Читать книгу My Dog, My Buddha - Kimberly Artley - Страница 13

5.

We breed what we feed.

In other words, what we nurture, and pour our energy and focus into, we create more of.

Any state of mind we give affection to, we are approving, reinforcing, and encouraging more of.

It’s human nature to want to comfort someone when they’re feeling sad, angry, lost or afraid. We hug, hold hands, pat them on the back and tell them it’s going to be okay. We comfort them through touch and soothing words, giving them warmth and a sense of hope. But … dogs are not humans. Canines are not primates. There’s a difference in our psychology, how we operate, and how we take in and process information. When we counteract nature by treating our dogs as if they were human, we create imbalance, insecurity, confusion, and instability.

So, what do we do when our dogs are feeling fearful, insecure, nervous or unsure?

- Advocate, but don’t coddle. Provide a safe space to learn the value and skill of self soothing. This way, our dog’s emotional state doesn’t become dependent on our presence.

- Redirect their attention to their favorite activity or begin working on basic obedience commands. If we’re consistent with this every time a thunderstorm rolls around, our pup may actually begin associating thunderstorms with “FUN ACTIVITY TIME!” and get excited for it.

- Set up structured scenarios that trigger fear, insecurity, and uncertainty in your pup and slowly, patiently work with them through it. For example, if bicycles are a trigger, recruit a biker and work with the dog in a safe, controlled setting. The goal is to help the dog develop a new, more positive association with whatever sets him or her off. The only way to overcome fear is to lean directly into and move through it.

Like diet and nutrition, there’s no “one size fits all” solution to behavioral issues. Behavior itself is layered and contextual, and (thankfully) there are several approaches we can take to help dogs work through their fears, discomforts, and uncertainties.

Keep in mind, though; in order to train thy dog, we must know thy dog. Know what excites, motivates, drives, and triggers. This is knowledge that can only be gained through spending quality time with our dog. Every dog deserves this from their human.