Last August 5th was my 1st anniversary as a credentialed R+ trainer, and the first Accredited Dog Trainer (ADT) in the Philippines.

I look back at the day I got my results, and felt pure joy and gratitude for all the people, things, and events that helped me pursue dog training as a calling.

I’m also amazed with how things changed in the dog community when lockdowns became a thing of the past and we got COVID-19 under control. People are returning to the office, bringing their dogs out on adventures, and choosing to work with R+ trainers in person. Clients who I’ve worked with virtually have chosen to work with trainers who they can meet in person.

This got me thinking of Diwa Dogs, our relevance and impact to the Filipino dog community, and how I want to keep doing work that benefits others.

Year 2 is Content Creation

I had moments where I didn’t have an answer to all my questions right away, but the questions that helped me get back to what mattered were:

What was it about being a dog trainer that made me feel immense joy and passion? What is it about the work that I’m doing as a trainer that fills me with so much warmth, joy, and that motivates me to get up in the morning every single day?

For me, it’s really about working with dogs, sharing what they’ve taught me, and what we’re all learning as a co-existing species with others on this platform.

And if I look at all my notes, I’ve so many ideas and projects that I want to bring out into the world. It’d be such a waste to keep putting these in the back burner.

So for Year 2, I’d like to continue being a creator. I’d like to continue sharing both the fun and important work that my Diwa Dogs and I are doing. I want to keep having conversations with fellow like-minded dog guardians about their dogs and their R+ journey.

The state of client consulting

Business-wise, I’m always eager to work with folks who need R+ in their lives, who are determined to work on their dogs’ issues, if there are any, with positive reinforcement.

I will gladly open my doors to dog parents who read my posts, watch my videos, or who watch other people’s videos about R+ training, and coming to me saying, “Stef, I’ve read all of this. This clicks, this fits my learning style and how I want to raise my dogs. I want you to work with me to make all this valuable knowledge accessible to my family or help me use it to teach my dog.”

This essentially means I’m implementing a harder screening process for anyone who sends an intake form.

Apart from your intake form, please send me an email at diwadogs@gnzga.com or send a direct message (DM) personally. Tell me what you need from your credentialed trainer or why you’d like Diwa Dogs to be your credentialed trainer.

The next step may be an initial consultation with me OR I can refer you to dog trainers who’ve course certificates that prove their knowledge and experience with dog training, and who are doing this work full-time. From what I know, there are a handful based in Manila who have facilities that you can go to or classes you can enroll in.

Trust in the process

This is a significant shift, one that I’m honestly very nervous about.

But I am putting all my trust in the process, just as how I put my trust in the process of training my dogs and how my dogs put their trust in me.

Thank you for reading all the way and for your support for Diwa Dogs. Whether you’ve been with us since Day 1 or you’ve just discovered our pages, thank you so much for the love and I look forward to exploring Year 2 with you all.

Happy training! 🐾 – Stef of Diwa Dogs