Soul Touched by Dogs

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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And if you know a pawsome human
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I'd love an introduction.

Email me at Anke.

That's A N k E at Soul
touched by dogs.com.