All Bark. . .

If you ever come across a dog that is barking ferociously at you, as scary as that can be, the truth is it's more afraid of you then you are of it! I know it may not feel that way because nobody likes to have a dog basically yelling at them. But. , , what I personally learned from a wonderful trainer who works with guard dogs and is responsible for training some of the top security pooches, is that the louder they bark and run around when you approach the more afraid they actually are! 

Interesting right? Please understand I'm not saying they won't do harm, they might as an anxious dog can be unpredictable, so don't be thinking you shouldn't be careful. I am saying that when you understand they are actually scared, you might be able to shift your energy and instead of being in fear yourself, change the scenario which in turn will calm them down. 

Now think about the people you know and how many may not exactly bark at you, but are defensive and seem to be very reactive. What if they are really in fear? It might be completely subconscious, in fact they may have no idea of their behavior, but. . . If you shift your energy, you might find they become much more responsive and easier to handle. 

​People - like pups - can get worked up, aggressive in their energy and reactive, when they are uncertain, or feeling like they must protect themselves. It is not logical, but rather emotional and is often triggered without them fully understanding what is happening. For dogs it is instinct, no thought involved. For humans it is triggers that are on auto pilot and often run quite deep, again however there is not actual conscious thought involved, it is reactive. 

In both cases, proceed with consciousness! When you remember to breathe, slow down and ground yourself, you will find that everything around you becomes clearer. Sometimes it is best to change direction, perhaps find another way to get to your desire destination. Other times it may just be a redirect of the situation which will bring with it a positive outcome. 

Barking means many things, the most important part you can play is not to bark back! 

Peace, Love and Wufs,

​Rev Deb, Chooks & Sam 

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