Energy in Dog Training
The concept of ENERGY is another rarely-spoken-to contributing ingredient to BEHAVIOR.
The top 4 types of energy are: physical, mental, emotional, and individual dominant.
Outside of one's INDIVIDUAL DOMINANT ENERGY, energy is constantly fluctuating given factors like: circumstance, environment, trauma and past experiences, filters and perception, relationship, etc.
Oftentimes, people and dogs will be paired up and appear to have a MISMATCH in energy.
While this may be true, I - personally- don't believe in "mismatches," and here's why....
1) A great majority of the factors contributing to energy shift and fluctuation can be influenced, altered, and countered, and
2) We get the dog we need, and we get the challenges we need for our own growth and evolution.
We're judging and declaring before looking at the bigger picture.
Here are a few examples.
A strong energy dog (more assertive, strong-willed, etc.) may find his or her way to a softer energy human (more passive, permissive, etc.) who needs to find his or her voice. Learn how to create healthy boundaries. Build his or her level of confidence. Become more accountable, and learn to stand his or her ground.
Or a softer energy dog who finds his or way to a stronger energy human who needs to learn how to be more collaborative, nurturing, intuitive, and sensitive.
On a different level, perhaps a higher energy dog (physical) lands in the home of someone who could get outside more. Move more. And start paying more attention to their own level of health and fitness.
When there are energy discrepancies between dog and human, these need to be approached and addressed on a different level. These gaps cannot and will not be bridged with the use of more tools, more "obedience" training (as this isn't an "obedience" issue), etc.
There's a strong emotional aspect to this, as well.
Facing what we've been avoiding. Staying in our zones of comfort and (perceived) locuses of control.
People don't deal with discomfort well. Nor do they do well with things they can't predict.
Therefore, most of "dog training" becomes more about developing PREDICTABILITY so they feel more comfortable and confident.
Just because dogs don't "speak our language" doesn't mean they can't teach us anything.
All relationships are educational. Especially the ones we have with ourselves... and our dogs.
There's an entire chapter dedicated to this in my upcoming release, "The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training's Missing Link". Pre-order here: https://www.packfit.net/books-and-ebooks
