A person can be highly intelligent, ace their SATS, be a straight A student, and go on to become a leader of an organization...and still struggle with anxiety, fear, or emotional overwhelm.

Dogs are no different.

We take them to puppy school to learn their "Sit", "Down", "Stay" cues, snap a cute photo on puppy graduation, and "poof!", we check off the "learning" box to send them on their way into the world. We then become perplexed as to why our intelligent dog was the brightest puppy student, but doesn't know how to self-soothe or bounce back when something scary happens.

Sound familiar? I think we can all relate.

"Perfect" our puppies are not, no matter how intelligent they are. We, as humans, may also have all the "boxes" checked in our educational trajectory but may feel riddled with big feelings when life feels off-kilter.

We confuse intelligence with emotional wellbeing for both ourselves and our dogs.

In Counterculture Canine’s newest blog post, I explore:
- why puppy school was never meant to emotionally “fix” your dog
- how dogs continue learning outside of the classroom (just like we do)
- ways we can help our puppy, adolescent, and adult dog navigate the world life feels a little too heavy...for all of us

Read the full piece over on the Substack by Counterculture Canine, sponsored by The Scallywag Dog: https://counterculturecanine.substack.com/p/your-puppy-isnt-done-after-puppy

Pssst: You’re not! Are you overwhelmed trying to “do it all”? Is the perfect “Work-Life” balance unattainable while juggling dog care, family care, your job, your home, your hobbies, and your duties in the modern world (yes…yes it is)? We are here to give you some words of wisdom as well as some pointers to put your mind at ease that you aren’t alone with these big feels!

Do you feel guilty seeing puppy dog eyes staring up at you as you’re running to work, heading out on a date, or needing to handle one of life’s curveballs? You aren’t alone! Here are 5 creative & easy ways to add enrichment to your dog’s life on the go!