My love of dogs and my desire to communicate with them on a soul level were the driving force that led me to animal communication. This area of learning has become a major piece in the framework of my life and my future. It has taught me valuable lessons that I can take going forward both personally and professionally in my career.

My childhood experience and what I see during a communication~

I have always had the ability to speak with animals telepathically. I remember vividly standing on the road in front of my house. I was five years old. The neighborhood dogs would come to my house every day to gossip and share news. As I stood there all the neighborhood dogs came to converse. Princess was a small long haired dog. She was the color of ripe wheat. Of all the dogs that came to visit me, she was my best pal. She had wonderful news to tell me. She was pregnant. She invited me to her “house” to come and watch her children being born “in a bit” as she described it.

I cannot describe fully in words what she showed me. Imagine stepping through the screen of your television set. You are in the scene but somehow a little apart from it. This no ordinary television, however. Not only are you hearing sound and seeing things around you, but you are also smelling, tasting, and feeling everything, as well. I was interacting with Princess on all of these levels at the same time.

Perspectives change very quickly when this communication is occurring. One second I heard her voice in my head, the next I was seeing the developing puppies inside of her, and most joyful of all was feeling her elation about the impending birth. In the midst of all of this interplay, in real time we are still standing near my house. If anyone happened by all, they would notice is a little girl standing next to a small long haired dog.

I mentioned to my dad that Princess was pregnant. My father was aghast because he thought I still believed that the stork delivered babies. He scoffed it off and did not bring it up again. My dad mentioned to me in speaking with our neighbor up the street two months later that Princess had given birth to eight puppies. All I did was look at him and say, “I told you Daddy!” My childhood was blessed because of my ability to communicate with the neighborhood animals. I enjoyed the interaction with them much better than interacting with my peers.

I would tell others about the conversations I was experiencing with my “friends” and most judged that it was the talk of a child with an overactive imagination. My ability to communicate with animals on this level diminished as I grew older, in part because of my education and environment. I was taught to believe people were smarter than animals. I also began to fear nature. Wild animals should reside only in zoos. You can catch diseases and fleas from dogs. I heard talk of this type all of the time. I eventually believed it wholeheartedly. I was a child.   I believed the only way to cope with the fear of nature and all of the scary beasts were to avoid them or control them.

My upbringing did at least acknowledge the possibility that both imagination and intuition do exist. These two elements with the addition of trust would lead me back to nature and the ability to connect to her and the beings that exist there. I had to re-learn to trust,–trust that spirit/soul(s) can communicate with me in some fashion,–trust that being-hood is possible for non-human beings, as well.

In my early adulthood, I read a book about the Native American Lakota tribe. I cannot remember its exact title, but the book intrigued me. I remember the book saying that the Lakota teach their children a different philosophy. That philosophy stated that we are all a part of nature, and we can live in harmony. We are all connected. Animals, elements, plants, Mother Earth and humans are a collective organism. We are not the only sentient beings. Animal communication was the bridge to help me understand this profound truth.

Animal Communication defined~

As an adult I came across something called animal communication. Animal communicators speak telepathically with animals. The thought of this intrigued me. Perhaps it was possible that I had not imagined what happened all those years ago. I began to research the topic to pursue it further.

Serendipity happened when I took two workshops on animal communication. In this group environment, I was with people who were like-minded. We wanted to learn this skill. We offered each other support and encouragement. One of our first exercises in the workshop was to enter a meditative state. Every one of us was given a photo of another attendee’s pet. We were told to concentrate on the picture and focus on the animal in the picture. We were instructed to say hello to the animal, next to ask the animal a simple question. We each had a notebook nearby and wrote down anything we received, no matter how much we doubted. We then compared notes. Validation is very important at the beginning of this work. Without it, your sense of trust in what you are doing can wane quickly.

Talk with an English springer spaniel and psychic modalities~

My first adult animal communication was very special to me. I was discouraged by the photograph exercise. I did not get anything. There were, however, a few live dogs and cats at the seminar’s location. They were owned by the people hosting the seminar. One of the dogs was an English springer spaniel. I observed the dog playing with a stick. “What the heck is that the dog doing?” I thought to myself. “He looks pretty silly.”

The dog stopped playing, and grabbed the stick in his mouth. He trotted over to me. I took the stick from his mouth. At that moment, he flashed me a set of images, feelings, and English words.   The pictures he sent to me would be classified as clairvoyance or psychic sight. These can come in a series of symbols, scenes, or both. The emotions he sent are clairsentience. It is the ability to feel what another is feeling. It could also be called psychic empathy. The English words I heard in my mind were a form of clairaudience. Clairaudience is the equivalent of psychic hearing.   People and animals excel at one or a combination of all these types of psychic communication. One is no better than the others.

I continued my conversation with the spaniel. The dog went on to say in a matter of fact way, “This is how to talk to us. Focus yourself. Take in what we send you. It is real. It is an exercise of giving and take. We are open and can hear you. You are making this too hard. Enjoy yourself.” I handed the stick the dog had given me back to him, and he trotted off towards someone else. I commented to one of the hosts about it. The host told me that his dog had given the same lecture to other participants that had struggled with the communication process. The dog was one of the instructors of the class. “Wow,” I thought. “Is this real?”

Self-doubt returned at that point. I thought, “I am nuts; there is not any way this can be happening to me.” I had two choices at this point trust what was happening or let it drop entirely. I chose to trust. The hardest skill to achieve, in addition to dealing with the, self-doubt was learning to quiet my inner chatter. This required daily practice. This was the hardest skill to achieve.

My animal communication practice~

After returning home from the seminar, I began my practice in earnest. I offered animal communication to friends, family, and greyhound adopters. I explained I was learning to communicate telepathically with animals. Would they mind allowing me to speak to their pets? Would they like the opportunity to have a different kind of dialog with their pets? At this point, I never charged a fee for my services, and for the most part I never have to this day. There were a number of reasons for this. Too many people have been duped by unscrupulous psychics.   I still had some self-doubt, as well. I also believe that this ability was one any pet owner could achieve themselves if they had the ability to trust.

I was privileged to be able to speak with not only dogs, but other species, as well as I progressed over the years. I spoke with grumpy old quarter horses that did not want to give me the time of day. Llamas taught me about why they hum and bring balance to the earth. Cats would for the most part try to trip me up every time. Why? The cats said, “It is what we do; we play cat and mouse with you. We are cats.”

My practice not only has animals to speak to, but a human component, as well. I made a number of mistakes when dealing with people, but I learned from them. During a few communications I did at the beginning I over thought everything and tried to give people concrete tangible proof I was doing this. In the process, I lost the most important part; I robbed the pet of his voice. I swore I would never do this again and I never did.

End of life animal communications~

Many times people contact me about end of life decisions. These are difficult. The animal usually has a terminal illness. The owner would ask me to talk to the animal and ask if they are ready to go. Each and every case is different.

A very special greyhound named Chaucer was nearing the end of his life. He was 13 years old and beginning to fail in many ways. He had issues with his lungs, kidneys and general arthritis. It had gotten to the point where his owner, Marcia H. asked me to talk to him. She wanted to hear his perspective on what he would like her to do. Marcia, was trying to buoy him up. She would do anything to help him. She cooked him special food, took him to a variety of specialists, administered medications, and sought alternative treatment to keep this boy dog’s quality of life the best that it could be. She told me she was not ready to let go of him yet, but wanted his input on the matter.

“Chaucer, how are you feeling?” was the first question I asked, when I began speaking to him. Do you feel that your quality of life is still good? What would you like me to tell your mother?” He first sent me a picture of a flock of geese heading into the sunset. It was beautiful. I even felt the breeze go through my hair. He then sent pictures of a man in a fedora hat. The man was standing at the front door, and he was telling his family goodbye. He was off to work. I asked, “Chaucer, are you telling me you are ready to go?” I asked. He immediately showed me a vision of the man tipping his hat and walking through the front door. As I saw this picture in my head, I felt Chaucer’s labored breathing, his arthritis, and some pain that appeared to be coming from one of his kidneys.

I called Marcia and told her what Chaucer was telling me. I tried to soften the images Chaucer gave me, but they were what they were. I heard her sigh softly after I told her. Marcia told me she had a feeling he was ready to go, but she felt compelled to continue helping him if that is what he wanted. “Marcia,” I told her, “Chaucer is telling you what he wants. You have sensed it all ready. That is how strong the bond is between you. If he had told me something different, I would have relayed that to you as well.” She gave it a few days, and one night she awoke to Chaucer breathing very hard. He had fallen down and could not regain his footing. She knew it was time. I was grateful she called me to let me know what happened. The communication I did made it easier for her to say goodbye to Chaucer than if I had not spoken to him.

 

Animal communicators as counselors~

When I handle communications like the one between Marcia and Chaucer I am taking on the role of a counselor. I have to listen to both the pet owner and the pet. Active listening is very much a part of what a counselor does. There is the psychic listening component, but it is still a dialog. I merely facilitate it, acting as translator for the pet. I convey questions the owner might like to ask the pet. Responses I get will be given back to the owner. I asked questions Marcia want me to ask. What I received from Chaucer I conveyed to Marcia. The only time I need to do a little more is when the pet sends me symbols or visions that require interpretation. I tell the owner exactly what the pet showed me. Chaucer’s “man in a fedora hat” and “geese flying towards the sunset,” were pretty obvious to both Marcia and me.

Sometimes, a pet owner and I go through our own dialog to figure out what the pet may be trying to say. My first prompting question to the pet owner would be, what do you think this symbol or vision means? I then listen to the owner. If there is still some confusion, I will offer suggestions from my own experience and knowledge. The results of this interpretation of visions and symbols may be quite ambiguous. Occasionally, an owner will call me and let me know that the symbol the pet showed or the vision that was seen happened after the fact.

As a counselor, I must remain objective or not interject my own feelings about a situation. However, I can be empathetic and supportive. Learning to hold back was not easy for me. I bite my tongue even now on occasion.

Another responsibility I took to heart was to make sure I understood the subjects I might be dealing with in doing a communication. I felt I needed to understand the grief cycle and the process of grieving when doing the end of life communications. If I were working with medical issues and the animal sent me a feeling or picture of something that was wrong physically, I’d best have an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of that species. This makes it easier for the owner and the pet especially if the owner chooses to share the information to a medical professional. I continue even now to keep abreast of these things. Being educated about a topic makes me a better facilitator of the communication dialog.

Animal communicator ethical practices~

As my experience with telepathic communication grew I decided a list of ethical standards was necessary in order to conduct myself in a professional manner. This not only protects me but protects people and the animals for which they are guardians.

I can choose to say no to a communication request if I feel uncomfortable with the animal owner or the situation. It is okay to do this. I learned to respect my own boundaries and respect the boundaries of the animals and their owners. Never cross them. Pet owners who do not take responsibility for the role they play in their pet partnerships do not sit well with me. I would refuse to do these up front. These owners blame their pets for any problems. A partnership is a two way street I will not subject an animal to a litany of their supposed faults. Some people I have dealt with expect a communicator to be on their beck and call. I have a private life, and if a client begins to ask for a communication every time “Bowser” does something off color they are not doing Bowser or me any good. This type of client can act like the communicator is the end all and be all. While it makes me feel pretty good, the client’s dependency on me is not healthy for either of us. I gently tell them I can no longer offer my services to them.

I always clarify that I am only a facilitator in the animal communication process. What comes during the communication is what comes. The client can take what they want from it and leave the rest. If I see that the pet owner is in deep distress over a problem or impending death of a pet, I kindly suggest they seek professional counseling with a therapist, doctor, or a member of the clergy. I am not professionally trained to handle these issues.

I am an animal communicator; I am not a veterinarian, behaviorist, or other animal professional. If there is a behavioral, medical, or a grooming issue, an animal owner should seek the advice of a professional. I tell them this up front before doing the communication. They can feel free to share what was received during the communication if they choice to. Privacy is also essential. What a client tells me never goes any farther. If the client is skeptical about animal communication, that is their right. I do not need to prove anything nor feel let down if the communication is not satisfactory for the client. It is what it is. The setting of these personal ethical standards allows me to continue to do the spiritual work I do and hopefully continue to help others I may encounter.

 

What I learned from Snow Bear~

I was asked to communicate with a Borzoi (Russian wolfhound) named Snow Bear. He was quite ill and was being kept at the veterinary hospital. He had vague symptoms when he was brought to the veterinarian. He was restless and was not settling down. He exhibited abdominal distress and no fever and preliminary blood work had come back normal. His owner contacted me about 5 hours after he went to the hospital. She asked that I communicate with him. She wanted to know if he could provide some clue to the veterinarians about what was wrong with him. Snow Bear’s location was about 42 miles from my home. There was no way I could go see him. I did the communication from a distance. I asked Snow Bear to please speak to me. I knew Snow Bear well enough to be able dial his psychic phone number in order to communicate with me. Bear immediately began to flash me pictures of where he was and the discomfort he was experiencing. I felt he was in an indoor dog run, not a cage. I could see the chain link directly in front of me. I looked through the chain link and saw a sink tub directly across from him. Directly to the side of the sink tub was a metal examination table. Bear was not very happy to be in the run. He told me they had moved him, and he wished they just leave him alone. I responded to him that he had to be there. He was ill and to deal with it. Bear responded by telling me that he would cope with them poking and prodding him. He also told me that maybe the thing he ate out in the back yard might be why he did not feel well. Could I tell the vet people what he had done?

At that point, I lost it. I asked him what he ate. He flashed me a picture of a large rock. “Oh, my God!” I exclaimed out loud. Bear sent me a picture of himself looking guilty. I rolled my, eyes and told him I was ending the communication. I would contact his mom.

I picked up the phone and called his mother, “Ellie, the dumb bunny boy ate a rock!” “You have to be kidding me?” she said. “Heck, no I am not kidding. Oh, and, by the way, he is upset that they moved him around. He is in an indoor dog run.” I described what I saw through Bear’s eyes. Ellie started to laugh, “Yes they did move him because he was very uncomfortable in a cage, and he was too big for it.” We both yelled at the same time, “Dam dog!” She called the veterinary hospital and told them what Bear had told me. Long story short, they gave him an x-ray. They found a rock and did emergency surgery. His stomach was blocked. The rock was too big to pass through his digestive tract. His owner Ellie gave me the rock as a souvenir. This dog was eight years old and had never consumed anything but his food and treats up until this incident.

Ellie was very happy that I had helped her and Snow Bear. The veterinary staff at the hospital were happy with what happened too. One of the technicians commented that she would probably never look at her patients the same way again. Snow Bear’s communication taught me that a little self-doubt is not a bad thing. Whenever I become jaded with animal communication, Bear’s communication is one I always go back too. I cry in amazement even now years later.

My hopes for the future~

Animal communication has given me a framework for the counselling work I am planning to do in the future. It has given me a rich understanding of the bond between humans and animals. It has enriched my life spiritually and intellectually. Every time I look at my own dog, I can honestly say to her, “Don’t walk behind me, walk beside me and let us enjoy this dance of life together. I am better because of you and all creatures.

Animal communication laid the groundwork for my ability to be a counselor. It also gave me a path to an unexpected area of spirituality. This path is called shamanism. I will explore the impact of shamanism on my life now and in the past, what I learned from its practice, and how it healed me.