PDTE 2016 July Newsletter

Ruminations: Walking
in our dogs shoes
Elise Montfort from Belgium discusses a unique way to understand the way animals feel and appreciate
why something feels wrong to them while something we humans never do, can feel so enjoyable
Photo Credit: Harriet Alexander, UK
After years of living with and
working side by side with
animals, I’ve developed a
strong interest for walking in
their shoes, in getting close to feeling
what they are feeling. It all started
with my first dog, Joy, who I’d learned
to mimic so well: the sound of her
nails clicking on the floor, the way she
used to vomit, the way she could play.
But then I was only 12, and that could
still be the kind of childish play I was
allowed to play. Though I’m far older
now, I still enjoy mimicking animals, no
matter how ridiculous I can appear to
some people. To me, it goes along with
understanding the way animals feel,
feeling the way they experience the
world, understanding why something
feels wrong, why going some direction
is just impossible, or why something
we humans never do, can feel so
enjoyable to them. Sometimes, it’s just
as simple as the sun’s reflection on a
metal bar that makes it impossible for
an animal to take a step further.
Of course, I will probably never
get anywhere close to being 100%
positive that what I get to experience,
when I try to put myself in an animal’s
shoes, is actually what this very animal
is experiencing. But for as long as
I’ve been doing it, I’ve always been
rewarded for it. Indeed, it is beneficial
to try to figure out what an animal is
feeling, to get another perspective on
things. Sometimes, we need to leave
behind every single thing we know
in order to “get it”. Other times, we
need thorough observation together
with a good understanding of the
animal’s ethogram and basic needs
to appreciate and get to feel what’s
going on.
In the end, getting into the process
of feeling and understanding what
an animal is experiencing gives us
accurate and efficient tools to get
to know them better, get to live with
them more respectfully and often also,
change their lives and our lives for
the better. Sometimes, all it takes is
to get down on all fours to get their
perspective. Some other times it’s a
little more complicated. You may just
get lucky and get it right away. In any
case, it always turns out to be worth it.
Recently I was reminded that my
closed mind could be opened by
simple things that would help my
dogs. One of my dogs, Judy, had been
having bouts of stiffness. Even though
we made good use of our osteopath
appointments and regular massages,
tension would stay, reappear, build
up, and she would be in pain again.
There definitely was an urgent need
to have a closer look at her daily
routines and opt for healthier habits
and activities. But at the time, I was
feeling hopeless. There was nothing I
could do to alleviate the burden Judy
was carrying as she was refusing our
regular massages. That’s when luck
popped in! I got the opportunity to
have a light touch session. I realised
how tense I myself was and how
relieving those light touches were.
Moreover, I realised that if I had had
a “real” massage session, I would
Photo Credit: Winkie Spiers, UK
The world can look very different from a dog’s perspective. Getting an idea of their world
view can tell us a lot about why our dogs behave the way they do
probably have felt uncomfortable. Immediately I thought of Judy: could it be as
simple as that? Could light touches be the answer she needed at that particular
moment? Just that? I couldn’t wait to give it a try… And yes Judy loved it!
I also recall something my dogs, Judy and Kimba, taught me (our dogs tend
to teach us quite a few things, don’t they?). At the time, there was quite a bit
of tension and every day was a challenge for the three of us. Communicating
properly and understanding each other was a big deal. But then, we had a few
nights in a row, where everything went well. And every time it did, I noticed that
they would lie down and give a big sigh before falling fast asleep. As soon as
one of them would sigh, I could feel the tension in the room vanish immediately.
I started dreaming that I could initiate the sigh, then I thought of first getting the
feel for it (you’ve got it, I never used to sigh). By now, those of you who practice
it on a daily basis may have raised an eyebrow, and the ones who think it’s silly as
well. But guess what? I felt an immediate relief! After that experience, every time
they would sigh, I would sigh in unison. After a few times, I would actually sigh
by myself if I felt like we could “use” a bit of tension releasing. And they would
usually sigh in unison with me. Now it’s part of our “healthy habits”
We can never put ourselves enough in our animals’ shoes. So, next time you don’t
“get” your dog, just give it a try, as ridiculous as it may make you feel, I can tell
you, you will be as delighted as I always am by what you will discover!
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