Enlightened By Dogs With Kathy Kawalec

One of the most common mistakes that dog moms make is fundamentally misunderstanding their dog's behavior. Your dog has an innate personality and unique needs. When these get misinterpreted, it can lead to your dog responding in a negative way. A misunderstood dog can be very difficult to live with. They may show anxious, defensive, or withdrawn behaviors like guard-barking or being on excessive alert. They can become worried about leaving you, suspicious of strangers, or shut down when they face pressure. A misunderstood dog’s behavior can feel very extreme, but there are some practical steps that you can take to avoid these difficulties and restore peace and calm. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy helps you gain clarity about your dog’s personality. She reveals the five different personality profile types and explains how your dog prefers to communicate their personality through their behavior. She also shares how understanding and accepting your dog’s personality can lead to a happier partnersh

How can you truly help your reactive dog? I feel really passionate about this topic. Why? Because I hear so many stories of dog moms and dog families struggling with reactive dog training that just doesn’t work for them. Often, the advice from the dog training world isn’t helpful. It can result in dog moms feeling demoralized, guilty, or even like failures. But I want you to know that it doesn’t have to be this way! In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares a new approach to reactive training and the story of Ros and her two reactive Vizslas, Phoebe and Myrtle. Ros thought she was doing her best to help them with traditional training, but it was only when she took a more contemporary approach that they could truly live a safe, calm, and happy life together. In this episode: A BPA member's journey from reactive to safe, calm, and happy The challenges of life with a reactive dog Why reward-based trigger conditioning training fails How your emotions affect your dog's behavior What embracing trust cou

What if I told you there was a way to bypass the language barrier that you experience with your dog? Well, I believe that anyone who seeks to be a better communicator with their dog can achieve this by getting in touch with their intuition. Your intuition is a powerful way to receive and send communication with not just your dog, but all beings. From a holistic perspective, there are so many benefits to being intentional with your intuition and using it to guide you. But, when it comes to connecting with your dog, this method of communication opens up bigger and better possibilities for your partnership to thrive. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares how tapping into your intuition can help you build the safe, calm and happy life that you dream of living with your dog. She also shares eight tips for embracing your intuition and approaching animal-to-animal communication. In this episode: How living a holistic lifestyle sets a foundation for better communication Why balance is key to your well

When you share a partnership lifestyle with your dog, you invite them to be a part of, or join in with, things that you do. But, when you extend an invitation to your dog, are you considering what your expectations are? Sharing a partnership lifestyle with your dog starts with offering invitations to connect and engage. Invitations are a brilliant way to open up space and bond. However, it’s important to understand how to extend an invitation to your dog and what role your expectations have in working towards a successful partnership. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy discusses why your expectations and intentions behind the invitations matter. She also dives into why it’s important to make space for a two-way dialogue to create a genuine, authentic connection. In this episode: What it means to invite your dog to connect with you Why your intention and expectations are key parts of a brilliant partnership How to extend an open-hearted invitation that your dog will love to accept! Read the blog p

Are your thoughts getting in the way of you living a safe, calm, and happy life with your dog? Without realizing it, your thoughts around safe, calm, and happy, could be the very thing that stifles your progress! Whenever you try to make real change happen in your life (even if it’s positive change), your primitive brain often steps in and makes you question everything. So, what can you do about it? And, how can you override your primitive brain so that it stops getting in the way of your progress with your dog? In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy talks about how your thoughts around the safe, calm, and happy principle can impact your progress. She also digs deeper into human nature and reveals how you can override the primitive brain’s resistance to change so that it stops getting in the way of you and your dog’s progress towards a loving partnership! In this episode: Understanding that you are in control of your thoughts How the primitive brain sabotages your progress How to override the primitiv

What do different dog greetings really mean? Have you ever wondered why your dog greets you the way they do? Why do they get so excited when you come home? Why do they jump up, spin around in circles, or clobber you with their front paw? As dog moms, most of us fully embrace whatever way our dogs choose to greet us. Of course, we might find it cute and adorable when our dogs jump up to greet us. However, guests might not appreciate your dog hurling themselves at them when they walk through the door. We often have difficulty understanding how to handle our dog’s greetings, so let’s talk about it! In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares some of her best tips to help you better understand your dog’s greetings. She also reveals how you can learn to manage greetings so that both parties feel safe, calm, and happy using The Greeting Protocol from the Brilliant Partners Academy! In this episode: Why dog greetings must meet their social needs Four rules to consider before letting your dog greet others a

Setting boundaries for our dogs is so important, especially when it comes to biting from excitement or over-arousal. A lot of the misunderstanding comes from the idea of setting boundaries because boundaries mean strict restrictions, right? Well, not exactly. When setting boundaries for your dog, you actually help to build trust. You see, the one thing that our dogs need to trust us is the same thing we often get wrong, and it’s time to change that. As a dog mom of two Border Collies who had “excitement biting issues,” Kathy understands the frustration associated with a dog who tends to bite when they are too excited. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares two personal stories of how she set boundaries with her two Border Collies, Luc and Kate. She then wraps up the episode by sharing four key tips to help you too. Enjoy! In this episode: Why dogs need boundaries How Kathy got her Border Collie puppy to stop biting What behavior from Kathy stopped her excitable dog from charging and biting How

Living in partnership with our dogs comes with lots of highs and lows. We create memories together that we cherish, and we continue to grow closer as brilliant partners. However, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes, our dogs like to express themselves in ways that some people would deem "naughty." This type of behavior ranges from barking at perceived dangers that we know are safe, trying to chase moving cars, or barking hysterically at airplanes and birds in the sky. When our dogs behave like this, we know that there is an underlying reason for it. Perhaps they bark at the delivery man because they want to protect the yard from strangers. Or, maybe they bark at hawking birds because they want to scare off potential flying predators. Believe me when I say that dogs have their reasons for alert barking, car chasing, and howling at the sky! However, as dog moms who strive to live in partnership with our dogs, we know that we can handle this behavior through role modeling as our dogs' leading partners.

Where does your empowerment come from? Empowerment does not come from placing yourself above others but from your strength, vulnerability, and empathetic nature. Whenever a new year or season in life begins, many people reflect on their life’s purpose. They want to discover why they’re here on this planet and find meaning in what they’re doing with their lives. As dog moms, we might be thinking about how we live with our dogs. We learn alongside them, and we thrive together in partnership. It’s not about gaining power over our dogs. It’s about being brilliant partners and learning to live together in peace and harmony. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares her big “why,” which is to empower dog moms to live a full and happy life that brings them closer to their dogs. She talks about the true meaning of power and why it doesn’t necessarily mean what we’ve been conditioned to think it does. If you’re in the mood to feel inspired and proud to be a dog mom, this is the episode for you! In this epis

Is your dog so out of control that you’re afraid to walk them on a leash? There’s nothing more stressful than walking an unruly and reactive dog who could pull, lunge, or bark hysterically at any minute. If you’re struggling with this problem with your dog, Kathy wants to help you change your story so that you and your dog can come together in a loving partnership. So, for this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy has taken a few lessons from a recent coaching session she had with a lovely member of BPA, who was having a hard time walking her very large and reactive dog! Kathy helped her discover the baby steps to help her get back to enjoying the dream life she wants to share with her wonderful dog. You can listen in and take all of these lessons and apply them in your own life with your dog, especially if your dog is difficult to walk with on the leash! If you want to find out how to prepare to walk your dog mentally, how to avoid trigger stacking, and what to do in the moment when your dog reacts, this is

Is your dog reactive on the leash? Maybe your dog hates being on the leash and won’t even let you put it on. Or, perhaps your dog pulls on the leash and lunges towards other dogs, moving objects, or other people. Whatever the case, your dog is not a fan of the leash and will do just about anything to avoid it! If any of this sounds familiar, this is the episode for you! Kathy has met hundreds (if not thousands) of dog moms through the years who have dealt with this frustrating issue. The good news is that there are ways to calm a reactive dog, and inside the Brilliant Partners Academy, Kathy teaches ‘the partnership way’ to handle leash reactivity. In this episode, Kathy shares some of her best advice for dog moms struggling with leash reactivity using tried and tested partnership principles! You’ll also hear a segment from a real-life coaching session that Kathy did with a BPA member struggling with a very leash-reactive dog. Enjoy! In this episode: How to react when a strange dog approaches your dog Why yo

If you’re struggling with your dog, you’re not alone. We all have good days and bad days with our dogs. Sometimes, our dogs wear invisible halos and act like angels for the entire day. Other times, our dogs turn into rebels who would rather do their own thing than listen to our commands. Experiencing life with a dog comes with its ups and downs. There is a lot of joy, fun, and adventure that comes with sharing your life with a dog. On the other hand, there can be struggles and challenges too. In those moments, it can feel like your dog has turned into a problem child, and you’re left feeling exhausted and frustrated. However, all of those struggles you experience with your dog can help you both to grow closer as brilliant partners. Kathy believes that all of the experiences (both the good and bad) she has shared with her dogs have helped make her a better person. This is something that she talks about further in this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, where you’ll hear how Kathy and her Border Collie Luke grew t

Do you dream of creating a brilliant partnership with your dog? The type of partnership where the two of you can dance through life together as real partners? Well, you can but it takes time, patience, and a lot of practice. In this inspiring episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares how you and your dog can become winning partners.  To be a brilliant partner for your dog, you must put mental conditioning, optimistic thinking, responsibility for your actions, flexibility, intuition, and receptivity on your ‘To BE List.’ It might sound like a lot, but once you get a grip of all of these things and start working on your ‘To BE List,’ you’ll notice an incredible change and improvement in your relationship with your dog. So, are you ready for you and your dog to become a winning team? Let’s start! In this episode: Why your mental state is so important Why you need to work on your ‘To BE List’ How to change the way you think about your dog’s behavior Why you need to focus more on the solutions and not the prob

2020 hasn’t been the easiest year for any of us. It’s been tough and it’s about time we welcomed some joy and happiness into our lives, don’t you think? You’ve probably heard the saying that happiness is a choice, and that is true to some extent. Of course, being happy is easier said than done, especially if you’re going through a difficult time. As we approach the new year, it’s a good time to think about what we can do to make sure 2021 is a better year filled with happiness and joy. So, how can you invite more happiness into your life? In this special episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy reveals five tips to help you invite more happiness into your life and the life you share with your dog (or dogs). In this episode: How the Law of Resonance works and how you can use it to bring more positivity your way How your thoughts and emotions attract the same type of energy back to you How to prepare for all the things you are anticipating Why you need to clarify what you really desire Why you should break things

Do you practice gratitude? It’s well-known that having an active gratitude practice can make you happier and healthier, but when you’re always so busy, when can you find the time to do it? There’s no better time to appreciate the smaller things in life than on your daily dog walk. Whether your dog is up to something silly or you just feel that connection between yourself and them, taking a moment to notice your wonderful partnership is a great way to start a gratitude practice. While it’s easy to feel grateful when things are going well, it’s necessary to practice it when things aren’t. In this poignant episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy shares how her daily gratitude practice is helping with her grief after loss. Listen in to find out what you can gain from adopting a gratitude practice and how it can help you find joy in your life, even in the most difficult moments. In this episode: The benefits of practicing gratitude How Kathy uses her daily dog walk in her gratitude practice Why apprecia

Did you know that both you and your dog are wired for connection? It’s almost as though your relationship with your dog was written in the stars! However, you might not realize that there are things you could be doing that consciously or unconsciously disconnect you from your dog. The things that weaken your connection with your dog can lead to your dog becoming over-aroused, anxious, or even reactive. So, how can you become more aware of your actions and behavior to avoid weakening your connection with your dog? In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy talks about how dogs and humans are both wired for connection and co-regulation. She also shares some golden nuggets to help your dog feel safe, calm, and happy, so that you can continue to build trust and develop a brilliant partnership lifestyle together. In this episode: How to create a circle of safety and trust with your dog How dogs and humans are wired for connection How the autonomic nervous system acts as our personal surveillance system The imp

What should you do if your family isn't on board with your goal of creating a partnership lifestyle with your dog? Many people assume that if the whole family isn't on board, it’s impossible to create a partnership lifestyle. While it can make it slightly more challenging for some, not everyone in the family has to follow "the rules" for you to develop a loving connection with your dog. Of course, it would help if everyone in the family followed your lead, but don't worry if that's not feasible. You can still build a brilliant partnership with your dog whether your family are on board or not! Kathy explains how in this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, where she shares a very special segment from a coaching session with a member of the Brilliant Partners Academy. This dog mom is dealing with the common issue of having a family who isn’t on board with everything she has learned about the partnership lifestyle. So, Kathy shares some of her best tips and strategies to help her and other dog moms make t

What should you do when your dog refuses to listen? You tell them to come to you, they run in the opposite direction. You ask them to stop barking, and they bark louder. You ask them to get off the couch, and they snuggle into it some more. You get the idea. Sometimes, it feels like our dogs are rebellious on purpose. They flat out refuse to listen, and you’re left wondering if they go out of their way to make your life harder. When your dog refuses to listen to you, what should you do about it? In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy shares a segment from a coaching call she did with members of the Brilliant Partners Academy. It was such a great lesson on what you can do when your dog gives you a hard time and how to reconnect with your dog when they just won’t listen to you. Enjoy! In this episode: Hear from a member of the BPA who has a dog who has changed their behavior recently Why you need to change your perspective as a dog mom when things don’t go as planned Why your dog’s “misbehavior” is thei

When faced with difficult times, it can be hard to pull yourself out of it. Thankfully, there are things you can do to get through the hard days and emerge out on the other side, ready to live your best life with your dog. Even without words, it can often seem like your dog understands you better than most people. They’re with you for all of life’s ups and downs, always ready to lend a helping paw and provide support when you need it most. Sometimes, it can feel like you’re drowning in hard times. It seems to be one piece of bad news after the other, and it’s easy to feel worn down because of it. Kathy understands this feeling all too well, which is why she is dedicating this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast to help you get through hard times and come out stronger on the other side. Listen in to find out how you can get through difficult times and how your dog helps you every step of the way, even though you might not realize it! In this episode: How dogs show us the path forward Why you need to ta

Are you and your dog resilient? Building resilience is so important to create a strong partnership with your dog. Yet, not many people talk about the power of resilience within the dog community. It’s time to change that! Being resilient gives you the ability to adapt quickly and bounce back stronger when things don’t go as planned. However, it’s important that both you and your dog are resilient, which is something that you can work on together. But, what does it mean be resilient? And, how can you and your dog build your resilience together? In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, I re-visit some key lessons I taught during a very special masterclass inside the Brilliant Partners Academy. You’ll discover why you need to be resilient if you want to build a strong, successful partnership with your dog. You’ll also learn how resilient partners never give up, even when life gets really tough. Listen in to find out how you and your dog can build a resilient partnership! In this episode: Why you need to create s