Respectful State of Mind

First, an apology to all of my subscribers: with the addition of Pono and being very busy with Kamp K-9 Jax Bch – and of course the death of Malu – it has been a while since I have posted here. So let’s recap a bit!

Pono came to us February 2022 and Malu was a Rock star in teaching and guiding his evolution. In fact, the point of this post is to explore why dogs disagree with other dogs and what it really means. During this time, I have noticed the wisdom of Malu (who passed on June 2, 2023 suddenly following a kidney operation for cancer). I used to say that Malu would disagree with another dog’s level of excitement. But one of the first disagreements I saw with Pono was a matter of disrespect – state of mind – of Pono. Malu sent the message very assertively, yet never touched the puppy. However, it was loud and intense, and Pono thought he had been murdered. But beyond that, Pono became respectful of Malu, not avoiding him but respectful.

Another teaching moment that I witnessed about 6 months later was Malu chewing on a bully stick when Pono approached. He was interested and fast but interested. I watched as Malu raised one part of his lip, silently, and Pono froze and settled his brain, and laid down in front of Malu for a coupe of seconds. Then he moved his head forward to take the bully stick and Malu had no problem with that state of mind.

So, what Malu was doing was not disagreeing with excitement, it was state of mind DURING excitement. For example, during football season every stadium has a lot of excitement… half of it is respectful, and half of it is disrespectful. You can still be excited but be respectful.

A calm, balanced dog will send a message and when the message is received and followed, they move on. No grudges. No residual attitude. No human emotion. As I mentioned, and will post about later, I see Malu in everyday dealings that Pono has with other dogs. He is not the same dog, but he is a blend of both Koa and Malu and he is a calm and balanced boy even at 19 months. He is more vocal and has a range of intonation that is different. But it still gets the message across and he is a happy boy who spreads happiness wherever he is.

What is the overall message? Human emotion will muddy the waters of communication. Dogs are direct, they don’t have to repeat themselves, and life can move on in a better state of mind. But to send a message of respect, your state of mind must be respectful, assertive, and confident while staying calm.

And since we’re on the subject, what does staying calm mean? It means not allowing the negative human emotions to filter your message. It means being simple and profound in your behavior. Honesty, Integrity and Loyalty translates to Trust, Respect, and Love. And that, fellow pack leaders, is what defines a dog.