Touching Animal Souls

I am fortunate to remember the good old days when I worked in this industry sans a whole of lot of theory.  Good days.  I have learned a great deal over the years - theoretically.  Sometimes the theory took away my feeling.  I lost my intuition and got very in my head.  Recently I have been looking at learning hormones that can become stressful.  and realising once again that there is nothing more important than the relationship between the animals and their trainers.  If the animals keeps failing and also has nowhere safe to go and be redirected or feel positive, it must be very stressful.  In those good old days these moments would have been titled "ah shame, they tried" and I would have rewarded the animals less than normal.  If we go only on the theory, perhaps we have to not reward and then redirect.  Or not call the animal away from his failure and let the behaviour finish without that bridge or redirection. Mmmm.  Not saying...

The lessons are always present.  2014 taught me about looking closely at the effect I have on others.  With animals we see it superficially, and intuitively.  Sometimes in life when we understand the physiological mechanisms that are occurring, it helps us look at things from a different perspective.  I have become aware of how classical conditioned stressors are a whole lot more powerful if an animal or person is subject to them when they are not at choice.  We may think - being the scholarly animal people that we are that in our interactions we are providing choice - but this may not be the case if we are stuck in our heads.  The moment we say "they know what I want", we are probably stepping into 'my way or the highway' mentality. So, feel it.  And in that moment if you feel you are asking too much - then the choice is gone.  Back off - and doing that your relationship with the animal will be strengthened because you will be pairing...

So many wonderful animal memories in 2014.  And here is to a whole bunch more that will be created in 2015.  New Year's resolution - stay open to amazing animal souls!

So often feel the purity of this.  Is a soulmate must one being is the question.  Sent from Samsung Mobile

Every creature needs to feel as though it has control over its life.  When we train animals, or even manage our pets at home, the most common statement out of people's mouths when the plan goes awry is that 'they know what to do'.  So we stand firm and dig our heels in and actually, great stats re in favour of the fact that the animal is confused and does not know what we want.  If our relationship has more control than it should, then the animal is probably even in a state of stress trying to please us.  And yet we believe they should do as we telepathically insist - we do this in life too.  Expect all sorts of things without communicating carefully.  Much easier to go back a step and explain.  But to do that, we have to put down our need to be right.  Because it would mean that we have not communicated carefully in the first place - which is our own personal 'wrong'.  When we don't, more and more stress eventually creates an clas...

If you wish to purchase my book for someone who you think may appreciate it for Christmas, here are some links.  Happy Holidays to you all.  May the animals in your life bless you.   http://kimabooks.com/Touching-Animal-Souls   http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Animal-Souls-Gabrielle-Harris/dp/098698583X   http://www.kalahari.com/Books/Touching-Animal-Souls-Developing-Awareness-Through-the-Animal-World_p_41492843    

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