I have just had another example of the importance of changing something when we want a situation to change. If we keep on doing the same old thing we are only going to get more of the same.
This is something that was brought home to me very forcibly this summer when we moved 1,000km. from south to north, from extreme heat to a moderate climate. All our animals benefited from the change, but the transformation was particularly marked in the cats. The ones that were averse to contact became friendly and sociable both with people and with the other cats in the home.
This week I have had a report of a similar change from a TTouch student in Uruguay. Her little dog had stopped wanting to go out on walks. She began to tremble when she saw the lead being produced and once out at the earliest opportunity made a beeline for home. As far as could be ascertained there was no particular trigger for this change and no event occurred on the walks at any special point .
Of course this is a tremendously stressful situation for dog owners, particularly those who live in the city or in an apartment, because we know that our dogs need to go outside even if it is just to relieve themselves.
As an act of desperation my student decided to take her little dog out in the car as she always loves riding in the car. She took her to a place where they used to walk before, and the little dog had a great time and showed none of the problem behaviours. By changing the walk routine the expectations were also changed and so the chain could be broken. She will continue to do this new routine for a time and then see how things develop.
The important lesson is that when there is a problem there is no point in continuing to do what we have been doing because then there is no opportunity for change. When we break the sequence we open up a new space where transformation can take place.
