About Kajsa

I bought into the widespread belief that all there was to creating the perfect dog was dedicating time, energy and training.

I was certainly prepared to do just that. So when I was considering getting a dog I prepared the best I could. I asked friends for book recommendations.

I read “The Other End of the Leash” and “Don’t shoot the dog”. I watched videos of Zak George, Kikopup and Susan Garrett.  For sure, I was going to go the force free training route.

We would be an unstoppable team. Hikes in the mountains, snuggles with the family, frisbee, agility,  swimming together…

I was going to get this thing done.

I mean, I graduated top of my class in aerospace engineering, I fly planes (including upside down), I’m an open (cold) water swimmer, who thinks of wetsuits as a last resort kind of thing. I’m kind of a badass in a mild nerdy kind of way.

So clearly, I should be able to get a dog trained. You would think, right?

Enter my cattledog Rusty.

In hindsight Rusty has always been a very sensitive dog, but his reactivity and dog aggression started when he hit puberty. That’s when he got bumped from not one but two dog walking services, and when I started to despair.

I was determined I would get this thing to work. I dug in, trained and managed. I read up, learned and studied.

I listened to the wrong people who said my force free upbringing was the root cause and told me my dog needed a firmer approach.

I despaired and questioned whether I was the right person for this dog,

and then cried heavy tears at even the mere wisp of a thought of rehoming him.

All I was focused on was to get the dog trained so my family and I could enjoy life again,

but in the meantime we weren’t enjoying life…

Friends told me:

Maybe getting the dog wasn’t such a great idea.

My family and I wrangled over dog training. They were less than motivated to help out training the dog that seemingly gave them very little in return other than more work.

I felt responsible to fix it for the family. I needed to keep going and be their rock, even when I couldn’t.

Enter a burn-out or bore out at work when I got into personal development, mindset work and decided to train to become a life coach.

Holy crap. Forget powering through university or learning how to ski as an adult, this was by far THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE thing I had ever done. And yet with the biggest payoff. 

I realized I could apply the techniques I learned (and subsequently taught) to life with my dog too.

And yet my dog hadn’t changed. 

I felt like I had found the missing piece, the part that doesn’t take a dog trainer, the part that addresses the human side.

When I scroll through my favorite Facebook groups I see so many people struggling with the same thing and I want to tell you, there is hope.

And by that I mean, that it’s possible to find a solution that works for you, your family and your dog and that takes into account all of your wellbeing. You can start feeling better now.

I am going to give you the tools to find your happy ending. It’s not a one size fits all prescription. It’s a plan tailored to your needs.

When you care for your own well-being, your family and friends, and your dog all benefit by extension.

For me starting to do the mindset work boosted my self confidence. It improved my well being and by extension the relationship with my dog.

You will see that the reverse will hold true as well.

Applying thought work to life with your dog will not only improve that relationship, it will positively impact all of your relationships. It will benefit your work, and improve your overall emotional well being. It will literally change your life.

Call it a bonus.