Episode 66. Growing & Heeling: A Conversation About Dogs and Mental Health with Karoline of Dog Mom Mentality

We see these memes online everyday joking that all of our dogs are freelance emotional support dogs.  But what if it’s your dog’s behavior that’s causing you anxiety?

I’m grateful to Karoline Edmonds of Dog Mom Mentality for courageously sharing her ups and downs with us today. 

Admittedly a bit of a reluctant and naïve dog owner, in early 2020 Karoline agreed that her boyfriend could get a dog – if he was willing to do all the work.  Then COVID happened and Karoline found herself being the one at home all day everyday with Layla the Australian Shepherd mix.

When Layla began showing fear, reactivity and even some fear aggression, Karoline found that her dog’s anxiety was giving her anxiety!  So now what was she going to do?

Over the past 3 years Karoline has embarked on a journey of Growing & Heeling – working on her own mental and emotional health, as well as Layla’s behavioral challenges.

Karoline has now created the Growing & Heeling Journal to help pet parents navigate through both the awesome times and those times when it’s unexpectedly difficult sharing your life with your dog.

Karoline & I discuss:

  • Childhood experiences with pets;

  • Being a reluctant and slightly naïve dog owner;

  • Reflecting on the different phases of being a Dog Mom;

  • Realizing your dog is reactive, fearful and sometimes fearfully aggressive;

  • Karoline’s mission of sharing empathy and emotional intelligence;

  • Karoline’s journey of awareness about her own mental health;

  • Why Karoline created the Growing & Heeling Journal;

  • Why should we start a habit of journaling?;

  • How deciding to bring a dog into your life is more emotional experience than either of us ever expected;

  • How does our emotional state affect our dogs?  Are we making our dogs anxious if we’re anxious?

  • How do you find the right trainer to help your dog?

  • Having regrets about decisions we’ve made as pet parents;

  • Why Karoline was inspired to share her story on social media

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Find Karoline, Layla & Dog Mom Mentality:

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