The Order of Harmony did not begin as a defined idea but as a journey into the unknown. At first, I only had a deep feeling that there was a strong emotional connection between dogs and their owners, one that went beyond the ordinary boundaries of behavior and training. Not as symbolism, not as obedience work, but as something essential and systemic, a bridge between two species that do not understand each other through words but feel the same.
The Order of Harmony: The Meeting with Ivana and Ela
Years ago, in New York, I met Ivana. She came to an individual workshop after hearing my television interview about the philosophy of living with dogs based on the deep interconnection between a human and a dog as one system. At that time, I still didn’t know how to explain it. I was only researching, noting behavioral patterns, and trying to understand what dogs were telling me through the behavior of their owners. Ivana didn’t come out of curiosity. She came out of pain.
The Unspoken Loss
The purest form of unconditional love exists between a mother and a child. Its strength fills the universe. To give life to another being is the most sacred task a human can experience. But what happens when that love is interrupted, frozen in time, without the possibility of expression? When pain overcomes hope, and fear silences truth? That is when those who do not speak but feel everything step in: the dogs.
The Workshop – The Last Stop
Ivana calmly told me that she had a problem with her Rottweiler, who had bitten her mother on the forehead. She was afraid the dog might become aggressive toward her children and was considering euthanasia, although she had already worked with trainers and tried various methods. The workshop was her last attempt before making that painful decision.
The Forgotten Truth
I listened carefully, letting her share everything that had happened. And then, a question arose within me that both frightened and confused me: “Are all our children alive?” As a father and as a therapist, I felt fear I did not yet know how to channel or accept as a guide. Instead, fear spoke through me as a question: “Were all your children born?”
Ivana replied, “No, I had two abortions.” I asked how many dogs she had. She said three. In that moment, it was clear, but I was too fragile to face it fully.
A dog as a silent witness to our tears – truth that sets free and connects.
The Order of Harmony and Dogs as Mirrors
The Order, however, was watching over me. We ended the workshop at a point where Ivana felt safe, and I told her that I believed we would see each other again soon. There was one more step for both of us to climb, but we would have to be ready.
A few minutes after she left, Ivana called me and said she had forgotten to share something she rarely talked about anymore. As a young woman, she had given birth to a child with developmental difficulties who, at her mother’s urging, was placed in an institution. The child had died. Although Ivana had worked on herself for years, she had never truly spoken about it. The memory faded over time, covered with layers of pain, anger, guilt, and shame. We agreed to meet again the next day.
Healing Through the Order of Harmony
When she returned, I asked her again, “Are all our children alive?” In that moment, everything became clear. And everything healed. Suddenly, everything was filled with light. Ivana began to cry. She spoke about the pain and anger she had suppressed for years. She realized that her anger toward her mother had never been truly resolved. Instead of releasing it, she had only pushed it deeper.
That was not the end of pain, but the beginning of new life. The moment that truth was spoken aloud, the dog Ela never again showed a trace of aggression. She was not at the workshop. I never saw her. Yet everything changed. The Order of Harmony is not a theory. It is an experience. Dogs do not carry our secrets; they reveal them.
Science Confirms the Order of Harmony
In psychoneuroimmunology research, such as the study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science in 2023, it has been confirmed that stress in owners affects the behavior and health of dogs. Dogs that live with anxious or depressed people often develop behaviors that mirror human disorders: aggression, anxiety, hypervigilance.
Moreover, there is a documented link between chronic stress and cancer development in dogs, as shown in veterinary oncology studies (MACVETREV-2016-0088). Science confirms what the soul already knows: everything is connected.
The Gaze That Heals
But we don’t need scientific studies to recognize this truth. It is enough to look into a dog’s eyes. In a world where everyone is quick to suppress pain with a pill, dogs remain the only ones who do not run away. They sit beside us in silence and wait. For us to feel. To admit. To remember.
The Order of Harmony – a meeting between human and dog that reveals a deep connection of soul and love.
Pain as an Ally
Because pain does not have to hurt. We only believed it must. If we honor it and carry it with respect, it becomes a source of endless strength and creation. In the teaching of the Order of Love, which forms the foundation of the Order of Harmony, pain and anger are not symptoms to be removed. They are impulses pointing to disruption, exclusion, or forgetting. They live on through our children, our illnesses, and our dogs.
Dogs as Companions of the Soul
Dogs are part of our energetic field. When we acknowledge what belongs to us, we free them to be who they truly are: companions, not carriers of our burdens. A dog does not ask us to be perfect, only to be truthful.
The Legacy of a Bond: Ivana, Ela, and the Order of Harmony
Ivana and Ela shaped me as a therapist, as a father, as a man. Their story became part of the foundation of the Order of Harmony. Ela continued to live loved and at peace. She was never aggressive again. She died years later, peacefully. Ivana continued to grow, to feel, to live as a mother and a woman in wholeness.
The Light of the Order of Harmony in Life
Some pains stay with us forever. And they should. Not as wounds, but as light that reminds us of where we no longer need to go and of all the places we still can.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we look for the truth behind the behavior. When the soul speaks, the dog finds peace. Discover the system that heals: Linktree Sasha Riess
Should a happy, well-adjusted dog let everyone pet or pick them up? In a recent episode of “1000 Whys – 4 Truths,” a dog owner shared her concern: her dog growls and snaps whenever someone tries to lift him. This raises a deeper question: why should anyone touch a dog if the dog doesn’t want to be touched?
A Dog Is Not a Toy
Many owners unconsciously see their dogs as beings that “must be nice to everyone.” But that belief often reflects our own conditioning — the need to please, to always appear kind and agreeable, even when we feel otherwise inside. When we project that onto our dogs, we expect them to behave the same way — calm, polite, and endlessly patient. Yet, a dog is not an extension of our personality. A dog is a sentient being with boundaries, memories, and emotions of its own.
Pack, Family, and Boundaries
A dog is a social being — but when living with humans, the “pack” becomes a family system with different rules. A wolf pack consists of parents and their offspring. Our families with dogs are not packs — they are interspecies groups built on emotional connection and a sense of safety.
For the dog, the human represents that safety. When the family lacks harmony — when parents don’t respect each other, or the home is filled with tension — the dog feels it deeply. In such an environment, the dog doesn’t know whom to rely on, and this uncertainty often manifests as growling, snapping, or avoiding touch.
Change Creates Insecurity
When guests visit or a new family member arrives, the dog must “remap” its social world. If there’s no stable, trusted figure, the dog can’t relax. Each change in the household forces the dog to find its place again. In balanced families, where respect and emotional clarity exist, the dog feels calm and secure. But in unstable relationships, where roles and boundaries blur, the dog can’t be stable — because no one else is.
Why the Dog Doesn’t Want to Be Picked Up
If a dog growls when someone tries to lift them, it’s rarely aggression — it’s fear or loss of control. They might have been hurt before, mishandled, or traumatized as puppies. Or they may simply dislike being restrained.
Dogs also mirror their owners’ unresolved emotions. If a person has experienced abuse — emotional or physical — and hasn’t fully healed, the dog can reflect that energy through defensive behaviors. It’s not coincidence. Dogs perceive our energy and subconscious patterns. When the owner begins to heal and integrate their own experiences, the dog often calms down naturally.
Trust is built with patience and understanding, not force.
How to Help a Dog That Fears Touch
The answer isn’t to “force the dog to get used to it.” It’s about rebuilding trust — slowly, gently, and respectfully. Through desensitization, the dog learns that touch doesn’t mean threat, and that humans can be close without control or pressure. A good professional or a well-designed guide can help you work with dogs that fear handling or have lost their sense of safety.
What the Growl Really Means
A dog that growls when someone tries to pick it up is not “bad.” It’s saying: “I’m not sure. I don’t trust you yet.” Understanding, patience, and the family’s emotional stability can help the dog feel safe again — and rediscover that human touch is not a threat, but an expression of love and trust. This is the foundation of a healthy interspecies family.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we teach that a growl is a conversation, not a conflict. Respecting a dog’s „no“ is the first step toward a deeper „yes.“ Learn to listen to your dog: Linktree Sasha Riess
There was a time when we truly lived. Breathed. Existed as part of a world that didn’t ask us to prove love, worth, or meaning through what we own or achieve. Today, in an age of performance and self-promotion, it seems we have lost the ability to love simply, without needing to see ourselves reflected in the eyes of others.
Life Then and Now – When We Knew How to Feel
In the past, we relied on one another, in both pain and joy. We knew that not everything had to be easy, and that true connections were not always pleasant, but they were real. Today, however, we run away from conflict, uncertainty, and everything that reminds us of our vulnerability. In that silence, in that escape from ourselves, a dog often appears.
The Dog as a Substitute for Human Closeness
That is why today, more and more often, a dog sits across from a person in a restaurant. The dog listens, does not interrupt, does not judge. It asks for no explanation. It is easy to love such a being, one that never says no, never demands reciprocity, and never sets boundaries.
Anthropomorphism – When a Dog Becomes “Human”
In anthropomorphism, the process through which we assign human qualities to animals, lies the essence of our modern relationship with dogs. The dog becomes our emotional extension, the one through whom we live everything we cannot express ourselves. It becomes our child, our partner, our therapist.
The Dog Did Not Come to Be Your Pet, It Came to Change Your Life
A dog does not set boundaries. It does not force us to change. That is why it is the perfect companion for a generation that runs from pain, imperfection, and unpredictability. Our society functions more and more as a space where emotions are treated as discomfort to be avoided, not lived.
A dog’s gaze revealing the connection between a person and their emotions.
Loneliness as the New Norm
Loneliness has become a lifestyle. People work, communicate, and love through screens, while the dog becomes physical proof that we are not alone, at least on the outside. In its eyes, we seek the peace we cannot find in human relationships.
Perfect Relationships with Dogs – The Instagram Illusion
On Instagram, the dog wears a birthday hat, surrounded by balloons and cakes. On TikTok, it “talks” about its feelings. The dog becomes the main character in our emotional marketing, and we become the audience to our own lack of connection.
Dogs Take On Our Emotions
Dogs increasingly show symptoms that are not their own: anxiety, depression, stress. These are not their problems; they are reflections of ours. They become mirrors, our emotional extensions, carriers of everything we do not know how to process.
When the Dog Becomes Our Shield from the World
They enter places that are not theirs—airplanes, hotels, restaurants—not because they want to, but because we no longer know how to be alone. The dog becomes our protection, our boundary, our excuse, and our comfort, all in one.
How to Break the Cycle
So what now? How do we escape this circle of emotional dependency? Not by loving our dog less, but by learning to love ourselves more, sincerely, vulnerably, and without hiding behind someone’s unconditional love.
The loneliness of modern humans through the eyes of a dog.
Small Rituals That Restore Presence
That is why we created a guidebook, not as an absolute truth but as a tool. Small rituals that bring us back to presence: shared breathing, silence without words, a gaze without the need for validation. In those moments, the dog stops carrying our pain and becomes what it truly is—a being that reminds us what it means to be alive.
Presence as Medicine
Presence is not a state, it is a practice. Every day, the dog reminds us that everything we are searching for already exists within us. When we realize that, our relationship with the dog is no longer an escape from the world but a return to it. This is the path of the human dog relationship.
Silence that connects – a moment of sincere presence between a human and a dog.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that true love doesn’t hide behind a leash. It faces the mirror of the soul. Find your balance and return to presence: Linktree Sasha Riess
Why is a dog a reflection of its owner? When a dog shows problematic behavior, it is never the dog’s problem. It is our reflection. The dog is not asking us to change him. He is asking us to change ourselves.
What Does It Mean That the Dog Mirrors the Owner
I often hear people say that they have a problematic dog. But the truth is that the dog is never the problem. The dog is our mirror. He senses our tension, our restlessness, and our insecurity. If a dog shows behavior we dislike, it is not a sign that the dog needs correction. It is a sign that we must first look within ourselves, because the dog mirrors the owner.
When I am not honest with myself, my dog cannot be calm. When I am tense, he becomes tight. When I am out of balance, he lives that imbalance with me.
Why We Try to Fix the Dog When the Dog Mirrors Us
People often turn to trainers, manuals, and new techniques, hoping to “fix the dog” without understanding that the dog is simply their mirror. The dog does not ask for correction. The dog asks for authenticity.
Just as a child is not responsible for how a parent feels, the dog is not the cause of the problem. The dog is the consequence. When we change ourselves, the dog changes with us. This is what I call a holistic approach.
The dog is not a correction, but a consequence—a reflection of your authenticity.
The Holistic Perspective We Often Miss
Medicine and veterinary science often look only at the symptom, without seeing the bigger picture. But life is not a sum of disconnected parts. The soul, emotions, and body are connected.
That is why solving only the consequence is not enough: barking, pulling on the leash, or digestive issues. If truth and inner change are missing, no trainer or expensive manual will help.
Truth and Authenticity as the Key to Change
We already have all the tools we need. What is often missing is truth. When we add truth to what we do, the dog responds and everything falls into place. Just like a child does not become happy when we try to “fix” it, but when the parent finds inner balance, the same is true for the dog. The dog is the result of our energy.
The Dog Is Not Your Problem. The Dog Is Your Indicator
If you want the dog to change, you must first change yourself. This is the hardest, yet the only path to true harmony with your dog. This is the ultimate truth of the human dog relationship.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that the leash works both ways. To lead your dog to peace, you must first find it within yourself. Discover the path to true authenticity:Linktree Sasha Riess
The real issue isn’t temperature. Dogs have a completely different system of thermoregulation from humans — they don’t sweat like we do. Their fur creates a thin layer of air between the skin and the outer coat, forming a natural “insulating bubble.”
When you take a dog outside, that thin layer of air warms him in winter and cools him in summer. That’s why shaving dogs too short — especially in the summer — can cause major problems: it prevents them from maintaining that protective air layer. Even short-haired dogs, like Pinschers or Boxers, have this natural protection.
Shedding and the Protective Role of Hair
Short-haired dogs shed frequently. Their coat’s life cycle lasts about 21 days, while the undercoat renews every one to two weeks. Within three weeks, the entire coat regenerates. Even short hair lifts slightly — often invisible to the human eye — creating a thin air space that protects the dog from the cold in winter and from overheating in summer.
The Real Cause: Anxiety
The dog described in the question is not reacting to cold but to dog anxiety — deep-seated anxiety rooted in his relationship with the owner. When a dog obeys out of fear rather than trust, he feels responsible for protecting his owner in the car, on walks, or from other people. He lives in a constant state of alertness, trying to control a world that feels too big for him. Through this behavior, the dog is showing that he doesn’t believe his human can keep things safe.
The dog only wants to go out when dressed; the problem is dog anxiety, not the cold.
Signs of Dog Anxiety
It wouldn’t be surprising if such a dog also:
Pulls on the leash,
Barks excessively at people or doorbells,
Refuses to stay home alone,
Loses appetite,
Shows constant stress-related behaviors.
Eventually, under the pressure of chronic stress, the dog’s body begins to break down.
Dressing Is Not the Solution
Dressing a dog has nothing to do with the cold. Think about what happens when we humans are nervous — our stomach tightens. This is because the vagus nerve connects the digestive organs with the heart and the parasympathetic nervous system.
Dogs have the same mechanism. When fear activates this nerve, it triggers physical symptoms — and in winter, these reactions become more visible. Winter awakens the ancient instinct for survival, where the body prepares for scarcity and danger.
How to Help Your Dog
Dogs that can’t handle the emotional tension of their environment often take on the family’s stress. Most emotional “breakdowns” in dogs happen in winter because we fail to prepare their nervous systems.
Support your dog through:
A proper diet,
The use of prebiotics and probiotics,
Regular parasite cleansing,
Following the Harmony Manual that helps establish healthy boundaries.
When this balance is restored, the dog can finally relax — living as a dog should: calm, trusting, and ready to follow you everywhere. This is the goal of a healthy human dog relationship.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we look beyond the sweater to find the source of the shiver. True warmth comes from a balanced nervous system and a secure bond. Start your journey to harmony: Linktree Sasha Riess
The inspiration for this column came one afternoon while sitting in a café, witnessing a scene that exposed the cruelty and hypocrisy of our system.
Rescuing dogs and understanding their nature often reveals how far we are from true empathy — and how deeply dogs and human childhood trauma can intertwine through shared, unhealed pain.
Invisible Discrimination Against Dogs
A young woman entered quietly with her dog—a strong, muscular breed, perhaps a Staffordshire Terrier or a Pit Bull. The dog made no noise, reacted to no one, and just rested his head on her leg.
Despite this, a waiter asked them to leave because guests „didn’t feel safe.“ Meanwhile, a barking, lunging Pomeranian on the other side of the café was met with laughter and pictures.
So what was truly dangerous in that scene? The dog — or our perception of what danger looks like?
A look that shatters prejudices—a dog is not genetic evil, but a reflection of human misunderstanding.
The Myth of “Dangerous Breeds”
Dr. Karen Overall, a veterinary behaviorist, analyzed 15,000 cases of dog bites. The results were striking:
84% of bites were caused by dogs that had never shown aggression before.
67% of bites came from dogs under 20 kg.
Pit Bulls, Dobermans, and Rottweilers together accounted for less than 12% of all incidents.
Rescuing dogs unfairly labeled as “dangerous” is therefore not just an act of kindness — it’s a moral stance.
The Roots of Eugenics and the Idea of a “Pure Breed”
Banning specific breeds isn’t about safety — it’s an admission of ignorance. When we don’t know how to educate owners, we ban dogs. The list of “dangerous breeds” is a symptom of a society still echoing the ideology of eugenics. Rescuing dogs in this context is truly a fight for the freedom of all living beings.
Aggression Is Not Inborn — It’s a Consequence
Aggression is not a trait, nor a disorder — it’s a consequence. Dr. Jaak Panksepp discovered that aggression in mammals is triggered when there’s a perceived threat and no alternative escape. Dogs don’t fight because they’re “evil” — they fight because they see no other way out. In many cases, canine aggression mirrors unresolved trauma from the human owner.
The Emotional Field and Inner Healing
Our emotions create an energetic field that dogs can sense. Dr. Rollin McCraty proved that the heart emits a field 60 times stronger than the brain. That’s why true dog rescue doesn’t begin in shelters — it begins within us. When we heal our own pain, the dog no longer has to carry it.
The Dog as a Mirror of Society
Aggression is everywhere — in wars, on streets, in homes. But when it surfaces, we project it outward onto others, or onto dogs. A dog that growls is often not the problem — but the only one who can no longer stay silent.
The Path of Change — The Philosophy of Pure Love and Harmony
Rescuing dogs and rebuilding trust begins through four steps:
Recognition – instead of labeling, ask: “What is the dog trying to tell me?”
Responsibility – take ownership of your own energy.
Transformation – by changing ourselves, we transform the dog’s space.
Harmony – build relationships through understanding, not control.
Understanding instead of judgment – a shared path toward shattering the myth of genetic evil.
Saving Dogs as a Mirror of Human Awareness
If we want real change, we don’t need to change dogs — we need to change ourselves. Rescuing dogs is a symbol of rescuing empathy, awareness, and love in a world that fears difference. A dog is not a reflection of genetic evil — but of our collective pain and our capacity to heal. This is the foundation of the human dog relationship.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that no breed is born with a label. We look past the muzzle to find the soul. Join us in transforming the way the world sees dogs: Linktree Sasha Riess
People often ask me how deeply dogs are connected to us. My experience shows that a telepathic connection with a dog is possible, and that our pets can sense much more than we can imagine.
Communication and Telepathic Bond with a Dog
One day, we were away from home for eight hours. Our dog didn’t urinate but did relieve himself on the mat. When we returned, he was peacefully sleeping in his playpen. That’s when I realized, I can’t blame him when he occasionally pees on the bed, because there’s always a reason behind it. I learned that when we know we’ll be gone for a long time or have guests over, it’s best to simply place a chair on the bed to block his access.
Telepathic Connection with a Dog and How to Recognize It
Once, we went out for a longer time, first to take a friend to the airport, then to the beach. Only later did I remember that I had forgotten to put the chair on the bed. At that moment, I decided to try something different, to communicate with my dog telepathically.
I told him silently in my mind that everything was fine, that our friend had left, and that there was no reason to worry. I didn’t feel fear or tension, only calm and trust. Interestingly, I was also aware that my only phone charger was still on the bed, and my dog had a habit of chewing cables when he was a puppy.
The Result of the Telepathic Experiment
I spoke to him in my thoughts: “Please, don’t touch the charger, and there’s no need to jump on the bed.” When we returned home four hours later, we were greeted by an incredible sight: the bed was untouched, the charger was exactly where I had left it, and the dog was peacefully sleeping in his bed.
A dog in its own bed feels the trust and security of the owner.
From that day on, he never touched the charger again, nor did he jump on the bed to seek attention.
The Telepathic Bond – A Message for Dog Owners
This experience taught me that dogs don’t react only to commands, tone of voice, or gestures; they feel our energy and thoughts. When I communicated with my dog from a place of calm and trust, he understood me and responded accordingly.
For me, this was proof that a telepathic connection with a dog truly exists, and that it runs far deeper than most people believe. This is a vital part of the human dog relationship within the Order of Harmony.
A dog in its own bed feels the trust and security of the owner.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that silence is the most powerful language. When we align our thoughts with our heart, our dogs finally hear us. Explore the depth of connection: Linktree Sasha Riess
The connection between a dog and a person’s childhood trauma runs deeper than most people think. A dog often becomes a silent witness to our pain, a guardian of memories, and a reflection of what we lived through as children. Their love is not only comforting. It is a mirror through which we can recognize and understand our own vulnerability.
How a Dog Reflects the Childhood Trauma of Its Owner
“What are you talking about? Of course a dog needs to be trained. Especially if it lives in an apartment and is a large breed. Just like children go to school.”
This is not the first time I have heard this comment. I receive it every time I say that dogs should not be trained. And each time it hurts, not because it is offensive, but because it is an authentic expression of pain. Our collective pain. The way we ourselves were trained. And the way we continue to train others because we believe that is what love looks like.
Love as a Justification for Abuse
Sometimes the only way to survive abuse, whether emotional, physical, or psychological, is to fall in love with our abusers. To justify their actions. To believe it is for our own good. And if we live long enough inside that belief, one day we will start to take pride in being “well raised.” Then we will begin doing the same to our dogs or even our children, because it is the only way we ever learned to love, the only way we were ever loved.
Research: How Owner Behavior Influences Canine Physiology
A year ago we started a study titled “The Influence of Changes in Owner Behavior on the Physiology of Their Dogs.” The goal was to determine whether changes in owner behavior could create long term biochemical changes in dogs. Instead of focusing only on behavior, we analyzed physiology using HTMA hair analysis, a method that measures mineral and toxic metal accumulation in the hair, revealing metabolic patterns during the period in which the hair grew.
The Mineral Shell: A Physical Indicator of Chronic Stress in Dogs
The results were striking, though not unexpected. Dogs living in environments with chronically elevated stress in their owners, and whose owners were unable to change their life circumstances, showed specific patterns of biochemical adaptation. One of the most notable findings was the “mineral shell” phenomenon, where certain minerals, most often calcium, and toxic metals accumulate excessively in tissues. This indicates suppressed adrenal function, long lasting stress, and a metabolic withdrawal from the environment. The body literally shuts down, creating a physiological shield against surroundings it perceives as unbearable.
In the silence between human and dog, often lies what words cannot say.
Behavior as a Reflection of the Owner’s Inner State
In the behavior of these dogs, patterns of hyperactivity, compulsive barking, leash pulling, and signs of inhibition were observed. Emotional withdrawal, loss of interest, and profound fatigue were common. Neurochemically, their bodies operate in chronic survival mode: reduced regeneration, increased reactivity, and blocked adaptive functions.
Change Through the Owner’s Stability: Results of the Harmony Manual
In contrast, dogs whose owners applied principles from the Harmony Manual program showed entirely different patterns. In a more stable and predictable environment, these dogs demonstrated increased magnesium and potassium levels, essential for balancing the autonomic nervous system and supporting regeneration. Sodium levels decreased, indicating reduced systemic stress.
In the Silence Between Humans and Dogs, Much Is Said Without Words
The most important point is that the change did not come from external correction of behavior, but from internal reorganization. These dogs were not trained to stop barking or to obey commands. Through the emotional stability and safety created by their owners, they spontaneously began behaving differently. Their nervous systems left survival mode and activated the functions of exploration, learning, and rest.
Trauma Versus Learning: Why Force Cannot Change the Core
The only way to influence someone’s behavior from the outside is through trauma. External pressure, coercion, or intimidation does not change inner motivation. It only adjusts behavior to avoid pain or punishment. Such change is not the result of free will but a survival mechanism, a physiological adaptation to a threatening environment. Its effects remain deeply recorded in the nervous system and can lead to long term damage.
Learning as an Expression of Freedom: When a Dog Learns From Safety
Learning is the expression of free will. It requires safety, internal stability, and a physiological state capable of exploring and engaging with the world. Only then can the body develop the functions needed for active participation in life. True learning allows spontaneous regulation of behavior, integration of new experiences, and adaptation without harming the integrity of the body.
Pavlov, Watson, and the History of Conditioning
Many modern dog behaviorists still refer to Pavlov’s experiment as the basis for so called “positive conditioning.” Yet Pavlov himself emphasized that his method does not teach learning but reflex. Withholding food when a dog does not perform what is expected is a form of controlled deprivation. It is a manipulation that resembles emotional blackmail. It is trauma of low intensity, but chronic in nature. Training is trauma.
Watson on Learning: The Difference Between Conditioning and Real Development
Watson’s experiment with Little Albert reminds us that conditioning is not learning. The child, conditioned to fear all white and soft objects, later showed neurological problems and died at the age of nine. Many scientists linked the trauma of the experiment to the deterioration of his condition. Today, with knowledge from neuroplasticity, neuroscience, affective attachment theory, and the influence of environment on physiology, it is clear that the consequences of such conditioning align with the modern understanding of trauma.
When a dog releases tension, we learn how to live without fear.
Reexamining the Relationship: Are We Training or Traumatizing
As far back as 1907, Watson wrote in his dissertation “The Education of Animals” about the difference between conditioning and learning. Conditioning produces a mechanical response to external stimuli. Real learning involves the creation of new neural pathways in the cerebral cortex. It changes the gray structures of the brain and the physiology that underlies behavior. These changes occur only through free will, inner motivation, and safety. Inspired learning builds a physiological foundation for growth, understanding, and emotional connection. Forced learning creates only reflex, never development.
When a dog releases tension, we learn how to live without fear.
Reconsidering Our Relationship With Dogs
So I ask: are we doing the same to our dogs? We train them to sit, to stay quiet, to stop barking, to stop pulling, to stop existing. And when they stop “misbehaving,” when they become calm and obedient, we celebrate our success. But what we are celebrating is a frozen trauma. Chronic stress. Psychophysiological collapse that, just like in Little Albert, may not be visible immediately but will one day demand a price.
Pure Love and Harmony: A Call for True Change
Pure Love and Harmony is not a method. It is an invitation to reflect. To create an environment where a dog can breathe next to us, explore, feel, and develop.
Life Beyond Survival Mode: Returning to Warmth and Peace
As long as we replace love with control and obedience with fear, we will never know how light and peaceful life can be when it is not lived in survival mode. For us. And for them.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that healing the bond means healing ourselves. When we step out of the cycle of training and into the space of connection, we find true harmony. Learn more about our research and philosophy: Linktree Sasha Riess
Supporting dogs through nutrition is not just a technical task. It is one of the most important ways we show love to our dogs. Food is at the heart of our relationship, and it is essential to understand how deeply our nutritional choices influence their health, energy, and emotional stability.
Why Nutritional Support Is Essential for a Dog’s Health
When we understand that nutritional support directly affects immunity, behavior, and resilience to stress, we begin to see that food is not a small detail. It is the foundation of their stability. Proper nutrition is the first step toward reducing stress in dogs.
Let Us Support Our Dogs Through Food
Food is not just fuel for the dog’s body; it is the strongest bridge between us and them. Through food, we express care, nurture, and show the dog that it belongs. This is where the most important part of the human dog relationship begins: support.
Today, many owners live in fear of making a mistake. They struggle with choosing food and worry they might harm their dog. This is normal. But every day you can make a step toward giving your dog what strengthens it from the inside out.
From „Dead Food“ to Vitality
The transition away from dead food—food without life, energy, or real nutritional value—is a return to vitality. It is a path through which we stop creating tired, depleted zombies who struggle to cope with the world we placed them in.
Dogs live our choices and carry the weight of our modern environment:
Dogs live our choices and carry the weight of our modern environment.
How Nutritional Support Reflects Our Care
If we want to truly be their safety, we must show care through the one thing they depend on most: food. In nutrition, we can give them what no one else can—support that nourishes, heals, strengthens, and restores their spark of life.
Because food is love. And love is responsibility. This is the core of pureloveandharmony.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we teach that a dog’s bowl is the start of their emotional health. When we feed the body correctly, we protect the soul. Join the movement: Linktree Sasha Riess
A dog and a human are neither a pack nor a family; they create a unique bond built on trust, love, and mutual growth.
The Dog and the Human Are Not a Pack
When we speak of a pack, we think of a family with clear biological connections: mother, father, offspring. In that sense, a dog and a human can never form a pack. What arises between them is something different, unique, and difficult to explain through natural laws.
A Bond That Transcends Hierarchy
What exists between a dog and a human goes beyond the rules of hierarchy and survival. It is not a relationship of dominance but a space where trust, love, and belonging create community. The dog sees safety and support in the human, while the human sees in the dog the reflection of his own soul.
A New Community: Beyond Boundaries
A dog and a human together do not form a pack. They create a new, unique community where boundaries disappear. It is a space in which both are shaped, grow, and learn through each other. Every interaction with a dog reminds us of the importance of honesty, patience, and love that has no form, no rules, and no end. This is the essence of the human dog relationship in its purest form.
Trust is the foundation of the human dog relationship.
The Lesson a Dog Brings
This bond teaches us that love is not limited by natural laws. A dog and a human build a relationship that is unbreakable and unique. There is no hierarchy, no structure, only trust and shared growth. Through this connection, we learn that true love is free and infinite. This understanding is what defines pureloveandharmony.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that when we stop trying to „lead“ and start trying to „connect,“ we finally find the harmony we’ve been seeking. Discover the Third Wave: Linktree Sasha Riess
