Episode 80. Can Dogs Be Neurodiverse? How Sharon Vincuilla Helps Dogs Who Experience the World Differently

Have you ever been around a dog who doesn’t “dog” like other dogs?  Maybe you’ve experienced a dog who is reactive or has separation anxiety or a noise-phobia?

Sharon Vincuilla and I explore how dogs (and people!) can experience the world differently and how neurodiversity shows up in a dog’s behavior.  And Sharon has experienced this first-hand with her dog, Muggins!

Sharon found that life with Muggins was even triggering her own trauma.  Seemingly ordinary life events like walking the dog or having a friend stop by her house would turn into stressful ordeals with Muggins.

Leaning on her work as both a dog trainer and an Occupational Therapist, Sharon shares with us the strategies she developed that allow both her and Muggins to thrive.  And she teaches us strategies we can incorporate into our lives with our dogs who might “dog” a little differently.

Sharon & I discuss:

  • Her childhood experiences growing up on a homestead;

  • Growing up with anxiety – but not knowing that’s what you were experiencing;

  • How each of us experiences the world differently through our nervous system and sensory processing;

  • Raising Guide Dogs in college;

  • Her work as a dog trainer;

  • How Sharon decided to become an Occupational Therapist;

  • How and when Sharon & her partner adopted Muggins;

  • How Muggins and Sharon triggered each other’s trauma;

  • Sharon’s ingenuous strategies for introducing Muggins to visitors at their home and encountering dogs when walking;

  • How neurodivergent dogs experience the world differently from neurotypical dogs;

  • How Sharon employs “somatic consent” and “co-regulation” in her work;

  • Sharon’s podcast Happy Dogs, Happy Humans

Find Sharon:

Links Discussed:

Teef:

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