06/13/2024
For about three months we fought LOTS of crying with this little guy! I'm talking soaking wet blankets after being in the crate for just a bit...tears and whines for I'm sure what felt like eternity to him and quite a few sleepless hours for his humans. So we decided to try the big kennel and break the puppy training rules. We were desperate! And you know what, he's decided it's not so bad. Thank goodness! But it got me thinking about this quote...
"Beneath every behavior there is a feeling. And beneath every feeling there is a need. And when we meet that need rather than focus on the behavior, we begin to deal with the cause, not the symptom."
Poor Deucers will probably never be able to tell me if he was scared, claustrophobic, or angry in those smaller crates. Maybe they were too dark or he didn't like the plastic. Regardless, it was a good reminder that we ALL have needs and feelings beyond the behavior. And when we finally stopped to address his needs, we all got a little more sleep at night! 😊 May this be a gentle reminder to check in with yourself, your spouse, your kiddos, a friend, whoever it might be and know that sometimes we don't necessarily mean to act they way we do; there's probably just a need waiting to be met! So take care of yourself! And if you ever need someone to help, I work with some pretty amazing people in my line of work who would be more than happy to listen! Take care! ❤️
