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, Miranda.

I'm so excited to have you here today.

Miranda: Yeah, it's
been a long time coming.

It's great to sit down with you.

Awesome.

Anke: So before we dig into the topic,
let's just give people a, you know, two

minute overview of where you're based,
what's the day job, you know, what's the

business, and we'll take it from there.

Miranda: Yeah, I'll try
to keep it to two minutes.

So I'm based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Um, I run a business
called The Mindful Canine.

I've had it for five years.

Started out as an on the boots on
the ground doing dog behavior work.

Um, now I have a, you know, an online
business that's growing and I offer

virtual programs based upon wellness
for humans and animals, humans and dogs.

So that's my whole thing.

Can we, can we learn, learn,
grow and heal together?

So I integrate a lot of, um,
innovative things like mindfulness,

um, like some somatic work.

Um, a lot of building,
a lot of my focus is.

Building a lot of self awareness around
our patterns, um, how we are with our dogs

and the relationship with them is a mirror
for how we are in our other relationships.

Um, so my, my goal is that, um, people
become empowered to, to really take

action to support themselves so that
they have a better life with their dogs,

um, and they actually can then start
to Think of how they want to contribute

and make the world a better place
for, um, for people and for animals.

Anke: Couldn't love the small, but
you know, , when I first stumbled

across your lines, like, oh, I
want her, I want her for this.

Um, so I'm curious, so you started out
with like dog behavior and I, I, I think,

well, I, especially when I think back
of like when I first found my first dog.

So the kind of, the idea is like,
oh, you know, people would go to

a dog behaviorist, dog trainer
to, can you help me fix my dog?

Right?

Mm-Hmm.

. So how, how did you come across.

How did you come to the insight of,
well, actually the bigger, the bigger

lever is on the other end and how do you
help your clients understand that bit?

Yeah, so

Miranda: I love that question.

And, um, I, my journey is, I have
a background in, um, animal health.

So I started in, as a vet tech,
um, worked in pretty much every

aspect of the animal industry.

Um, and then I started, I was always
interested in dog behavior, it was

always a big theme ever since I was a
child, ever since I was a child, really.

Um, everything dogs, how do they
work, um, all about them, so, um.

I really dove deep into that space,
um, and when I quit being a vet tech,

that's when I started my business.

And, um, this shift really happened
for me when I started my own personal

healing journey, um, which was seven
years ago when my son was born.

Um, and I recognized that there had
been a lot of things that I hadn't

looked at in my own personal life.

There had been trauma that
I hadn't acknowledged.

Um, it came out as emotional
reactivity, which is the, the piece

that I support people in recognizing.

Um, if you are emotionally reactive
to your dog, um, to their behavior.

There's an unhealed part of you
that, um, that is, is asking to

be seen, and so it's not the dog's
fault and it's not your fault.

Um, very likely both of you have
trauma, and so it's looking at

uncovering how can we support your
dog in feeling better, feeling safer.

And how can we support you in letting
go of a lot of layers of guilt and

shame and self judgment, um, and
really healing, so that you can start

to see kind of the, the trueness of
who you are, um, which is how I see

that our dogs, like, really see us as.

But I think in order for us to be
able to really, as animal people, live

full and vibrant lives, We have to
get to, we have to start to peel back

those layers of conditioning so that
we accept ourselves for who we are.

Just like our dogs accept us
for who we are unconditionally.

Because in order to make a difference in
the world, in order to be able to actually

shift things in a big way, um, you have
to be grounded in your own sense of self.

Um, and that's the only way that you're
gonna build connections and relationships.

So in my journey, that's the thing
that's made the biggest difference.

I went from being a burnt out, like, just
living to survive animal Professional,

essentially, to now, you know, I can
empower people, both pros and, um, you

know, just, just guardians, to, to live
their best life, that their dog, your

dogs want you to live your best life,
stop holding yourself back from that, um,

and a lot of that is just uncovering the
awareness that everything is connected,

and so when we're focused 100 percent on
our dog's behavior, um, It causes, it's

like you're holding a mirror, like you're
holding a picture too close to your face.

So in order to be able to, I, my goal
is to just, let's see if we can pull

the picture back so you can see, um,
that everything is really connected.

So anything you do to support
yourself directly supports

your dog and their healing.

Anke: Yeah, that makes
so much sense to me.

It's, it's, uh, it reminds me of, um,
There's a book by Kevin Behan, Your Dog

is Your Mirror, and there's actually,
he basically, the piece I remember

most was where he says, well, look
at your dog and pick up on the things

you most love about your dog and the
stuff that drives you nuts, right?

They're the two areas where you kind
of really have to look at yourself

and see how that, how that relates.

And I think the moment you start
looking through that lens, oh

boy, the book, the more you see.

Miranda: It's so interesting because your
second person has mentioned this book.

I have never read this book.

It's, it's like, it's all the
things that I kind of discovered.

Well, not organically.

There's, you know, there's
definitely influences there.

But, um, I think that that is
a, there is so much truth to

that, um, and it's just in that
willingness to look at and explore.

I, I always say, like, animals
and children are our best teacher.

Um, there's a huge movement in the, I
have a son as well, so I follow a lot

of the conscious parenting movement.

There's a huge shift in that space, um,
for empowerment for moms to start to

look at themselves and healing their,
themselves, so that they, They can heal

their child, um, and I can see that that
is possible in the dog industry, and we

can start to treat animals with, um, you
know, as sentient beings, with respect,

that we, we honour them, um, Yeah, even
more than that, like that we can honour

and appreciate that they have a higher
level of understanding a lot of times

than we give them credit for, um, and
so it's about time we stopped trying to

dominate and control them and actually
started to consciously connect with them

and understand them on a deeper level.

Anke: Yeah, I just couldn't.

I mean, this is what you just,
the way you just summed it up.

It's like, yeah, this is
why I started this project.

Like, this is what I meant with that,
you know, because it drives me crazy

when people like, oh, you know, sit
and, you know, it's like, as if it's

like a little toy that you can just
like, you know, if we don't want to

have the little key at the end, kind of
does you say something and the little

thing does like talk to so much more.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, if you take the time
to actually look closer.

Yeah.

Well, there's a lot we can learn from
them You know, I would say I want

to be like my dogs when I grow up.

I just gotta be more dog They have so much
to give and to respect them for what they

are and for how they are the same and how

Miranda: they're different Absolutely,
and this is the piece where I take it

with people a layer deeper and go because
whenever we have a trigger that's a it's

a it's an unhealed part of ourselves.

So when I notice I'm triggered, I ask,
I start to ask myself, because most of

our wounds are learned in childhood, I
start to ask myself, okay, what part of

this is like, is an unmet need for me?

Like, where, and you know, so yeah,
for me as well, people trying to

micromanage their dogs or trying
to control a force, huge trigger.

So it's like, in me, Where
is that unhealed part?

Where was I controlled or subjected
to things that were unfair that I

haven't processed and worked through?

That's

Anke: really, what you just said is
really interesting because I'm like,

well, I get really triggered by, you
know, when somebody tries to sort of

forcefully control or yell at a dog,
like I get super triggered by that.

So, you know, it might be something
to have a closer look at there.

That's really, that's really interesting.

Are there particular sort of
patterns that show up a lot for,

for, for your clients, for example?

Miranda: Yeah, I mean, where, where I
tend to support is, um, people that are

a lot like me, so people that have huge
hearts, give to everybody, um, have

a challenge receiving, um, and have a
challenge using their voice, speaking

up for themselves, um, you know, taking
action on the things that are important

to them, um, and so, yeah, where I see
it is there's an opportunity here where

they can both Give their dog what they
need, give themselves what they need.

Um, and a lot of times too, it's,
it's developing a voice through

speaking for the dog initially.

My, you know, because especially when
there's a, when there's a particular

challenge, there's an awareness that's
being built around what the dog needs

and why the dog is the way they are.

And then we can move into, um, actually
that compassion rather than judgment.

Or, you know, that they're, they're
the way they are, and labels.

Like, essentially, if I can coach them
through that, till the, till the point

that they get to, they're empowered to
advocate, that they understand their

dog to the point where they're like,
No, he's not reactive or aggressive,

he's fearful and traumatized, and...

You know, I can get them to that place
where they're advocating for their dog.

Um, the bridge there is, is then I,
I want to bring them into it as well.

Um, and in that building, that
awareness that their dog has their own

experience, um, that their dog has, you
know, a very distinct emotional world.

Um, I want to then bring that
and see if they're willing

to offer that same level of.

Care, compassion, and understanding that,
you know, their reactivity or their, um,

challenges are often repressed wounds.

Um, there are often things and patterns
that Um, that have been, you know, just

caused by pain, um, so it's a lot easier
to extend compassion to another being,

whether that be an animal, whether that be
someone we love than it is to ourselves,

so it's turning that around full circle
and seeing if we can create some awareness

that they're doing the best they can.

Um, and start to, to move
towards that level of personal

acceptance and forgiveness.

Anke: That's powerful because there is
really, you know, so many entry points and

everywhere you make a change, it impacts
yourself, your dogs, people around you.

So it's just that, you know, that
beautiful wholeness that, that I think

is really worthwhile having a closer
look at and not just to say, well,

there's a dog that needs to do things
and, you know, so it's not that separate.

That's all.

I think the magic really shows
when we actually look at it from

this more holistic kind of place.

It's wonderful.

So where can people go and
find out more about you?

Where can they go connect with
you, find out about your work?

Miranda: Yeah, beautiful.

So right now my website is Mindfulcanine.

ca, we will be creating a new
one that's just my name so I can

branch out to all of my projects,
but that's the one for right now.

Um, I also run a group on
Facebook, that's, that's the real

space if you want us deeper dive
into this, you want to connect.

with people who think this
way, I'm really creating a

movement in the community there.

Um, and so in there I do weekly lives,
um, I do Q& As, I also run a monthly

masterclass, and that is geared all around
emotional healing for you and your dog.

Um, so the concept that you
can heal synergistically.

Um, from wounding, from trauma,
and, um, build a more peaceful,

calm, present existence.

Um, because I think that at the base
of it, that's what we all really want.

We want to be seen.

Your dog wants to be seen.

You want to be seen and
acknowledged for who you really are.

And, um, that's the first
step, is allowing yourself to

be witnessed, seen, supported.

Um, and then from there, that
level of acceptance, um, and

awareness starts to grow.

Anke: So obviously, if you're listening
on the podcast, the links are in the show

notes, and if you're on the newsletter,
obviously it's right below this video.

So go connect with Miranda,
you won't regret it, I promise.

Thank you so

Miranda: much.

Absolutely.

It was an honor to be here.

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.