The hardest thing for most of us is asking for help. I know I feel like a complete failure if I have to ask for help. That independent streak runs deep in most of us. Some of you reading are probably lucky enough to have avoided it, but I know it’s more like an independent rash than a streak for me. I feel like I should be able to handle anything if I just put my mind to it. Surely there are plenty of You Tube videos and written tutorials to get me through anything, right? And if I can’t take control of a situation by myself, asking for help is just admitting defeat, right?
Is asking for help admitting defeat?
Wrong. I have to remind myself of this all the time, but asking for help is not admitting defeat. It’s taking control of a situation. We can’t all be experts at every situation that comes our way. We have to ask for help if we want to make it anywhere in this crazy life. We need legal advice when we have legal trouble, medical advice when faced with a medical issue, and the list goes on.
It’s easy to say we love our dogs big enough that we should just know what to do with them. It’s also easy to say we know ourselves well enough that we should just be able to be happy. But neither case is true. Dogs aren’t humans. Their interactions and their needs are unique. Ask for help from a trainer if you can’t work it out on your own. Take control of the situation by asking for help. It’s your job to know when you need help with your dogs. Same with asking for help for yourself.
The professionals are there for a reason.
I’ve needed counselors to get me through sh*t times. I’ve needed someone with knowledge and expertise to guide my on a path to a healthier, happier me. I’ve relied on an agility instructor, a tree service, a contractor, and numerous other experts. I’ve needed a dog trainer to help me work through issues with my dogs. Loving my dogs wasn’t enough when I couldn’t figure out what to do with them. So, I took control by asking for help. In both cases, I am better for it and my dogs are too. You will be too.
There is no shame in asking for help. Why go it alone when there are people out their who make it their life’s work to help you with the challenges you are facing? Why flounder for fear of asking for help when the braver choice is to take a step forward, face your fears and your true situation, and make the appointment? Reach out to a dog trainer who can help. Reach out to a counselor who can help. Reach out to a doctor who can help. Reach out to an expert who can take some of the burden from you and put you on the path forward, out of the crap moment you are having right now.
Stop struggling and take control – by asking for help
If you are struggling with your dog, find a positive reinforcement trainer. They have made it their life’s work to help you and your dog live your best life possible. They will guide you and teach you and give you tools that you need. They will give you back the power you might be missing right now, and you and your dogs will be happier, healthier, and more sane as a result.
Your Turn: What do you need help with? Is there some challenge you are facing that you need to stop trying to face alone. Who can you turn to to help you take control of the situation and take a step forward?