Oscar, my cute cocker spaniel, is barking and scratching to be let into my boss’s office, where I’m having a meeting. I am lucky the company I work for allows me to bring Oscar to work. He’s Psychologies’ mascot, a symbol of unconditional love. He presides over my Editor’s letter, and the office, and he’s loved by all (well, apart from my previous boss, who has never quite forgiven Oscar for cocking his leg on his briefcase while we were in the middle of a disagreement). But, no matter how much we love him, it’s important that he’s well behaved, or his days in the office will be numbered.
That’s why I’m trying out Anubis therapy, an intriguing new way of thinking that suggests our dog’s behaviour is a reflection of our feelings, and encourages us to explore how our furry friends can help us become more aware of our deepest emotions; those we may have buried.
Counsellor Joanne Frame, who is also a dog trainer, founded Anubis therapy seven years ago. ‘I describe it as “counselling for dog owners”,’ she says. ‘Taking time to reflect on the feelings and emotions that come up for you about your dog allows you to look more closely at yourself, something people rarely get time to do. Greater self-awareness can help enormously in your relationship with your dog, but also with the people in your life and, more importantly, with yourself. It is that which I believe our dogs are here to teach us.’