We don’t introduce our dog simply as “Joey”, but as, “Joey the dog we rescued from a puppy mill who’d spent his entire life in a cage”. We spend our time trying to compensate for every wrong ever done to the dog, giving him love, love, love, and more love. Giving affection to every state of mind: fearfulness, anxiety, and nervousness; thus conditioning and creating more insecurity, instability and unhealthy dependencies.
It’s in Dog’s nature to live and be in the moment, as it is ours; but it takes conscious effort and mindfulness to reach this space. To be fully present. To release assumption and illusion. To acknowledge prior chapters of a story, but detach from them as we begin to author new ones.
We can’t and won’t help anyone move beyond tragedy or trauma when we remain attached to the story.
Moving forward. It’s a process, a daily practice, a conscious effort, and a choice we make. Release. Re-associate. Re-acquaint. One foot, one paw in front of the other. Honor the past by having the courage to overcome, move forward, and evolve. Each moment is an opportunity to re-write the story and begin again.
Dogs use their entire body to communicate, and so do we; though most of us are completely unaware of the messages we’re sending.
Dogs are master body language interpreters, tone translators, and energy readers. They know us on a level we don’t even know ourselves, and see beyond the facade we’ve so carefully crafted.
Slumped shoulders vs. shoulders pressed down and back, and squared over the hips. A lowered head vs. looking straight ahead. Rounded posture vs. upright and erect posture. Direct eye contact vs. darting eyes or avoidance. Standing firmly and owning space vs. shiftiness.
What message are you sending? Are you shrinking in your space, or standing confidently in it?
Humans send subtle indications about how they feel and the environment they’re in through various channels; which is what dogs pick up on and respond directly to.
A beautiful example of this is something that happened just recently.
Exercising our dogs to meet and deplete their individual energy level is a daily, non-negotiable, key necessity to helping their bodies stay healthy and their minds balanced. However, this is also the area where many people fail to deliver. “Walking the dog” is a nightmare for many, drumming up feelings of fear, lack of confidence, nervousness, and anxiety.
On my way home from a client’s house the other day, I saw a lady-dog duo I’d just conducted an Initial Behavioral Assessment and Consultation with the day before. The woman’s primary reason for contacting me was it was nearly impossible to walk her dog. Everything triggered an explosive reaction: other dogs, people, kids, bikes, runners, trucks, etc. The dog was out of her control. Before leaving, I gave her some tips to improve their walks until we met again for a training session.
The next day I was driving home from another client and saw them out on their afternoon walk. This woman had taken my guidance to heart and was rockin’ an enjoyable walk with her dog. Far different from what she was experiencing before. He was no longer in front of her “scouting” and controlling the walk, but walking calmly by her side. She was cool, confident, collected, and in-charge. Her shoulders were down and back, the leash short-but-not-tense, her head was up; everything about her screamed “I’ve-SO-got-this”, and… you know what? Her dog was responding directly to this.
This exemplifies just how quickly dogs respond to us when we alter our approach, tweak our body language, and project a different kind of energy.
Everything is a conversation. We say far more without using words.
Dogs don’t overthink. Don’t question. They don’t worry about if they’re doing it right, wrong, or if they’re good enough. They just do. They just exist. They are who they are, and they’re good with that.
When we follow our instincts, we’re following a source of guidance that comes from a place beyond us. It’s a place of knowing that exists beyond doubt or skepticism. Our personal, internal GPS system, and it never steers us in the wrong direction.
For many, it’s difficult to trust something we can’t see, understand or dissect. This is where having faith in the greater wisdom that’s constantly and gently nudging us comes into play.
Dogs live and exist in real time. Humans, on the other hand, tend to live in the past or future. We dwell on yesterday, and worry about the “what if’s” and “what could have’s”.
Our gut feelings can and will guide us to the answers we seek. Our biggest challenge is to silence the mind, quiet the ego, and set aside any prefabricated stories or fear-based illusions so we can be open to receiving that big, clear, pointed arrow.
We have within us the ability to know if something is good or not-so-good for us. The body is an extraordinary barometer and serves as a great compass. The challenge for most is developing the capacity to listen to and decipher the messages our bodies are sending us. We’ll feel it in our chest and shoulders;
through pressure or weight. Our muscles will either feel relaxed, or tense and tight. We’ll feel joyfully excited or may get knots in our stomach. Our bodies will either feel at peace and at ease, or distressed and conflicted.
Learning how to recognize, then trust and follow, our instincts is both a process and a daily practice, but I assure you this. They’re there for great purpose and will help us navigate our moments and days ahead.
Do like Dog…. follow your instincts.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle
Anything we skillfully do is the direct result of a fine blend of natural talent, time, effort, education, and attention. In other words, instinct, learning, practice, and repetition.
A consistent practice of anything only helps to better and improve. Working with dogs is no different.
Practice, consistency, commitment, and repetition helps to generate new memories and associations, nix fears, finely tune abilities, solidify trust, and create balance.
As I’ve written before, dogs live in the moment. Fully present. Humans live in the past, in the future, and in story. Our bodies are here, but our minds are elsewhere. Consciously working with our dogs on a command, patiently