Photo by Sharon Snider.

Narrrated by Marie T. Russell

The more we reflect on our dog’s highly sensitive, animalistic, nonverbal consciousness, the better quality relationship we can achieve with them. Ultimately, we’ll be able to connect and communicate with them at a much higher level than we imagine possible, sometimes even telepathically. Silence is praise to the Universe.  

Silence Is Golden

In order to illustrate the results we would achieve from doing basic training exercises in silence, let us take a look at Nate and his two-year-old shaggy golden labradoodle Leo. Nate was a grooming client at Woof & Shloof nearly 10 years ago, and he was a masterful Peaceful Alpha.

Our paths crossed every morning at 6:30. I would be sipping coffee at the outdoor café, meditating, and gazing at the sun, mentally preparing for my day ahead. Like clockwork, I would see Nate walking Leo down the street, with no leash and an extra-large blue chuckit stick slung over his shoulder. Nate never looked back at his dog, and Leo just followed like an obedient soldier with his tongue flailing out the side of his mouth.

As Nate approached the stoplight near the café, he made eye contact with Leo for the first time, preparing him for a strong, silent, assertive command. Using the fetch scepter and the power of touch, Nate silently tapped Leo on the nape of the neck. The dog sat instantly and remained focused for his next command. When the light turned green, Nate clicked his throat. Leo popped up and followed calmly behind his master to the front door of the coffee shop. Nate then whispered something and Leo dropped to his belly, where he stayed with his eyes tethered to the window, loyally awaiting Nate’s return.

Calm and Completely Attuned

As I observed this, I reflected on how different Leo was from most of the other dogs I have come across. He was calm, completely attuned to Nate, and unbelievably well-tempered for such a young dog. He was trustworthy, street-smart, and followed his master without hesitation.

Nate did not even glance my way as he left the coffee shop. He simply clicked the back of his throat once more and slowly started walking down the sidewalk without looking back. Leo, conditioned by that clicky noise, responded by springing up and following.

Enlightened Secret: Silence Speaks

Nate masterfully exemplified the enlightened secret that silence speaks. When we are noisy, our dogs, friends, colleagues, and loved ones tune us out. When we are silent, they tune us in.

When Nate was leaving the coffee shop, he was able to make a soft clicking noise from the back of his throat and Leo was totally focused on him, despite a gamut of distracting street noises all around him. Leo heard the click and immediately began following his master along the sidewalk. I have no doubt that Nate walked Leo in silence, trained him in silence, and lived with him in silence.

Maintaining a lifestyle of silence gives us superpowers and turns us into masterful Peaceful Alphas. As Nate walked away from his unleashed dog without looking back, he was not walking away blindly. He was deeply listening. His mind’s eye saw what his ears were hearing. He heard the dog make a groan as he transitioned from a resting state to an active state. He heard his dog dig its claws into the cement as it began walking. He heard the rhythmic jingle of the metallic tags on Leo’s collar.

Though Nate was appearing aloof, he remained focused on the sounds his dog was making. From all of these sounds, Nate’s mind was able to identify the speed and location of his dog as it trotted behind him, without even looking back.

Silence is Not the Absence of Noise

We might mistakenly think that silence, in a spiritual sense, means the absence of noise. For example, we might believe that our yoga teachers hear absolutely nothing but the blissful silence of the void when they’re meditating. This is a total misunderstanding. They hear everything, yet they remain tranquil.

This planet is full of noise, and though we can tune it out, there is no escaping it or the vibrations it makes. Your dog hears everything, just like a meditation master! The wind makes noise. The rain makes noise. Electronics make noise. Our breathing makes noise.

Training, Practicing, and Living in Respectful Silence

As we cultivate a meditative lifestyle, our consciousness begins to evolve. We start hearing sounds without becoming distracted by them. Coincidentally, this is often the very thing that we are trying to train our dog: to not be so reactive to sensations. From a Peaceful Alpha’s perspective, silence simply means practicing the skill of nonreactivity to external sounds and inner emotions.

Thoughts and feelings, just like sounds, are an endless river of energy. Our relationship to this “noise” defines our energetic vibration to our dog. It also allows us to create that contrast between the regular vibe of tranquility we offer and the emotions we generate from our skillful actions.

As you begin walking your dog in silence, training them in silence, and practice being respectfully silent around them, you will find that your dog begins to tune in to your every move. When you act, they will notice; when you command, they will listen. Your silence will not be misconstrued as an absence of presence. In fact, the opposite is true: silence breeds Peaceful Alpha power.

Copyright ©2021. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher,
Findhorn Press, an imprint of inner Traditions Intl.

Article Source:

BOOK: Enlightened Dog Training

Enlightened Dog Training: Become the Peaceful Alpha Your Dog Needs and Respects
by Jesse Sternberg.

A complete guide to raising and relating to your pet in a mindful way that leads to calm, intuitively-obedient dogs. Helping you cultivate empathy, awareness, and confidence to become the peaceful alpha your dog craves, this guide shows how to strengthen your human-animal bond, communicate with actions, and command with respect and love.

• Reveals the principles of the secret language of the animal kingdom to help you communicate with your pet and read their signals

• Offers cutting-edge, unique solutions to everyday canine problems by looking at behavioral issues through the lens of your pet’s emotions

• Shares training exercises and powerful meditative practices to do with your pet as well as on your own to help soothe anxiety, overcome aggression issues, and transform tension into harmony

Click here for more info and/or to order this paperback book. Also available as a Kindle edition.

About the Author

Jesse Sternberg is a mindfulness teacher, meditation instructor, and master dog trainer. The founder of the Peaceful Alpha Project, he has been working with animals for more than 30 years.

For more information on his work, visit the Author's Website at: PeacefulAlpha.com.