Animal Communication & Wellness Services

Relax, Renew, Enjoy … Taking Lessons from Our Animal Friends

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:24:42 +0000

The theme for this issue revolves around relaxation and enjoyment as a way of renewing ourselves. Who among us hasn’t, as a child, enjoyed laying in the cool grass on a summer’s afternoon soaking up the sun’s rays? How about dangling our feet in the cool water of a lake, a stream, or even a swimming pool? Do you remember lying out under the stars trying to find pictures of animals in people? As children, we seemed able to easily relax into such wonderful experiences. As an adult, some of us think of bugs and sunburn if lying in the grass even pops into our heads! Or, instead of stopping to take our shoes off and dangle our feet in a stream, we think about possible pollution in the water, or about getting to the other side and getting on with our walk.
Our animals can be great teachers for us, because they model some of the very behaviors that gave us endless hours of pleasure as children. When I am working from home on a sunny day, I occasionally glance out of my window to see what my animals are up to. They, unlike their poor misguided human, are connecting with Mother Earth and Father Sky in their own unique way of relaxing and renewal. The horses are usually napping in the sun, rolling in the cool mud, or casually looking for a stray blade of grass. The dogs are snoozing in the sunshine or slowly sniffing their way across the yard, enjoying all the smells. Our cat Diana is out there with them, either napping alongside one of the dogs or on top of a fence post surveying her domain. Sometimes I wonder who the more intelligent species in our household is. The cats say they are.
How do your animals model relaxation and rejuvenation? Is it an activity you can join them in, just to see what it feels like? While I do draw the line at rolling in the mud with the horses, I do sometimes stand with them in the early morning or late evening and just enjoy the sensation of being STILL, of noticing the smells and sounds, the wind, and the sky. I sit on our back porch and enjoy a few quiet moments watching the sun set with our dog Obi. It is through our animals that we are reminded of connection to Earth and Sky, to our world, in a very direct and personal way.
May I challenge each of you to observe the animals that you live with, pick out one behavior or activity that they do when relaxing (outside if possible), and actually do that activity WITH them? Notice how you feel before and after. To add a new twist to the exercise, ask them to share with you how they are feeling, what they are seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling while they are engaged in the activity. You can even ask them to actually allow you to experience the activity in the same way they do. We once observed a couple of lizards belonging to a friend reacting to a train passing nearby. We asked them to show us what they were doing and they allowed us to experience their absolute enjoyment of the VIBRATION of the train. It was like an amusement park ride for them!
When you are done, hopefully you will have relaxed, breathed deeply, and experienced being one with the Universe… and spent some quality moments with your beloved pet.

It’s Gotta Be Love

admin — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:00:58 +0000

I had just come downstairs contemplating this issue’s theme of “Love and Relationship” when I looked over to our couch and saw something that very much reflected that theme. Our Basset Obi and our cat Diana were curled up together napping. A little while later I observed Lukas, our younger Basset, trying to invite Diana to play. Evidently cats do not interpret bouncing up and down and nose pushes as “let’s play!” Simba, our other house cat, later tapped Lukas on the nose, but it definitely was NOT about play; it was more about “who are you, what do you feel like?” Poor Lukas, he just doesn’t get “cat” language yet.All of this reflects the art of love and relationship between animals. While some would argue that attributing the emotion of love to animals is anthromorphization, we see evidence of it in our own family as well as the families of our clients. Animals do feel affection and devotion towards one another just as much as they do anger, frustration, and dislike. We see it between members of different species as illustrated by our cats and dogs, as well as between members of the same species.We also see that relationships between animals can be at the same time simple and complex. Animals are very much present in the moment, and take things as they are. They don’t worry about hidden agendas, ulterior motives, and other barriers to communication, trust and love. Either they trust and like each other, or they don’t. Over time they form emotional attachments, so that when separated they become agitated or depressed. Our horse Rohan visibly mourned the loss of our old horse Rusty after he passed over, and was lonely and unhappy until we were able to bring another horse to live with us. Watching Rohan and Stoker, a very dominant older horse, learn to relate to each other was like watching a ballet.Animals and humans also form relationships based on trust and affection. We learn to communicate with each other, we enjoy being together not only doing things, but also in simple companionship. Who hasn’t enjoyed a dog or cat lying on your lap as you read or watch TV? It’s a basic, simple closeness that says “I love and trust you”.Human – animal relationships are as widely varied as the individuals involved. They can be very complex as well, as there are a lot of barriers to communication in the relationship. Some of those barriers include different cultures, different oral languages, and different beliefs about the other being. For example, I don’t know of any human culture where two individuals greet each other by “sniffing butts” (dogs), or blowing in one another’s nostrils (horses). In many human cultures staring directly at another person whom you do not know for a long period of time may be considered hostile or very rude. Yet, this is what cats do when they are checking each other out. And while humans from one culture may have different gestures and beliefs, we generally do understand that bringing the corners of our mouths up and even showing our teeth while doing it is a friendly gesture. For chimpanzees, this can be a sign of aggression.How do domestic animals and humans manage to overcome such barriers to have loving, understanding relationships with each other? Simple – the animals make it happen in most cases. This is because animals generally form connections to others with their hearts first. Once the initial “checking out” is done (sniffing, posturing, etc), then most animals will make an overture inviting touch and connection. A dog may lean against your leg and look up at you in a trusting, open way. A cat may rub against you and purr. A horse may rub its head against you or nudge you gently with its nose. Even with animals that have had very negative experiences with humans can eventually make such an attempt providing the human is quiet, patient, and allows the animal to make the first move.As we approach the human holiday where we celebrate our heart connections with each other, please take a moment to honor and appreciate your heart connections with the wonderful animals in your life.Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Spring (it’s coming, really)!

Celebrate and Enjoy

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:00:19 +0000

November and December are the months Americans set aside to celebrate and enjoy time with our loved ones. We have rituals around sharing food and abundance with one another. We make a point of enjoying ourselves, indulging ourselves in some cases (just one more piece of pumpkin pie, I’ll do an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill on Monday, etc.) Here in the Midwest, it may also be the human version of what the squirrels do at this time of year ‐ they uncover all the buried nuts and other choice tidbits, gorge themselves on what they can eat, and stuff the rest in their nests for the cold winter ahead.For those of us who have yards, it is also the time of year when we conduct our yearly ritual of cleaning up leaves and getting outside ready for winter. Since I’ve been outside doing a fair amount of that, I’ve had the opportunity to observe our horses and their antics as the winter approaches. They have given me a whole new perspective on celebration and enjoyment that I’d like to share.Celebration has a lot of meanings depending on who you are talking with. For example, it could be a formal event such as a birthday party or as simple as sitting down to dinner with a loved one to celebrate an anniversary. I was outside one day, and observed the horse version of celebration. It was a beautiful, breezy fall day, and I saw my horse Cheyenne stick her head up, and break into a dead run from a standstill. Her pasture buddy Rohan was right behind her. She bucked, she squealed, she stopped, twirled, and ran in the opposite direction. Rohan reared, bucked, and pranced (he is after all a retired show horse, so he always does things with a touch of elegance). I have seen them run before when something startled or frightened them, but their body language did not indicate fear or anxiety. The horses did this for almost 15 minutes, and it was absolutely stunning to watch. The emotion I got from both of them was sheer joy. They were doing their celebration dance in honor of a beautiful day.I had another opportunity to experience things from the horse perspective this morning. I let both horses out of the barn, and they found a favorite spot, plopped down, and rolled. They did not just roll once and get up. They reveled in the experience. Rohan cannot roll all the way over, so he laid down, really ground himself into the dust (including his head), got up, laid down and did the same thing on the other side. He did this at least twice on each side, then got up, shot straight up in the air (all 4 feet off the ground simultaneously), then began calmly eating hay. Cheyenne, being a full figured, talented girl, can roll all the way over. She did so several times, grunting the whole time. While the logical part of me worried about colic, another part of me enjoyed watching this big creature wallow and snort and thoroughly enjoy herself.It occurred to me that because animals are so intimately connected with Earth and Nature, they are able to respond with honesty and clarity to simple things like a warm breezy day. They are able to truly bond with Mother by encasing themselves in Her. We often say that animals are “in the moment”, meaning that they are fully present at any given point in time. For animals such as horses, this is rooted in survival. Yet, our horses will lie down in the sun and take a napfor short periods of time. Cheyenne will lie flat out on her side and snore. Our dogs and cats love to lie in the sun outside and snooze too.As we humans prepare to spend time with our loved ones in celebration and enjoyment, perhaps we can take a lesson from our animals and attempt to be more present and in the moment. Perhaps our celebration is as simple as sharing how important someone is to us, our enjoyment is seeing them smile at us. Now, about that pumpkin pie I’m having tonite….never mind, I’ll go to the gym on Monday!A gentle reminder for those who live with animals. Holidays can be stressful for animals as well as people. Be sure to talk with them, let them know why you aren’t home as much, that people are coming to visit. Allow animals who are shy or noise sensitive to retreat to a quiet area of the house. If you are considering bringing a new animal into your home, please WAIT until after the New Year when things are calmer.Enjoy the Holidays, be present to those you love and who love you, and make sure to take a moment to just enjoy the sun.Cindy & Terri and our 4 legged family

Building Relationships

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:00:57 +0000

We’ve become much more aware of relationships in the last few months at home – relationships that are developing and changing – between various members of our animal family. These changes range from a budding relationship between our Basset Obi and our house cat Diana to a radically altered relationship between our two barn cats Simba and Sophia. We also had a wonderful opportunity to observer human/dog relationships up close at a recent AKC dog show. We’d like to share some observations and insights that we have gained.We often have clients that talk to us about how their dogs and cats do NOT get along with each other. It’s very interesting to talk with both the dogs and cats in that situation, and see the real difference in viewpoint between the two camps. Cats on the whole seem to be very disdainful of dogs, and see them as less intelligent, immature beings. Sometimes they will extend themselves to bemused tolerance. Dogs who live with cats seem to have one of two viewpoints about them; either they see the cats as something to chase, or they are genuinely confused by them and don’t know quite how to treat them. Cats simply don’t respond to butt-in-the-air, tail wagging invitations to play, nor do they seem to enjoy being slobbered on in affection. Cats don’t understand why dogs don’t understand hissing and a big tail mean “BACK OFF!”.It’s very clear that dogs and cats have different behaviors and body language, so communication becomes very confusing. In watching Obi and Diana, I have noticed that each seems to have learned how to make the other understand them by adopting some of the other’s behaviors. For example, Obi will layout in the sun in the yard. Diana will come out, walk up to him, and bump him, rubbing against him. Obi will lean into her gently. What Obi has learned is to be still and quiet, and to moderate the force of his lean so as to not overwhelm Diana. Diana has learned that Obi likes the gentle contact. They have progressed to a point where I will sometimes see them laying close together in the yard.Diana does not have the same type of relationship with our other Basset Lukas. Lukas tries to do “dog” behavior with Diana to greet her (aka “sniff butt”), and he does it with the same force and persistence that he would with another dog. Diana simply walks away, leaving Lukas standing there looking very puzzled. Poor guy, he has not learned by watching her what will work and what won’t.Recently our barn cat Simba was attached and mauled very badly, probably by a young coyote. When Simba returned home from the vet, he had a huge hole in his shoulder which requires daily treatment. In addition, he suffered some neurological damage that effects how well he can use one of his legs. Simba and his sister Sophia have been together all of their young lives. Now Simba is in the house, and will most likely become a house cat. It has been heartrending to hear Simba call when he sees Sophia. Sophia is bravely trying to take care of the barn alone, but her normal confidence has been shaken badly.What I have begun to observe is Obi coming up to the door to the screened in porch when Simba is out there, and just simply laying down. Simba initially hissed at him, but has started actually sitting in front of the door when he is there. When Lukas comes up and starts barking, he backs off. Once again Obi seems able to communicate with a cat, and is slowly teaching Simba that he will not harm him.What does this have to do with the human/animal relationship? Humans and dogs, for example, also have different behaviors and postures. Sometimes it is easy for us to misinterpret the behavior of our dog or cat, and put a “label” to it that maybe isn’t correct. For example, we talked to someone at a dog show with a little dog. This person thought her dog was “terrified” of being in new places. In reality, based on what the dog told us, the dog was actually very sensitive to human and animal energy fields. Being at a dog show with people and dogs of varying backgrounds, emotional intensity, and energy was very hard for her. The human was seeing her little dog shake and hide her head, and labeling it based on her interpretation. In this case, we did some work with flower essences and putting an energetic “bubble” around the dog, and she relaxed quite well.What we’d like to leave our readers with is a homework assignment. If you live with a dog or cat, begin by observing how they interrelate with other animals (including humans). Don’t label or interpret, just observe. Begin to try to understand how they behave in certain situations, and think about how you might learn to respond differently so that you can communicate better. For those with dogs who like to play, get down on the floor, stick your rear end up in the air, and lower your shoulders, extending out your arms. See what happens – our dogs absolutely understand that this means “PLAY TIME”. If you have a cat, sit and be very still and see if your cat approaches you more quickly for attention.Have fun!

Gulf Prayer

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:00:49 +0000

I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.

This prayer was shared with us by our friend Ann. When Jane asked us to write something about the wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico and how we might help them, this prayer came to mind immediately.There are many prayers, many intentions, and many people working hard to help the birds, dolphins, turtles, and other wildlife impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf. The impact of this tragedy, we believe, will have an adverse effect on the wildlife and habitats in the area for many, many years. While many are focused on the wetlands and beaches, we wonder what is being done to help the very Ocean and her many creatures. It too is a habitat, and it too will be impacted perhaps forever by this event. Oceans are an integral part of the world’s weather, and the plankton the very basis of much of the world’s food chain. This tragedy touches us all, not just hear in the United States, but all over the world.

How can we, inland in Ohio, help the wildlife not only in the wetlands and on the beaches, but the plankton, the fish, the coral, and all the living things of the Ocean? We think that we all can start with the very simple prayer that began this article. We believe that we can set the intention to connect with the Ocean herself, and every living creature with her waters – plant and animal. We do that by opening our hearts in love and humbly asking for connection to the heart of the Ocean and all living things within. We then set the intention for the optimal health and well being of all beings within the Ocean, and pray our prayer. We can also ask them for messages that they may wish for us to have, and we can be open to receiving those messages and sharing them with our fellow humans.

This does not take long, it’s something we can all do with love and hope once a day. It is a positive step towards offering healing to all living things in the Gulf. Offering healing energy, again after forming the heart connection, is another way we can all help. Those gifted with the ability to do distance healing can ask for permission to connect with the wildlife in the Gulf, and offer specific healing to them. We can picture the Brown Pelican and send loving healing energy to them. Fish are intelligent, feeling beings that could use our help as well. The same technique would work with them. Just picture a type of fish that might live in the Gulf of Mexico waters, ask for a heart connection, and offer healing energy and love.

We ask all of the readers of this magazine to please take a moment each day to do this, for the healing of our Oceans and all of her creatures.

Connection

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:59 +0000

We are often asked how we can “hear” the animals who speak with us. Last year, we wrote an article called “We Can All Hear” that talked about the process of animal communication. We’d like to revisit the topic of how animal communication works for us, and focus in on the first step in the process.If you think about effective communication with another human being, what is the first step in that process? We have to get that person’s attention or focus. We usually do that by addressing them by name verbally or in written form. I recently returned from a business trip to Phoenix, AZ and I was reminded of how we connect with each other when I emerged into the general terminal area and immediately saw several people with signs with a person’s name on it. They were obviously trying to “connect” with someone they didn’t know by sight.The way in which we connect with a person in order to communicate with them is also very important. If I want to engage someone in a conversation to get information from them, I pay attention to HOW I say their name and what my facial expression and body language convey. Going back to my earlier example, I was struck by the variety of facial expressions and body language in the people with the signs at the airport. Some made an effort to look welcoming and alert, while others looked bored and tired. I would be much happier with a driver who looked welcoming and alert, wouldn’t you?When we attempt to connect with someone in writing – for example, in email, we can’t use facial expression or body language to help motivate the person to connect with us. The words we choose are important, as well as the font and font color. We have even invented the “smiley faces” so often seen in emails as a way of expressing emotion when we connect via email.When we connect with animals, we must follow very similar steps. Our body language and facial expression, as well as our voice tone, become extremely important. One must also be very conscious of the species you are trying to connect with. For example, when trying to connect with a horse, I want the horse to turn its head and look at me before I approach to really connect and talk with them. When I want to connect with a dog I have not met before, I also want them to turn their head and look at me, but I don’t seek direct eye contact. I allow the dog to look at me in the eyes when s/he is comfortable. The horse is a prey animal and I want to be sure they see me clearly and see by my facial expression, body language, and eye contact that I am safe. The dog is a predator, and direct eye contact from a stranger is aggressive behavior. If I am inviting the dog to talk with me, I want to appear confident, but not aggressive. If the dog or cat is an animal you live with, you’ll notice that they normally will actively seek direct eye contact with you; this is an indication that they are comfortable with you and wish to connect. It is always a good idea to make sure a horse connects with you prior to coming into their immediate vicinity for safety reasons, even if they know you well. A horse that is startled can spook and either run or kick, depending on the situation.Connection is the key to initiating effective communication with another human or non‐human being. In order to connect effectively you need to know a little bit about whom you are connecting with, and approach them in a manner that is comfortable for them. When you establish a connection with an animal, you have created a “chord” from their heart center to yours. This chord is the highway upon which the telepathic communication occurs. I’d like to suggest that you practice connecting with animals that live with you, and see if you notice a difference in how they respond once the two of you are connected. If you are working with training your dog, try connecting with them first. You may notice that they are more responsive and attentive during the training session. Reconnect if they lose focus during the lesson. If you live with a reptile such as an iguana, they are very capable at connecting with humans. Our iguana Kazel knows her name, and will look at us and interact with us when we connect with her. You can even try this with non‐domestic animals. I connected with a squirrel this morning that was eating the suet we put out for the birds. I connected so I could show him the picture of all the peanuts we had put out for him to eat!

Cats in the House

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:00:52 +0000

Recently we asked one of our long standing clients to share her knowledge and experience about cats with us. Specifically, we asked her to talk about living with multiple cats, and some of the issues that might crop up for their humans.

Kari is the co-host of WZPL’s Smiley Morning Show in Indianapolis, IN. She frequently talks with viewers about their cats, and has a feature spot called “KJ’s Strays” where she highlights events sponsored by Indy animal rescue and shelter organizations. She has long standing, active roles in both Cats Haven and Indy Feral. Kari also works part time as a vet tech with the only certified feline veterinary specialist in Indiana. Read Kari’s blog at WZPL.

Did you know that your cats form their own society or family unit, independent of the human family they live with? Kari has observed this with the 5 cats who live with her. Her cats have interactions amongst themselves that have absolutely nothing to do with Kari at all. In fact, she has inadvertently walked in on “cat family councils” where all of her cats were gathered together communicating and interacting with one another. Terri and I observed similar “cat councils” between a then stray cat called Frank and our 5 house and barn cats. Kari and I both think that cats are very different than dogs in this respect, probably because the cat/human relationship started out as a very non‐interactive one, where humans observed that cats killed mice and rats. Early humans probably decided to do things to entice the cats to stay around their dwellings to keep the rats and mice in check. Dogs, on the other hand, began their relationships with humans by doing jobs WITH the humans – hunting, guarding, herding, and eventually draft work.

The interactions within an independent cat family can sometimes be challenging for the humans living with them. Kari spoke about a recent event in their house. Their cat Leia has been “head cat” for many years now. Recently, Leia decided that she no longer wished to be the head cat. The much younger cat Nandi has decided that SHE wants to be the head cat. As a result, Nandi acts aggressively towards Leia. Kari does not interfere because Nandi is not physically harming Leia, but also because the cats must work things out within their own society /family. It is a very hard thing for Kari to do. Kari is able to understand what’s going on because she has observed and come to understand the personalities of each of her cats, as well as their behavior. She understands the Leia can be very clear when she is not ok with a particular behavior, because she will react quickly and decisively when that boundary is crossed. She also understands that Nandi is very sensitive, and that her typical reaction to change is to act out in an aggressive (but not harmful) way towards the other cats. Kari also understands the personalities of the three male cats, and that their behavior indicates that they are staying out of the position change between the females.

If you are considering bringing another cat into a home where there are other cats, Kari suggests spending time with that cat so that you really begin to understand their personality and behaviors. Think about the personalities of the cats at home, and make your decision based on that. Recently one of our other clients adopted a mature cat from a no‐kill shelter. She knew the personality of her cat at home, and was looking for another cat with a specific personality type that would blend with his. She spent a lot of time with the female cat she selected getting to know her before she ever brought her into the house. Things have worked out very well in that situation because of our client’s approach.

While cats maintain a separate social structure, they also maintain close relationships with us. The cats and the humans living together have separate schedules, but these schedules intersect and impact each other. For example, cats tend to be more active at night due to their instinctual nature. However, most humans work during the day and sleep at night. Cats have learned to adapt to a certain degree to this. Our cat Diana and we compromise by having a “playtime” right before we go to sleep at night. This allows us to have interactive time with her when she tends to be more active. She will then usually settle down and let us sleep. When we humans change our schedule for more than a couple of days, this can really upset the schedule for our cats. This can result in some unwanted behavior such as not using the litterbox, crying, or demanding more attention. If we really observe our cats so that we understand their personalities and behaviors, then we can easily become more sensitive to how our behavior impacts theirs. When we must change something like the furniture or our work schedules, we can then talk with them to let them know what is happening ahead of time, and we can also take steps to try to minimize the impact to them.

Kari stresses that if you do see a sudden change in a cat’s behavior, the FIRST THING to do is get your cat to a vet, to be sure that there is no physical issue involved. Very often behavior changes in cats are an indication of a serious physical issue. Unlike most dogs, cats may not indicate illness by changing behavior until the situation becomes quite serious. She also suggests that you be careful in changing things like litter or food. If you’d like to use a different cat litter, for example, let your cat know what you are going to do, and then gradually mix the new litter in over time. If your cats show a reluctance to use the litterbox, they are telling you they don’t like the new litter.

We’d like to thank Kari for taking the time share her wonderful knowledge and experience with us.

Affirmations with Animals

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:00:58 +0000

Recently I began to listen to Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life”® CD again while driving to work in the morning. I began to wonder – could we possibly use the concept of affirmations with our animal companions, and if so, how and why?According to Louise and also according to Abraham (a teacher channeled by Esther Hicks), affirmations (thoughts) create our reality. If we consciously choose to think positive thoughts, then we create for ourselves positive results in the future. A lot of the time, however, we think non-positive thoughts without even realizing it. This then creates non-positive results for us. Basically, we can choose to turn that around by consciously thinking a more positive thought when we catch ourselves thinking a negative one.We cannot “make” our animals think positive thoughts. What we can do, I believe, is INTRODUCE positive affirmations into their daily lives as a way of helping them create positive behaviors and attitudes in the future. We already do this with our animal friends, don’t we? Let me give you an example. We are working with our dog Obi, who loves to bark. Unfortunately, he gets into compulsive barking behavior very easily, and it’s hard for him to stop. This is not very pleasant for the humans that live with him, although it doesn’t seem to bother the horse or cat he’s barking at. Recently we realized that we were focusing on the behavior that we did not want (the compulsive barking). So as part of helping Obi understand what behavior we do want – to stop barking when he is asked to do so – we began to send him positive affirmations about that behavior. We show him pictures of stopping barking when we ask him to. We verbally and telepathically praise him when he stops barking. We are tryin to help Obi create a future in which he can stop himself from barking. We also worked with a professional trainer to help us train him to do this. Training is very important in dealing with this type of issue in dogs because the barking was being initiated by Obi’s prey drive (instinctual behavior). Personally, I think using affirmations is setting Obi up for success.Another situation where affirmations may be helpful for our animal companions is when we bring them into our lives for the first time. We can use positive affirmations by sending them pictures of them doing the behaviors we want them to do in order to live with us. For example, you can show a new cat a picture in your head of them using the litterbox or scratching on a scratching post you’ve provided for them. You can give them a verbal affirmation when they do what you have shown them – used the litterbox or the scratching post. You show them doing the positive behavior in their heads, then you verbally tell them they are wonderful house cats when you see them do that behavior. It’s more than “good girl/boy” – it’s saying “you are a very good house cat to use your litterbox!”.We are using something very similar with our new horse Cheyenne. She tends to shy away from some new things or situations. For example, she had her feet trimmed by our farrier for the first time this week. We showed her mental pictures of the farrier and what he does. We showed her pictures in our heads of her standing still and enjoying having her feet trimmed. When she did just that, we told her that we were very proud of her for doing her job and keeping us and the farrier safe. When introducing her to a new object, we first explain to her that part of her job is to keep her humans safe. Then, we show her a “movie” in her head of the object, how we will introduce it to her, and how she will react calmly to the object. For Cheyenne, this seems to help her do her job very well.We suggest you try this at home with one of your animal friends. Decide what simple positive behavior you would like for them in the future, get their attention, and picture them doing that behavior in your head. Try this once a day for several days in a row. If you observe them doing that behavior, immediately provide a positive affirmation that says “you ARE a good house cat/dog because you did ___!”. Please choose something simple to start with, and remember that often we may need the help of a positive reinforcement professional trainer to help the process along. Have fun!

The Art of Training … Humans

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:27 +0000

This fall we welcomed a new addition to our household – a bouncing young Basset Hound named Lukas. It has been several years since we have had a younger dog in our house, and we had forgotten what having a young, untrained dog in the house can be like. Fortunately, we have both trained dogs before, and we also have an older dog Bear who is very willing to be a teacher. We enrolled Lukas in obedience classes once he became adjusted and settled. One of the things the trainer, Marlys Staley of Circle Tail, reminded us is that training does not just happen in class, it is a continual process. Obedience class time was for the humans to learn how to teach the dogs what to do. We found ourselves becoming much more aware of how we interact with our animals, and the effect each interaction can have when teaching a new behavior.At least 50% of the client calls we get have to do with an animal’s behavior. Usually the animal is exhibiting behavior that the family is finding unacceptable or puzzling. One of the first things we do is ask questions about the animal’s health. Often a sudden change in behavior can be the result of a physical problem, and the animal should be seen by their vet. In other cases, a change in behavior can be a reaction to a change in the household. Sometimes something as simple as a minor change to a family member’s work schedule can upset the pet.Often, we find that the family has unconsciously “trained” the behavior. We find ourselves doing the same thing with our animals. A great example is how we react when Lukas asks for attention. We have trained him to sit when he wants to be petted. What happens when one of use forgets and pets him if he jumps up? Two things – he gets rewarded for jumping, and he gets a mixed message about whether or not he really needs to sit to be petted. The next time he wants attention, he may think that he can get it by jumping because we rewarded the jumping behavior the last time.We recently went to see “Marley and Me”, a great movie and a great book. I found myself watching the movie in two ways – as entertainment, and as a communicator. Every time one of the main characters complained about what a “bad dog” Marley was, I found myself identifying the behavior the humans exhibited that inadvertently trained Marley that that behavior was ok. Marley was a challenging dog to work with, but he also was living in a family that didn’t understand their roles as leaders and trainers.Living with our animals is a constant challenge to us to be aware, to examine our actions, to understand how we continually shape the behavior of those around us. It reminds us that we are all connected together, but that we are each responsible not only for our own behavior, but also our impact on those around us. So, the next time Lukas jumps up on me, instead of fussing at him, I’ll remind myself that we need to be consistent with him in order for him to do what we ask. He’s a very bright guy, his humans just need to be a little bit more aware and give him more chances to learn and succeed.Happy New Year to all!

Take A Walk On The Wild Side

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:18 +0000

There was a song with that title many years ago, and it came to mind recently when we had a couple of “wildlife adventures” of our own.Terri and I went to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago, and of course we visited the Great Smokey Mountain National Park one day. While driving through Cades Cove, we were treated to close encounters with deer and a flock of wild turkeys. What was so interesting about this for us is how used to people these animals have become. They were totally unconcerned about people walking up to within a few feet of them to take their picture. We were very grateful for the opportunity, and thanked them for their willingness to be seen by so many people.We then decided to drive up a gravel road to return to the Townsend area, as there was a great hiking trail we wanted to try out that lead off that road. It was a wonderful drive – few cars and breathtaking views. After our hike, we were slowly driving on this road when Terri said “slow down!”Several yards ahead we saw a black bear – long legged with a shining black coat – walk casually onto the road in front of us. He seemed totally unconcerned with our presence, and lumbered slowly across the road to the other side where there was a small slope upward. We decided to keep the car inching along, and we also decided it would be a very good idea to roll up the car windows. As we came alongside of this bear, who was now on the slope no more than 2 feet from Terri’s car window, slowly turned and looked us directly in the eye. The connection was instantaneous and amazing – he was so open and trusting of us. There was gentleness and kindness and curiosity in that gaze. The bear energetically felt very open and light-filled and bursting with health and vitality… very different than bears we have seen in captivity. He held our gaze unwaveringly as we slowly inched by. We thanked him for allowing us to connect, for sharing with us so trustingly. It was one of the most amazing interactions I have ever had with a non-domestic being.Once we arrived home, we returned to our normal routine. As those of you who have horses know, one of the truly difficult things about having a horse in this area in the summer is horseflies. If you don’t know what these insects are – they are BIG – I have seen them almost an inch long head to abdomen. Their bite is extremely painful and can cause huge welts and swellings on both humans and horses. They are also fearless and persistent when hungry. Normally they swarm for about 2 weeks in August, and then they disappear. This year, they are hanging around well into September.I was walking down our driveway, and I noticed a group of these flies in a particular area of the driveway and adjoining pasture. Unlike their normal behavior, they did not try to land on me, but rather flew in front of me and hovered. I asked them not to bite me and moved on. Two in particular were very persistent. When I would slow and stop, they would come and hover a few feet in front of me, about chest high. They stayed there, maintaining a constant position. After we did a stop/start dance a few times, I stopped and asked them what they wanted to say to me. They gave me an impression of concern about their family. I asked why they were clustered around one specific area and they gave me an impression of a nest. This communication was very different from the communication with the bear. They gave me in information in a “group voice”, and the impressions were almost vague or fuzzy, just a nuance or impression as opposed to a clear picture or word. I decided to make a deal with the flies. I asked the two group “representatives” if they would agree not to bite our animals or ourselves in exchange for us not disturbing their nest. I also asked if they would consider keeping the number of their offspring balanced with the property, so that we would not be overcome with them next year. I got a general impression of assent, and then they were gone. I have seen very few horseflies since that evening, and they do not seem to be bothering the horses.The common thread in both of these wildlife encounters is simply this: if we approach Nature cooperatively and with respect, Nature responds in kind to us. The result can be some very amazing experiences!