of Thai Metta & Flying Dogs

I've been doing a tremendous amount of work recently with my children's dogs, specifically a little Beagle Rescue puppy who was severely abused as a puppy. She is almost always submissive in the presence of other dogs, yet when cornered transforms into a fierce creature all claws and teeth. She was punished for defecating as a puppy, and so when on walks she finds the most ultimately private spot, either deep in ivy or behind a bush, to do her business. Then she comes home and might pee on the floor.

A few times recently I've realised that she is literally shivering from head to toe when she comes to me. That feeling is fear. And as I learned so long ago while doing entheogens with my older dog, Link, dog whispering can and does work. So today I took in a shivering and fearful beagle, and simply held her gently and lovingly for a long eternity, consciously focusing Metta (Thai for "loving touch") through my fingertips, just as I was taught in Thai Massage.

As I did this, I made sure to have a straight spine. And then the most amazing thing happened. Belle started slowly, cautiously, elongating her spine, gently climbing up my legs, knees, and torso until her head was even with mine. Only then did the shivering pause, and I got a big doggy lick kiss on my serene face.

In my studies of dog behaviour, I've realised it is almost 100% about the "alpha game," that is, who is the dominant and who is the submissive in any given interaction (eating, playing, walking, crossing thresholds, etc.). A key role in the alpha game is physical elevation of the eyes / head, where humans have a distinct advantage. This is one reason we keep dogs off of couches and beds. In elevating her head up to mine, Belle was cautiously asking if it was OK to say hello eye-to-eye.

Immediately my base/flyer eye contact play / trust came to mind, and I wondered with amusement, could I fly a dog? If I could fly a jiggly, squirmy child, then certainly I could fly a dog... and maybe the hyper-elevated head position would be just what the doctor ordered. Was it possible? Yoda's wisdom echoed in my head: "No try, only do."

In the next second, my hands firmly gripped Belle's humerii, and I gently placed my feet either side of her abdomen, and pushed. Boom! Beagle in Flight! She was amazingly stable and calm, presumably enjoying a vantage point of the room that few dogs have ever experienced. And... lo and behold... not a single shake! I kept her up there for a while, feeling out the possibility space, and then slowly let her down, where I got another sloppy face lick.

Who'da thunk it? We'll have to try cats next... :)