I have 2 dogs, one 12 and one 2. The 2 year old has been difficult to manage as he has grown and the difficulty reached a crisis after he bit both our 5 year old grandson our 11 month granddaughter. We put our pup in an “immersion” class much like you have seen on the Dog Whisperer TV show. Three weeks living with a pack of well balanced dogs and supervised by humans that are clearly the PAC leaders. During the 3 weeks I was required to study my role in the training and meet once a week for hands on training and Q&A. On the initial drop off meeting my trainer told me my grandkids getting bit was totally my fault. Talk about triggering my frightened “self critical” parts. But I was open to what the universe wanted to teach me no matter how much it hurt.

So what does any of this have to do with Emotional Awareness or Authentic Power? More than I imagined! The first thing I was taught is that we humans radiate the energy that we have in us and dogs are very tuned into our energy. If I am nervous it makes my dog nervous. If I am angry it scares my dog. If I am depressed it confuses my dog. Even if I do very little overtly or physically to show my true emotions, my dog knows the truth about what I am feeling. Apparently you can’t lie to your dog about what you feel.

The next learning point for me was that in the dog world there always has to be a pack leader and when the leader is missing all the members of the pac test to see if they are suppose to lead. The system quickly sorts out who should be in charge next without any hurt feelings. Since I failed to let my dogs know I was going to run this pac the 2 year old took charge. But the problem when we bring dogs into our homes is that humans make lousy pac members. Biting my grandchildren was not a sign of a dangerous dog but a sign of a pac leading dog taking charge of pac members that needed to be calmed done or put in their place. And a big unpredictable pac member like me just added to the stress of my young pac leader. On walks he growled and barked at every person or dog he spotted because he was protecting his pac. And of course I was putting off embarrassed nervous energy to every neighbor I met because of my unruly pet which did not earn my dogs respect. In fact my trainer told me that a real pac of dogs or wolves will not tolerate a unruly unstable pac member and will drive it out of the pac. My neurotic pup going into the trainers pac of 20 could have been dangerous except that my trainer is the pac leader in her pac a quickly sets the rules for every member.

In order for me to establish myself as pac leader I have to send calm but assertive energy. And send off “I am in charge energy” and it is my job to protect my pac and no one else’s. The walk with my dog became a great time to reestablish who is the leader. The pac leader is always in front. Without sharing my full training in this post let me just say walking around my house sending off thoughts and energy that I am responsible for what happens and we all are going to stay calm and at peace with each other had an amazing affect on me and the entire household. As strange as this sounds I saw a great analogy to my own splintered personality ownership. I just felt the universe showing me I could take charge of my personality and my emotional responses. Stop sending off fearful, self critical, depressed energy to my dog and to myself and the world.

My dog is a completely new dog. He does not fear me and he is not as confused by me, he respect my authority and our house is more relaxed and calm for everyone that lives here and visits here. I also have a totally new perspective on my ability to take charge of me.

The Universe is such an amazingly wise teacher.