What Is Your Reflection?

Dogs can be therapeutic in ways we don’t really recognize … until we do.

When your dog goes a bit wonky, ask yourself if he’s just reading your energy and mirroring your condition. Then, take a deep breath. Relax. Tell yourself that it will not only help you, but it will help your dog to become more centered and less irritable, angry, frustrated or anxious.

In my 35+ years working with dogs and their people, I have learned the curious fact that people are more willing to put work into making their dog feel better than doing the same for themselves. This is most obvious to me when working with folks and their Psychiatric Service dogs, which are often not only assistive, but they are therapeutic in this regard.

Dogs are wonderful healers…. and heelers, if they get good training!