Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who
see dogs not as toys or tools, but wise souls worth our respect and care.
I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host.
I talk to poor some humans, people who do great work for dogs and their people.
So come and join us for today's conversation.
Anke: Hello and welcome, Noelle.
we've just had a, we're just having a little good giggle about the heat
and fans and stuff, and I always love starting the recording when we're in
a, when we're in a bit of a giggle.
So welcome.
Well, I'm super excited to have you here.
Noelle: I'm so happy as well.
Thank you for having me, Anke.
Anke: Well, as always, you might know that I always start out asking people
where in this wonderful th world you are based, and what's your business with dogs?
Noelle: So, um, actually in Western Australia around Perth, and my business
is dogs, so I've got a party person, which is a specialized pet minder for
dogs with challenges, rescue dogs, reactivity, or anxious dogs, this
kind of mental, emotional behavior that can be problematic, but they need
to be cared for as well as others.
So that's my specialty as pet minder, and I bring as well some healing into that.
And from this in person business, I developed my online
business, which is about that.
Developing the well being of the dog, we add as well the part, the human
part, to be as well at the best.
So like this coming together, They really can thrive and have a really good life.
It's more fun because the people I work with are stressed, usually,
because, yes, they really want the quality of life for their dog,
but it can affect their own life.
So, yes, it's about having both at the best in the way of wellness
and healing as well as stressful situations they may have encountered.
through their life together.
So, yes, it's about having fun integrated again and healing and as
well just the joy of being together.
Yes, I love that.
Anke: I love that.
You know, looking at, I think there seems to be almost like a movement, a
whole wave that people recognize that you have to look at both ends of the leash
to really, to really make this work.
See, you, you mentioned something that like people get stressed, like through
their dogs, like who's stress comes first?
You know, is it that the dog picks up from the person or the person picks
up from the dog or, you know, what's, what's more common in your experience?
Noelle: Okay, so I'm coming from the canine rehabilitation world because
I did some, uh, work as an assistant.
So at that time, it could be more the person being stressed about and shocked
by the diagnosis, prognosis they had about the dog, and the dog as well
being in that situation, of course.
that they can't do what they used to do.
So that's as well, uh, after that feed each other.
But I would say in that case, it could be the human stress that develop on
the dog until we see the progression in mobility, in comfort in the dog.
And then you can see both the dogs Being brighter, more alert,
and happy to be able to be a dog.
And the human thing, that obviously, that they're 13, they have a baby, doing well.
So, that sounds well, that uplift the spirit to do more with the dog.
Now, when I'm doing, uh, the pet minding, the dogs that I encounter,
uh, it's more about, could be a rescue dog, so that could be past
history, genetics, genetics, genetics.
Uh, it could be situational as well if they're in an environment which
is not promoting calm or even peace.
So in that case, it could be the dog started being stressed.
The person brings, I mean, I've got some clients who are very good at dog
training, and they're so surprised with this new dog, with the issues
they have, the challenges, I call that.
Uh, thinking, oh, but I know what to do.
And then they realize, though, there's kind of a conflict in what
they know to what they have in front of themselves, in front of them.
Um, So, in that case, after that, the job starts with the stress, the person's
stress about the welding of the job, and then feeding cycle that, yes,
depending on how they are on the day.
So, yes.
Yeah.
I guess
Anke: that's the thing.
It's, it's, it's, it's interesting.
I, actually, I remember somebody actually, uh, became a dog trainer as a result of
the kind of case that you just described.
You know, she had dogs all her life, you know, thought she knew about like, you
know, how to train a dog, never, you know, and all of a sudden this one dog comes
in and nothing of what she knew worked, you know, and the dog was just You know,
all kinds of issues and that led her to sort of like, what's going on here?
Like, what was I missing where I was just lucky with the others, you know, and,
and build a business on the back of that.
So it's really fascinating.
What I'm curious about, now we have this cycle, you know, it
seems to be this spiral of stress.
What would you suggest?
Like, what do you say to people?
Like, how can you start breaking into that, breaking through that?
Yes,
Noelle: for me, I like to start with the human part because the dog
is so tuned into the energy of the person that by affecting your own
behavior, that's what you can control.
You can affect your dog.
So I'm thinking as we're doing calming practices, I like to say that for people
striding walk with their dog, to just stop at the door even before going out, stop
and check them, check in with themselves, how they're feeling, if they're already
stressed, because that won't go better.
So if they stop, and it can take just a few seconds, stop to be aware
of their mind state at the time.
And then do even just some simple breathing to slow down their
heartbeats and slow down themselves and their mind, knowing what will
happen and anticipating the worst.
To just take these few seconds to change this mind shift and then to be
able to say, okay, we can go and even maybe visualize, um, the ideal walk
they would like to have with their dog because you really transport yourself
in a different space that really projects this calming energy and maybe
as well happier energy than when you go stressed to say I need to walk my
dog, I'm stressed and to rush maybe as well if it's uh restricted in time.
And by just having this time of grounding, kind of, and calming
yourself, your dog will respond to that.
And say, oh, there's maybe nothing to worry.
So, and the same you can do calming games with your dog, like
the fine game or snuffer mat.
People know those mats when you sprinkle some treats to the forage.
So, by having as well your dog lowering their head, you lower their energy.
So that means from excited, high your head.
You can go back to calming, foraging, and that shifts as well their mindset.
So there's two parts like this, and then you go out on your walk already starting
in a better position to get an enjoyable walk than if you were starting to be, uh,
Anke: oh yes,
Noelle: what's happened?
I need to go and exercise.
I need to do exercise.
I mean, there's a lot of things to say about walk as well as
exercise, but it's just that you can already control yourself.
To give yourself a signal of calm and happy energy, if you want, your dog
already will have this reassurance that is where you're there, and you
may be as well able to respond instead of react to triggering situation and
stressful situation, so that they can rely on you instead of having to react
sometimes with higher signal of stress.
To say back off to others because they need to say I need to protect both of us.
So yes, it's kind of this system of having yourself already in the
composition to control yourself, to be aware, and then to be able to say,
okay, we changed the narrative from stress to, okay, calmer and enjoyable.
So yes, that's something I like to
Anke: do.
I think this is an interesting one because I'm thinking back to like my
first song, this one, and I'm thinking, oh boy, I wish somebody told me that
at the time, because also where we were living, it was like very unstable.
space was a historic part of town.
And there were, you know, it's almost like you already knew you were going
to have a bunch of encounters that are going to be stressful for the both of us.
So, and everything I could find at the time was literally always pointing.
Towards the dog, right?
Like don't let the, and it was more, it wasn't about help your dog relax.
It was about make sure your dog is calm, like kind of don't go out and just
wait there until he calms down, right?
And that wouldn't work.
It didn't work, you know, because he didn't calm down on his own.
And, you know, and I didn't come like, and I didn't even realize that I could.
look and, you know, like check in with myself to start with.
I discovered that later with, yeah, with the next one with, with that,
you know, he was like super sensitive.
It was like really, really obvious with him.
And when I was a little nervous, he was like a lot more tense.
So yeah, I think it's, it's great that people kind of, you know, that, People
like you now spread that message and people become aware of it because it
really is where it starts, isn't it?
Noelle: But don't you agree as well that those dogs that you said, you knew this
person, this dog trainer who knew so many, so much, and don't you think that
they come into our lives for a reason?
To teach us something like this?
Anke: I think every dog there's, you know, there's a lesson, you
know, there's definitely, they, Bye.
Each one is there to teach us something, you know, and I can definitely say
that with the four that I've had, it's um, it's definitely true.
You know, they always push the boundaries somewhere and, and make you look in
a direction that you hadn't been.
I mean, the thing is that it isn't even about, you know, Oh,
I didn't want to look there.
It was like, I didn't even realize it was a thing.
You know, I didn't even realize there was somewhere to look.
Noelle: Yes.
Yeah.
I think they re opened doors.
Like my late study, that was about the stress, the importance
of addressing and dealing with stress or handling stress better.
Uh, that was really the big lesson I came out with, uh, with him.
And I've got so many as well, dog trainers as well, who have, I would call
that trigger dog, but pivotal, I would say pivotal, uh, dog, uh, situation
that, like, you know, your friend made them realize, okay, I'm a dog trainer.
There's another method, another technique that I could, uh, do
to improve our life together.
And that's the point I would like to make.
There's not only one method.
To work for everybody, you can really adjust and adapt and take
maybe from different methods.
That's what I like to do as well, to go look around what's happening in
the world for the different training, different methods, and take what I
can apply to the dog that we'll be working with or be with at the time.
Uh, that's really, I think, important not to be stuck to, you know, One thing.
Anke: Oh, I love that.
Totally love that.
Because it is so like, it is like when you first, especially when
you kind of first have a dog and you kind of like, oh, I don't know,
like, you know, dunno anything.
All I know is that I know nothing.
Right?
And then there is this idea like, you follow this school
or that school or this school.
School of thought.
But it's almost like, you know what it reminds me of?
It reminds me of.
of health and nutrition, right?
It's like at the end of the day, you know, there's like this and there's that
there's all these different approaches that you can kind of go and you know,
and any time, anything you do, even even you know, how you build a business,
whatever, like there's always somebody teaches something at the end of the day,
You need to take in all of that and then digest it and choose what's right for you.
And, and that's so true for the dogs, isn't it?
Noelle: Yes.
It's, and it says where I think that would be, um, something as well spread the word
more that dogs are very much individuals.
I mean, they sent Sentian being, but they're very individual
because, uh, I know a lot of people just consider dog the dogs.
And, uh, they don't go further than that.
And that's sad, because they're missing out on all that could be,
uh, yes, uh, their life with a dog.
More enriched by discovering who their dog is, their personality,
their skills, interests.
And that's why I, uh, I do as well with my pet minding.
I've got those days I offer to start before having the dogs in care.
To really know what they're interested in, what their
skills, what does well they pay.
Because the going at the pace of the dog is so important as well to lower
the stress level, to develop their coping skills, things like this.
So yes, uh, I really that to consider the dog as an individual
with their own personality, I think it's really important too.
Anke: Yeah.
That's something that I learned when, when I had, when, when I got the first,
the second dog, you know, I never thought I'd have more than one, but when
the second one came along and it was like, Jesus, like, and the thing is.
You wouldn't even, because I was a little bit like, oh, dogs are like this, and
dogs like this, and dogs like the other thing, like I didn't realize how different
they were until I had more than one, you know, at the same time, in the same house.
You know, so it isn't like, oh, but you were different, you know, so it's like,
no, no, no, they're three different dogs in the same house at the same time,
you know, and they're all different.
So it's, yeah, I mean, it does enrich it, like, yeah, to the nth degree, for sure.
Yeah, so tell, tell me a little, like, I mean, I know most people listening
are probably not in Western Australia, but, uh, tell me about the retreats,
because they're just delightful.
Noelle: Oh yes, I know, yes, I mean, that's a big project I have carried with
me for a few years, because I realized, I mean, Western Australia is peculiar
as well with the laws, that, uh, it was when I first arrived, because you would
hear my French accent, but when I moved there, it was really restricted in where
you could get your dog with you and them.
I wanted to have this moment of retreat as well, because I work mostly with
challenges, uh, for dogs or for people.
To have this moment of peace, of serenity, we can share and the same,
the same theme of being at the best, to come together really and re enjoy.
It's a lot of fun.
It's a lot of fun to be able to spend.
Quality time together to enjoy doing things they wouldn't
have thought of doing.
And the retreats I chose really are based on nature, immersion and healing.
And doing games.
So it's bringing more calm, more peace, but as well more fun.
And as well, I think discovering each other as well.
Completely out of their routine environment.
Which is made safe, which is made as well really to enhance the
experience we could have together.
Uh, so I'm doing that in person in my area, but I'm offering as well online.
Uh, I've got one coming and that's, I'm working with an animal
communicator as well, because it would be to understand the dog better.
And Different, different ways, because as I say, the dog is an individual, but
they have as well different dimensions, dimensions like we do, and the animal
communication, I think it's really good to approach that three years different way,
completely out of what we, we, we used to say for, for understanding the canine body
language, that go much further than that.
So I'm doing that as well online, and system, online system, system of having
the person calm or relaxed, parallel of having the dogs relax as well.
So it's as well a different aspect of their relationship.
that you wouldn't have experienced on a daily life.
Anke: I love that.
Love that so much.
And Anke is like, Oh my God, like somebody should do that here.
Like a little escape with your dog.
Right.
So, because normally it's people go on holiday and it's
like, Oh, you need to either.
I can bring the holiday.
I can bring the dog if I'm lucky, but then it's still my holiday.
And the dog somehow has to sort of fit in and be.
Yes.
You know, a luggage in a sense, you know, or you leave the
dog with somebody else, right?
So now would you suggest in like literally taking out time to really be
together and in a different environment?
I just love this to the F degree.
Yes.
And it's
Noelle: about definitely do things with the person and with the dog.
So it's the retreat for both for the dog and for the person.
It's not like both coming along.
Anke: Yeah, exactly.
That's wonderful.
So where can people go and get connected with you, find out more
about, you know, especially the online things when you're not in Australia?
Noelle: Yes, so I think I will give you the links, but yes, um, email would
be the easiest because that would be the strength to, to me, uh, at noelle
at dog that the best at the best.
com.
au.
Hold on, we'll put
Anke: it in the show notes below.
So,
Noelle: and otherwise, yes, I've got, um, monthly workshop, a monthly
workshop about handling stress better, uh, for people with their dog.
So that, like the check in time.
It's part of the formula I present in the workshop because it's
really transformed the relationship they can have with their dog.
And otherwise, as well as well, I've got some resources like I've got the
10 tips to calm your dog and as well I've got the three key elements.
to successfully train your rescue dog and that one is mostly if you don't know
why your dog is responding like this with the stress or anxiety or trauma
they have lately, there's three, um, different ways of, three steps you can
take to really, uh, improve the experience for your dog and for yourself so that
you can, Start training more easily.
I'm thinking from the point of young dogs, when they come as a rescue,
may not have the capacity mentally and emotionally to train, to learn.
So, those three key elements come before.
And that's what I do as well as the online program, is to prepare you to either
behavior modification, Or for training to prepare you and your dogs to be at
your best capacity to be open to learning and doing something more with your dog.
So that will be the link that we provide Anke.
Love that.
Anke: Love that.
Thank you.
And we're going to pop all these links so you can choose, like, if you're
listening, you can choose which one you want to kind of dive into first.
So we're going to pop everything, uh, with the video below or in the show notes.
So thank you so much, Noel.
This was absolutely delightful.
Thanks for coming and you make me want to come to Australia again.
Come, come, come.
Please do.
Thanks so much for joining us.
Noelle: Thank you for having me again.
This was a pleasure.
Thanks so much for listening.
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That's A N k E at Soul touched by dogs.com.