Of Kids and Dogs

Those of you who know me know that I spend a lot of time working with two disparate groups: young children and dogs. Or are they so disparate? I just came from my regular shift at Safehaven Humane Society, I am re-reading Cesar Millan's "Cesar's Way" and I recently watched an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" in which Cesar reunited three generations of a family who had been somewhat estranged due to the grandparent's miniature schnauzer's aggressive behavior. As usual, the dog's behavior was changed for the better in response to a change in the energy the owners were projecting. So, yeah, I've got dogs on the brain and kids, too, because we've been back in the classroom these past two weeks, meeting our new students and preparing for the new school year.

I am often and presently struck by the parallels between working with children and working with dogs. Dogs and children really perceive and respond to energy on a completely un-analytical "gut" level. Dogs and children respond to and are comforted by confident leadership. They feel safe and secure when given, in Cesar's words, "rules, boundaries and limitations." They honor those boundaries and trust their adult humans when given consistency. Individual dogs and children can vary greatly in energy level and consequently, in the challenge they present to the adult humans. Both groups thrive and achieve natural balance when allowed to do the work they were meant to do. For dogs, that is walking, or for some, herding, etc. For children, it is developing themselves through interactions with the environment. In the classroom, we call such interactions "work." And lastly, the privilege of having a child or a dog in one's life requires that we, the adult humans, continually transform ourselves by living in the present moment, as they do. Thus is each new moment an opportunity to change, to grow, to begin anew. If you are blessed to have a child or dog in your life, take a moment to thank them for all that they teach you!

Best regards,
Doni