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, Tessa.

I'm very excited to have you here today.

Tessa: Thank you for having me.

I'm excited about that too.

Anke: Awesome.

Awesome.

So, well, let's start out
as we always start out.

Let people know where in this
lovely world you're based and

what's your business with dogs?

Tessa: I am based in Nova Scotia, Canada,
which is, uh, for the last seven years.

Before that, I originally I'm from the
Netherlands and there after that in

Norway, so I have traveled a little
bit, but I'm here to stay and um,

um, my business, I started here and
my business is called Puzzle Dog.

Anke: Well, you like it
cold then, don't you?

Tessa: I like, yeah,

Anke: I always kind of scrape
around the cold, cold edges.

Tessa: I really don't mind winters, no.

Anke: That's funny.

So Puzzle Dog, bye!

Well, I'm thinking puzzle.

I'm thinking dog.

So how did they come together?

What does it mean?

Tessa: Yeah.

I think many, many people talk these days,
talk about, um, a canine enrichment and,

uh, most people are familiar with that.

But, um, um, my puzzle,

Puzzle craziness roots from a long
time ago when my dog Puck was still

a puppy, um, or like six months old.

And I started to do puzzles with her
using the Dutch method herschenwerk.

So, and herschenwerk is an,
uh, Translated, it's just

brain work to make it easier.

It's a method where we are really looking
at connection and and at Making a puzzle

session as beneficial as it can be.

And, um, that's how I came to the name
Puzzle Dog, where I help people, um,

introduce that method with, um, to,
yeah, to do puzzles with their dog.

And it's mainly, um, homemade puzzles,
but, um, of course I love the store bought

puzzles as well, so we use those too.

Um, and, and, and that's where the name
comes from, and it's just, so it's all

about mental, mental stimulation for dogs.

Anke: That's so cool.

It's such a cool name.

It's like, it's kind of like, it's
almost like you can't unsee it.

Now, so I'm interested
in a bunch of things.

First of all, what's the main benefit
of mental stimulation for a dog?

And, Like, how does it actually work?

Because in my mind, I looked at
your Instagram account, right?

And I'm like, seeing all these
bits and bobs on the floor there.

And I'm like, oh, that looks
like Ace Free work, right?

So what's, what's the

Tessa: difference?

The, the Hashaware method is, is not
what you see on my Instagram right now.

That's, uh, uh, That is a method where
you just work with one puzzle or one thing

to solve and where the, where the dog
and the owner are both involved and where

you work together and so you're, that's
a thing that is, um, about bonding and,

and the, I think, Activating the Seeking
System, so releasing all those happy

hormones, making the dog feel calmer,
growing confidence, all those benefits.

What you also see with H3 work,
you also see with, um, with doing

puzzles the Herschenberg way.

What you see on my website is my sensory
room, which actually after I, I, I

started out as, uh, with Herschenberg,
but then of course studied more.

So I did a lot of A3 work courses,
um, with Sarah Fisher, and then I

became a dynamic dog practitioner.

Um, and with all that knowledge, my,
uh, My sensory room was developed,

which is a mixture of everything I know.

And that's what you see on my Instagram.

So that's,

Anke: so that means it's not
surprising that it kind of looks

a little similar, but it's, it's
basically, so, I mean, let me kind of

Repeat back to what I'm hearing here.

So the difference between like Ace
Freework, the idea is like you set

all these different things up and the
dog goes in there and you're only,

and the whole point is that your dog
can just potter around by themselves

and your only job is to observe versus
what you're saying in the puzzles.

It's like, You are actually
there, literally, like, you're

kind of doing it together.

It's like, if you, you're not just
sending your kids in the playroom,

you actually play with your kid.

Tessa: Actually, in the sensory
room, I do send the dog, the

dog out and, and, and observe.

But with Hersheywerk, so when I do
one puzzle at a time, I am there.

But if I set up my sensory room,
it is more like a free work, but In

Ace Freerunner, they also do, uh,
interaction games, like counting

games, those kind of interaction games
with the dog, and I don't do that.

So, I stay away from, from, from the dog.

I really let them be on their own.

Anke: To figure out the puzzles.

Do you, have you ever had a case where
like, if a dog's just not interested in

the puzzle or, or like, how do you, like,
do they know what to do with the thing?

Like, if there's something on, on the
floor, like, do they know what to do?

Tessa: No, no, but we, we get it.

It's a little bit mixed
up, of course, now.

When I have, um, uh, my
Hairstromeric puzzles, I'm there.

So I have only one puzzle between me and
the dog and we can work on it together.

So I start extremely easy.

And that's actually the power of
Hairstromeric, where we do it in

tiny little steps, look at the dog.

What can you handle?

What can you solve?

When do you get frustrated?

Uh, do we need to take a step back?

Do we need to take a step forward?

Can you go faster?

Um, and, and because The human is so
close, um, you can really look at the

tiny little signs the dog gives you
and then you're able to step in when

needed and back out when needed too.

But it's, it's really what, what you
will see if you, if you would look at,

My, the first videos I took with my dog
Puck, um, we were communicating in big

words to say that like, like, we needed
a lot of things to communicate and now

it's like her tiny ear is like wiggling
or her, her body says something and I know

what she means and it's the same for her.

Fresh record on my phone.

She knows she can start and
in the earlier days, I told

her you can you can start now.

And so we had in those ten
years we do this together.

We have.

optimized our communication in
such a way that we are able to read

each other in the, in tiny letters.

Anke: Oh, I love that.

I love that.

And I mean, that makes, that makes,
I mean, it feels, it makes a lot of

sense because in a way what you're just
describing, it sounds like, oh, so you

were setting your dog up for lots and
lots of little successes along the way.

And And so the little dopamine
hits, but I think you also get to

know each other and understand each
other on a whole different level.

And that would translate outside
of the playroom as well, don't it?

Tessa: Yeah, immediately.

Yes.

Yes.

You know each other so well that
you, and you are also so focused on

on that communication.

So even if you don't know what your
dog tells you yet, because it's

something new, then you know that
they are telling you something.

So you are open for that communication
once you have learned to look for it.

So, and that translates
into everything in life.

If we are in the mood of always training
our dogs and always telling them what to

do, um, then our focus is not that much
on what they communicate back to us.

Yeah, that makes sense.

And, and, and with Herzberg,
it's their, their thing.

And we, we are literally sitting on
a, uh, a couple of square meters and,

and, and communicating with each other.

And, and that's the beautiful thing
about it, that you are really,

will really be able to learn to,
to get to know your dog better.

And I have had people that have
an amazing bond with their dog

already are like, I didn't think
it would become better, but it did.

Anke: Wow, wow, that's incredible.

So what do people, do people
usually have specific.

Outcome in mind, like if somebody
comes to you or it says Tessa,

can we do some puzzle dog work?

I want to do a puzzle dog with my dog.

Like is there usually, is that, is it
just because of curiosity or do they

come and say, hey, can this help with X?

So what does usually inspire
somebody to come to you?

Tessa: Most of the time it's people that
are interested to learn more, um, to

get more of the benefits, maybe because
their dog is always tearing stuff apart

or is just throwing things around or, um,
They don't know how to make the session

relaxed and calm and in a way that they
are actually learning from each other.

So they struggle with
setting up a puzzle session.

But I also guide people who have senior
dogs, for example, that are, um, changing

their ways in life and that are, uh,
yeah, harder to understand because they

were, used to be like this and now all
of a sudden they see changes going on.

And I, I created a program for that.

And also for dogs that have physical
issues, like they have, um, had surgery

or they have Something that stays there.

What is, what is, um, yeah, making
them not be able to do a lot of

walks or, or less physical exercise.

And, um, people always say, yeah, you just
have to do enrichment with those dogs.

And I have something like, oh, but you
need to do that safely because you can't.

Can actually re hurt a dog when you just
give them a treat ball on the slippery

floor and let them figure it out.

Yeah.

Anke: So, I mean, are there different
kind of gadgets or tools or, you know,

like how would you say if I'm now going
and like, okay, look, you know, Mrs.

Goofball Leia, you know, I would love to
see what she does because she's actually

quite like, usually in normal life,
you always think, boy, that dog's too.

Too clever for our own good, right?

So if I'm thinking, hey, we want to do
a puzzle, like, where would I start?

Like, what do I need?

Where, how do I go about it?

Could I do it on my own?

Or would I need, kind of, would
I need you to help me set it

up so I don't do it wrong?

So, what would you say?

How to get started?

Tessa: The best thing to get started is
I gave you a link to a little mini course

and that actually describes how do you
set up, how do you structure your session,

and what materials can you think about.

So, um, That little, that will help you
a lot to just get started with your dog.

My number one material
to use is just a towel.

So, um, if people want to get started
and, and, um, um, I always tell them

just grab a towel and don't start with
the famous towel roll because you'll

probably see your dog just, um, biting
holes in it or shaking it or whatever.

And that's because you
didn't give the manual.

Um, Um, and, and so I like to have
the towel flat on the floor with a

tiny little bit wrinkles in there,
just sprinkle some treats and

let the dog just sniff those out.

And then you start to scrunch
it up more and more and more.

So the sniffing becomes
more and more intense.

I like with the Hirszenberg method, you
like to stay under the high excitement

threshold, strong emotions, what, whether
they are happy or Frustrated or angry

or whatever they are, strong emotions
don't help you when you want to think.

And, um, so when you are a little
bit frustrated, you are really

in the mode to solve something.

But if you tip over the edge,
It doesn't help anymore.

So, uh, that's where, that's where
I try to look at where is this dog?

How does this dog feel?

And do I need to make it more difficult
or do I need to make it easier?

Anke: That makes sense.

That makes sense.

So you see in your experience, so how
often does somebody like kind of, is that

something you do every day or do you think
like, oh, you know, every now and then in

conjunction with something else, or how
do you, what, what would you recommend?

Tessa: It depends on the, on the, the
schedule of the humans themselves.

I always say do something what fits you,
because if you do it, uh, if you, if you

think I have to do this daily or I have
to do this twice daily or three times

a week, then it's the have to, which
takes the fun out of it for you yourself.

So it needs to fit in your own schedule.

Um, and, We, uh, we developed a, uh,
uh, uh, a system that every coffee

time and tea time, we are demanding
puzzles in this household, but that's

just how we do it, and I never tell
people that they need to do it the same

way, because if it doesn't fit in your
schedule, it's not going to happen, and

it's not going to be fun, and you're
not going to be able to just be there.

Anke: Yeah, that makes sense.

So how long is a session?

Like, I would imagine it
wouldn't be that long.

Like, you're not sitting there
for two hours, banging all about.

Tessa: I would say anything
between 5 and 20 minutes.

Yeah.

Anke: And so is that true?

Is that like, I heard that the, you
know, that like sort of when, when dogs

like sniff and are engaged like that,
it tires them out more than a long walk.

Is that your, is that
your experience as well?

Tessa: It tires them
out in a different way.

So the one is the physical, uh, fatigue
and the other one is mental fatigue.

So, um, I, I wouldn't replace one with
the other because they dogs need both.

Uh, you want a strong and healthy body
as well, but in on a rainy day, you

surely can do an extra session or, or
whatever, just to, uh, make sure you.

Get some fun activity together.

Anke: Yeah, so it's, it's about
more than anything about the

bond, about the communication,
about understanding each other.

It's about the dog being able
to, I don't know, like, relax and

kind of self regulate in a sense.

And, and basically everybody's
having a bit of fun with it.

Tessa: Yes, yeah, and that's what you
want to try to do, and a great example

is like, for example, the adolescence
dogs, where we humans are having a

time that it's hard to, to just stay
positive at times, right, because those

brains go all over the place, and it's
hard for us to not get frustrated with,

with a lot of our adolescent dogs.

And then a herschenberg session,
where you don't ask them to do

something where they have to.

where they have to do something.

So then you can just find out what
does work for this dog and how does

he, is he able to relax a little bit?

And, and the human can just be
with him and enjoy that too.

And, and actually also see,
Oh, I do have a great dog here.

We get out on the other side as well.

Anke: That's so true.

That's so true.

Actually, it's funny because I literally
spoke to somebody yesterday who

said, you know, of course, I've got
a lovely, whatever the dog was, can't

remember, but it's like, well, but
it's still like in that teenage phase,

you know, like it's the right nutcase.

Yeah.

Tessa: So that

Anke: would help a lot then.

Tessa: Yeah.

And those are the moments that you, it's
sometimes so hard to see the fun dog you

thought you had, because it's, it's, it's.

Can be so such a struggle
to deal with them.

And then if you have a, uh, that you
use the way I use, then you can just

start to see those 10 minutes in a
day that you really have an awesome

dog and that you will, that you
eventually will get out of it again.

Anke: Yeah, I love that.

I love that.

So you mentioned the little mini
course that I've of course seen.

Um, let people know where they can, I mean
obviously the link to the mini course,

we're going to pop that in the show notes.

Where can people go to get in touch with
you to find out more about your work?

Tessa: Um, the best way to find me
is on, uh, on My Facebook page and of

course on my website, puzzle dog.ca.

And I also have the Instagram account,
which is called Puzzle Puck because

Puzzle Dog was taken and, and I always
call my dog Puzzle Puck as a hashtag.

So that's what in Instagram became

.
Anke: That's awesome.

I love it.

Well, thank you so much.

This was delightful.

I'm gonna almost like, oh, I
can't wait to see what Mrs.

Goofball layer does with that.

Tessa: Me, me too.

Send

Anke: me a video.

I will, I will.

Thank you so much and I'll
have to talk to you again soon.

Yes, thank you.

Thanks so much for listening.

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