Hello Sizzlers,
Being a dog parent (or guardian or whatever else you prefer to call it), has definitely added to something that has always been present in my life: imposter syndrome.
To this day, I often find myself wondering: “Am I even cut out to look after this little puppy?”, the self-doubt crept in pretty fast since day 1 and I still battle with it. A good example: I’d go “Why can’t he settle down?” to “Hold on, why is he so quiet during the day? Is he sad? Am I not doing enough?” and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The truth is, I should have been celebrating rather than doubting myself. Celebrating things like:
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How he’s able to settle throughout the day
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How our communication has become clearer
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How we’ve built a solid routine and get to spend so much time together
When you get a dog, you want and hope for the dog that will be super friendly, confident and that will want to listen to you. You may read books, download a few apps and you let yourself get sucked into the abundance of conflicting information out there.
Some of it works. Some doesn’t. Maybe the method isn’t the right fit. Maybe the timing is off. Either way, it’s overwhelming and before you know it, you’re questioning yourself. So you research more. And then more. And then… burnout.
Seriously, I felt burnt out all the time.
And let’s be honest: social media doesn’t help. It makes it easy to want perfection and easy to make you feel down when you can’t live up to those standards.
All your focus goes toward your dog, and you forget to take care of yourself. Some days or weeks go by like this.
For a while, I really struggled to cope with my daily life while also trying to meet Sizzle’s needs. But what I’ve learned is this: It’s okay not to have it all figured out. It’s okay to ask for help.
I have worked with my fair share of trainers, some I didn’t agree with or like, some weren’t the right fit, some couldn’t offer the support I needed. But I didn’t give up. I knew I couldn’t do it all alone and found the right trainers. Now, I genuinely feel like I’m in the right place.
I feel so lucky to have:
- Trainers who really listen and guide me.
- Fellow dog friends I can vent to.
- A tighter, more manageable set of resources I can turn to without getting overwhelmed.
And asking for help doesn’t have to stop at training. Sizzle has separation anxiety (although, part of me thinks it’s more FOMO than anything). It can be draining, frustrating, and isolating. I honestly thought “I guess I can never leave the house alone again.” but that’s not realistic or fair to either of us.
Now, I have a solid (though occasionally shaky!) support system: sitters, friends, and family I can rely on when I need to go to the office or have a night out. It’s not easy and it takes A LOT of planning but it works. It gives me the chance to have dog-free time, even if just for a few hours.
And all of that? It’s worth celebrating too. We’ve overcome a lot already and I know we’ll overcome even more. So I’m celebrating things like:
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Sizzle not howling for 3 minutes when I leave, when just last week he howled the moment I touched the door handle.
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Sizzle playing with toys outdoors.
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Sizzle not barking when a child or another dog gets a bit too close and listening to me instead.
So here’s your reminder: Forget what everyone else is doing. Focus on your own wins. Celebrate what you and your dog have achieved.
It feels a lot better than spiraling into self-doubt. And if you make a mistake, that’s okay. Regroup. Learn. Try again. You’re human. Mistakes will happen but you’ve got this.
See you in the next post!
– Shaz & Sizzle 🐶