Trust is Just as Important in Pet Relationships

Without trust, fear dominates a relationship. Fear affects all of our relationships, including those with our pets. In my new book, Your Pet's Peeves, I mention four main fears that affect human-animal interactions. In some cases, our pets can respond somewhat like our human loved ones when we project our insecurities on them. This may result in what some pet owners describe as "misbehavior," including forms of rebellion, noncompliance, and aggression. Overall, mutual lack of trust and attachment, poor communication, and inability to set rules of behavior will cause problems in interactions and mutual dissatisfaction.

Identifying the source of a fear is a good start to tackling it. Usually some stressful or traumatic life experience has caused us to distrust ourselves, our environment and/or others. Before you continue to allow the past to affect your pet and others, speak with a therapist. I will be in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, June 14th at 11:30 a.m. at the Microsoft Store in Lenox Mall to take your questions and discuss parts of my new book that could help you create new habits that counteract fears affecting your pet.