The animals have been teaching me the wisdom behind this saying. They say positive energy and imagery go a long way in all types of relationships. They, like people, much prefer to work for praise, acceptance, and affection rather than just merely escaping undesired consequences.

You’re “Doing it Wrong”

Most people don’t realize that when they tell their animal not to do something they are actually reinforcing the exact behavior they are trying to avoid. Your thoughts and emotions broadcast clear vibrational frequencies that the animals are wired to receive for survival. When you tell them not to do something you are actually adding more energy to the undesired behavior.

The animals also tune into the mental pictures that we consciously, and more often unconsciously, send them. So when you are telling your pets not to bark or not to mark, you may not realize that you are actually flashing them an image or mini motion picture of the exact activity that you don’t want. This can be confusing to your animal, especially when you add in a little human frustration or irritation that is so common when dealing with training or behavior issues.

How did you feel when you read the above subtitle ‘You’re doing it Wrong’? Did your heart sink a bit? Did your posture change? Could you imagine what it is like to be an animal, without a voice to speak up, which is told they are doing something wrong and may not even know what is right or expected?

Now You Can “Make it Right”

You can shift the energy around by noticing absolutely everything your animal is doing right even if it has nothing to do with the behavior that you are trying to correct. Acknowledge all of the things that you love about your pet. How they are smart, loving, gentle with the treats, respectful of other pets, great at always hitting the box or just plain fun to be around.

Catch your animals in the act of doing something well and reward with verbal pleasure, an inner smile, petting and most definitely treats….even as I type this I was imagining my heart swelling with praise for my cat and guess who awoke from a sleep and jumped right up on the keyboard to “help” me?

If you consciously create positive words, feelings, and images that are congruent, you will notice your pets responding to you in kind.

PS – this works with your human friends too!