Parenting another living being presents emotional, mental, and strategic challenges. Parents get to make a steady stream of decisions, and many of those decisions leave you wondering if you've made the best choice.
On the other hand, you may be someone who avoids uncertainty, makes decisions by the book, and does not second-guess yourself.
Yet, parenting can still be messy and complicated. Your sensitive dog alerts to subtle changes in YOU as you struggle with a decision. And now, the dog's changed emotional state adds another level of complication.
Today, I want to remind you that you already have a resource within you that can instantly prevent messes and simplify complications. That resource is your intuition.
Intuition might have been downplayed in your experience, making it difficult to trust your inner sense of the best action in your unique circumstances. The beauty of trusting your intuition, however, is that it reveals your personal truth, the choice that serves you and no one else. Your intuition is yours alone.
Before I suggest ways to listen to your intuition, I'll mention things that could get in your way unless you are aware of their impact.
- Deciding in advance the outcome you want closes out other possibilities. When you're attached to only one acceptable answer, you could easily reject the best one. Being open keeps you on track.
- Taking the dog's actions personally blocks your access to meeting the dog's needs. When dogs are heard and understood, their anxious behavior lessens. Be open to learning their needs.
- We often struggle to understand a dog's feelings and needs. But, if we're honest, we acknowledge there's so much we will never understand because the information isn't accessible. You might be tempted to dismiss an idea you can't yet understand, but that would be a mistake because there are many ways to help your dog even if you don't understand him.
Tapping into your intuition is simple. Start by taking some grounding breaths. Look around you and name 5 or 6 things you see. Be present to the sensory impressions you hear, smell, touch, or even taste. Your dog will often mirror your calming activities. When your body feels calm, relaxed, and open to listening, consider the choices you're now faced with, and make the intention that you're open to choosing whatever serves the highest good for all.
Then say, "I choose (name it)." How does that decision feel in your body? Can you feel your body relax or become tense, anxious, or unsafe?
Next, say, "I choose (name the other option)." How does it feel to believe in that choice? How is your response different this time?
Your intuition will cause one choice to feel right and the other to feel wrong. Attunement to the subtle differences improves with practice. So, consult your intuition often.
Intuition is your inner knowing, your most trusted guide. Your sensory responses are your automatic GPS showing you the way.
Trust yourself and trust your dog. When you experience the comfort of choosing the path that feels right, you become the leader that walks beside your dog.
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