Crisis alert! Dogs are not our children…
One of the 101’s in the land of living with dogs is that we need to understand that a canine is not a human and that a human is not a canine. If we were meant to be the same species we would be but we are not – so first step in learning how to care for and live with dogs is truly understanding that you are a separate species and therefore have a completely different job to that of the canine.
When you kiss your dog on the mouth – that is not good.
When you let the dog take over the bed, the lounge and your sleeping arrangements – that is not great.
When you spend more money on the dogs accoutrements than on your own – that is something to perhaps look at and ask is it necessary.
When you worry about leaving your dog alone while you go to work – that is a breeding ground for anxiety.
When you feed your dog according to someone else’s advice – that is lazy.
When you follow your dog’s lead on the walk, in the car, in the bed, in the home – you are growing an anxious dog.
Question: Is this what you really want out of the relationship with your dog?
I have never met anyone who truly wants their dog to be anxious, to be aggressive, to be defensive, to be unsure of itself. Everyone I know wants their dog to be the best dog it can be. So it is up to us first to be the best human we can be in this relationship.
Basics to help us move out of being a dog mama or papa:
Stop thinking the dog is a baby or a child and start regarding it as a dog.
Best to drop the notion that you are loving the dog – you are not – you are killing it slowly with ‘kindness’.
Super grand idea to stand up straight and bring your authority to the relationship, laying down the ground rules that suit you and your lifestyle first.
Even better idea to not indulge your dog in any way unless they are recovering from a traumatic 5 hour operation resulting in an incredibly large wound, are on super strong pain killers and need to be able to lie down in a body that feels comfortable.
Know that you are a grand representation of divinity on earth and that every step you take less than that is an opening that your dog must, according to its divine purpose, reflect back to you.
Treat your dog according to the breed it is. Ie don’t try to cuddle your kelpie all day and don’t try to make the poodle sleep outside on its own, down the bottom of the paddock in minus 2 degrees celsius.
Feel into every situation and let the knowing of what to do come to you. When we are always seeking advice outside of ourselves, go home, weigh it up according to what you have witnessed in your dog and then let the knowing of what to do next come to you.
You know your dog better than the vet.
The vet knows veterinary science better than you do, unless you are a vet!
Back yourself and you are instinctively backing the dog.
And finally – support your dog to be the best dog it can be.
