Dog Training Archives - Lola & Me https://healingwithlolaandme.com/staging/8461/category/dog-training/ Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:32:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/healingwithlolaandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cropped-Lola-Me-logo_bright.crisp_.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Dog Training Archives - Lola & Me https://healingwithlolaandme.com/staging/8461/category/dog-training/ 32 32 237238456 Tips When Moving with Chronic Illness & Dog https://healingwithlolaandme.com/tips-moving-with-chronic-illness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tips-moving-with-chronic-illness Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:27:03 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=2297 Let’s talk about moving. Not the cute, “new throw pillows and housewarming gifts” kind of moving. I’m talking about the chronic-illness-kind-of-moving—where you’re managing a healing protocol, working and trying to convince your dog that yes, we live here now.  This move was bittersweet. The place I just left was more than a home—it was our […]

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Let’s talk about moving.

Not the cute, “new throw pillows and housewarming gifts” kind of moving. I’m talking about the chronic-illness-kind-of-moving—where you’re managing a healing protocol, working and trying to convince your dog that yes, we live here now. 

This move was bittersweet. The place I just left was more than a home—it was our safe haven for 2.5 years. It’s where my healing journey truly began. This was the first home where I felt safe—physically, emotionally, and environmentally. It wasn’t just walls and furniture; it was the foundation for nervous system repair, detox support, and so many small wins. I began bee venom immunotherapy here and gained the confidence to rebuild and repair my mind and body.

I’m adding a video to say goodbye to that space, because it deserves to be honored. But I knew in my heart: it was time.

Time to step outside the safety bubble and move closer to community. To real-life hugs and grocery stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods (yay!) So I packed up everything (again), said goodbye (again), and started over (again). This time with a little more strength—and Lola by my side.

🧳 I Packed My Life, My Protocol, and My Pup

When you’re chronically ill, moving isn’t just about location—it’s about survival. I needed to ensure my new home was low mold to ensure I was safe to be using BVT, as well as closer proximity to my partner for more date nights!

I thoroughly cleaned everything with a special mold cleaner and did the best I could to stay on top of ordering new air filters and cleaning my dehumidifiers before the big move! It felt like a huge emotional release to purge some things that weren’t serving me anymore.

Pro tip: Always have a “first 3 days” box—something with daily essentials with clean sheets, Lola’s food and 2 fav toys (duh), and your comfiest clothes. Because when you can’t find your PJs or your electrolytes on day one, you may cry. (Speaking from past experience.)

And before moving in, I scoped the neighborhood like a detective on a mission. I was on the hunt for:

  • Quiet walking paths
  • Dog-friendly green spaces for recall training
  • My fav grocery stores and farmers markets
  • Bonus points for a neighbor who loves dogs and waves at 7 am

This move wasn’t about chasing perfection. It was about creating the next level of healing—one with more connection, even if that means a little more unpredictability. Scary but hey that’s life!

🐾 Helping Lola Adjust to Her New Queendom

Let me tell you: Lola has feelings.

She’s part healer, part emotional support fluff, and part tiny security guard. Within 24 hours of moving in, she’d already chosen her window (for squirrel surveillance) and her perfect spot to sleep (not in either of her two beds, mind you).

But even the bravest pups get stressed with change. Here’s how I helped her adjust—and kept my own nervous system in check too:

  • Repeat daily walk routes. Predictability is calming. Even if it’s just to the end of the block and back, it helps build familiarity with all the smells of the new hood.
  • Bring the smells of home and place around the house. Scent = comfort.
  • Place familiar toys around the house and invite familiar faces over for dinner to help her acclimate.

🚶 New Routines, Same Nervous System

My resilience has increased so much the last year, and adapting to my new surroundings much quicker now, thankfully. This helps Lola as she feeds off of my energy. I try to keep it positive for her and my sanity!

Our new routines have became sacred quickly and I am loving thm:

  • Early potty strolls first thing in the morning to ground int he grass and reset my circadian rhythm in the sunshine.
  • Evening routines that feel comfy and safe —amber lights on, jazz music playing, gentle stretching, Lola snoring by my side.
  • A quiet corner of my home to have my sting sessions and listen to my sound bowls.

🐝 The Bees Came Too: Moving with my Bee Hut

Oh, and did I mention I moved with my last batch of bees? I was a bit nervous because they are very sensitive to temperature and stress, but they survived! Sting days don’t pause in my world. I feel better when I am stinging, so I try to avoid skipping days if possible! I have been at 10 stings three times a week now for 6 months, but was ramping up in stings a year prior. Coordinating sting days around the chaos of moving required carefully transporting my bees, protect them from temperature shifts, and ensure I had a clean, mold-free environment where I could safely sting when I arrived.

So I planned the move between sting days, loaded up my detox tools last, and prioritized setting up a sting-safe area immediately after arrival. No candles. No weird paint fumes. Just air filters, bee supplies, comfy blanket to cozy up with Lola and plenty of clean filtered water!

🧼 Starting Fresh with Low-Tox Living

One of the things I was most excited about with this move? A clean slate—literally.

After living in a space that supported deep healing, I wasn’t about to mess that up with harsh chemicals or high mold in my home.  Testing my environment with an ERMI, was step 1. While I am in a new build, the construction can still become moldy while being built. Also, I replaced all air purifier filters, as well as deep-cleaned my humidifiers prior to moving. I have worked very hard on keeping myself safe, while also learning not to fear mold to help me regulate my nervous system! Yay Primal Trust in supporting me on this!

I’ve fully committed to a low-tox cleaning routine, while staying fragrance-free! Think….baking soda, borax, vinegar and a HEPA vacuum cleaner. My newest little splurge was Branch Basics cleaning supplies. I am in love with them already and its giving me a break from plain ol’ vinegar water! 

Check out another blog to learn more strategic ways to keep your air clean here. 

Switching to non-toxic products isn’t just about avoiding irritants—it’s about supporting my immune system, endocrine system and nervous system with every choice I make. From washing Lola’s bowls to swapping out plastic Tupperware to glass, every product I touch either supports healing… or works against it. And I’m choosing support my body with simplicity in my cleaning supplies and overall lifestyle. This leans well into my minimalistic lifestyle very well! 

🌱 Rooting into the Present: Starting My Little Patio Garden

With so much change, I needed something tangible to root me—literally. So, I committed to starting a patio garden. As a farmers daughter, you would think I would have done this before, but nope! Super excited to take you all along on this learning opportunity.

While the intention of this garden is to actually grow things, it also helps to remind me that establishing yourself in a new community takes time, patience, and the right conditions—just like growing this new little garden.

The act of tending to something living (besides myself and Lola) has brought calm to my mornings. It’s a ritual. A pause. A moment to connect with the Earth and remind my body, you’re safe here. And bonus—fresh herbs for all the healing meals I’m making in our new kitchen. Stay tuned for snap peas, tomatoes, lettuce and green onions! Luckily my dad has a much larger garden he always shares with me too.

💛 Final Thoughts from Our New Home

If I’ve learned anything from the dozens of times I’ve had to start over, it’s this:

You’re not back at zero. You’re just recalibrating. Luckily, this was not my first rodeo, so it went very smoothly and Lola acclimated pretty quickly. As long as we are together, we are home! 

Lola and I are still adapting. Still healing. Still finding our rhythm in the chaos. But we’re doing it—together.

So if you’re moving, healing, or starting over: give yourself grace, pack comfy snacks, and know that it will get easier!

Because some of the best chapters start with a relocation… and this time a whole lot of dog hair. 

Thanks for being here and all of your support! I love sharing our healing journey back to wholeness, buzz along for more day to day fun on instagram or tiktok @healingwithlolaandme

Happy Healing!

Lola and Amy 

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]]> 2297 6 Cost-Effective Mental Stimulation Tips for Dogs https://healingwithlolaandme.com/5-cost-effective-mental-stimulation-tips-for-dogs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-cost-effective-mental-stimulation-tips-for-dogs Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:36:19 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=1900 Not only do dogs need physical activity for stimulation, but also mental as well. Over the years, I have learned to get a little creative with keeping my girl stimulated with her mind. Check out some tips!

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When people think about caring for a dog, they often think of the dog’s physical needs – such as physical exercise, food, training and grooming. Their need for mental stimulation is often overlooked. I learned VERY quickly that Lola needed much more than our 10k steps daily! Australian Shepards and Border Collies have active minds and are super smart, so I needed to figure out ways to give her brain a workout as well. She is naturally high energy and anxious, so I do my best daily to help her burn that energy physically, while giving her mental stimulation!

Key Takeaways

    1. Why Mental Stimulation is so important for Aussies
    2. Signs your dog is bored
    3. 6 Creative Cost effective tips to stimulate your dog’s mind

Why is Mental Stimulation Important for Australian Shepherd/Border Collie dog breeds?

While all dogs need some level of mental stimulation, my girl Lola is an Australian Shepherd/BorderCollie, so it is just as important as physical exercise. Oddly enough, I find it actually makes her MORE tired then coming home from an hour long hike! Many destructive behaviors in dogs can be resolved by implementing daily enrichment activities that challenge their minds.

Benefits include:

  • Improving mental healing and cognitive function
  • Release stress
  • Build confidence
  • Decrease hyperactivity (heck yes!)
  • Tucker a dog out
  • Strengthen your bond with your dog

Signs Your Dog is Bored and NEEDS Mental Stimulation

Aussies and Border Collies are known to be herding breeds that are happiest when they have a “job”. If not given a job, then they will find one that you may not like so much! Lola took it upon herself to protect me as her job on our walks early on in our training journey, so this is something we still navigate today. When I notice Lola “herding” me on our walks, I stop to practice some obedience tricks for treats to distract her a bit. If I do not keep her brain occupied even on walks, she tends to bark or chase anything that moves – I welcome winter when the squirrels to hibernate! 

Signs your dog is bored and needs some brain stimulation:

  • Destructive behavior – chewing up pillow, clothes, etc. while you are gone
  • Digging holes in yard
  • Persistently begging for attention (I gotta say no amount of mental stimulation helps with the attention seeking Aussies, but I love her for it!)
  • Excessive licking or pacing or barking

5 Creative Cost Effective Tips to Stimulate Your Dog’s Mind

There are countless ways to offer your dog stimulation for their brain and keep them happy, while not breaking the bank. It takes some troubleshooting to see what is fun for your dog, but its worth it in the end.

  1. Play Hide & Seek. 

    Lola and I love playing this since we have moved into a two level home and there are more places to hide. I tell her to sit and stay, then once I hide out of sight, I call her to come. This game offers critical thinking, as well as using her sniffer!

  2. Sniff It Out Game

    If I am leaving the house, I like to hide her favorite ball with a treat in it, as well as sprinkling homemade treats around the house for her to sniff out while I am away. It works like a charm! Or I put some treats in a Snuffle Mat – this is the one we have! 

    Or on the contrary, I set aside time to allow Lola to explore and sniff all the smells on our walks. I find a grassing area for her to sniff for treats too.

    I learned this trick with the Spirit Dog training! As one of the 5 senses, sniffing has been shown to not only decrease a dog’s heart rate, but increase the dopamine, the happy brain chemical!

  3. Change up your walking routine

    Just like us, dogs can get bored of doing the same things over and over again. Changing up your walking route can stimulate them as it offers new smells and people to meet!

  4. Dog Sports – Agility training or dock diving!

    Just like humans, sports build confidence and critical thinking! The world of agility is fascinating to me and we are starting to dip our toes in the water with an at home agility set to start. Lola is really loving it and after 15 minutes, she is tuckered out! She looks forward to it after dinnertime.

    Oh and while Lola girl is not a water girl, lots of dogs love dock diving! Eventually, I will get her out on the Stand Up Paddle board (SUP), which will be our happy medium. 

  5. Puzzles Or Interactive Toys

    Until Lola came into my life, I thought all a dog needed was a ball or a rope for tug of war! The amount of puzzles and interactive toys available for dogs in the market today is astonishing! They all vary in complexity. Hiding treats or kibble in the compartments, for the pup to sniff out and figure out how to access is genius.

    When I rescued Lola, she never wanted to play ball. I found a small nerf ball that I could sneak a treat in and it keeps her occupied for at least 30 minutes trying to get it out. Bonus, she plays catch now (only with a treat in it tho!) Little stinker.

  6. Homemade Enrichment Treats

    Lick pads and Kong’s filled with something yummy to eat are the best invention, just make sure not to overdo it though to avoid over feeding. Because Lola is a picky eater, I found soaking her kibble in chicken broth and smothering it on her lick pad with a pit of yogurt and peanut butter did the trick and keeps her occupied for awhile! This is our favorite lick pad. 

Final Thoughts

I don’t think we would be here today on our training journey, if we didn’t tap into mental stimulation activities for Lola! Spirit Dog helped open my eyes to different ideas and I have gotten creative since then to adjust to Lola’s wants and needs! 

When I first rescued Lola she used to bark and chase all things that moved fast – bikes, cars, runners and even kids! It was rough…but now she calmly sits down and looks at me for a treat when they pass on by. We are to the point where she doesn’t even stop sometimes, but just ignores and keeps going. I contribute this to consistent training, but also enrichment activities that stimulate her mind as well to focus better! 

Getting creative and finding interesting ways to entertain Lola has been healing for me and has given me more confidence in being a dog owner. I feel unstoppable!

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