by Sasha Riess | 11.02.26. | Nutrition
Autophagy as a Natural Remedy: What It Means for Dogs
Autophagy is a natural cellular renewal process during which the body uses periods without food to break down damaged, old, or potentially cancerous cells. In humans, it is often discussed in the context of fasting. In dogs, however, autophagy in dogs is not an exception but a part of their biological normality.
Every day, the body creates thousands of potentially cancerous cells, and many of them are eliminated by the immune system. This process works most efficiently when the body is not burdened by digestion. The same applies to dogs. Regeneration and optimal immune function occur precisely during periods when the dog is not eating.
Why Dogs Do Not Need to Eat Every Day
Unlike humans, dogs do not naturally follow a three meals a day rhythm. Wolves, their direct ancestors, often eat only a few times per week, sometimes even once every seven to ten days. The reason is simple. Hunting requires enormous energy expenditure, so meals are not a daily event.
Because of this, dogs are not biologically programmed to constantly feel hunger. A dog eats when food is provided by humans, not necessarily when the body signals true starvation. For this reason, it is recommended that dogs do not eat too frequently. Less frequent meals allow the body to activate autophagy in dogs, reset itself, cleanse internal processes, and regenerate.
In periods without food, a dog’s body enters a state of regeneration.
The Myth of the Always Hungry Dog
Owners often believe that a dog is always hungry simply because he eats with great appetite. However, dogs have evolved to eat everything that is offered to them because they never know when the next meal will come.
That is why it is not advisable to feed a dog every time he asks for food or to repeat meals too often throughout the day. Overfeeding slows digestion, burdens the pancreas and liver, and prevents the natural process of autophagy in dogs.
Recommendation
Although individual needs vary depending on age, breed, activity level, and health status, the general principle is simple. Less frequent meals are better, provided the diet is balanced and nutritionally rich.
Many dogs function very well on one meal per day, while others benefit from an occasional day without food. This is completely natural and aligned with their biology. By allowing periods of fasting, you are supporting the essential process of autophagy in dogs, ensuring long-term health and vitality.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care. Learn more about our Holistic Approach.
by Sasha Riess | 10.02.26. | Emotions
We continue with the topic we began last week. It leads us deeper into a truth that is often overlooked in discussions about the relationship between people and dogs: there is no dangerous dog, there are only owners who cannot or do not want to understand their own responsibility.
No matter how much society loves to label and stigmatize certain breeds, from pit bulls to Rottweilers, the reality is that a dog is not born with the intention to be aggressive.
The Dog as a Mirror, Not a Threat
A dog’s behavior is not a genetic sentence but a reflection of what we, as owners, bring into the relationship. But what if that relationship is shaped by aggressive mothers whose strictness and demands leave deep marks on our emotional understanding of the world?
When society talks about dangerous dogs, it is actually talking about our lack of understanding, about the invisible burdens we project onto our dogs and no less onto our other relationships. Let us explore this topic together, with compassion for all of us who struggle with inner wounds, and see how we can create harmony instead of conflict.
In a society prone to quick judgments, it is easy to blame the dog for being dangerous. Breed Specific Legislation in many countries targets certain breeds and labels them as inherently aggressive. However, behavior is not written in a dog’s genes in a way that makes violence unavoidable. Instead, a dog’s behavior is almost entirely shaped by external influences, and the greatest of these, almost one hundred percent, comes from the owner. The dog mirrors our actions, our emotions, our ability or inability to create a safe and stable environment.
When a dog shows aggression, withdrawal, or fear, this is not a sign of its nature but a reflection of what it has learned through its relationship with us. If the owner uses punishment, fear, or neglect, the dog reacts accordingly, not because it is dangerous but because that is the only response it knows. If the owner offers patience, understanding, and consistency, the dog learns trust and calmness. This is not a matter of breed. It is a matter of responsibility. And what if that responsibility is disrupted by deep emotional wounds rooted in the relationship with a mother whose strictness and demands shape the way we love and control? The world will not become safer by banning certain dogs. It will become safer when owners take responsibility for their influence and work on themselves to create harmony.
Behaviorism and the Affective Bond with a Dog
Behaviorism, a branch of psychology developed by pioneers such as John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, teaches us that behavior is not inherent but learned through experience, through stimuli and the consequences that follow. Watson once stated that he could take ten healthy children and shape them into anything he wished, from doctors and lawyers to beggars, regardless of their background, genetic predispositions, social status, or race, emphasizing the power of environment in shaping behavior.
With dogs, this idea becomes even clearer. Whether we adopt a six week old puppy or an adult dog from a shelter, every dog immediately begins analyzing the new environment. His brain, thanks to neuroplasticity, constantly learns and adapts. This means the dog continuously responds to what we bring into his world, and every change in our behavior changes him as well.
If the stimulus is punishment, the response may be fear or aggression. If the stimulus is a reward, the response may still be avoidance because the real consequence comes from punishment when the reward is not earned. It is crucial to understand that the dog does not decide to be aggressive or obedient. He reacts to what the environment provides, and that environment is almost entirely shaped by the owner. The dog cannot choose whether he will live in stress, chaos, or violence, nor can he choose whether he will be trained gently or harshly. Almost one hundred percent of the influence comes from the owner, from the tone that is set, from the energy the owner brings into the relationship, from the consistency in communication. If the owner carries inner tension, fear, or a need for control, the dog senses it and responds. If the owner provides safety, the dog learns calmness and connection. The dog’s behavior is not a mystery; it is a direct reflection of what we bring into his world.
Dogs reflect our emotions and behavior
The Broken Emotional Field of the Mother and Our Emotional Patterns
But why do owners often bring fear or control into the relationship with their dogs, even when they do not want to? The answer lies in our deepest emotional patterns, and one of the most significant sources of these patterns is the relationship with the mother, what I call the broken emotional field of the mother. This concept refers to the wounds we carry from that first and most intimate relationship, especially when the mother was angry, overly demanding, or emotionally unavailable. Such a relationship shapes our emotional image of the world, the way we experience love, safety, and trust.
If the mother was aggressive and demanding, often using strictness or punishment as a method of raising a child, we may learn to associate love with control and fear of disobedience. This can lead us to project these same patterns onto our dogs, expecting perfect obedience and reacting harshly to any sign of disobedience. This is not about blame. Mothers are themselves victims of their own circumstances and past. But we must acknowledge that this relationship shapes us in ways we cannot ignore, and that it spills over into all our connections, including those with our dogs.
The Affective Bond with a Dog: A Mirror of Our Wounds
Affective attachment styles can be secure, avoidant, anxious, or disorganized, and they shape how we experience closeness and safety. If we developed an avoidant style, we may distance ourselves from the dog, using coldness or punishment to avoid emotional closeness. If we have an anxious style, we may become overly protective, projecting our fear of loss onto the dog. A disorganized style, often linked to trauma and aggressive parental behavior, can lead to unpredictable reactions, loving one day and reacting with anger the next, which confuses the dog and creates insecurity.
Attachment theory teaches that these styles are not fixed. We can work on ourselves to build a more secure relationship, but this requires confronting the wounds from the broken emotional field of the mother. When we do this, we transform not only ourselves but also our relationships with our dogs and the world. The dog stops being a projection of our fears and becomes a partner in harmony. This is essential to understanding why owners often create dangerous dogs. It is not the dog’s fault. It is our unresolved wounds reflected through our behavior toward them.
The Story of Mark and Rex: From Aggression to Trust
Let us look at a story that shows how the broken emotional field of the mother and attachment styles influence the relationship with a dog. Mark, a man in his forties, came to me in despair because he did not want to euthanize his dog Rex, a Rottweiler, who was becoming increasingly aggressive.
Mark grew up with a mother who was demanding and often used physical punishment and harsh words to teach him obedience. Inside himself he carried the quiet sentence “I will never be like you”, never violent, never strict. When he got Rex, he wanted a dog who would give him love, a companion in a world he experienced as hostile, someone who would offer warmth and unconditional affection he had longed for since childhood.
However, he unconsciously projected his fears and need for control onto the dog. Every small sign of disobedience, even something as simple as barking at the mailman, Mark experienced as rejection, and he reacted harshly, using punishment and a raised voice, just like his mother had with him. Rex began showing aggression towards strangers, which only amplified Mark’s fears. Society quickly labeled Rex as a dangerous dog, and Mark faced pressure to euthanize him. But the problem was not the breed or the dog’s nature. The problem was Mark’s anxious attachment style, rooted in the demanding relationship with his mother.
Through work and guidance, Mark began to understand that his fear of losing control was not Rex’s problem but his own. When he began applying the principles from the harmony guide, Rex changed. He became calmer and more trusting. Mark did not simply fix Rex. He began healing his own wounds, building a more secure attachment style, and seeing the dog as a partner rather than a projection of the love he never received from his mother. This story shows how aggressive mothers can unconsciously shape aggressive owners, who then create aggressive dogs, but also how change begins when the owner takes responsibility for their influence.
Building a harmonious affective bond with your dog
How the Owner Shapes the Dog: One Hundred Percent Responsibility
The behaviorist approach shows that a dog’s behavior is almost entirely a response to external influences, and the owner provides the greatest part of those influences. If the owner carries a broken emotional field of the mother, especially if the mother was demanding, their attachment style, whether avoidant, anxious, or disorganized, becomes the stimulus to which the dog reacts. The dog is not dangerous by nature. He becomes a reflection of the owner’s emotions and behavior. If the owner uses punishment, the dog learns fear or aggression. If the owner provides safety, the dog learns trust. Almost one hundred percent of the responsibility lies with the owner, not with the breed, not with genetics, but with the way the owner shapes the dog’s world.
This leads us to the key point. Society makes a mistake when it blames dogs for danger. Instead of banning breeds or condemning dogs, we must focus on educating owners, on understanding their emotional patterns, and on helping them build harmonious relationships. The dog is not the problem. The problem lies in our unresolved wounds, often rooted in relationships with aggressive mothers, which become reflected in our behavior toward dogs.
The Affective Bond with a Dog and the Path to Harmony
If we want to create a world without dangerous dogs, we must start with ourselves. Confronting the broken emotional field of the mother is not easy, especially if that relationship was filled with anger, punishment, and demands, and I know that for many of you this can be a painful process. But working on ourselves, through reflection, conversation, or professional support, can transform not only us but also our relationships with our dogs. Attachment theory teaches that attachment styles are not fixed. We can move toward a dog secure attachment, but this requires courage to face our wounds.
Practically, this means we stop blaming dogs for our fears and take responsibility for the influence we have on them. Instead of punishment, we use patience and understanding. Instead of control, we build trust. Instead of projecting our emotional burdens onto them, we learn to love them as they are and to love ourselves in the same way. When we learn to love ourselves unconditionally, we can love dogs unconditionally, freeing ourselves from the burden of aggressive patterns we adopted as our own.
As I conclude this column, I invite you to reflect. Is it time to stop blaming dogs for our fears and take responsibility for the relationships we create with them? There is no dangerous dog. There are only owners who are unaware of their influence, shaped by mothers whose wounds we unconsciously continue to carry.
We have the strength to change this. Through understanding, intentional work, and the harmony of relationship, we can create a bond that heals both us and our dogs as well as the world around us.
Let your next moment with your dog be a moment of awareness. Look into his eyes and ask yourself: what am I bringing into this relationship? If you feel the weight of the past, know that you are not alone, and that every step toward understanding can create change.
Dogs are here to remind us of the power of unconditional love waiting quietly within us.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care.
by Sasha Riess | 10.02.26. | Emotions
I grew up surrounded by dogs — quiet, steady, wise presences that shaped my childhood. From them, I received what I often couldn’t find in my family or among my friends at school. At least, that’s how it felt to me at the time. Through dogs, I learned the first lessons of love, trust, and pure connection — uncorrupted and real.
The Professional World of Dogs
When I entered the professional world, I did so with open eyes and full dedication. As a groomer and professional dog handler, I worked across the globe with dogs whose careers were worth millions. Their health, peace, safety, and performance in the show ring were my responsibility. I knew exactly what I was doing — and why. I was a professional.
But in that professional relationship, there was distance — connection without emotional entanglement. That’s how champions are raised: with respect, not attachment.
Titto — The Dog Who Changed Everything
When I stepped away from the industry in 2015, Titto entered my life. Not a champion. Not a project. Just a being I connected with — not as a professional, but as a man, with all my flaws and vulnerabilities.
Titto arrived at a time of personal and professional crisis. In that emotional vacuum, he became everything — my anchor, my comfort, my constant presence.
Titto by the water in nature
When Love Becomes a Burden
What I didn’t see was how I had unconsciously projected my own need for safety and validation onto him. Neighbors would call to tell me he was trying to jump out the window. He lost nearly all his fur; his body reacted as if it were in constant danger. I was lost — full of doubt and shame. How could a professional of my experience make such a mistake?
Awakening and Transformation
That was the moment of awakening. I began to change how I spoke publicly — telling my students that not everything is as it seems. That they don’t need to come to my seminars to ‘be like me,’ because the world under the spotlight often hides deep sadness and loneliness.
For that honesty, I finally found courage. Titto was the dog who turned everything around.
A New Understanding of the Human–Dog Relationship
I began exploring the deeper bond between humans and dogs — and discovered a world I had never known before: a world of true love and harmony, to which I later devoted my life.
Sasha Riess and Titto in the car
Love Without Order — A Destructive Force
That painful experience opened a new understanding. Through personal development, I came to know the principles of the Order of Love. I realized that love without order does not sustain life.
The Morphogenetic Field and Species Resonance
Every species has its own dynamic — its own morphogenetic resonance, as described by Dr. Rupert Sheldrake: a field of memory and habit that shapes behavior within the species itself.
But what happens when we pull a dog into the human system, under rules that aren’t his own? He becomes a substitute — a therapist, a child, a partner — and his body begins to express the symptoms of destructive love.
The Order of Harmony — Returning to Natural Balance
From this realization came The Order of Harmony — an understanding that even between species, invisible systems exist. When these natural laws are broken, chaos follows. From that awareness were born the Pure Love & Harmony movement and my guidebook — a path toward balance between humans and dogs.
Titto resting on the bed
A Meeting with Dr. Sheldrake
I had the honor of discussing these discoveries with Dr. Sheldrake himself. He told me, ‘Sasha, this is a fascinating discovery — pioneering work. It’s incredible how you’ve connected two worlds and opened a door to a deeper understanding of our relationship with the natural world.’
When a Dog’s Behavior Reveals Our Inner State
Today, my work focuses on how a dog’s behavior reflects our inner state. A dog’s problems are never isolated — they mirror the relationship within the family system.
In families where the dog doesn’t have its rightful place, we often see chronic stress, behavioral issues, allergies, skin problems, autoimmune reactions, digestive disorders, and systemic illness.
When the Dog Becomes What’s Missing
In therapeutic work, I’ve noticed a common pattern: dogs often enter families before or after major emotional events — loss, divorce, trauma, or even abortion. The owner says, ‘This dog is everything to me,’ or ‘He’s my angel.’ And in that moment, the dog becomes everything he was never meant to be.
Sasha Riess and Titto on a walk
The Solution — Restoring the Dog’s True Place
Healing doesn’t begin with ‘fixing’ the dog — it begins with understanding the system. When the owner realizes that the dog cannot heal their pain, the dog is finally freed.
That’s when love stops suffocating and begins to see. Only then can a dog simply be — and that is enough.
So next time you ask, ‘Why is my dog doing this?’ or ‘Why did my dog get sick?’ try asking instead: ‘Who or what is my dog replacing?’ That’s where true healing begins — through love that respects boundaries, place, and dignity. A love that doesn’t destroy, but creates the future.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care.
by Sasha Riess | 10.02.26. | Emotions
This Isn’t the Text I Wanted to Write
This is the text that grew inside me for years — after watching too many dogs fade away. Not from age. Not from disease. But from everything we, with the best intentions, unknowingly impose on them every single day. I’ve had dogs who are no longer here. And each of them taught me something about how wrongly we sometimes love.
A Dog’s Body Reflects Its Owner’s Emotions
I’ve watched their bodies change under the weight of our emotional tension. How they try to adapt, to understand us, to be “good” — even when we stop understanding them. This isn’t a plea. It’s a confession. A personal call to responsibility. Because there were dogs who never heard this message in time.
The Moment My Dog Spoke — Through Silence
I remember the first time my dog turned his head away while I was talking to him. I thought he was being stubborn. Today I know he was overwhelmed. He had no more space inside him for my chaos. He was a mirror of my inner instability — and I refused to see it.
When Love Without Boundaries Hurts
I used to believe love was enough. That attention, care, and time were all that mattered. But they’re not. Love without wisdom can become a heavy burden. Love without boundaries can wound the very being it tries to protect.
Our dogs are mirrors of our inner world—their health starts with our stability.
My Rhythm, His Stress: How Our Lives Shape Theirs
It took me years to realize that my way of living shaped his body. My restless rhythm became his anxiety. My sleepless nights — his exhaustion. My need to have him everywhere with me — his burnout. When his body finally broke, I was shocked. But the signs had been there all along.
What It Really Means to Be a Good Owner
Being a good owner doesn’t mean endless affection, play, and care. It means balance. It means setting boundaries. Giving the dog silence when it needs it. Leaving it at home when the world feels too loud. It means being present, not just physically near.
The Dog as a Mirror of Our Inner World
My dog is not my therapy tool. He is not my accessory. He is a being who carries a fragment of my world within him. And if that world is unstable — he will be too.
Not Out of Fear — But Out of Responsibility
I don’t write this to scare anyone. I write it because I believe we can do better. For the dogs who are gone — and for those still waiting for us to truly see them, as they are.
Maybe It’s Time for Silence
Maybe it’s time to stop trying to be “good owners.” And to start becoming stable, grounded human beings. Because that’s when love becomes what it was meant to be — healing, not heavy.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care.
by Sasha Riess | 10.02.26. | Behaviour
The Adopted Dog Is Still Aggressive: Understanding the Root of the Problem
When a dog comes from the street, from abuse, or from neglect, many people expect that love and care will automatically heal all his wounds. However, aggressive behavior often remains precisely because the dog brings deeply ingrained survival patterns with him.
Dogs, like children with parents, develop affective attachment. This emotional bond can be secure or insecure. When attachment is insecure, it most often shows through:
-
Withdrawal
-
Anxiety
-
Overprotective behavior
-
Fear-based aggression
For aggression to decrease, the dog must move from insecure to secure affective attachment.
Why Does an Adopted Dog Become Aggressive?
A dog who has lived without stability, safety, or protection has learned to survive on his own. When we rescue him, feed him, give him a home, and offer love, he sees it, but he does not automatically feel safe.
Until he feels safe in your presence, he worries about you. And when a dog worries about a human, he enters a state of constant tension and responsibility, which easily leads to aggression:
His aggression is not bad intention. It is an expression of fear and old wounds.
Trust is built through consistency, rituals, and calm leadership.
How to Help a Dog Develop Secure Affective Attachment
For a dog to move from insecurity to safety, he must understand that protecting you is not his job. Your role is to become:
-
Stable
-
Consistent
-
Predictable
-
A calm leader
Through clear rituals and routines, the dog learns that:
-
The human makes decisions
-
The human leads
-
The human provides safety
-
He does not need to react aggressively
When the dog feels that control is no longer on his shoulders, he begins to relax. Only then can he develop secure affective attachment, a relationship in which he knows you are there to protect him, guide him, and set boundaries. At that point, the dog no longer reacts out of fear, but out of trust.
Rituals That Restore a Sense of Safety
It is recommended to introduce rituals that strengthen security:
-
Clear signals and routines
-
Daily structure
-
Short obedience exercises without pressure
-
Limited access to space until stability is built
-
Calm walks without overstimulation
-
Your emotional leadership
When a dog understands that a human provides protection, food, direction, and stability, he stops carrying the burden of responsibility. And aggression, which once served as a survival tool, slowly fades away.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care.
