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 guiding them through and helping them overcome a fear, teaching them a new trick or directive, modifying a certain behavior, or even walking alongside us on a leash brings us back to the moment.
Dogs are thinking, feeling, sentient beings that crave engagement. Taking the time to work with them, challenging their brain, is something every dog appreciates.
To get from Point A to Point B, we have to stay the course; tweaking, investing and adjusting along the way. Always remaining fair, open, and flexible in our approach. Practice makes awesome. While I don’t believe in “perfect”, I absolutely believe in awesome.
“Believe in yourself, and I’ll believe in you, too”, Dog softly says in his gentle, silent wisdom.
Our dogs look to us to provide their cues, guidance and directives, and they- on a very instinctual, primal level - won’t trust, respect or follow unstable or weak, soft, passive, frustrated, impatient, anxious, or overall emotionally charged energy. Would you?
When we’re confident, calm, patient, “in the zone”, they feel comforted, safe, and secure following our lead. When we believe in ourselves, they believe in us, too.
Adversely, if we’re feeling insecure, doubtful, hesitant, impatient, stressed out, emotional or angry, this projects a far different energy and imparts a much different message. One that clearly suggests we’re not safe to follow.
If no one is guiding, leading, and at the helm of the ship, instinct will tell Dog to step up and slide into the vacant role; causing even more instability, insecurity, fear, and anxiety as they don’t understand this far-from-instinctual world we’re living in and they’re, now, having to navigate.
“Believe in yourself, and I’ll believe in you, too.”
