Zazie and Kristi are joined by TikTok star Jennifer Malawey (Dizzy Dancing
Canine) who shares her secrets and techniques about easy methods to use social media to assist canines.
By Zazie Todd PhD
Watch episode 14 of The Pawsitive Put up in Dialog on Youtube or under, pay attention by way of your favorite podcast app (together with Apple, Spotify) or under, or scroll right down to learn the highlights.
About this episode
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On this episode of The Pawsitive Put up in Dialog, Zazie and Kristi are joined by canine coach and influencer Jennifer Malawey. Jennifer has a CTC from the Academy for Canine Trainers and a Licensed SA Professional coach who works on separation anxiousness instances, and she or he places out unbelievable content material on canine coaching on her social media and Youtube. She joined us to share her secrets and techniques about easy methods to use social media to assist folks study canines and canine coaching.
Jennifer talks about how she comes up with concepts for content material creation, and
how a lot work it’s to place a video collectively. We be taught what she thinks are the
most vital issues to get throughout about canine coaching. And everyone knows that
social media can have its downsides, however we ask Jennifer about what she finds
most rewarding about it. We additionally get her ideas for getting extra engagement on
social media.
Then we chat concerning the books we’re studying. This episode, we suggest:
All of the Devils Are Right here: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Guide 16) by Louise
Penny.
Why Fish Do not Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life
by Lulu Miller.
The Invention of the Trendy Canine: Breed and Blood in Victorian Britain by
Michael Worboys, Julie-Marie Unusual, and Neil Pemberton.
Jennifer Malawey is a
dog-trainer-turned-content-creator. She presently works with Intuition Portland
as a habits guide and social media supervisor, in addition to partnering with
manufacturers within the pet house and doodling on her personal TikTok channel. When she’s not
working or lovin’ on her canines (Dizzy, Keely, and Pizza), she may be present in
her backyard, on the lindy hop dance flooring, or in a e book.
Observe her on social:
Highlights of the episode
Z: You are
energetic throughout very many alternative [social media] channels, and you’ve got some
unbelievable content material that we have been previous to this interview. And there
are so many issues you’ll be able to say. So how do you resolve what you suppose are the
most vital messages to get throughout on social media?
J: That is a
that is a difficult one, since you’re proper, as trainers there are one million
issues that we predict are vital and we wish to get throughout, and when it comes
to any social media channel there isn’t any proper reply. I believe the way you resolve is
actually performing some introspection and deciding, what are the issues that get you
most fired up? I used to be requested by a mentor at one level, what are the issues that
you can identical to rant about for days? What are the issues that make you
offended? Or what are the issues that you simply simply cannot shut up about inside the
complete scope of canines and habits? And fascinated about that was sort of like how
I used to be in a position to slender my focus.
So for me, I
selected to attempt to deal with the truth that canine coaching can and ought to be enjoyable for
you and the canine, simply bringing out the enjoyable. As a result of I believe all people, trainers
included, will get sort of slowed down the drudgery of it typically or disappointments
and issues. There’s at all times methods to deliver enjoyable again into it, and I believe that
retains folks going. In order that was one of many greatest issues for me.
After which if
I might select a second, it is that there are such a lot of other ways to coach,
and we all know there are trade-offs. With every thing in life, there are
trade-offs. Velocity is one thing which may inspire some folks, however there are
issues that you simply lose out once you go for the quickest choice to your objectives. And
so there are the issues that hold me within the sport and hold me having enjoyable and
eager to work with canines, and wanting to coach my very own canines. These little
issues, the little sparks of their eyes… My Chihuahua’s doing zoomy circles
on the mattress proper now!
These little
issues that typically are laborious to place into phrases, the magic of canine coaching,
you aren’t getting that once you go for the speedy choice. And so I simply sort of
sum it up within the idea of gradual magic. Generally there are belongings you solely get
once you do it the gradual method. And in order that’s one other factor that I actually attempt to
convey in my content material.
“Any query that will get repeated so much is ideal for making content material about. And you may reuse these on a regular basis as a result of you understand all of us want repetition.”
Z: I like
that. Sluggish magic like gradual canine coaching, sort of just like the gradual meals motion
the place you get extra enjoyment out of your meals if you happen to take your time over it.
J: Precisely.
Z: I like
the thought of enjoyable too as a result of what’s extra enjoyable than having a Chihuahua doing
zoomies in your mattress mainly! That is the stunning factor about canines is not it?
Once they’re glad I believe it brings us a lot pleasure and a lot enjoyable as properly.
J: Undoubtedly.
Yeah, I imply watching them be glad is like the entire level of getting canines in
my opinion.
Okay: For positive.
I believe one thing that Jean [Donaldson] says, that is related to basically
all coaching, is that nobody will get canines to extend the drudgery of their lives.
And it is true, and I believe it is vital as canine trainers that we acknowledge
that having enjoyable shouldn’t be a minor side.
J:
Completely yeah.
Okay: One among
the issues that I cherished watching a few of your movies earlier than we talked, was that
you have got so many various kinds of movies, and it appears to me that you’ve a
lot of actually enjoyable concepts. And I puzzled ,how did you provide you with these concepts? Like
placing collectively a specific sound with a specific kind of canine coaching, or
the music, otherwise you’ll be doing one thing foolish and you understand, I find it irresistible. I really like
that sort of creativity actually, I discover it actually pleasing to observe. So does
this simply come to you? Do you search it out? How do you provide you with all of
these concepts?
J: That is
sort of a tough query. I’ve an concept of easy methods to provide you with concepts reply.
However for me personally it is also been the journey of sort of beginning out as simply
a canine coach, to being a coach and a content material creator was… I’ve sort of my
complete life, my backstory, I’ve suppressed my artistic aspect. And I’ve theories,
after studying about studying principle or habits science, that rising up with
a number of punishment suppresses habits and suppresses creativity, and so I
suppose that. And my household may be very artistic, they’re all artists, and me, I am
like, nope have no of it.
And so it
was solely inside the previous couple of years that I used to be like, creativity is a talent. And
I am not going to get to precise it if I do not begin exploring it. So for me
this has additionally been a journey of self-exploration, of letting go and simply having
enjoyable. We’ll come again to enjoyable! , it is sort of like letting
your self behave and simply do stuff, strive stuff. In order that’s the non-public story
reply.
However in phrases
of easy methods to hold arising with concepts, as a result of that is the factor about social
media, you must hold displaying up. When you do not, like I’ve gone by
durations the place I simply cease posting for some time, then you understand your viewers
stops displaying up. So it is vital that you simply hold these artistic juices
flowing. So I’ve a sort of an inventory for once I’m not feeling that artistic
inspiration, the place can I’m going to provide you with concepts.
“That is a part of this creativity studying course of that I am on, studying easy methods to inform higher tales.”
Generally it
is simply the random viral sounds that you will see as you are scrolling by,
and you will simply be like oh, there is a method I can apply this to my content material. However
concepts can come from wherever, and so a part of it’s simply mindset and remembering
to maintain your eyes open. Inspiration actually may be any wherever. In case you look
across the room, one thing will come out. You may get concepts sparked in
dialog whether or not that is with purchasers or with household or associates or full
strangers on the road, you understand simply one thing that folks say, properly it is
like one thing occurs in your mind, like oh okay that could possibly be one thing. And
typically you do not know the place it is gonna go, you simply know that perhaps if I’m going
down this highway it will turn into an concept.
However you then
can go and scour your remark part for issues that your viewers has stated,
or go to different trainers’ remark sections and discover out what are folks asking a
lot of occasions, like once you see repeat questions. Or from your personal purchasers, any
query that will get repeated so much is ideal for making content material about. And also you
can reuse these on a regular basis as a result of all of us want repetition, proper?
And
typically we observe creators which can be in utterly totally different fields and
they will have nice concepts. That is a terrific place to go for inspiration as properly.
Or simply studying a e book, watching a film, prefer it’s actually wherever. Concepts
can come from wherever.
Okay: One among my
favourite forms of blogs that I write is what I secretly name a revenge weblog. So
if I see an concept or see anyone saying something–and folks can be very
strident after they’re speaking about dogs–and they will simply be saying one thing
that is completely false. And so as a substitute of arguing on social media, what I like
to do is I like to jot down a weblog that is very constructive and chirpy and glad and
simply utterly slays the argument. It makes me really feel actually good in sort of
like a background evil method. Do you ever try this? Is there ever like, I am doing
a revenge weblog?
J: 100 per
cent. I believe that is such an effective way to go about it, as a result of you understand there’s
at all times the toxicity that may are available in once you’re on social media. So discovering
methods to keep away from it however meet that want of sharing what’s the correct
data, simply getting it on the market, as a result of typically it is like a numbers
sport proper? And if you happen to go and also you search any random canine matter, it nonetheless feels
like at present that there is a lot extra misinformation than correct data.
So simply placing out the knowledge that you really want on the market, simply to stack the
deck, is an effective way to go about it.
Okay: For positive.
Z: Yeah. I
suppose that is an effective way to place it. And I like that you simply stated that you simply additionally get
concepts from following content material creators in different fields too, as a result of for myself
in addition to clearly following a lot of canine and cat accounts, you will not be
shocked in any respect to be taught that I observe a number of writing accounts and e book
accounts, and I get inspiration from these which can be related to the pet discipline
and writing my weblog and so forth as properly. So aside from the canine coaching stuff
what different kinds of accounts do you prefer to observe to get concepts from?
J: Properly I
do not observe accounts particularly for concepts, it is like what I am involved in
that pops up from the algorithm. And a number of the issues that are typically actually
related in like a deep wound kind of method are, like I get a number of romantic
relationship kind content material, communication amongst people, a number of like ADHD and
autism sort of content material pops up for me. That that kind of factor tends to be
psychology mainly.
Z: Yeah, and
I believe a number of that human relationship stuff can also be so related to our
relationship with canines, as a result of a number of the ways in which we deal with canines appear to
should do with the ways in which we’ve been handled as children maybe or have seen
different folks deal with children, and I believe that influences folks rather a lot. Okay
so you have talked about the place you get your concepts from. When you have got an concept I
can see that you simply produce some actually unbelievable content material, so there should be so much
of labor that goes on behind the scenes so as to put these collectively. How a lot
time do you spend enhancing or doing coaching setups to make movies in your for
your content material?
J: A lot
time!! Like it’s its personal full-time job. And it sort of relies upon if you happen to’re
making like actually brief type content material or utilizing a viral sound simply to do like a
foolish video. Generally it might probably go tremendous fast, however truthfully more often than not… And
in fact there is a studying curve, and for me I am nonetheless on that journey of
studying easy methods to do my very own enhancing. However I clocked it at one level and I used to be like,
Wow, it took me a full hour to utterly end up what ended up being one
minute of video content material. And it is an insane period of time, no less than early on.
So if doing
the precise enhancing is not your curiosity or your forte, it is undoubtedly one among
these issues to rent, delegate, as a result of it’s its personal job actually. And I imply as
far as like for me, it sort of has develop into my very own job. The ratio of how a lot
coaching I do versus how a lot time I spend creating content material has utterly
flipped the scales. I spend far more time doing that content material now than working
one-on-one with purchasers. So you understand, all people can select how a lot of every
they wish to do I suppose, in the event that they’re moving into that. However yeah, it is so much
of time.
Okay: It appears
to me prefer it’s actually a strategy of telling tales. I believe once we’re
watching movies on-line, we’re watching little tiny items of tales, and
tales are such a human method of navigating and studying and kind of enjoyable.
So I believe there’s one thing very cool to me about watching little tiny items
of tales, however that you’ve got created so fastidiously, you understand. It isn’t like, you
know there are some nice movies which you could watch about canines which can be simply
like, I videoed this and it was 30
seconds, however that is not essentially what we’re speaking about. We’re speaking
about these actually fastidiously edited movies that simply sort of draw you in, like
they’re telling this little tiny story.
J: Yeah. I
imply I’ve some very undigested ideas which were arising for me
currently that relate again to the concept that for people, something that is vital
comes again to a narrative, tales are variety
of the end-all be-all. Like nothing will get to us except it’s indirectly a
story. And that is once more a part of this creativity studying course of that I am on, studying
easy methods to inform higher tales. Yeah so it is a very acute remark from you that
like that is actually the essence of what it’s and what makes a video good.
Okay: And I
suppose the enhancing factor issues far more than folks notice in the event that they have not
performed any video enhancing.
J: Yeah,
yeah. I imply gosh, I nonetheless really feel like I’m nonetheless such a newbie, there’s so
a lot nonetheless that I’ve to study easy methods to edit, however for me it has been tremendous
enjoyable.
Okay: How a lot
coaching do you do beforehand? For a few of them I believe it is only a consumer that
you are working with, however a few of them it appears rather more such as you’ve perhaps
written storyboards and you’ve got concepts, you know the way it is gonna go.
J: Yeah,
yeah. I’ve had a number of various kinds of codecs and for positive, a few of them
I am like I’ve to coach a brand new process for my canine beforehand. What I might actually like
to start out doing extra of is getting video clips of the coaching course of to make
tutorials and issues like that. And that is humorous with canine coaching, as a result of a
lot of occasions a extremely vital a part of it’s I need folks to have the ability to see
the canine’s physique language. Like what do they appear to be after they do not know
what you are asking of them, you understand? And typically if you happen to pre-train a process and
you then wish to return, and like okay we’re gonna do the first step and two now,
however they actually already understand it, then it seems totally different on digital camera. And so it is
difficult typically. You find yourself having to simply repeat a bunch of stuff, and
typically you are like, okay properly we’re simply gonna get a number of second clip as a result of
all I would like is that this step two proper now, and we’ll throw it collectively in a video
later.
But it surely’s
humorous. I imply as a content material creator and particularly if you wish to do like variety
of vlogging kind tales, you do sort of have to finish up repeating a number of
stuff. You are like, oh that was a terrific second, I did not get it on digital camera so
we’re simply gonna fake and do it once more. It is a bizarre, bizarre life proper?
“I selected to attempt to deal with the truth that canine coaching can and ought to be enjoyable for you and the canine.”
Okay: Proper. So
what do you like coaching probably the most together with your canine? In your movies are we seeing
principally your canines, or are we seeing a number of your consumer canines as properly?
J: It is
principally my canines as of late. After I was going by the Academy [for Dog
Trainers] I did not have a canine, and I felt like I used to be the one weirdo who was
changing into a canine coach and I did not have my very own canine. After which I adopted my
first canine Dizzy in 2019. I might had him for six months earlier than the pandemic hit,
after which simply inside a span of three years I went from having zero canines to
having three canines. So there’s tons to coach with the three of them. The factor I
love most is engaged on cooperative care. I really like grooming my canines. I imply it is
enjoyable for me, however I additionally suppose it is nice bonding time as a result of typically you understand
life will get actually busy and typically our canines can really feel uncared for or no matter.
And having that as simply an vital time that we get to spend collectively the place
they’re getting my full and undivided consideration. They find it irresistible and on prime of
that I get the satisfaction of realizing that I am setting them up for a lifetime
of being much less pressured when stuff needs to be performed to them. So hands-down
cooperative care is my favourite.
After which after that, tips. Methods are simply
tremendous enjoyable and I have been engaged on parkour, like canine parkour titles, with them
sort of passively. Dizzy’s received his novice title. And oh my God it
was so cute, too—Pizza the Chihuahua would simply be alongside as we’re on a stroll and
I am asking Dizzy to do some parkour
issues that we have been engaged on. And she or he would simply, with out me being conscious
that she was about to do that, she would simply do the factor he did. And I hadn’t
performed any coaching along with her and I am identical to oh my gosh, you simply jumped on
this actually excessive put up. Like I’ve some movies the place I am identical to what?!! This
canine is hilarious, and she or he’s gonna have a lot enjoyable once I get to actively
engaged on that along with her too.
Concerning the co-hosts
Kristi Benson is an honours
graduate of the distinguished Academy for Canine Trainers, the place she earned
her Certificates in Coaching and Counseling (CTC). She additionally has gained
her PCBC-A credential from the Pet Skilled Accreditation Board. She
has just lately moved to stunning northern British Columbia, the place she
will proceed to assist canine guardians by on-line educating and
consultations. Kristi is on employees on the Academy for Canine Trainers,
serving to to form the following technology of canine professionals. Kristi’s
canines are rescue sled canines, principally retired and completely having fun with
snooze in entrance of the woodstove.
Kristi Benson’s web site Fb Twitter
Zazie Todd, PhD,
is the award-winning writer of Wag: The Science of Making Your Canine Completely satisfied and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Completely satisfied. She is the creator
of the favored weblog, Companion Animal Psychology, and in addition has a column
at Psychology Right now. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, along with her husband,
one canine, and two cats.
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