Hawaii dogs

Maui Beach Dogs and Walking on Sunshine

What is your favorite thing to do with your dog on Maui?

There are so many things dogs can do on an island like Maui. This past weekend I went with a small group of two other dogs and their people on an outing.  A beach romp for the dogs, then off to a trail that led to the coolest blow holes by the ocean. Way cool stuff. And yes, we all were literally walking on sunshine.

Dogs Bring Out the Best In People

The fun part about it was the dogs and the fact that each of their people had spent enough time with their own dog that off leash recall was no problem. The dogs got to be dogs while maintaining good behavior and the people got to do their thing too, which mostly revolved around how much fun the dogs were having! It got everybody out to play.

And we all need to PLAY MORE!

Off Leash Recall

So how to you get your dog to come back to you no matter what?

It really comes down to repetition…. and knowing how your dog thinks and learns.  Repetition means time spent doing it over and over again. How dogs think and learn…… well, that’s where I excel in working with people. It s a concept that slips by easily because we are such multi-taskers as people.

Stay with the task each and every time and recall will become automatic.  Don’t try to call your dog to you from too far away when you start getting serious about teaching a solid “come here” every single time.  Take the time to get your dog to come to you from 3-7 feet away from you over and over and over again, before you even try to use the concept for 10, 20 or 30 feet.

When one starts understanding the fact that dogs learn in pictures rather than logic a whole new world opens up.   The new and fun things make having a dog as part of your own family the best thing in the whole wide world every single day and practicing fundamentals becomes fun, not daunting.

Upcoming Maui Dog Events

Poi Dog Contest Sept 2

Bring the family for an afternoon of fun by watching or entering your dog in the Poi Doggie Contest. This event offers a variety of canine-centric contest categories with prizes (for poi dogs only – nonpedigree, not purebred). Categories to be judged are: Best Dressed, Best Howl, Best Trick, Dog-Owner Look-Alike, Most Mixed Up and Stellar Senior (enter one category only for each dog; entry fee is $10 for contestants)

Cooking for Dogs Sept 29

Our dogs are dying way too early and we are finally bringing our dogs into the age of fitness and health as we people are realizing the best way to feel real good and to live our lives as long as possible enjoying each and everyday is through what we feed ourselves. Food truly is a drug. It can be good or bad.

Dogs have been hooked on a processed only diet for years. We’ve been lead down the road to believe it is the only way.

You are what your eat is not only true for you but your dog too.

Find out how real food can help with itching, scratching and licking issue as well as provide a diet that leaves your dog vibrant and living the good life for as long as possible. $10 for you and your dog!

Location TBA.  Join my Inbox to get updates on cooking for dogs classes.

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies for dogs and dog training. Her work at ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends and studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Was It Supposed to Go This Way

Three days a week I go paddling in an outrigger canoe. I get to be out on the ocean in the morning, soaking up the healing energy of the earth, the water, the sun. I develop relationships with those I paddle with.

As with any group there are certain personalities one is more attracted to, and some not so much. It is those that fall into the “not so much” category that has me really thinking this last week.

A couple of months ago I changed paddle crews. There were a number of factors that went into that decision.

I have always been one to want to workout at a level that is somewhat uncomfortable for the majority. I wasn’t getting that wow factor.

I’m also one to shy away from complaining, arguing, and just plain difficult to be around people. There were a few on my old crew that held these qualities for me. And lastly which probably falls into the same category, I’m not good with crude comments, sexual innuendoes, that type of thing.

So I moved on. I am grateful to find a crew to paddle with who are not only supportive and enthusiastic about life, but they paddle hard and enjoy so much about the ocean. We’ve scene whales and dolphins together and celebrated life as it is in the moment each day.

We’ve supported one another in just a simple, “Great job today, it was so much fun, have a fabulous day,” comments. It honestly is those little things that I love about this crew.

Of course it doesn’t mean that each and every one of us doesn’t come with our own issues. The movement we do, the focus on the togetherness, one rhythm and blend, all the paddles working as one on this particular crew has drawn a common joy while out in the majestic Hawaiian waters.

Tragedy on the Ocean

I received a text from one of my current paddle members this week about an accident with another paddling club. I looked at the time the crew went out and knew without a doubt before I opened the link, it was my previous crew. It was the boat I would have been in.

A double hull flipped while caught in a wave. Waves were rolling in. Everyone went suddenly from a recreational paddle like every other morning to survival. There was a high surf warning and this canoe though it was big and stable, fell to the power of the waves.

People who have been in the ocean for years did things that they normally wouldn’t consider, like swim into the rocks instead of parallel to the shoreline and into the safety of the bay. One person on that crew did not make it that day. It is more than sobering to think about.

Was it supposed to go that way?

I’m not sure why tragedies happen. I’m not sure if things are supposed to go that way. How can someone go out for a recreation morning paddle like they do all the time and not make it back?

What I do know is it made me think about each and every day and all the people that are part of my life. I may not paddle with that crew anymore, but I was deeply affected and connected to every one of these people.

It made me realize how practicing the habit of mindfulness is so important. It made me think about how complaining and crude comments may not strike me as something I want to take part in, but those in my life who happen to fall into saying things out loud are still good people. Their mindfulness may be out of practice and they may be seeking the attention we all crave in ways they don’t even know. But they are all good people.

We are all connected.

How many times have I complained? How many times have I been less than enjoyable to be around? How many times have I said something inappropriate? Many. We are all connected.

My heart goes out to the paddle crew that lived through this tragedy and to all of those who lost someone that day. It makes me more mindful of every single day and every single person that comes into my life. It makes me realize that gratefulness is about the good that happens every single day as well as those moments that may feel uncomfortable. After all, it could be a mirror on how to deal with difficult people including ourselves.  Today I am here to see the mirror because I too am sometimes difficult to deal with. We all are, right down to our own well trained and not so trained dogs on some days.

I want to use the reflection to create the best day possible for me, my life partner, my dogs and all those people that are in my life.

Thank you for reading. If this resonated with you in any way subscribe for more on replacing bad habits with good habits.  A concept I’d like to fill everyone’s mind with!

 Jt Clough lives on the Big Island, Hawaii, and practices health, happiness and natural remedies, while working as a Habits Coach for people looking to live healthier and happier lives.  She is a dog whisperer for our best friends; and studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication.  Her latest e-book is How to Swim through Your Fears and Come Out a Champion.

Aloha and Mahalo Wags Defined

Now that I live in Hawaii and am finding myself fully immersed in the lifestyle and the Aloha of Hawaii, the deeper meaning of many simple things in life are revealing themselves.

I’ve adopted the terms Aloha and Mahalo as a greeting and thank you on most of my articles and blog posts.  It feels really good to say it when I sign on or off of something I write.  It definitely feels like I’ve made sure to put the intent to live a pure simple life filled mostly with happiness out there.

Aloha and Mahalo Wags

Dogs have been my great teachers of behavior.  To live in the moment is a wonderful experience.  It does not matter what happened earlier in the day, or what may happen tomorrow. Instead, dogs greet you every single time with a wagging tail and pure gratitude to see you.

Aloha and Mahalo wags are my way of including the joy of my dogs in my thoughts to you so we can all start practicing a journey in creating our own paradise wherever we are.

How To Give Aloha and Mahalo

Aloha and Mahalo are among the most sacred and powerful of all the Hawaiian words.  Speaking them is said to have the power to transform and heal your life, as well as protect your life’s journey.

Aloha recognizes a warm and receptive space for greeting and supporting the well-being of another and is like offering a breath of fresh air.

Aloha is used as a farewell or a salutation.   It is also commonly used to mean love.  It can also be used to express compassion, regret or sympathy.

Mahalo is a Divine breath of gratitude and thanks giving for all that is.

Read more on Aloha and Mahalo at Go Aloha

The Mahalo Wag Project

I found this Thank You Project 2011  by Jacob at Sensophy

I’m going to commit to do this one starting today (always the best time to start) and in the meantime create my own Mahalo Wag Project.  If you have ideas on what you would do to create your own feeling of Mahalo Wags every day, send them to me.  This is going to be a fun project with Wag all You Want cards given as gifts to all those around you when it’s done!  You can tweet it with #MahaloWags too!

*Note it’s now 2012, or maybe you might find this post in 2103… or beyond. You can still do the Mahalo Wag Project.  Its good no matter what year it is.

Aloha Wags!

Thanks for reading.  My hope is to give you inspiration and thought provoking ideas to take your very next step in creating your happy healthy life of paradise from where you are now…  your dog too!  Please subscribe to Maui Dog Remedies and follow me on twitter, Facebook and Google+

If you are on Maui Hawaii and want to me to be your you and your dog’s trainer or want help with home made cooking for dogs and natural remedies for dogs find me at Maui Dog Remedies Dogs or K9 Coach.