Your energy affects your pets

Is it true that your energy affects your pets? It sure can. Our words, thoughts and feelings vibrate. You could think of them as electrical impulses from the brain and body. And your animals pick them up. So being aware of our energy can help our animals with their own energy. Or not. You choose.

How my energy affected my pets

My dogs Stella and Tibor had been known to bark at other dogs for no reason. Stella always started it. She didn’t want to fight, she just wanted to “mouth off” or “talk trash”. Seriously. Tibor thought, “Well, guess this is what we’re supposed to do.” So he chimed in with his big dog bark. They were actually sweet at heart, but the noise was not lovely. I was at the point where I tensed up as we walked out the door, wondering how it was going to turn out.

So I started talking to them about gently walking up to other dogs to say Hi. Or just ignoring them if they didn’t feel comfortable with them. I’d send them these scenarios from my mind to theirs and send them the joy and happiness I’d feel if they did this in real life.

Things were improving and it was lovely. We had more walks where everyone got to greet each other with gentle happiness.

My energy reverts back

One day, we were finishing a very lovely walk up the gravel path behind our neighborhood next to the woods by Little Hunting Creek. We came up to a woman and her dog we hadn’t yet met. My dogs gently moved forward and bumped noses with her dog as we talked.

She exclaimed, “Wow, your dogs are really well-behaved!”

I replied, “Well, thank you, but you should see when they start —” As I was going to say, “barking their heads off,” Stella switched to her special brand of barking insanity. And of course, Tibor joined in a split second later in solidarity with Stella. They yapped and growled and pulled on their leashes. I walked away, shaking my head.

In the old days, I’d say,

“It’s as if they were in tune with my energy and my memory of them barking!”

THis time, though, I knew it wasn’t “as if” they were in tune. They were tuned in. My energy and expectations ABSOLUTELY affected them, and they responded.

How do we “upgrade” our energy?

Start to notice when you’re tense or upset. Like my example, it can become a vicious cycle – we anticipate unwanted behavior and feel anxious. They feel our anxiety and their energy shifts. We notice it and our anxiety increases. We start to anticipate of wait for for the unwanted behavior.

Create a new story

Instead of anticipating the unwanted behavior, I find a way to calm myself (see below).

Then I create a new story, For Tibor and Stella, I’d say, “Hey guys, this could be a good walk. There are so many nice people and dogs in the neighborhood. I’m happy to meet them!” I envisioned it and I created the feeling of excitement and happiness.

So create your own new story for whatever situation you’re tense over. It helps me.

Tellington Touch Heart Hug

There are so many ways to reset your energy – yogic breathing techniques, meditation, etc. I’ve found this simple “Heart Hug” from Tellington Touch very useful in calming myself down when I start to anticipate something undesirable happening.

HeartMath Institute – Exploring The Beneficial Bond Between People And Dogs

Watch this delightful video from the HeartMath Institute about how dogs and peoples’ heart rates synch up. It’s a physical example of how our energy affects their energy. (I’m sure we’d find the same thing with our cats, if they’d ever agree to work with us. Anyway…)

Read about how our animals affect our energy in a positive way!

Grumpy? Find an animal!

Have you ever noticed that your energy – emotions, thoughts – have affected your animals? I’d love to hear your story!