Читать книгу My Dog, My Buddha - Kimberly Artley - Страница 16

7.

It’s all a conversation.

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.