I rescued this boxer from the pound about a year or two ago. I’ve always had a girl dog. Makes my soul smile.
She was terribly flawed. Abused. Anxious. Crazy hyper. Tongue way too long. Crocked jaw.
I knew she was a soul mate though the moment I saw her. You know how those things go sometimes.
It got worse. Boy oh boy does she have some issues. She ate a couch. Mild, compared to some of the behavior issues.
Today though, as I struggle to get my hands around some of the dog issues …. I can’t help but see myself in her.
…. like a carbon copy. My thoughts travel to how we sometimes deal with things (the misbehaving dog for example) Maybe this is how we do a great disservice to ourselves (and human beings in general) …. give up, give ourselves away, pass the issue to someone else …. (ignore, drink too much, go on meds to numb ourselves, etc)
EMOTIONAL TOURETTES
This thought has been stuck in my head for quite awhile. Behaviors that pop up seemingly out of no where. There are lots of fancy words in all different systems to define this. I like the term “emotional tourettes” myself. Not to excuse the behavior but to provide understanding and hopefully INSPIRATION and EMPOWERMENT to do something about it.
In my dog’s case. She has abused. Who really knows what happened that caused her to be wired up in some undesirable ways. We see the resulting behaviors now though. She gets unsure of herself. Scared. Feels as if she needs to protect herself. Becomes aggressive, etc.
Can anyone else relate?
EMOTIONAL TOURETTES
Sometimes we don’t clearly understand what triggers us to act like this or that. And maybe we get real attached to the results of the behaviors. Lose sight of that INSPIRATION and EMPOWERMENT to do something about it. Get confused on whats to do.
What I’ve learned from dog training.
1. Focus on positive. Make it DESIRABLE for the dog to pay attention to you. LOVE LOVE LOVE them (so love yourself). Play games with them. Positively re-enforce the good. Do your best to not focus on the bad behavior, which does not help. Set up your dog for success. SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS. (get help if you need it)
2. Consistency and Practice. Give your dog successful opportunities to learn. Make sure they are getting enough exercise. For the humans. Exercise. Meditate. Practice calm mind activities. Sometimes focusing on positive mind practices can help our (hearts, minds, soul) heal organically, in the background. Without really needed to attack the issue head on.
3. Boundaries. If the dog needs a time out, give one. Humans too. For the dog, establish who’s boss. For humans, figure out for you “Who’s boss”. 😉
BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. (though might not be easy)
ALSO BELIEVE inside of that dog is a wonderful and valuable piece of the earth. Worth the effort.
IN YOU TOO!
