Dogs are incredibly intuitive beings and what many of us don’t realize is that our mood, temperament, demeanour, energy, whatever you want to call it, can have profound effects on them. If we are stressed after a long hard day at work, our dogs pick up on that. We don’t have to say a word for them to sense this. And when our emotions run high, that’s when we start to see behavioural problems. 

This is because our dog’s are our mirrors. If you have a hard time determining how you feel at a given point, take a look at your dog. He is a good indicator and will never lie. More importantly neither does our energy. Your dog may not know the context of why you are upset, but he will definitely feel the weight of the energy you are projecting even when you do not realize it yourself. This is because dogs are instinctual not rational or emotional. We as humans are intellectual and extremely emotional and we project this to our dogs. For this reason you must always be aware of how you are feeling at any given moment. To realize when your emotions are controlling you, and in that moment you are not in control of your dog. 

If you are open to it, your dog will truthfully show you who you really are. Ask yourself, are you a nervous or anxious person? Do you typically get frustrated? Do you ever feel lost or defeated? These are not the energies of a pack leader. A dog will not follow an unbalanced leader. Would you for that matter? Become aware and acknowledge the person you want to be. This is much easier than we think it is. One of my role model’s, Cesar Millan told me, “Life is easy, we make it complicated.” Notice your own energy and if it’s not the calm-asertive energy of a pack leader become aware and focus on changing that before you address any issues in your dog. 

So next time you are on a walk take a look at how you hold your dog’s leash. Is your hand clenched, with the leash wrapped around it 10 times. More often than not there is constant tension on the leash, whether we are aware of it or not. This is typically due to feelings of fear, nervousness, or anxiety. Many times without knowing we create reactions in our dog based on these emotions. Pay attention to how your dog is feeling and ask yourself, how do I feel in this moment. 

For more advice on how to project the energy of a pack leader please feel free to contact me at mydogphilosophy (at) gmail.com