Enlightened By Dogs With Kathy Kawalec

It’s no secret that our dogs make us feel happy and safe, that’s one of the many reasons we’re on this partnership journey with them. Have you ever wondered if we do the same for them? The connection we share with our dogs is a two-way street, but it’s often easy to forget that their idea of ‘happy and safe’ is quite different from what we think it is. In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explores the premise that we may be unintentionally keeping our dogs from doing things that keep them balanced.  She explains how allowing our dogs to “do what they do best” is beneficial to the partnership lifestyle. In this episode: Kathy shares anecdotal research on how our stress affects our dogs What keeps dogs centered, happy, and thriving How to help your dog remain balanced in a stressful situation Quotes: “What dogs do best is to live in the moment and really experience what's happening around them.” “We have this close connection and a tightly shared social intelligence that causes us to affe

How do you react when your dog is triggered by external factors while you’re enjoying a walk together? The answer is almost never the same across the board, however, a common mistake is to react to the trigger alongside our dogs. Unfortunately, we can’t guard our dogs against all the potential triggers in the world. What we can do is offer support. In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explains how staying connected with our dogs in these situations can be beneficial. She also runs us through some useful tips for leash walking our dogs. In this episode: How to support our dogs when they are triggered When and how to rely on the safe, calm, and happy protocol Why a dynamic partnership with our dogs is beneficial Quotes: “You are either a #winner or #learner, and learner equals winner.” “The more experience we get, the more competent we get at staying connected with our dogs.” “If we cannot feel safe, calm, and happy in situations our dog needs us to be, things won’t go well.” Want More of

Creating clear opportunities for our dogs to say yes or no brings us one step closer to that brilliant life we want with them. This may seem a bit odd, especially since we live in a world where having a well-trained dog is considered a badge of honor. However, the true badge of honor is earned when our dogs choose to be responsible as opposed to being trained to be responsible. Realizing they have a choice doesn’t only help our dogs feel more in control, it also introduces more trust into your partnership. In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy breaks down the process of giving our dogs the freedom to make choices. She also shares six choice protocols we can use to get our dogs involved when making decisions. In this episode: What giving our dogs freedom looks like How to use choice protocols and clarity questions to give our dogs choices How freedom impacts our dog’s decision to say yes Quotes: “We can have attentive, responsive, and responsible dogs through living a partnership lifestyl

When did you last think about resiliency in terms of your partnership with your dog? Unfortunately for most people, the answer is "never". Life tends to throw curveballs every now and then, both in the human and dog communities. How you deal with these unfortunate occurrences is a function of your resiliency. But what does this mean for your partnership with your dog? In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explains the importance of resiliency in building a strong and successful partnership with your dog. She also explores various sources of your dog's resiliency and the elements that will help you build it. In this episode: Where resilience comes from How to help your dog feel more resilient Tips from Kathy’s resiliency masterclass Quotes: "Resilient partners don't just give up when life gets hard." "Resiliency in us, and our dogs, comes from the inside out." "Remember there are no failures, only opportunities to learn." Want More of Kathy? Brilliant Partners Academy Dancing Hearts Dog

Our dogs give us so much, don’t they? Each day they make our lives better. Every time we connect with them, admire them, appreciate them, we experience a love of life unlike anything else. In this special episode, Kathy invites you to join her in sharing gratitude and appreciation for your dog. She also shares two materials dear to her heart and pays tribute to her dogs and her relationship with them. Take a comfy, quiet seat, and grab a pen and paper, ready to note down your thoughts during this emotional and insightful episode. In this episode: Kathy shares an excerpt from one of her favorite books A love letter from Kathy to her dogs An invitation to write your own love letter to your dog Quotes: “The benefit of having your dog in your life far outweighs all the other things.” “Dogs teach us so much in being able to enjoy the moment that we're in.” “My entire being swells with gratitude and love for the blessing of my life with dogs.” Want More of Kathy? Brilliant Partners Academy Dancing Hearts Dog Aca

When was the last time you felt truly awe-inspired? Awe is a complex emotion, and tapping into its power can do amazing things for you and your relationships. It encourages us to be curious, think outside of the box, and generates feelings of inspiration that can help us believe that almost anything is possible. But how does this relate to your partnership with your dog? In this episode, Kathy talks about her daily G.L.A. practice and how it impacts her connection with her dogs. She also shares a few ideas about how you can get into this practice, what it can do for your relationships, and why curiosity can help you step into a world of infinite possibilities. In this episode: What G.L.A. is and why Kathy practices it Why awe and inspiration can lead to a better partnership How to shift your mindset from problem-focused to solution-focused Quotes: “What if our struggle exists simply to inspire us to move into a place of curiosity?” “Altruism, general well-being, and compassion can dramatically influence our

What does your connection with your dog do for your life? Does it help you be a better partner? A better person? Your bond with your dog is powerful. But facilitating this amazing and transformative connection isn’t always straightforward. Sometimes we can lose focus on living our happiest lives with our dog and get lost chasing the ideals of a “perfect dog” instead. In this episode, Kathy shares her tips for maintaining or re-finding your partnership’s focus and reframing your mindset about your unbreakable bond. She also talks about why acceptance is key to finding happiness with your partnership, exactly as it is. In this episode: How to keep your sights on “the main thing” Understanding what having a dog does for your life Three ways to work towards a stronger connection with your dog Quotes: “Ask yourself, why do you have a dog in your life?” “Studies have shown that when a dog sees they're human, that their brain secretes the same substance as ours when we're in love.” “Dogs present us with opportunit

Did you know that a feeling of disconnection from our dogs could be what’s causing them to be anxious or reactive? Humans and dogs are wired to seek connection. It’s part of our quest to find safety and comfort in our lives, and if that connection is disrupted, anxiety and stress start to kick in. We get lost in ‘the red zone.’ In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy explores the idea of co-regulation between humans and our dogs and how this relates to our nervous system. She explains how we can easily fall into the ‘red zone’ or the ‘orange zone’ of stress and how we can move to the ‘green zone’ instead. Tune in to learn how by regulating our own behavior, we can help dogs to do the same and lead safer, calmer, and happier lives. In this episode: Why humans and dogs are wired to connect and seek safety How to get out of the stressful ‘red zone’ How we can keep our dogs in the ‘green zone’ Quotes: “We are wired for connection.” “You and your dog are biologically searching for a connection

What do you do when you feel like your dog just isn’t hearing you? All behavior is communication, so how your dog responds to you (or doesn’t respond to you) is a type of behavior that could be trying to communicate something. But it can be challenging not to take it personally when you feel like your dog isn’t listening to you at all. In this episode, Kathy shares how reframing your thoughts can transform how you interpret your dog’s listening skills and get you back to a place of trust. She also talks about how asking questions about what’s really going on can help you create a plan that prioritizes connection over correction. In this episode: How to reframe your thoughts about your dog’s listening Why role modelling can help you guide behavior How to create a plan for when you feel that your dog isn’t listening to you Quotes: “When we believe that our dog is not listening, what I would invite you to do is to reframe that into, my dog has a need that isn't being met.” “As Brené Brown says, clear is kind.

Communication is the single most powerful tool we have for connecting with others but are you aware of how you’re communicating? Any time you interact with your dog – or anyone you have a relationship with – you’re exchanging messages that can either lead to success or struggles. This might be conscious or unconscious, as both you and your dog speak to each other in ways that go far beyond verbal communication! In this episode, Kathy dives deep into what it means to communicate with your dog. She talks about why considering the intention behind your dog’s communication can help you understand them better, how you’re unintentionally communicating, and the two key components to the language of partnership. In this episode: What is communication? How to stop accidentally training your dog to ignore you! The conscious and unconscious ways to communicate with your dog Quotes: “When we dive into how to be a better partner, how to be the human that our dog needs us to be, things start to change. We start to feel b

Trust and confidence are crucial ingredients to a loving, happy, and healthy partnership with our dogs. Our dogs trust us with a lot, so we need to be good leaders and worthy of that trust. This means we should try to avoid leaking trust and confidence with our dogs. When our dogs trust us to lead the way, they feel safer, more secure, and confident. If they don’t and we put them in stressful scenarios, they can become reactive and unhappy. In this episode of the Enlightened By Dogs podcast, Kathy shares insights into how easily we can leak trust and confidence with our dogs. She shares the three simple questions you should ask yourself before doing a new activity together. In this episode: What the right type of leadership looks like Why role modeling is so important How to stop trust and confidence from leaking Quotes: “It's really up to us to take responsibility for being the kind of human that our dogs love to follow and love to listen to and love to partner with.” “It's all about being able to inspire,

How does your emotional intelligence affect your relationship with your dog? Your dog can teach you so much about how to be in the world, and one of the big things you can learn is how to step more fully into your innate, emotional intelligence. In this episode, Kathy explains why finding emotional balance is key to being a loving leader and how it can help you on the way to achieving your dream partnership with your dog. She also talks about how socially intelligent animals model emotional management through their “get back to grazing” response and what we can learn from this. Grab a pen and some paper, as this episode is packed with helpful advice that you can put into practice with your relationship with your dog. In this episode: How your emotional intelligence impacts your family group The five key elements of emotional intelligence How to approach fear, anger, frustration, and anxiety with emotional balance Quotes: “Socially intelligent animals use emotion as information to engage surprisingly agile r

In our busy lives, sometimes we need to just pause and reflect. How we are and how we act can have a huge effect on our relationship with our dogs. So, if you want to start working more on your partnership with your dog, it all starts with you. In this episode, Kathy walks through several simple exercises to help you explore who you are and who you want to be as a dog mom. These exercises will help you gain a clearer understanding so you can forge a stronger heart-to-heart connection with your dog. Grab a pen and paper and tune in to this episode to gain clarity on yourself and your partnership with your dog. Also, if you’re a struggling dog mom stuck at home, be sure to check out Kathy’s new free PDF guide: Stuck at Home "Survival Guide" for Dog Moms. In this episode: Kathy announces her brand new downloadable guide: Stuck at Home "Survival Guide" for Dog Moms Why who we are informs how we act Simple exercises to get clarity on your partnership with your dog Quotes: “At our core is our heart. And our heart

What does it mean to be heard? Both you and your dog are social mammals and so have a deep need to be understood and cared for. Meeting this need can help you live the brilliant partnership with your dog that you dream of. In this episode, Kathy discusses how real listening can help you stay calm and connected to your dog and why it’s one of the four core daily practices from the Brilliant Partners Academy. She also talks about the relationship between listening and leadership and how to embrace being the loving leader that your partnership deserves. In this episode: Understanding what it really means to be listened to What true leadership is Why being a loving leader is a good thing What real heart-to-heart, mind-to-mind listening is How to listen mindfully ­– even in stressful situations Quotes: “To be heard means to be listened to without judgment about how we should be better or should be different than what someone thinks we should be.” “To be heard means to be loved, without condition.” “We're in some

Living with a reactive dog can be a frustrating experience, and as a first-time dog mom, it can be a confusing one as well. In this episode of Enlightened By Dogs, Kathy revisits a conversation she had with first-time dog mom and BPA member Paulina Grzesinska-Mrozek. Paulina was struggling with her dog Badi, who was very reactive to other dogs and people both in their apartment and on walks. After trying her luck with a behaviorist (who Badi wouldn’t even let in the apartment), Paulina tried the Brilliant Partners Academy. And she hasn’t looked back since! Today, their partnership is strong and built on trust and a mutual understanding. Hear about Paulina’s experiences and how she used the BPA partnership principles to achieve this complete transformation. In this episode: How Paulina initially struggled to understand Badi’s needs How Paulina and Badi have transformed their partnership together The partnership principles that Paulina found most useful How Paulina and Badi became role models for each other Q

Having one reactive dog can be challenging enough but imagine adding another one into the mix! In this Enlightened By Dogs episode, Kathy revisits a conversation she had with Ros Swallow, proud dog mom to two beautiful (yet highly reactive) Hungarian Vizslas. Ros had tried everything and had adapted her lifestyle to try and keep her dogs calm. Yet, she felt overwhelmed with anxiety whenever she took them out for a walk. People, dogs, bikes, and everything in between would always trigger panic and reactivity in her dogs. Ros eventually took a leap of faith and joined Brilliant Partners Academy to learn how to become a calm and confident role model. Hear her experience and how BPA helped to turn Ros and her partnership with Phoebe and Myrtle around. In this episode: What triggered Phoebe and Myrtle’s reactive and anxious behaviors The steps Ros took before joining BPA How BPA helped Ros transform her relationship with her dogs What Ros loves most about the BPA community Quotes: “The progress we have made is b

Do you have a clear vision and dream for the life you want with your dog? Staying committed to the partnership of your dreams begins with some clarity on what your dreams actually look like. This marks the final part of Kathy’s five-part blog and podcast series, “The Summer Series on The Power of Partnership.” In this series, Kathy has been sharing some simple partnership principles that will help you forge a much closer bond between you and your dog. In this episode, we return to Mary (an avatar client and proud dog mom), who has been tackling some tricky challenges with her dog Max. You’ll see how Mary has put each principle into action and how they have drastically improved her partnership with Max. If you’re new to this series, you can start with episode one. In this episode: Why staying connected to our dreams helps us stay committed Why you should create a flexible plan for your goals The four lessons to take from the commitment principle Read the blog post on this topic. Quotes: “Being focused and co

Part of living in a true partnership is to work towards some kind of common purpose. Yet, it’s something that a lot of us don’t think about when it comes to our dogs. Welcome back to part four of Kathy’s five-part series, ‘The Summer Series on The Power of Partnership.’ Over the course of this series, Kathy has been sharing some simple and highly effective partnership principles to help you forge the partnership you’ve always wanted with your dog. We’re returning to Mary and Max’s story. Mary’s a dog mom and avatar client who Kathy has been following along her journey as she puts these principles into action. If you haven’t already caught up with the previous episodes, check out the first three parts before continuing. Listen to the podcast episode for part one, two, and three, or read the blog post for part one, two, and three to catch up. In this episode: What a common purpose is and why it’s key to a successful partnership How Mary and Max found a common purpose 4 important lessons about finding a common

Transitioning into a new way of being with your dog isn’t always like going from A to B. Sometimes there are a few bumps in the road along the way. But what do you do when you make a mistake? It’s normal to get knocked off-course when you’re moving towards something new. However, how you deal with those moments will determine how difficult it will be to get to where you want to go. This is the third of five installments in the ongoing blog and podcast series, “The Summer Series on The Power of Partnership”. In it, Kathy shares some simple – yet effective – partnership principles that you can start using in yours and your dog’s daily life right away. Once again, Kathy returns to Mary, a dog mom and avatar client, who’s tackling some challenges with her dog, Max. In each part, she looks at how Mary puts these principles into action and moves along in her partnership journey. Listen to part one here and part two here. In this episode: Why patience is the secret to partnership success How best to embark on your

What’s the key to any successful partnership or relationship? That’s right. It’s all about communication! Communication is what ties your partnership with your dog together, so you’re both happy and healthy. This is part two of Kathy’s ongoing podcast series, “The Summer Series on The Power of Partnership.” In this series, Kathy shares some simple partnership principles that you can easily incorporate in your day-to-day life with your dog. Each episode will follow Mary, an avatar client and dog mom, who’s facing some challenges with her dog, Max. As Kathy shares each principle, you’ll see how Mary uses these lessons to build a solid partnership with Max. It’s a glimpse at what working together as a partner really looks like! If you haven’t already, you can catch up and listen to part one here. In this episode: Why dogs are so in-tune with our thoughts, feelings, and intentions How to engage in mindful dialoguing How to get your dog back into balance Read the blog post on this topic. Quotes: “There is no way