DOGS- THE GUARDIANS OF LOVE

Two years ago I brought home a puppy knowing very little about the being of dogs. I had often seen the impact that pets had had on my clients' lives and had set up representatives for dogs, horses and cats in constellation work. The effect that a pet has on a family is deeply touching. I have seen that dogs in particular carry something very deep for their owners. It's as if they say, "out of love for you I will carry this until you are able to." Dogs manifest all sorts of behaviors which are often misunderstood or overlooked- a dog is a beautiful family barometer: look at the dog and you will learn something about the family system.

As is the case with children, dogs are extremely loyal beings. We have all heard of Greyfriars Bobby- The Most Famous Dog in Scotland, who laid by his master's grave day and night. There are countless stories such as this, and those of you who have had dogs will understand the level of loyalty that a dog carries.

I believe that dogs love us deeply and I have known clients who have had their lives saved by a pet when they were children. One particular client of mine described their dog as the only 'being in their childhood home who truly understood them and loved them unconditionally.' When the abuse got too much this particular client hid in the dog kennel, curled up beside his beloved dog. In a constellation I did with this individual I asked him to say to his dog, "thank you, you saved my life"

As parents, many of us do our best to free our children up from family entanglements. We could look towards our beloved pets and thank them for their bountiful love and start to work on freeing them up so they can get on with being a freer animal.

Julie Toms-Arbel 18th April 2013

My dog Wolf