Steve Barker served as a Police and Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Service at New Scotland Yard in London, England for 32 years, retiring in 2006 having been awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct medal and certificate of distinguished service. Steve became involved in working with dogs on arriving in LA in 2008 having adopted a rescue bulldog named 'Dolly' who had aggression is
sues. Having successfully helped her overcome her behavioral challenges he decided to put his new found experience, and that of 32 years of policing and work as a national sports coach and trainer in the UK to good use working with the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation in LA and rescue dogs. Having been exposed to the work of Cesar Milan on TV Steve first studied under Linn Boyke (an apprentice of Cesar) at the Zen4K9s Dog Psychology Center in LA and went on to attend a course in TTouch for companion animals and a course in the Yuen Method of Chinese Energetics both of which he used successfully in his work with dogs
Steve is also certified teacher of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Yang 24 posture form) and Nei Yang Gong Qigong at the National Medical Qigong Hospital and Training Facility in China where he studied under Master Feng Yi Jian and Nei Yang Gong successor Madame Liu Yafei and teaches classes in both at the BE Energy Center and the Pierce College program. What he found however was that the 'dominance' model of training and behavior 'modification' failed all to often, particularly with fearful, nervous and dogs experiencing great stress and as he searched for new answers he by chance came across a book called 'Your dog is your mirror' by Kevin Behan and it was Behan's Natural Dog Training methods and his whole unique the approach to working dogs changed the way Steve worked with dogs . After studying with Kevin Behan Steve has been able to put his unique methods and insights into successfully helping troubled dogs that in the past he would have been unable to truly help. Natural Dog Training helps a dog develop effective ways of moving their energy and stress through its 5 core exercises;
Pushing / Barking on Command / Collecting (Box work) / Bite and Carry (Tug) and Rub a Dub (Physical contact and massage)
But it also utilizes a different approach by adopting an approach that for many is counter intuitive, by using whatever behavior a dog is offering and using that as the tool to help him consciously move his stress. And of course a dog's environment plays a role in its behavior and its humans are a key part of that environment which of course leads to the whole 'Your dog is your mirror' concept
Dog's have evolved over thousands of years to become not only human kind's 'best friends' but if we let them our greatest teachers through their ability to connect with and bring to our attention that which lies deep within us, that unresolved emotion and stress which lies behind that which troubles us in life and often prevents us from reaching our own potential in life and evolving. As we reflect on how our dog's behavior is simply a mirror of something going on inside ourselves we begin to see the truth and of course only the truth can set us free. So as we head into the 21st century K9 Energetics seeks to play its role in helping our dogs help us so that we can all make the world a better place
