How can I calm my animal down?
Once you know how to calm your animal, and when you are confident that s/he is really listening to you then you have a remarkable tool to help in so many situations.
One of the most common questions I get asked is “Can the Trust Technique help with _____________?”
Fill the blank with :- barking at strangers, separation anxiety, chewing furniture, hating being groomed, nipping and biting, fear of the vet, running away, attacking other animals, fear of loud noises etc etc
Or sometimes people use words that have a bit more judgement in them :- my horse is stubborn, my puppy is naughty, my dog is wilful, my horse doesn’t love me, my cat is aggressive, my dog is stupid, my donkey is a trouble-maker.
And the answer to these questions is really the same…. yes Trust Technique can help any animal if (big IF) you are willing to practise with them on a regular basis. And if (big IF) you are ready to look at your own feelings.
Helping an animal change behaviour, lower their thinking, find their way to peace is immensely rewarding and it happens when we humans genuinely want to help, and open our hearts to their feelings and to our own.
That last part is important. If we want to share a peaceful feeling with an animal then of course we need to be peaceful ourselves. If not then what are we sharing? Impatience? Frustration? Irritation? Pity? Sadness? Fear?
You want to calm your animal down?
It starts with your own feelings.
To be peaceful in ourselves means we need to listen to our own feelings and be honest about what is going on. We want to help, we want to ‘get it right’; we start off calmly then before we know it we are pushing and striving and getting tense….. and that isn’t the feeling we want to share.
So we go back and start again. No judgement. No shame. No criticism.
And we will be doing this again and again and again. This is a journey that we take together.
So, now I have got that out of the way, what about some Case Histories?
Stories of animals (and people) who have been helped. You too can calm your animal down so that your both can enjoy and peaceful and fulfilling relationship.
Get in touch with me for a free 30 minute chat.
Jimi
Jimi was a ginger kitten rescued from a cat colony in Cornwall. He was about ten weeks when he came to live with me. Terrified, not used to human touch, only wanting to hide behind a chest of drawers. He also had a slight cold and runny eyes.
He had a room to himself with plenty of places to hide in. Several times a day I visited him and sat with him but without trying to touch him. I sat quietly, I went into my own peaceful calm space. I noticed when I started to feel a desire to stroke him – I knew this was my feeling, it wasn’t what he wanted. I practised Trust Technique with him in short five minute bursts about eight times a day. After two weeks he allowed me to reach out a finger to him and he sniffed it. A few days later he was coming over to walk around and across me. Soon after he was sitting on me and at last I could stroke his beautiful golden fur.
Konnor – a horse with fears
Konnor arrived from Ireland having been abused by someone in his past. As well as being fearful he had an injury under his chin. He was a kind wise soul and everyone loved him. But his fears could make him bolt and that was a problem. Working with him twice a week with Trust Technique meant he showed me more places in his body where stress and tension were stored. During the sessions he would often stretch out his neck, trying to release some tension.
He was receiving equine massage but there were moments when that too caused him fear. For example the small stepladder she used to reach up to his spine. Or if she touched too deeply on his shoulder. All of this told us so much more about what he had been through before. One day I was with him in a deep calm place when the massage therapist arrived. I stayed with him while she did her work. Listening to him and keeping his mind and thinking down meant that he was able to allow her even to work inside his mouth and on that tense shoulder. When he showed the tiniest amount of stress, she stopped and I helped him calm down. Then she continued until the next moment of unease. In this way, Konnor understood that we were listening to him and responding to his need to go slowly.