Recently, while out on a walk in the park with our dog Trooper, we encountered a guy and his dog approaching us, a short distance away. Immediately my husband, given the appearance of both dog and man, started pulling Trooper away to avoid them. Trooper, however, barked happily, wagging his tail, straining at the leash, and dancing around, as if to say, “Let me go play with him/her!”

At this point the other dog responded in kind, with his/her own “let’s be friends” bark, and the guy smiled and nodded at us. What we initially saw was a tough-looking man in a uniform, with an even tougher-looking German shepherd. What Trooper saw and sensed was a friendly potential playmate and the human seemed ok too.

Dogs know vibes. They can discern character that goes deeper than presentation and reputation. They can tell the good guys from the bad guys, the real from the phony, the safe from the “better-stay-away”. Even dogs like our golden retriever, who’d just as soon get along with everyone, if they let him. He knows who’d let him and who wouldn’t and who he needs to protect himself and his humans from.

Case in point—last year, while passing through the same park, we saw a friendly-looking lady and her two dogs off to the right. Trooper showed absolutely no interest in them, and in fact hurried along, pulling us away in the process. We hadn’t gotten far when we heard aggressive barking, accompanied by one of those dogs who’d broken free of his leash, tearing after Trooper to attack him! Whooo doggie! Thankfully Trooper held his own, and the matter was settled when the lady came running up, apologizing, to re-leash her dog and pull him away.

That aggressive dog was a German shepherd. Did Trooper hold that traumatic experience against all dogs of that breed? Apparently not, considering his response to the same kind of dog we met more recently. Instead, he gives every individual dog, animal, and person the same chance to pass the “vibes” test. Inner sense, sniffing them out, keen observation, all go into his discernment of vibes.

Make no bones about it, we humans can learn from our canine friends in this area. While we may not be able or want to sniff others out, we can cultivate inner discernment and more focused observation of who and what we encounter. Doing that will enable us to make the right decisions about how to respond to people and opportunities that come our way.

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…” Phil. 1:9-10

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 Jn. 4:1

How do we get that discernment? The same way we develop stronger muscles—by taking in nourishing content, then through training and practice.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom. 12:2

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Heb. 5:14

Do this and we’ll be able to tell good vibes from bad ones as well as any dog. We’ll protect ourselves and loved ones in appropriate ways, as well as reach out with acceptance and encouragement where we need to, without prejudice. And we humans get to do all that without barking at people or sniffing them out!

One more thing to consider—what kind of vibes do we give off? Are we phony? Do we pretend to be safe when we’re really not? Do we push others away with our growling and barking at them, when we’re really more insecure than dangerous (think yipping chihuahua)?

We may appear and sound a certain way around people for our own purposes. And we may be able to fool some of them. But in that case, they probably need to get a dog, or at least learn from them what our true vibes are!