I have been thinking about how important it is to have awareness of our dog's emotions.
Their big feelings.
We humans are pretty awful at allowing ourselves to feel our own emotions so it's unsurprising that we are preoccupied from the emotions our dogs are experiencing.
For example, we are walking along and our dog barks at a stranger. What is the first thing we do?
I would say our default is that we try to stop the dog barking.
Why?
Because we feel embarrassed, and we are attempting to alleviate our embarrassment.
We do so because have an idea that there is something wrong with feeling uncomfortable feelings.
An idea that means something is inherently wrong if we don’t feel filled with happiness and comfort is something we have made up.
It's not possible for feel joy all the time and there's nothing wrong with feeling a whole range of emotions.
In fact it's exactly what this life should be.
Because all feelings are valid.
All are beautiful, simply because they exist.
So while we are living under a strange illusion perpetuated by our own strange species what is the barking dog feeling?
Insecurity, fear, anxiety?
Those feelings are as valid as our own.
Unsupported?
Told off?
When we see a dog who barks at other dogs, like my little Darcie what we don't see is the swell of emotion she’s experiencing inside.
Her whole body flooded with chemicals and hormones that are there to keep her safe and alive.
The last thing that Darcie needs is being told to do something else, the first thing she needs is to know that she has my support and can get herself to safety. Â
Darcie's barking isn't that important to change just now.
Not at this point.
In the background she's getting used to the clicker. In peace times, when she's relaxed, she's learning to give me her attention for a click. She would never be able to do that in her scared times and nor should I ask her to.
At some point though, the two will come together.
But in her time, in her safety.
By the way, I looked up the name Darcie and it means of the dark and originates from ladies with very dark hair. Darcie of the darkness is why I am doing the following webinar, because she has very big feelings.
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