Lesson 14

Dogs are very adaptable and they understand us well. I have just been watching 'The Secret Life Of Dogs.' In the programme they explained that dogs use body language to predict our every move. They are real observers of humans.
The programme described a dog that was able to detect Cancer in their owner and another dog was able to support a chronically depressed man who began to feel emotions again with the help of his canine companion. Another dog called Max was able to search and find a woman who had got lost in a wood and was in danger of dying from hypothermia.
Today's message from dogs is to be observant. Watch people carefully and listen to them. You will find out a lot more about people when you do this.

Lesson 13

The time is Now- get on with it! That is what a dog would say and they would be right!
Last year I sat in my holiday caravan with Ollie my lovely little dog and I read 'The Power Of Now'

The Power of Now- Eckhart Tolle.
I was so inspired by this that I drew some pictures in an art pad. I forgot all about this until today when I needed paper to do some drawing for a children's book I am working on. I started looking through and I found plans I made to support a big dream I have. That dream is to be involved in setting up and running a creative centre where people can come to be creative or enjoy creativity. There would be gallery and workshop space as well as a place for musicians to perform. There would be a lovely cafe and camping spot as well as a small animal sanctuary.
Now I am a realist so when I get big dreams like that I tend to lock them away and 'get on with real life' but dogs remind me if you want something 'go for it.'
I am not about to abandon the other things I am committed to in my life but I have decided that the time is right to put my dream out there to see if anyone else shares this dream and if it is possible that it could ever become reality.
Here are some photo's of some of the sketches I made...

Lesson 12

Bert is a beautiful dog.

He is the big brown dog in the photo. He is a rescue dog who comes from Romania. It is hard to believe that he ever survived as a stray as he is so friendly, loving and trusting. The black and white dog in this picture is Rufus. He takes longer to trust people and is generally much more wary but both dogs have taught me how important it is to be able to trust others. 

Yesterday I went to Greenwich with G, the dogs and my son. We walked through the beautiful park and a lot of people came up to pat and admire Bert. He soaked up all the attention wagging his tail with enthusiasm. People often ask where he is from and what breed we think he is. We can only guess at his breed but we are able to let people know that he is a rescue dog and we are able to promote the animal sanctuary where we got him. 

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People sometimes say that after meeting Bert they would seriously consider getting a rescue dog if they decided to get a dog. 

This is great news as there are so many wonderful dogs and other animals living in rescue facilities looking for loving new homes and the amazing thing is that if you give them  time. love and patience they reward you by starting to trust you. 

This is starting to happen with Lovely the dog who has joined our pack recently. She has had a very hard life but is starting to show happiness that she has a home and people to care for her. 

Lovely is learning to trust and this is something that we can all learn from. If we are able to trust other people this opens up the path to a much more fulfilling relationship with them. 

When I set up my life coaching service I decided to call it Trusty Life Coaching because I feel that the ability to be trustworthy and to trust other people is so important. 

Yet again the dogs have taught me a very important lesson. I really enjoy learning from them. 

Lesson 11

Today is National Dog Day!
It is a day to bring attention the plight of unwanted dogs that have ended up needing new homes and is inteneded to encourage adoption.
http://www.nationaldogday.com/#!about1/c141h
The loveable G has 2 rescue dogs from Romania and we are dog sharing another.
Dogs offer us so much fun, loyalty and love and they deserve this in return!
If you are thinking of getting a dog then why not visit your local sanctuary.Here are two brilliant ones just for starters:
Wanderers Haven:   https://www.facebook.com/wanderershavenanimalsanctuary

and Lord Whiskey: www.lordwhiskey.co.uk

Even if you are not thinking of getting a dog then why not attend their open days and support their fund raising efforts?
I love dogs. They teach me a lot. They deserve the best possible treatment.

(p.s I love this photo of Ollie!)

Lesson 9 ( I missed this out before but that's Ok as dogs don't count well!)

The next important lesson I have been taught by dogs is to 'get on with it!'
They don't dither about procrastinating! If they want to go and roll in a huge, fresh cowpat then they dive straight in. I try to remember this and it has made me a lot more decisive. I am not a fan of rolling in cowpat myself but you get the idea.
Being around dogs helps me to keep things simple. If you want to do something and it isn't hurting anyone else then why not go for it?

Lesson 10 Explore

Dogs are so curious. They love exploring their surroundings leaving no hedge unsniffed. We gain such a lot from exploring our surroundings too. Being on holiday with 3 lively dogs keeps me on my toes and wanting to explore every new place I come across. We are in wonderful Wales at the moment. I am finding Wales just as beautiful as Cornwall but with a lot less traffic. The dogs and humans are enjoying every moment!

Lesson 8

Your surroundings are beautiful!
Wherever you go with a dog you are reminded of the beauty of your surroundings. They even get excited at the prospect of walking past a familiar fence that they can sniff and pee up!
I am not suggesting that you need to go to those lengths but dogs remind me to take in my surroundings and appreciate the beauty in them.
When you are alert you spot lovely flowers growing in the cracks on the pavement and stunning sunsets out to sea.
A park in the city or a field in the country, all can be amazing if you focus on what you can see around you.
Dogs have taught me this and I am very grateful!

Lesson 7

Be loyal. This is a lesson all dog coaches will teach you.
We have recently offered a home to rescue dog Lovely and today G has had to go out to change the oil filter on his van so it is running well for our camping trip. Lovely is waiting on the doormat patiently waiting for him to come home.
Dogs are so loyal to us. Despite the things that may have happened to them at the hands of humans they are so ready to show how much they appreciate us.
Lovely has only been with us for 3 days and she shows us how much she likes us every day!

Lesson 6

Appreciate your surroundings:
Dog really take in and appreciate their surroundings. I am watching three dogs who are all in the lounge with me. They all have their favourite spots in the house and also outside.
Us humans are often lost in thought and hardly take in our surroundings. Dogs sniff everything and notice every minute detail.
We can learn a lot from dogs. Focussing on our surroundings acutely can help us remain in the present  This is a very good thing to be able to do and greatly helps reduce stress.
Appreciating where we are right now is well worth doing.

Lesson 6

Appreciate your surroundings:
Dog really take in and appreciate their surroundings. I am watching three dogs who are all in the lounge with me. They all have their favourite spots in the house and also outside.
Us humans are often lost in thought and hardly take in our surroundings. Dogs sniff everything and notice every minute detail.
We can learn a lot from dogs. Focussing on our surroundings acutely can help us remain in the present  This is a very good thing to be able to do and greatly helps reduce stress.
Appreciating where we are right now is well worth doing.

Lesson 5

'Stop moping and go and have fun camping! '
I could almost hear Ollie say this to me as G and I drove Bert and Rufus to The New Forest for our first camping trip without him. I felt a little lost and empty as we arrived at the campsite. Usually Ollie would leap out of the van and try and find something disgusting to roll in in order to create his own particular brand of chaos but on this trip things seemed rather more civilised.
I also felt a twinge of guilt while enjoying the camping trip thinking how sad it was that Ollie wasn't there to enjoy it too but then I thought it was a much more fitting tribute to Ollie to have fun camping just as he would have done had he been here and then I smiled and remembered what my friend Phil said, 'Dogs are never more than a thought away.'
Every time I think of Ollie I smile and am very grateful for the time I spent with him.
Today is a good day too as we are going to pick up Lovely a beautiful rescue dog who we have been walking for a couple of years now.
This marks the start of a new chapter.

Lesson 4

Go out in all types of weather! I woke up this morning and it is howling a gale and pouring with rain. I could have stayed in bed but then I thought about Ollie and I could picture him quietly insisting that we go out anyway. I got out of bed and put on my coat and shoes and then I was outside in the elements. It was absolutely the right thing to do. I found it invigorating. I didn't go on a long walk as it is very wild and so after a while I turned back and now I am back in my cosy caravan with a cup of tea.
Ollie is right going out in all weathers is a brilliant thing to do!

Lesson 3

Ollie taught me that having fun costs nothing. Let's face it he was having a great time every time he spotted some cow dung and rolled in it! I might not find that quite as much fun but I just watched the little photo show I made in memory of Ollie and I realise that just about everything we liked doing together cost little or no money.
Walking in the countryside costs nothing and spending time with loved ones is free.
Walking Ollie helped me to forget about the things in life that cause me stress such as paying bills and thinking about The News.
I began to realise that those things are there when I get back from Walkies so I don't need to focus on them while I am out in Nature. That was the first step. The next step was realising that I didn't need to worry about them at all. If I have the power to alter something I can take action but if the thing I am thinking about can't be influenced by me then why worry? This helps me to focus on the present and look for the best outcome in every given situation.

That was a very important lesson Ollie taught me. I have started to appreciate Now, focusing on what is happening around me now rather than worrying about things that have happened in the past or might happen in the future.

If you click on the long link below you should be taken to the photo show I made. I hope you enjoy watching!















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