Bonnie, one of my first clients, was a Golden Retriever who had developed a very fast-growing cancer on her front ankle. Her person, Sheila, called me for a Reiki healing on the ankle tumor. The Veterinarian had recommended amputation of the leg at the shoulder. Sheila wanted to try everything before letting the vet take the leg, but time was running out. I settled in on the living room floor and opened myself to pass the healing energy through for Bonnie.

I sat quietly on the floor with the dog saying nothing. A few minutes had passed when Sheila began talking to her boyfriend seated next to her. She was wondering what she could do, or should do, to help Bonnie. Suddenly a voice in my head said, “Just love me.” I thought to myself, “How am I going to tell these people that the dog is answering their questions?” Until this experience with Bonnie, I hadn’t ever done this with people I didn’t know really well. Sheila continued talking with her boyfriend, saying, “I just wish I knew what this was all about.” “Acceptance,” I heard Bonnie answer. Then Sheila told her boyfriend how confused she was — should the leg be amputated, or was the cancer curable? This time I opened my eyes and began talking to Sheila directly. I realized that it was time for me to “go public.”

I explained, in a way I cannot remember because I was so nervous, how I heard a voice and saw images that Bonnie was sending to answer Sheila’s questions. I continued allowing energy to pass through to Bonnie and, to my great surprise, Sheila began a conversation with Bonnie through me. I sat passing questions and answers from person to dog and from dog to person. I do remember Sheila asking whether Bonnie was in pain. Bonnie showed me a picture of herself walking and her voice alternated, “Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, …” Each time she put weight on the leg with the tumor, “yes,” and as the weight shifted off the leg, “no.” This is typical of the way an animal relates to pain in its body. If it hurts right now, there’s pain; otherwise, “no pain.” They seem to view pain as a momentary sensation that comes and goes. Sheila asked, “How does she feel about the vet amputating her leg?” I saw an image of Bonnie running quickly around the yard as she chased a tennis ball, then slowing as she returned the ball to the human who had thrown it. She walked strangely as she slowed her speed, and stopped. I could see that she had only three legs. Bonnie’s response seemed to help Sheila decide that the amputation was more of a problem to Sheila than it was to Bonnie. The conversation carried on for a little more than 30 minutes while I continued to pass healing energy. Afterward, as I washed my hands to leave, I thought how it all seemed so ordinary — a little unusual, but in no way creepy or mystical.

I left feeling hopeful that Bonnie would snap right around and cure herself of the cancer, and then my mind drifted into replaying what had just transpired. I drove home in somewhat of a dream-like state as the reality of this effortless two-way communication sank in. I literally had to keep shaking my head from side to side as I saw the scene in my mind’s eye. It all seemed so normal at the time and so weird afterward.

Bonnie did have her leg amputated a week later. The vet was shocked by how quickly Bonnie recovered from the anesthesia and how quickly she was up running around the office. In fact, the vet worried that Bonnie was so “unaffected” by the amputation and surgery that she sedated her for fear Bonnie would injure herself. That stands as a testimonial to energy healing. Bonnie was home the following day, acting as if she had three legs all along.

I heard from Sheila a couple of years later. Bonnie had since passed, but an extraordinary thing had happened immediately after Sheila buried Bonnie. As she sat on the deck to relax and say a final goodbye, Sheila looked up to see a pure white Shar Pei sitting on the dirt mounded over Bonnie’s grave. Sheila watched the dog remembering that since she had been a little girl, she had wanted a Shar Pei. They shared a few silent minutes connected in some deep mystical way, and then the dog slowly walked off. Sheila lowered her head for a second and when she glanced back to the grave, the Shar Pei had vanished. “It was odd,” she said. “I had never seen that dog around before and I’ve lived here my whole life. It just disappeared!” Sheila said, “Bruce, … at that moment I knew Bonnie was at peace. And, I knew that the angels had sent the white Shar Pei to bring me that comforting message.” As Sheila spoke these words, a chill ran through my body and I knew she was right.

There once was a young dog named Guido… actually he was an adult Italian Greyhound named Guido. His person called me to help her with a housetraining situation. At the time, I was just beginning to utilize this communicator ability in my business as a dog behavioral consultant. Prior to arriving at the client’s home, I would contact the animal telepathically to get a sense of what was happening from its perspective. Guido showed me a new capability to view as if looking through his eyes. During our conversation, he showed me portions of the inside of his house, the people living with him, their physical builds and approximate age. All of these things were confirmed during my visit a short time later. The images that came to me appeared in my mind’s eye as I connected with this little dog. I was a little confused at first until I realized that all the scenes I was seeing were from a point of view about a foot off the floor — just his height! But there is more. Guido also had a unique way of seeing his world.

The chief complaint his person had with Guido concerned his peeing in the house. Guido was living in a new house and was 1 ½ years old. It was time to resolve this situation. The conversation that follows shows that we do not always see behaviors for what they truly are.

Guido, your person has asked me to come and visit you. (I mentally send him a picture of myself.) Would you be interested in speaking with me? O.K. Guido’s voice is upbeat and positive.

Your person wants you to pee outside. Well, why? Guido had just revealed his motivation for urinating in the home; he hadn’t gotten the idea that the location was important. Despite her best efforts, his person hadn’t yet been able to make that connection with him.

Guido, what can you tell me about urinating in the basement? I can be alone while I am doing it.

And what about going on the carpet at the top of the stairs? It’s soft on my feet.

Anything else about this you want me to know? I get very nervous in this new house — I can help settle things by protecting the house. Guido shows me marking furniture and stereo speakers throughout the house with his urine. He felt that urinating on these items was “protecting” his people’s belongings. He felt that his contribution helped everyone to recognize: The property and territory is occupied.

Can I ask you some other questions about your life? O.K. 

Guido, show me what you like. I see a picture in my mind’s eye of this little guy on a walk, absolutely strutting his stuff and wearing a wide black leather collar with shining studs. He says he is happy but likes to be paraded around and shown off. The next image is of him sitting on a couch with his person petting him as the two watch TV.

What is happening that you would like to be different? When she comes home, she lets me out but she is in such a rush. I look forward to her coming home, but I would like her to focus on me for a while. Also, she carries me around, especially when it is time to go to bed (in the crate). I’m a man, put me down; I’ll walk on my own! I also get overwhelmed at dog school by all the activity and noises.

Guido, your first person (the breeder) put you in a pet store rather than in the show ring. Do you know why? Because I am so active and my eyes bug out too much.

Can you tell me why you and your current person are together? After much talking and activity Guido became calm enough to answer but I knew we had reached the limit of his attention span. I am here to teach her to slow her life down and to help her get habits and structure into her life… I love my mom.

Thank you for talking with me Guido. I’ll see you later today, before the sun goes away. O.K.

This little guy was quite a character. His name fit him perfectly. He thought of himself as very handsome and wanted to show himself to people so they could admire his good looks. His housetraining problem resulted from him not realizing that location was the most important thing to his person. In addition, some of his urinating (marking behavior) was motivated by wanting to help define ownership and thereby bring order to the new territory. I find it very rare that an animal is motivated to seek revenge against people — animals seem to be above vengeance. Nevertheless, revenge remains one of the most commonly held motivations we humans assign to explain behavioral problems in animals. In a very innocent way, Guido has confirmed that the only true and valid explanation has to come from the animal itself.

I met Zima when he was just a puppy. Already I could see this Australian Shepherd was very intelligent, perhaps too intelligent to live well with humans. Zima lived with Brian, a lieutenant with an area fire department and Jayne, a medical office manager, and their cat, Samson. We began training with Zima right away so he could learn to direct his energy in a manner functional to his human family. Brian, Jayne and Zima proved to be very good students; however, Zima was using his intelligence to think circles around his people. He always seemed to be trying to get a step ahead of his people. When the dog begins training the humans, it usually indicates trouble for the human partners until they are able to think and act at the dog’s speed.

“Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking. Live in silence.“

– Rumi

Brian and Jayne saw the potential for trouble and dedicated themselves to training. During the first few months of puppyhood, I held individual dog training sessions with Zima and his people at their home. As summer came around I saw Zima in group dog classes; his people were coming up to speed quite nicely by that point. Unfortunately, their cat, Samson, had died of a tumor in his sinus area. What occurred next would be a defining moment in my life and in my work.

One day, as I was driving home from a Yoga teaching engagement a couple hours away, I began communicating with a friend’s dogs. I do not recommend communicating while driving, but it was a quiet highway and an excellent opportunity for me to expand my awareness. I was happily driving down the highway, talking with the two dogs, Jack and Sadie, about their likes, dislikes and needs when a voice came in saying, “Hey… Hey… Hey!” I really didn’t want to be interrupted, and I didn’t want to show disrespect to Sadie and Jack by letting this uninvited voice distract the conversation, but the voice wouldn’t go away. It became clear that the only way to continue was to ask Sadie and Jack if they wouldn’t mind a pause so I could find out who or what needed to break in and why. The conversation that followed seemed, at the time, like nonsense. Once I put Jack and Sadie “on hold,” the following exchange took place.

Hello, who is this? Zima.
What can I do for you? I know my job.
You know your job? Yep! I know my job.
OK, what is your job Zima? My job is to take care of the cat.
Your job is to take care of the cat. Yup.
Is there anything else you want me to know? Nope, my job is to take care of the cat.
Is that all? Yep, that’s all.
O.K., Zima thanks for letting me know. We’ll talk again sometime. Ok, bye.
Good-bye, Zima.

None of this message made sense to me — the cat is dead. Nevertheless, I respected Zima’s need to share his excitement and returned to my conversation with Sadie and Jack.

That evening I thought how was I going to explain that their dog talked with me telepathically? Did I really have to go so far out on a limb for this seemingly nonsensical message from their dog? Yes, I did.

I arrived at our next dog class very early to try and calm my nervousness about the conversation that I needed to have with them. I took a deep breath and began. “Something kind of weird happened on my drive home Tuesday,” I told them. I explained how I was kind of “meditating” and thought I heard a voice break in that said it was Zima. This voice, Zima, said he had something he wanted me to know. I observed Brian and Jayne as I built up to the most difficult part — how to tell them their dog’s job is to “take care of the cat” — the dead cat. I continued by disclaiming, “I don’t know what this means because I know the situation, but…” I was absolutely churning inside as I told them “Zima knows his job. … It is to take care of the cat.” I was about to come totally unglued — I’d just put it all on the line, but the two of them cracked wide smiles, looked at each other, then looked back toward me. One of them said, “Do you want to tell him or should I?” Confusion flashed through my brain as they smiled even more broadly now. “That’s a very interesting message, Bruce. Because we just got a kitten last week … and a couple of days ago we set down with Zima and told him his job is to do just that, to take care of the cat!”

I first met Helen when I was still working at the hospital. A nurse anesthetist, she lived with her two dogs and had begun taking riding lessons from a facility a few miles from her home. The barn’s main focus was the boarding and training of hunter-jumper horses, their people and the public. After a few lessons, Helen began to notice a skinny old horse that always seemed to be in his stall. He was friendly enough toward people, but few humans ever showed any interest in Olaf. My interaction with Olaf and Helen highlighted the importance of clarifying an animal’s message before arriving at a conclusion.

Olaf was 30 years old, and though he had been a champion performer in his day, those days were long past. He hadn’t been ridden in years and, in fact, Olaf didn’t seem to have anyone who was special to him. The riding academy’s management told Helen that Olaf’s people had, several months before, relocated to a city 180 miles away. They always paid his board and veterinary costs, but could only visit once or twice a year. Upon hearing this, Helen’s heart ached for Olaf recognizing he was wasting away and nearly forgotten. Helen continued her once-a-week lesson but found herself making time to give Olaf some special attention, a good brushing or even a bath. It didn’t take long for these two to melt each other’s hearts. Helen began coming to the barn just to spend time with Olaf. The big old boy began making a nickering sound to acknowledge Helen as she arrived. She would clean his stall, put down a little extra bedding to make softer footing, brush him down, and give him an apple or carrots — even though most of the food fell out of his mouth because he was missing so many teeth. All the while she talked softly to Olaf, as if he were the only other person in the world.

Shortly after I quit working at the hospital and graduated from Equine Massage school, I contacted Helen. I wanted to practice massaging horses and God knows Olaf had some tight muscles! It was agreed that I could give Olaf a light massage one Sunday afternoon. For a couple hours I slowly and gently worked with Olaf’s muscles and joints, trying to remember what I had learned in school. Helen looked on, speaking softly to Olaf the entire time. Olaf got treats when I finished and I told Helen about some of the things that had happened to me around animals — specifically, that I could hear them talking. Helen was open and curious, but I knew firsthand how the medical field trains people to be skeptical. She asked me if I thought Olaf knew how much she loved him. Just then my entire body flushed with warmth from the middle of my chest outward. The emotion I experienced almost put me in tears. “I think he does, Helen,” I managed to say. “I think he does.”

In the next year this wonderful relationship between Olaf and Helen continued growing closer and closer. Olaf began eating more; Helen bought special food and watched him eat, encouraging him and nursing his health. My wife worked at the same hospital as Helen and I would get periodic updates about Olaf. He was gaining weight; people working in the barn said he seemed happier and healthier. A year later, I stopped by to see the two of them. Olaf had filled out and his energy was much more vital. Helen was walking him outside to eat grass whenever weather permitted, or she would pick clover and bring it inside for him to eat. When 2 conditions allowed, she had begun turning him loose in the arena to romp and have fun. Through Helen’s loving care, Olaf had come back from the edge of death. The people around the barn were amazed. They had thought Olaf was just getting old and had mistakenly assumed that is how a 31-year-old horse always looks.

As time went on, Helen began to exercise Olaf on a lunge line. Then she put a saddle on him and put him through some ground work exercises. Olaf’s spark for life was back and Helen also was enriched by their relationship. She remained open to the deeper level of communication we had spoken of a year before. I suggested that she consider attending an animal communication workshop I was teaching and perhaps learn a little more. She did so and their relationship grew even closer.

A few months later, I stopped by the barn to hang some equine massage fliers and saw Helen there. She had been struggling in her efforts to communicate with Olaf, but seemed to have a feeling that he wanted to be ridden! One of the trainers had the same feeling about his desire to carry Helen. Helen was very reluctant to ride him because she didn’t need to and because she thought he might injure himself. When I asked Olaf about this and whether his body was strong enough to carry her, he was all for it. Helen climbed on and walked the length of the arena a couple of times. Then Olaf broke into a trot and scared the heck out of Helen. Both were beaming as they walked back to his stall. In the next couple of months, I received several reports of Olaf and Helen doing a little light riding and getting along famously.

The next report came a few months later. I could feel the heaviness as my wife began the story. Olaf had looked at Helen one evening and said, “I have to go soon.” I was crying as my wife told me. We all know the day comes when it is time for our friends to go “home,” and this time it seemed that Helen was getting advance notice. The gift of communicating with an animal appeared to be having a downside and it was a big one. Olaf was telling Helen that he would be dying soon, and knowing this, how does one proceed? It was only another week or so until the barn manager pulled Helen aside to tell her some difficult news about Olaf. His people had just phoned; they had made a decision that she knew would upset Helen. They had decided it would be best for Olaf if they moved him to a barn very close to their home, 180 miles away. We had all fallen into assuming the worst, only to discover that Olaf had been telling Helen that he was moving not dying! I will never forget this lesson. Be careful not to make assumptions or leap to unwarranted conclusions. Clarify, with the animal, the meaning of each concept the animal is communicating. As you see, an animal’s words do not always mean what we think they do.

We declare the following:

The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.

To many pet parents and animal lovers, the conference only confirms what they already believed through their own observations and interactions with animals – albeit, not with the credibility of scientific research.

Stephen Hawking — considered the greatest mind in physics since Albert Einstein — was the guest of honor at the signing ceremony. The declaration was authored by Philip Low and edited by Jaak Panksepp, Diana Reiss, David Edelman, Bruno Van Swinderen, Philip Low and Christof Koch, all well-respected neuroscientists. The signing was memorialized by 60 Minutes.

Reiki is a generic Japanese word used to describe many types of healing and spiritual work.

The knowledge that an unseen energy, Ki, flows through all living things and is connected directly to the quality of health has been part of the wisdom of many cultures since ancient times. The existence of this “life force energy” has been verified by recent scientific experiments, and medical doctors are considering the role it plays in the functioning of the immune system and the healing process. Ki is present all around us and can be accumulated and guided by the mind. Ki is the life force. It is also called the vital life force or the universal life force. This is the nonphysical energy that animates all living things.

Ki is used by martial artists in their physical training and mental development. It is used in meditative breathing exercises called Pranayama, and by the shamans of all cultures for divination, psychic awareness, manifestation and healing. Ki is the nonphysical energy used by all healers. As long as something is alive, it has life force circulating through it and surrounding it; when it dies, the life force departs. If your life force is low, or if there is a restriction in its flow, you will be more vulnerable to illness. When it is high and flowing freely, you are less likely to get sick. Life force plays an important role in everything we do. It animates the body, our emotions, our thoughts and our spiritual life.

The life force is responsive to thoughts and feelings. It becomes disrupted when we accept, either consciously or unconsciously, negative thoughts or feelings about others or ourselves. These negative thoughts and feelings cause a disruption in the flow of life force. This diminishes the vital function of the organs and cells of the physical body.

Reiki heals by flowing through the affected parts and charging them with positive energy. Reiki clears, straightens and heals the energy pathways, thus allowing the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way.

An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student by the Reiki Master. Its use is not dependent on one’s intellectual capacity or spiritual development and, therefore, is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.

Please contact us if you are interested in a Reiki class.

Reiki sessions may be scheduled to be performed in-person or remotely over long distances (Absentee Healing).

“Things that are real are given and received in silence.“
-Unknown

Cranial Sacral Therapy is a gentle non-invasive technique that is based on the principle that our bodies know how to heal themselves. The practitioner listens to the body through palpation, then allows or introduces movement which will release restrictions. Restrictions are caused by physical or emotional traumas held in cellular memory. For instance, neck injuries from a car accident are locked into the body. So are sports injuries, accidental falls or birth complications such as forceps deliveries. Emotional traumas are also stored. The events are essentially ‘frozen’ into our bodies until they are released.

The medical theory is as follows:

The brain produces a fluid which circulates within the head and up and down the spine. This is called cerbrospinal fluid (CSF). There is a rhythm, or pulse, created by the pumping of this fluid, like the pulse from our circulatory system, but much more faint (6-8 beats per minute).

The bones throughout our bodies are in continual motion as the CSF is pumped. The cranial sacral rhythm is detected through palpation of the bones. Each bone has its own natural movement. When a particular bone has a non-normal movement, it indicates there is a restriction in the flow of CSF.

All the nerves in our body originate somewhere along this path from the brain down the spinal cord. If there is any impedance to the flow of the CSF, then it can be felt as pain somewhere in the body.

The practitioner is trained to detect tiny variations in movement as well as to perform techniques which will free up the flow.

While CST had its origins in the medical model, many practitioners discovered that it could be easily incorporated with Eastern medicine involving chakras and energy healing. Being able to approach conditions with a flexibility in mind allowed for more possibilities. Cranial Sacral Therapy has been used on everything from autism to broken bones. The work requires sensitivity and respect for the body’s wisdom. While certain conditions or diseases create similar patterns, each person is unique in how their body needs to be treated. It is like solving one of those 3-dimensional puzzles which requires you to do things in a specific order, just no 2 puzzles are ever the same.

What will it feel like?

Outwardly, the treatment can seem very passive and uneventful. Many of the movements are imperceptible to the recipient on a conscious level. People vary in their sensitivity to their body and its sensations. Some people experience emotions, memories, physical sensations, insights 2 into patterns or problems in their lives. Other people feel like they’ve gone to sleep. Regardless of what the conscious mind thinks, this work taps into the nervous system and subconscious levels and has profound impacts. It is not uncommon for people to feel exhausted a few hours after a treatment.

References:

• “Your Inner Physician and You”, John E. Upledger, North Atlantic Books and The Upledger Institute, 1991
• “Craniosacral Therapy”‘ John E. Upledger and Jon D. Vredevoogd, Eastland press, 1983
• “Spontaneous Healing”‘ Andrew Weil, MD, Knopf, 1995

If you are living with an animal, you are, in some fashion, already communicating. It may be that you have trained the animal, or that the animal has trained you. Nevertheless, the two of you have worked out a functional system of some sort. Perhaps you have studied your animal’s natural behavior patterns or how it uses body postures to communicate. Your observations and conclusions are then used to decode the animal’s motives.

Scientific Study

I was raised watching Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler on the TV show, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. These two traveled the world to observe and educate the viewing audience about wild animals and their behavior patterns. They used a helicopter to reach remote areas and once they landed, Jim ran to subdue the animal while Marlin turned to the camera and said something like, “I’ll stay safely here behind these bushes as Jim wrestles the wild anaconda.” The next few minutes showed Jim struggling and barefoot about to be strangled by a very large snake. Suddenly Jim emerges with the anaconda wrapped around his body, steps in front of the camera and begins to educate the viewers about the snake’s habits, the role it plays in nature, or how it communicates its discontent – which, in this case, was by wrapping itself around Jim. Jim tells us, as he struggles to maintain control of the snake, that the anaconda is the largest snake in the world. Its great size and muscular strength give it few predators and puts it at the top of the food chain. It is a constrictor that kills by ambushing its prey, wrapping itself tightly around the animal and squeezing ever tighter thereby preventing inhalation and resulting in death by asphyxiation. The anaconda then swallows the dead animal whole. It has been observed killing and consuming large deer and even cattle. As Jim spoke, Marlin would creep out of the bushes to get in the camera shot. If the snake began to wiggle loose, Marlin would run back into the bushes to hide. I found that so entertaining. This show used scientific observation to educate its viewers about different species, how they survive and capture their prey — a very survival-oriented and instinctual communication perspective.

Reinforcement, Cause and Effect

Another form of communication takes place when we take the dog, cat, horse or bird to a training class. In class, we teach the animal a few words in our language by reinforcing desired behavior. We work toward putting desired behaviors on cue to lend a predictable and consistent language, of sorts. In this method, we learn to monitor an animal’s body language to determine how it is distracted from successful performance. This method calls upon both the animal and the human to learn a little of each other’s language, and they meet each other half way. It works well once the human can react as quickly as the animal can learn. Otherwise, the animal manages to shape the human’s behavior to fit its needs and the human walks around looking dazed.

Learning a “Third” Language

I observed another type of communication while watching large captive sea mammals at Sea World. The animals were being trained using a series of hand signals or cues unrelated to either humans or sea mammals — a neutral, made-up language. The trainers explained that by using these operant conditioning methods, they ensure a positive experience for the animal and a safe experience for the human. Essentially, when a killer whale feels frustrated by his training, he begins to consider eating the source of his frustration, the trainer. The training focus is to induce and motivate the animal to desire to express the exact behavior, on cue and to be happy doing so.

Animals as Spiritual Messengers

The fourth type of animal communication looks to the myths and legends of aboriginal cultures the world over. It was an ancient belief that the Creator sends animals as messengers. By close observation of nature, one would notice an animal showing itself to you in a manner atypical to the species. The appearance of a particular animal in one’s life was a symbol of Divine guidance. The myths and legends of the culture are then used to translate the significance of the message to one’s life. In this type of communication, we simply note the animals we consider our favorites and those which appear in our life and our dreams.

Let’s say you are worried about how to resolve a difficult relationship and you begin to notice hawks showing up wherever you are. The message brought by the hawk is to see life as the hawk sees life. The hawk flies high, gaining the widest perspective on its environment. Perhaps the solution to your relationship problem is to “get a wider perspective” or “get the big picture.” It may even be a reminder to “soar above the pettiness.” I am frequently asked, “How do I know whether this animal is a messenger or merely an animal going about its daily routine?” I answer by reminding the questioner that a messenger appears in an atypical fashion and I share the following true example. A meditation classmate shared that one fall morning she walked downstairs on her way to make coffee and found a squirrel drinking out of her toilet! This, I submit, is an animal showing itself in an atypical manner. To be honest, it took a week or two for her to recover from the shock of this squirrel’s appearance and begin to explore the deeper meaning of this symbolic messenger. This squirrel went to great lengths to show itself to this individual. In this case, the message came from the fact that a squirrel learns by observation and imitation, that is, by doing, experimenting and exploring. The squirrel brought my friend the message that the best way to develop her intuitive abilities and meditate was by doing rather than by studying — very helpful guidance for this elementary school teacher. To help you to understand the symbolism behind the animals appearing in your life, I recommend the book titled Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.

Telepathy

The final type of animal communication is telepathy, the sending and receiving of thought and emotion through the unseen realm of Spirit. Telepathy is direct contact with the essence, or soul, of the individual animal. The soul’s existence is eternal; it is part of the Universal energy. So, we do not need to be in the physical presence of the animal, nor does the animal 3 need to be in physical form in order to communicate. This level of contact is an innate human ability developed when our ancestors relied on animals for survival. In early cultures, the observation of nature was cultivated because it was critical to survival. When our ancestors moved with the natural patterns of nature, they thrived, and when they moved against natural patterns, they perished. In addition, stories say that our early ancestors discovered many medicinal plants by observing animals eating specific plants for specific conditions. For example, they may have noticed that when a bear became ill, it sought out and ate the goosefoot plant to help expel intestinal parasites. Observing his stools afterward and seeing him recovering his vitality would confirm the plant’s effect, and our ancestors learned to mimic the bear’s behavior. To safely navigate their way through the mountains, early people followed the animal trails. They secured adequate water by observing the movements of the waterloving animals and by asking to be taught about the water. Our ancestors utilized all of their perceptual abilities to ensure their survival. They lived close to nature and the animals, coexisting in harmony. There was no need to impose limits on the amount of game taken from an area. Our ancestors simply knew that, if they were to survive, they had to take only what was needed and not deplete their long-term resources. Moreover, our ancestors honored the souls of those who gave their lives so that they could continue to live. They knew that the animals responded to their intentions rather than their words. It is as if the animals could hear our ancestor’s hearts thinking and our ancestors could hear theirs, as well.

Then, there came a time when humans domesticated the animal and began the age of agriculture and industrialization. The focus shifted from survival through harmony with nature to controlling nature for profit. The connection to animals faded for most people and their telepathic ability fell into decay. Today, humans continue to focus outside of ourselves, on developing external technology to solve our problems, rather than turning inward. In our state of forgetfulness, telepathic communication with animals seems abstract and without value. Nonetheless, it may have great value in helping us both to connect deeper into our own essence and to help us see through the eyes and intellect of another. We humans have a highly developed intellect, and it can help us to adapt and survive life changes if we are open to viewing life including the animal’s perspective.

How often have you tried to figure out how to make them all get along? Anyone who’s ever tried presenting a well-reasoned, insightful argument to the dog who plays with the yelping cat by chasing, knocking it down and clubbing with its paws knows that the human way of thinking doesn’t apply to other species. What is the common language and how can Animal Communication help when we run a household of three different species – dog, cat & human?

Understanding each specie

Each specie has their own language, preferences, ways of playing and ways of being in the world. They are born as an expert in their ways. For example, a dog generally derives a sense of security and comfort by being in a group, the more members in the group, the better. A dog views a group as providing better access to more resources like love, attention, play and food. In contrast cats generally find that same security and comfort by being alone. Adding members to a cat group is viewed as diminishing each individual’s access to every meaningful resource. Animals are motivated by what they consider ‘necessity’; humans are mostly motivated by what they ‘want’ and often it is not at all ‘necessary’.

Let’s consider the dog who eats from the cats litter box. Why is that necessary? What purpose does that serve? The dog experiences a festival of fun – the cats hiss and race wildly, the human’s run and yell and a small household riot incites. For a dog, that’s awfully exciting stuff! The dog gets the tasty tidbit he was after while discovering the power to cure boredom. Further, given how much fun it was for ol’ Fido, we can be sure he’ll try it again. The common pitfall, we don’t think like animals and cannot analyze their behavior from their perspective. The Animal Communicator shifts to the animal’s perspective, asks these questions and delivers insight into your specific animal’s role and motives. If its boredom the dog is “curing,” we can brainstorm alternatives that work for the entire household. Or, perhaps we discover that while we’re at work the dog has been “stalked, hunted and pounced” by the cats playing their hunting game. We simply caught the dog red-handed making his own counter move. Each motive has different potential solutions, solutions that work for the entire animal group.

Establish You as Leader

A universal solution is to establish yourself as a leader while shaping behaviors from the understanding of how an animal thinks. Before we run off to do that, keep in mind that the animal group chooses and sanctions the leader. It is their choice, not you decision or directive. By the way, they know you’re a human and behave very unlike themselves. So we’re not becoming a cat, dog, horse or hamster. We’re behaving in a manner that fulfills that of a strong animal leader

Being viewed as the animal group Leader means acting with consistency and being truthful and decisive on the group’s behalf, and being humble. Yes, you are human, probably a bit ego- BruceButcherServices.com 2 centric and likely self-serving – that’s part of the human condition. Behaving in a consistent, decisive and humble manner can sometimes take some work. Remember: Animals act to meet their needs; their needs are based in necessity. You will be given respect when you know your animal, its needs and motives. You’ll be sanctioned as Leader when you demonstrate ‘knowing’ of the entire group’s needs and become the chosen resource to meet those needs. I hear comments from clients who say, “…but I’m the one who feeds the animal and showers them with love… (so I should be the Leader).” The simple fact is Animals don’t sell Leadership for love and food; they exchange it for understanding/meeting needs, establishing and sticking to a routine and settling disputes. What are some of the more common animal needs which all animals seem to share?

Meeting the Animal’s Needs

Let’s look at a broad perspective of animal needs. Although this is not an exhaustive list, several consistently surface.

• The basic needs for food, water, shelter
• The need to have a clear Territory, and manage that territory – including handling visitors (2 or 4 legs)
• The need to play freely – that is, behavior that is of the animal’s choosing
• Access to attention from the Leader – in a well-balanced group that comes from the human
• Need for clear group membership – who is a group member, and what is their role?
• Need to have disputes within the group settled

The question becomes how can we meet these needs and include the animal’s perspective. I will address successful strategies to meeting these needs in another Animal Behavior article but I want to expand a bit here. It is essential for the human to establish a mutually beneficial way to meet any animal need. If the animals decide how to meet their needs I can guarantee it works for them and not for the humans. For example, leave a dog to determine their territory and it will probably extend beyond the boundary line for the yard. It turns out most dogs aren’t surveyors. When the cat decides the best time & location to get attention from you, it may be 3 or 4am. When a horse decides who is, and is not, a new group member, somebody’s going to get kicked or nipped. When a human decides we can choose to reinforce desired behaviors and friendly interactions. I think you get the point. An Animal’s action will be to meet its own need, while our decisions/actions can extend across specie lines (dog, cat, human) to meet all their needs. I can’t leave this article without mentioning the role that being truthful plays in the animal-human interaction.

Be truthful

It may sound odd to read about being truthful with an animal group. If you have ever tried to get a cat who hates the Vet into their carrier under the guise of, “going for a little ride,” then you know exactly what being truthful is all about. You can’t fake a cat. Our internal intent (to go to the Vet) and our external words (“just a little ride”) are conflicted. When we send mixed BruceButcherServices.com 3 messages, the animal always defers and responds to our internal message; they have learned to look for and respond to what is true. The great thing is, it’s simple to be truthful. I suggest speaking the facts in simple, affirmative, non-analytical statements. Let’s take an example in which your animal group’s behavior deteriorates shortly after a new member is added. Be truthful, factual, simple and direct in establishing the situation. Here is a truthful example, “I decided to add a member to our group. He will be with us from here forward. I will take care of him. We are all together. Our group gets along. Be friendly with the others even if they’re different. Cat people, continue to go in the litter box; dog people, continue to go outside; I go wherever I decide. Let me know if you need anything that I don’t see. Thank you.”

The fundamental facts in stating truth to animals: You are the Animal Group Leader and you decided. You may discover new things and change your decision. You will let them know when you do. One of the gifts of an Animal Communication class is that you immerse yourself in their perspective and take away a greater knowing of what it is to be an animal.

The way to take charge of the group is to become what they understand and value. You may need first to refresh yourself to think like an animal. In the animal world necessity motivates actions. Practice filling the role of a good Animal Leader so you’re voted in and to speak and act from the truth. This may challenge your humanness and stretch you to grow, but the rewards are a cohesive, relaxed group in which the individuals live happy, fulfilling lives. Coincidently, that is our secret desire for our own life as well.

This was written to help Cathy Kneeland & family establish a dynamic that works for all the humans & animals in the house.

Cathy’s feedback: Bruce’s approach is very direct and to the point. When we introduced a dog into the home we were already sharing with two cats, I was extremely nervous about how the cats would respond. My reaction was to baby them and try to keep them safe. We separated them from the dog and the cats lived in the lower level of our house for many months, rarely coming up to interact with us unless we went down there. I missed them during that time.

I was also learning about having a dog, as it was my first experience with one. I really needed to set clear boundaries, something I wasn’t quite good at in many areas of my life, not just with pets. As Bruce mentions in his article, you can’t just decide that you are the group leader. The animals get a say, and they vote based on your energy. My husband would constantly remind me to be strong and be consistent, as the dog would pick up on my weak energy. I saw that Bob could be decisive in setting limits on acceptable behavior, but also loving at the same time. I can’t say enough about Bruce’s advice on being truthful. About telling pets this is the way it is and will be. Once I finally got that, I stopped tiptoeing around all the pets and decided we all needed to get along, and that we would get along. I took more of a leadership role and dropped the energy of always fearing there’d be a fight. It did take a while, but the cats started coming BruceButcherServices.com 4 upstairs more when the dog was around, and we started letting the dog downstairs into what had been the cats’ domain. I still remember the first day I came home from the store to be greeted by the cats at the door. It was such a warm feeling to know they were comfortable and happy again, their needs being met.

The process of introducing the dog into the house could have gone a lot smoother had I taken a leadership role from the start, but we all learn from experience. It really wasn’t that hard once I was in the right frame of mind. Bruce helps us access that frame of mind, either through a private session where he gives us information he receives, or by taking his Animal Communication workshop, where we learn to see from the animal’s point of view. Now I love watching the dog and cats interact.
– Cathy Kneeland, Circles of Wisdom

It is my belief that there exists a “third language,” the language of telepathy, which the animals can use to communicate their thoughts and feelings. This language appears to be part of a Universal energy that interpenetrates and is woven through all of creation and all living things. When I contact an animal, I am connected to the eternal living presence of that individual.

It makes no difference whether I am physically present with the animal, whether the animal is sleeping, or whether the animal is in physical form. The conversation takes place in the subtle energy frequencies to which most humans are not attuned. We humans generally look to the body language of an animal as a basis for drawing our conclusions. Eye contact is a good example of how we humans can misread the intent of an animal by applying our rules of body language to their world. For example, maintaining eye contact is an important indicator of listening in human-tohuman interaction, but it is rarely an accurate measure for gaining the attention of the animal’s soul essence. In many species, direct eye contact is a challenge for power. We humans seem to require eye contact as evidence that we’ve gained another’s attention before we begin to communicate. This requirement is but one of the difficulties we create when we expect our human rules to be understood and followed by the animal kingdom. In most human-animal relationships, we require the animal to learn our language, modify its rules, lower its complexity and submit to our control. In essence, animals come into a world and agree to live by someone else’s rules. How many of us humans would be willing to live by someone else’s rules? I have tremendous reverence for this animal quality.

Humans with companion animals — pets — sometimes engage in training in efforts to create another neutral system of communication. The system isn’t derived entirely from human rules or animal rules but is foreign to both realms, a meeting in the middle. These methods vary in one basic way — the degree to which the animal must be dominated or obey. Animals maintain their full spirit when training takes place in a manner that shapes the animal’s behavior by reinforcing its choices. The animal is simply motivated by the human to offer behaviors that are functional to all involved parties. The end result is a self-motivated animal that chooses the behaviors that the human finds most desirable. I initially learned to train dogs using the choke chain and aversive methods, but noticed that when I raised the expectations for my Great Dane, Baron, he began losing his motivation and his spirit. Advanced obedience titles are nice but I valued Baron’s spirit more. As I changed to positive reinforcement methods of training that focused on the areas he found interesting, I witnessed Baron’s spirit soar and our relationship move to higher levels. I learned the characteristics that a good pack leader exhibits and changed my behavior in order to be perceived as a leader figure. Dogs have an instinct to challenge the leadership whenever the leader becomes weak, that is, when the leader fails to take care of the pack’s issues satisfactorily. My dogs lost their need to challenge once I learned and demonstrated awareness of, and fair treatment regarding, all the pack issues. We were able to then focus on the individual needs and desires of each animal. What is important in their lives? What do they really like or dislike? What have they not yet experienced that they would like to? What have they incarnated to work on? For what purpose are we together? What do they want to tell me about my life and my lessons? The tension settled and a refreshing wind of life’s greatest possibilities swept through our lives.