reward to your dog. Don’t underestimate a good ear rub!

The Gambling Effect

When rewarding your pup, each treat will be on an imaginary scale of how much your puppy enjoys that item. For example a piece of kibble won’t be as enjoyable as a piece of chicken. Or his ball may not be as good a reward as a tug of war game with you. In order for your dog to stay interested, mix up his rewards so every now and again he hits the doggy jackpot. This keeps him eager to please and learn as he won’t know when he is going to hit that ‘jackpot’ again!

Timing

Timing is so crucial in training, you want to be rewarding your dog AS he performs the task you have asked of him. Not just before, and definitely not afterwards. If you are struggling with this, a clicker is a good training tool to help the dog mark when he has done something right. Just click as he is doing what you have asked and then go over and give your treat. He will soon associate the clicking with doing something right.

Patience

Like people, sometimes dogs just decide they don’t want to do something. So if your dog is being stubborn or you are losing your patience, it’s time to stop the session for a while and try again later. Some breeds are well known for being quick to learn whereas others not so much. Just because your neighbours dog learnt ‘sit’ in a couple of days doesn’t mean yours will. So have some patience with your pup.

Keeping It Short

Try to keep training session short, especially for puppies who have even shorter attention spans. If you push your dog too hard he will start to see training as a chore. By keeping it short it can soon become a fun exciting activity for your pup, which is ideal. I like to keep mine to around the 15 minute mark now Kai is an adult. It was more 5 minutes here and there when he was still a little gremlin *cough* I mean puppy.

Begin At Home

All training should be done at home first, including how to heel on a leash properly. At home there are less distractions, your dog feels safe and is way more likely to listen to you. So begin at home, and then move to the garden and eventually test your dogs new abilities while out on a walk. Many people skip training at home, or wonder why their dog will sit when in the living room but not while at the pet shop. Your dog has to learn a behaviour in a variety of environments before he or she realises that the command must be performed no matter where they are. This comes with time.

Repetition

Keep at it. If you put the time and effort into your dogs training, I promise you the rewards are so worth it! If you are doing everything right their is no reason you cannot have that well trained puppy you always dreamed of. Use my tips and keep at it and you’ll get there together. A dog is continuously learning throughout it’s life. And while training obviously gets more simple as they grow up, it is easy to slack off and then your dogs behaviour may become slack too. So don’t stop training just because your pups now an adult. You CAN teach an old dogs new tricks.


Training your dog can be so fun and such a good bonding experience for you both. It enriches your lives so to me it is always worth the effort. So I hope my tips have helped you understand your pup better or given you some new ideas on how to make your training more efficient.

Is your pup naughty? Have you managed to fix some of his bad habits? Or are you still struggling? I love hearing about your pooches so drop a comment below!

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Crate Training Tips

Question of the day: Do you have any Crate training tips for training my new dog?

Answer: Crate training doesnt have to be tedious, it can also be fun and enjoyable! Clicker training seems to be the best way to get your dog going into his or her crate on their own and also enjoying being in there. Some good Crate Training Tips;

• Always try to make going in the crate fun. Throw a treat in there for them, or even a stuffed kong to keep them busy.
  
• You always want to start out just tossing some treats in there and letting them come right back out. Slowly start closing the door for a second then right back out. Gradually build on this.
  
• You can also help their crate become a good place by feeding them in their crate.
  
• You can even use their food from breakfast or dinner for training sessions with the crate.
  
• NEVER let our dog out of the crate if they are throwing a fit! This will teach them that when they do throw a fit (Howling, barking, whining, screaming) they get let out and will do it every time. Always wait till your dog is calm before letting them out.
  

My absolute Favorite DVD on Crate training is Susan Garrett's Crate Games for Self-Control and Motivation . This DVD is fun to watch and a lot of fun to do with your dog. They give so many ideas, much further than just the crate! My dogs all loved it, Im sure yours will too weather they are just a puppy or an adult dog! They even show you great ways to use it while training Agility! A absolutely wonderful DVD. They have just about all the crate training tips you could ask for!

I hope I gave you some good crate training tips. If your really wanting to succeed with it, that DVD will come in handy!

If your looking for crate training tips in book form, you can check into these books:

• Quick & Easy Crate Training
• Crate Training Your Dog (Storeys Country Wisdom Bulletin A-267) (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-267)
• Easy Crate Training - How To Easily Train Your Dog

Hopefully you can find something that will help you and your dog!

Need a Dog Crate?

Training Tip of the Week: Make Training Fun!

Dogs learn best when they are having fun! What is fun they are more likely to do time and time again! Keep training sessions short and have frequent play sessions. Incorporate their toys into the training sessions themselves, such as having your dog sit for you to throw a ball. Have your dog do a down, then play a game of tug with them. Keep it fun and your dog will be learning with flying colors! Enjoy!

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