"What I love most about working with dogs..."

I love this quote from one of my current reads, "Bones Would Rain From the Sky" by Suzanne Clothier:

"What I love most about working with dogs is their willingness to sccept new ways and discard old ones. If you show a dog a more comfortable and productive way to experience life, he is usually quite glad to trade in his confusion, anxiety, anger or fear for more pleasant feelings. Humans, on the other hand, can be a bit resistant to change."

I like to think of myself as a fairly flexible person but when I work with dogs, I'm always amazed at how quickly they assume new behaviors. In my behavior training class at Austin Pets Alive last night, we worked with dogs on how to not pull on the leash. At the same time, Suzanne in "Bones..." describes the same method we went over last night. After a brief tug, allow the leash to become slack and walk up to the dog, giving a treat (especially to reward eye contact). The dog learns it's good not to tug pretty quickly.

It's pretty logical, but how often do we see folks and dogs pulling and being pulled along on "walks"? Easy Leaders are nice (and I've used them on my 80 lb Lab Martha when she preferred to let me let her pull me around) but letting a dog know it's easy to walk sociably is far more preferable.

Meet Skip!

I've been working with Skip, a seven year old Rat Terrier mix, since last Sunday. Not long, but he's shown real improvement in a few short sessions. When I first met him at Austin Pets Alive! he had the reputation of being very reactive around other dogs. There was no prior history for him. The sign on his kennel door reads "No Dogs/Cats/Kids" and once I got him out, a volunteer ran up to me with the warning, "He'll eat a Pit Bull!"

I was slightly amused. This tiny, Terrier sweetheart couldn't possible be that notorious!

He immediately pulled on the leash at other dogs, but we quickly moved away from the kennels and we walked to the front of the property where all was quiet. After a bit of potty business, we promptly went in for his first TTouch session. I massaged him for an hour and we worked on obstacles. He absolutely had no reaction to any of the other dogs attending, except when he was on the sofa and a Pitty came in suddenly. He pulled but there was no growling or strong attempt to lunge at her. She may have looked like dinner, but he didn't bite!

A couple days later, I worked with him again and took him on a long walk. Again, he pulled on the leash at passing dogs on the trail and growled at a few male joggers. When he was in my arms, he was a saint. When he was being massage, he was lost in a reverie...this little anxious pup really needs a lot of loving. When I put him back in his kennel, he propped his front legs up on my knees and just stared at me. We locked visual contact and I sent him a picture of me returning the next day.

This morning he was better with being reactive to joggers. It's my goal for him to just pass by dogs and guys without a second glance. I'm going to send him some communication of that nature over the next couple of days and see how he does either Friday night or Saturday. I'm not giving up on this cutie pie, who is just waiting for someone to love and have faith in him!

Love this story!

Sometimes I read essays about the human/animal companion connection that really warms my heart. This is one of them!

Great quote that crosses species

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. --Nelson Mandela

Communicating with animals is simply a heart-to-heart talk. It's enjoying the essence of another creature and paying attention and respect to the soul of a animal that most humans would look down upon.

Today was a warm, sunny afternoon and my friend Mo and I were walking a popular trail in Austin with our kids. As usual, the trail was packed with many people with their dogs on leashes. I like to watch how people relate to their pets as they take them on what should be a fun stroll by the lake, enjoying nature. I find that there are several different types:

1. Runners running with fit dogs who are loving the experience. Tongues are hangin' out and everything is cool.
2. Runners running with dogs that are not quite into it, but they are pulled into obedience when they see something interesting on the trail. Maybe they'll turn into dogs that like to run, but many breeds just ain't into it. These runners probably aren't that into running, either.
3. Walkers with dogs they clearly enjoy walking with. They give their dogs positive attention, and they are the people seen on the trail hydrating their pets by the water fountain.
4. Walkers with dogs that they just aren't connecting with on the walk...they are aggressively pulling their dogs away from interesting scents, (TUG!) they are on a mission (TUG!) to walk, damn it! (TUG! TUG!).
5. Dogs that are dressed up to give their people attention as the elderly ladies and little children coo over the cute outfits. These little lap dogs should be enjoying being outside but not necessarily as props for their people (who, if they're not carrying the dogs, are busy brushing off the grit from their white go-go boots). Take off the boots and let Fifi run in the grass for a while!

Which types of people enjoying the trail are communicating on a healthy level with their animal companions? If you guessed numbers 1 and 3, I would say you were correct.

Types 2, 4 and 5 are talking a language that doesn't reach the hearts of their animal friends. To me, they seem less happy with the experience of having a pet. They give me the impression of people who are not well suited with their breed of dog or are way too pampering or agressive and dominant over their companions.

I love walking the trails and enjoy the people with pets watching, too. If you go out with your animal companion please be aware of how he or she is enjoying the experience. Give your friend water, keep their comfort levels in mind, check in every now and then with them. Run after them as they track a squirrel...take a breather if your pet is lagging behind. It's simple...just keep your animal in your heart and you'll be rewarded with a deeper experience while enjoying the great outdoors.

What exactly is Animal Communication and how does it help?

I created this  shelter animal's Auragraph 

 from a tarot reading

 

Finding yourself able to communicate with another species is exhilarating. It is a feat humans are all capable of at some level of competency. All it takes is:

• An open mind
• An expansive spirit
• An ability to listen to the quiet voice inside you

You will need to appreciate the meaning in the messages you receive by hearing, feeling, sensing, seeing or reading what enters your calm mind.

 

The way I gain messages from animals is through all of the above. I "hear", feel, see images and get a knowing sense of that an animal is communicating. I may get an actual feeling of pain or of loneliness. I once sensed a broken heart from a bearded dragon!

During a workshop last Novemeber, I was asked to contact a fellow student's deceased pet from a photograph. I emptied my thoughts and tuned into the essence of the dog in the photo.

I asked, "Who are you?"

I immediately heard, "I'm a dancer!" and saw the dog's distinctively joyful body movements. When I described this to the student, her eyes widened. "Dancer was her nickname!" she exclaimed.

 

The other night while I was giving TTouch to our friend Brian's cat Georgio, I got an image of a cloudy red disk. I felt a blockage in the cat's root chakra and told Brian that I felt it meant Georgio (who I had just met) was insecure and had body image issues. Brian thought I "nailed it" but most importantly, I delivered information that can be addressed in order to help Georgio.

Getting validation is important as you need faith that what you receive is really coming from this particular individual. It's exciting but staying with the connection and expressing gratitude for the contact is also important (see previous post on honouring messages). Following through with any behaviours that are negotiated is also key.

That is the major reason we talk to our pets...we want life to be more harmonious and if you slack off on what you say you'll do, the animal will resort back to doing what it does, no matter how irrational it seems to us. Animal communication is also helpful for:

• Discovering the past history of shelter animals
• Scanning the body to find areas of pain or discomfort
• What may be causing emotional issues
• Aiding an animal transition at the end of his or her life
• Communicating with spirits of deceased pets for closure

The Enchanted Pet is my platform for posting stories on how animal communication can improve relationships between humans and their animal companions. I will write book reviews, link to interesting videos or news stories and post auragraphs (like the one illustrated above) which I use to gain more insight into shelter animals.

 

I chose to use the term "enchanted" for the name of my blog because that is how I sense animals feel after knowing they've been listened to and understood. I recall gently massaging little Riley's mouth...he has barking/nipping issues...and whilst his owner was holding her breath, Riley appeared to be completely blissed out...enchanted...by the treatment, he appeared to be smiling.

 

I hope you enjoy your visits and are open to the possibility of having an enchanted pet!

"Getting in TTouch with Your Dog" by Linda Tellington-Jones

I was introduced to TTouch through my volunteer activities with the nation’s largest no-kill shelter, Austin Pets Alive! (APA). They offer a fortnightly class in a type of animal bodywork called TTouch to people keen on giving shelter animals extra care and attention whilst waiting to be adopted.

Each dog that I took into class was adopted soon after…and these were in some cases, shy and fearful animals. TTouch gave me the skills to help calm and give confidence to animals that essentially have no one special person who cares for them. They have been abandoned, sometimes abused, and are in a cold, lonely kennel for most of their time. Taking them out for TTouch massage is an amazing benefit and I wish every shelter animal could receive daily sessions.

Shortly after joining APA, I took the book out of the library to get an idea of what I’d be learning. As a massage therapist, the moves were clear to me, but it’s not until I got one-on-one, in person “on dog” training that it began to sink it how powerful these gentle touches are.

I started practicing on friend’s animals and any dog I happened to be walking at APA.  Along with the touches, the modality involves taking the animals through a confidence course (like labyrinths, jumping poles, and walking on unusual surfaces). I recall bringing in a terribly timid puppy into class. She was so fearful, she would barely walk on her leash. After 30 minutes of massage and running through the confidence course with me, this puppy was wagging her tail and obviously digging life! (she was adopted the next day).

I recommend this book but more than that, I recommend volunteering at your local shelter to help bring some happiness into the lives of animals in need of a gentle touch and encouraging words.

Honour Your Messages

I think the most important thing I learned over the last 16 months of consciously tuning into my intuitive abilities is this: if you get an intuitive message, honour it.

It is 100% accurate. It is something you need to know NOW. It isn’t just something to think, “Nah…that can’t be right” and sweep under your mental area rug.

Simple acknowledgement for the message and going with it is all that’s necessary.  Expressing gratitude is the right thing to do (I would say it’s mandatory to thank animals and spirits), especially if you want to manifest more intuitive juiciness in your life. I like to give thanks for every good thing that happens to me, but sometimes when it’s a flash of intuition, the moment is over so quickly you may not appreciate the ramifications.

If I heeded my intuition and chose a different route to bike on last March 18^th I would’ve averted an accident that landed me in the ER. I still have problems and scars from that mishap, but if I had taken another route and arrived safely at my destination, would I have known to say, “I appreciate that message”? Probably not.

Knowing this is so vitally important to the metaphysical work I do, that I’d like to practice acknowledging my intuition and guides every time I access my intuition. It’s often cited in books that I read on the subject, but how many of us really do it? It would be an excellent bed-time ritual, too.  Showing respect and acknowledging others (i.e. metaphysical helpers) is not only the civil thing to do, but elevates yourself and your talents.