I’ve heard a lot of theories about whether our animals hold onto the past. And I’ve thought about it as I work with animals.
Just like people, it depends. For instance, if your animal had great experiences with people, they assume when they meet you that you’re a great human, too. Because that’s how humans are!
Stella’s genuinely confused when people ignore her or move away as if she might have a terrible disease. “Glorious human, why can we not bask in each other’s extreme delightfulness?,” she wonders.
And then there’s my sweet Tibor.
He had a rough start. I believe people used him to train tougher dogs to fight. So he didn’t trust humans in the least – his lens was from a terrible past.
When I was searching for a new dog in the family, I saw Tibor’s picture and thought, “He’s the one.” And he was docile with us and Stella at the shelter. So we brought him home.
When we got him home, though, he exhibited fear-aggressive behaviors. I was worried. But my dog who recently passed on, Mitsubishi, gave me a clear message that this new dog, Tibor, needed me. Well, okay! Because of Mitsu and my trust that Tibor was the one, we didn’t give up.
Tibor was the first animal with trust issues that I helped see life differently. That’s the key, right? You don’t want to force them to behave, and you can’t force them to trust you. They’ve probably been on the receiving end of enough dominance to last four lifetimes.
You want them to voluntarily open to the life they’ve been given. To enjoy the world they should have been born into.
With that intention, we used love and patience to allow Tibor to reassess the human race. I talked to him, did energy healing and then let him experience the goodness of this new life for himself. And he chose to toss away the past – the old lens – and try Stella’s viewpoint.
Gloriously, Tibor’s still evolving into that loving guy. During our walks, “T” used to hide behind Stella while she was getting love from humans. Or he’d pull on the leash to say, “Enough of this nonsense, let’s get our walk on.” Now he gently goes to a human to say, “Hi, got any love to share? I don’t need much, just a gentle touch, word or look.”
The sanctuaries and rescues I love the most adhere so strongly to this ideal of allowing their animals the time to change their minds. Gentle patience all day every day. Not surprisingly, their animals toss off the old lens, and see the world in a new way. Read about two of them.
Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue
Asking these lovely souls to let go of their past takes time and patience. It’s not usually a “one and done” event. But when they shift, it’s worth it.
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