​When I was young, I remember waiting in line at the grocery store behind a mother and her young child – probably between 3-5. The kid, bored from a long trip through Kroger, found a glimmer of hope in his day when he saw the brightly colored candied section at the checkout aisle. The aisle, as they tend to be, was filled with Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, gum, Skittles, and any other mainstream candy you could have imagined.

“Mommy, can I have some candy?” the child asked politely as his tiny hand grabbed for some Peanut Butter cups.

“Not today, honey” the mom responded without even thinking.

And then it began.

The child, sensing his mother’s distraction and lack of conviction to her “no” began to escalate.

“PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!” he said.

“I said not today,” she said.

“BUT I WANT CANDY!!!” he said.

The mom then glanced around the store, feeling the impending doom of a full meltdown, and changed her tune.

“Okay honey. Since you were good in the store.”
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This scene is something we’ve all either been a part of – whether as the parent, the kid, or a bystander thinking about we’re happy we don’t have kids or how much better we would handle the situation if we did have kids ( was the latter before I had kids myself and gained a massive amount of empathy for parents put in that situation). 

When I work with a dog, the change in the dog is almost immediate. It's part technique and strategy. But more importantly, I present myself in a way that allows nervous, anxious dogs to immediately feel comfortable and safe. 

When making changes in your dog, you have to start with yourself. I'm not just talking the behavior changes at home, I'm talking having the ability to shift your state and to create confidence. 

This isn't just experience. Being a stable leader, in and of itself, is a skill you need to learn. You might be reading dog training books, when you really need to be reading Tony Robbins books. 

Get more details about what you're missing here in the video: