Your Dog Is Your Mirror

The Emotional Capacity of Our Dogs and Ourselves

Even those dog lovers who feel that they understand their pets better than anyone else are sometimes bewildered by a mystery behavior or response. This, asserts Kevin Behan, is because our dogs actions and attitudes are driven not by what we say or do but by what we feel. Two provocative conclusions follow from Behans argument: Because of unresolved emotions in our past, our dog may well know us better than we know ourselves. And because dogs know us by heart, they can help us connect with and heal our buried issues. Based on dogs evolving as cooperative group members, Behans approach offers practical ways to decode and change behaviors; and profound ways to learn from the mirror our dogs provide.