"Oh no another dog over there!!"

Today I have been watching some of Cesar's DVDs and came to a sudden realization, well actually it was a moment of recollection really!!

In the summer here at the beach we get used to people and their dogs visiting the beach frequently, my dogs are taught to avoid both. So when winter comes we are more used to having the beach "other dog free", so my pack get to run free much more. Thing is when I see another dog at this time of year I slip back into old thinking "oh no there's another dog here on lead everyone"...well I am only human! The dogs pick up on this weak energy of mine, on the outside I am saying to the pack "don't react, be submissive" and yet my energy is clearly saying something else - that I don't want these other dogs on the beach right now this is my time!

In the season 2 of Cesar's DW shows there is an episode called "Spooked Hootie" where the owner is thinking that she is over a previous incident when Hootie was spooked by children, then realizes she is also thinking "oh no children are here" as Hootie has become afraid of children, Cesar explains on how this means she is 2 energies - the superficial energy saying to Hootie "It's all OK" and the real energy which was saying "Oh no chidlren here" therefore holding onto the past issue, unintentionally reinforcing Hootie's fear! Dogs know when we are acting, they know which energy is real. Hootie recovered from his fear really well once the owner truly let go of the past and changed her own and Hootie's association with children.

So my most reactive of dogs the Ratpack Terriers were picking up on my real energy in not liking the other dogs around, ignoring my acting energy of it's all OK. So they have begun acting-out again using aggressive vocalization and posturing dominance!

I caused this "relapse" - just watching this episode has reminded me of this - the power of our energy, I must truly let go of this thinking pattern and believe that it is a good thing to have other dogs around again! All summer when I truly did not mind my dogs passed by other dogs just great, my energy was calm assertive then to keep them all under control and I did not feel frustrated with other dogs being around.

This can apply to any context, a dog who gets excited upon seeing another dog can lead the owner into thinking "oh no another dog we have to pass-by" and then their dog does exactly what they do not want them to do..jump about! Think about it and be totally honest is your energy truly calm assertive or are you saying something else to your dog from your inside energy?

Positive projection works - when we are truly seeing and believing in the picture we want rather than the one we do not want...we leave behind the old energy - we move-on by changing our thinking patterns as well!