Dog Psychology
What you hold in your hands is not nearly as important as what you hold within your mind. It is no accident that so much conflict exists between dogs and humans. Experts, trainers and owners make assumptions based on what is seen by their eye and a human perspective. This is only half truth as nature has a truth of its own which goes deeper and is more profound and meaningful. Dogs live in a world connected to nature and follow a path beyond the physical. Years ago I noticed certain contradictions which could not be reconcilled from what could be seen from the surface. One of these contradictions was the issue of why some owners were successful using a certain method while others failed following the same exact path of training. I knew it linked to the psychological state of a dog’s mind associated with behavior. I knew that a disconnect existed for some dogs and owners as it linked to conditioning, response and this standard. Further I knew something else was happening which went beyond physical interaction.
This was where the psychological aspect of the relationship began to take hold. This psychological aspect of training is what is the most confusing because it the unseen part of this relationship. While unseen, its influence is profound. It took me over 15 years to finally connect the dots and clearly show its influence, associations and links to behavior. It did not happen from trusting what could be seen by the human eye. The more insight I gained into the psychological aspect of the relationship the more the context of the behavior aspect began to become clear. This is where the issue of dominance and power began to gain momentum. I knew that the authoritative levels of certain behaviors increased over time as a dog gained more power within the relationship. That one associated authoritative behavior almost always was linked to a greater power issue. Everything had meaning and nothing was independent of nature and the pack relationship. This also linked again to the psychological aspect with the psychological path of the owner. I was able to establish a link between the psychological path of the owners, the level of dominant behavior and the authoritative state of the dog’s mind. I was also able to establish this psychological link within the context of conditioning and when it failed to expose and shift power. The amount of unresolved power could be seen within the context of associated behavior and the influence of the owner within the context of nature. Training had to create a direct association to this power shifting and role changing process to be effective. This association links to verbal commands through this process as well. The owner’s influence on the dog’s mind was within this power shifting process. Conditioning was a secondary mechanism used once a level of power has been shifted to further increase the level of focus and consistency. Conditioning is powerless to influence a dog’s mind or create meaningful change beyond the surface without being in harmony with nature directly linked with the owner. As power is exposed, cornered and shifted behaviors associated with this higher authoritative state would diminish. This overall diminishment of authoritative associated behavior was the standard for success. Power changes to a conditional state or what I refer to as harmony between the dog and owner.
Positive psychological alignment would occur with all any type of training, intervention or ritual. Training which linked to authoritative interactions would be more successful however than training which was associated to a higher emotional approach. It is how interactions influence the psychological path of the owner which increases the potential that power is exposed and shifted. In my opinion it is no accident that so much conflict exists between dogs and humans. Once this psychological aspect is better understood however hope exists for more dogs and owners.
