The "Why Choose Us" Spiel
A dog can never tell you what she knows from the smells of the world, but you know, watching her, that you know almost nothing.
Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems
The smells of the world, the way a dog experiences them, will always be unknown to us.
Dogs cannot speak in our language, but they have a language of their own.
Dogs know many things that we will never understand. In trying to communicate their needs, and feeling unheard, they can end up displaying anxious, fearful, frustrated or shut down behaviours. We’re left asking “What is that all about?”.
You might feel stressed, guilty, ashamed, confused or helpless when met with your dog’s behaviour.
But if we pay attention, we see that dogs feel, think and learn just as we do. And their behaviour is an invitation to us.
To step into their world.
When we understand how dogs experience the world, and bridge the gap between the human and dog world, the result is a deeper, more harmonious relationship. More attunement.
Through behavioural work, the behaviour CAN shift because there is more trust, empathy and felt safety. Your own behaviour also shifts, which is a win for your dog because nervous systems coregulate. No more stress, guilt or confusion.
A force free, ethical behavioural plan will always consider the dog and human world, and how the welfare of both can be improved.
We may feel that we know almost nothing when we look at our dogs, but we can always discover more by asking the right questions.
Will you accept your dog’s invitation? Are you curious what goes on inside their Doggosphere?
My journey to The Doggosphere
I’m Vaila, a certified Dog Behaviour Consultant and graduate of the International School of Canine Psychology (ISCP) in the UK. My mission is to help dog guardians deepen the bond with their dogs through a welfare-first, ‘dog world’ perspective, and to challenge social norms around dog-human interactions.
I am from Scotland but am currently based in Dharamsala, India where I have the joy and privilege of living alongside free roaming dogs, and observing them every day. Since first coming to India in 2012, my concept of what dogs are has slowly shifted from the ideas I had growing up. And needless to say I fell in love with the Indian dogs.
It’s a tale as old as time – I fell in love with one dog in particular: Charlie. When it comes to dogs, there is no lesson more powerful than a partnership with a special one. Living with a dog has its extreme highs and lows and believe me, I’ve made many mistakes. So, I get it. I get the guilt, the judgement, the frustration, the ‘shoulds’, the ‘what am I doing wrong?’ as well as the pure joy, fulfilment and unconditional love that guardianship brings.
I didn’t get here overnight: my childhood was intertwined with animals and my dream as a girl was to become a vet (spoiler: it didn’t happen!). But I believe these things always come full circle and everything I’ve done in my life has led me to this point.
My background as an educator serves me well for dog behaviour work – we are all lifelong students and it’s vital to keep this in mind, for myself and for clients. Living abroad and working with people from all over the world has helped me build empathy, listening skills and a non-judgemental approach. I understand people; I understand how they learn. And my life in India as a novice ethologist, caring for dogs, and my love for Charlie has unified my experience and skills to birth The Doggosphere.
All my experience with humans and dogs over the years has taught me to always look at the whole picture. Humans and dogs are multifaceted. My life and professional experience have enabled me to see nuance, to look at the individual and their circumstances, to know that several truths can be present at one time. We all, including me, make mistakes with our dogs but if we keep asking questions, view nothing as wasted experience, turn failures into growth, we will arrive at the right answer.