Energy work with dogs

Dogs Feel Energy The Way We Feel Wind.

Think about that for a second energy is that powerful for our dogs. It is one of the main ways they communicate as well as receive information.  Energy is all around us yet we sometimes have a hard time understanding what it is and it’s affect on our dogs.  

The very first thing I do when working with a new dog is balance my own energy. I do this through quiet meditation and while I’m in this calm state of mind I place a picture in my mind of what I expect to see at the end of the training program. This sets the tone for the training and sets my energy at a place that makes the dog feel comfortable from the first meeting. 

Energy is moving at a fast pace all around us and our dogs are constantly having to walk through these energy fields and adjust all along the way. If a dogs energy is off balance it affects their whole world. They have trouble adjusting to the energy around them and begin to develop behavioral issues. Sometimes it can be mild and they just seem hyper or always charged up. Sometimes it can be moderate and you start to notice the dog acts out at certain times and "all of a sudden" will jump up on someone or bark and lunge at someone while on a walk. Sometimes it is severe and the dog is in a state of emergency because they just cannot adjust the energy flow to meet what they are feeling and experiencing at the time. 

It is this last dog I’m going to talk about and help you understand why your energy is so important in helping bring your dog back to being balanced. Unfortunately many dogs end up in this severe energy state of emergency for many reasons. Some are rescues and have lived the majority of their lives in deprecation. Missing out on their basic needs forcing them to get so far removed from who they innately are that they shut down and just move in an alternate universe. They are too afraid to trust, too afraid to believe and too afraid to listen because in their minds doing Nothing is better than doing something and getting corrected. These dogs require the most patience and the most neutral energy flow. 

In humans we call this working the person up the emotional scale from rage stage to a place where they can accept instruction and be able to "talk it out". In dogs I call this Energy Work, I am litterally working the dog up the energy scale from a place of utter dismay to a place where they can accept direction and instruction without fear of making a mistake. I train them to trust and to respect. Setting a clear line of verbal as well as energy communication is imperative to their psyche. This means I must use my calm energy to help unlock their mind and allow me to give them confidence through small wins then these small wins open their mind further to accept direction ( yes ) and correction 

( no ). Helping them make better choices through the decision process where they can’t make a mistake. So at first I show what I want and may make it two things like either going into a down or removing yourself from the room. Both are good choices so both would be rewarded and this is where I build the confidence because they can’t make a mistake. If they don’t choose either and instead engage in the bad behavior then they get corrected. The correction will match the level in which they choose to engage and will be done with me having a very neutral energy even if my voice raises I am never doing anything from anger or frustration (both energy wise are weak and unsure to dogs) so the dog does fully know it earned that correction and this is where I earn their respect.

Owners are more often coming from an energy of anger or frustration because they "believe" the dog should know better. This looks weak to the dog and a dog cannot listen to or follow weak energy. And so the cycle begins. The owners amp up their voices first, then they physically manipulate the dog into a position, and finally they demand the command. The dog will not listen so the owner gives up or gets angry and again demands the command. This energy is so ugly to the dog that they just cannot listen to it and they become further shut down. The owner is so frustrated at this time they resort to just manipulating the dog into the desired position. And now the dog will not go into a position without physical manipulation because they really energetically don’t understand what is being asked since the energy is contradicting the picture the dog sees. 

It starts out like this: Dante Sit, sit, SIT. DANTE SIT. dog is now physically (maybe forcefully) manipulated into a sit. Owner gives a reward. Now owner is annoyed then decides to keep training and says Dante Sit, because Dante did not immediately go into a sit owner is now frustrated and says DANTE SIT. dog does not sit because the energy is ugly and dog is now afraid to make a mistake and chooses to do nothing. Owner says DANTE SIT and manipulates dog into a sit, then rewards. Do you see how this is confusing to the dog? Dante cannot win here. 

Instead do this: Dante Sit, wait for dog to go into a sit, 20 seconds pass say Dante (drawn out) Sit and Guide with reward into a sit, dog sits and you Toss the reward. You do this to help the dog learn going into the Sit gets a reward and this gives the dog a chance to come back to do it again. Dante comes back a little more eager to play and you say Dante Sit and you wait and now Dante will try and sits he is immediately rewarded and the game ends. The energy was neutral and the dog felt comfortable trying because we gave him a choice. By guiding into position with the reward instead of physically manipulating him into it we help build his confidence and give him the opportunity to try!!! Next time you work with Dante he will most likely give an immediate response and go into the sit since he knows he will please you and since your energy feels good to him.