When you communicate with your animal companions, it is important to communicate the desired behavior and not phrase or project the negative.

Animals pick up on the energy of our communications as much as they do our words and imagery. So when you communicate a message to your animal companion, relay your message in a positive manner and align your emotions with what you are communicating.

Here’s an example. If you would like your dog to greet a guest respectfully, say: “Sally is visiting today and I would like you to greet her in a friendly and gentle manner”. Visualize in your mind that your dog greets Sally calmly and then transmit that image to your dog. This message is a lot different than feeling frustrated and saying: “Don’t jump on Sally when she visits today.” What your dog will ‘hear’ from the latter message is ‘Jump on Sally when she visits today” because the mind does not register the word “don’t”.

Clear and loving communication lays the foundation for a successful experience for you and your animal companion.

Welcome All Creeds, All Breeds, No Dogmas Allowed.

That’s the message you’ll see at the Dog Chapel on Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

The visionary was Stephen Huneck, an artist whose carvings grace the chapel along with stained glass windows with pictures of dogs. The church features a winged labrador on the steeple and the four pews are held up by life-sized carvings of seated dogs.

Messages of love abound and envelope visitors to the chapel offering inspiration for all, whether celebrating the joy of the bond between human and canine or grieving the loss of a beloved dog companion.

The 150 acre mountain-top farm is rich with wildlife and invites visitors to run free, play, swim and explore. It’s always open to the public. Special events are hosted at the Stephen Huneck Gallery on Dog Mountain at various times of the year. For more information, check out their website at dogmt(dot)com.

With lots of food, decorations, visitors and icy weather this time of year, it’s important to keep your critters safe so that all can have a happy holiday season. Here are a few tips and reminders to help:

• Poinsettas, while beautiful, are toxic to dogs and cats.

• Tinsel on trees is a tempting toy, especially for young animals. If swallowed, however, tinsel can cause serious internal injuries.

• Chocolate, a holiday favorite for people, is toxic to dogs. Read this article for more details.

• Dogs are attracted to the taste of antifreeze. If consumed, the results may be fatal. Stow containers out of reach and check vehicles to ensure there are no leaks.

• Products that melt ice on walkways and driveways irritate paws and if licked can injure animals. Choose a safe alternative available at many healthy food stores or online.

• Check with your vet for a change in hours of operation over the holidays. It’s always a good idea to have an emergency animal hospital phone number programmed in your cell phone, just in case.

• While some animals may love the extra visitors to their home this holiday, some may not. Commotion and loud noises can be very disturbing to some animals. Consider creating a safe, quiet area or room where animals can retreat to if they need a place of refuge.

Wishing you and your human and animal family a safe and happy holiday!

DeeDee (photo courtesy of Linda)

Flower essences can be powerful healing remedies for a wide variety of behavioral, emotional and physical concerns or issues for your animals. To name a few: grief and loss, anxiety, jealousy, spraying, abandonment, digestive issues, separation, and many others.

One source I recommend is Green Hope Farm. To view their animal wellness collections, go to: www.greenhopeessences.com. Click on “Our Collections”, “Animal Wellness Collections” and then click on the name of the remedy that best suits the condition. Or, give them a call for assistance in selecting the best remedy for your animal companion.

Many of my clients have used these remedies with great success. Here is Linda’s story about her dog DeeDee who benefited from flower essences for severe night terrors.

Dylan (Photo by Diane Lewis, pet photographer)

This is the final post telling Dylan’s story, as told by my client Donna G. Enjoy! Please leave a comment and share what you think.

Chapter 3

“I don’t believe, I know.” Carl Jung

In September, six months after Dylan passed over, I was in Cleveland on a business trip. The afternoon I arrived in Cleveland was a beautiful fall day. I drove down to a park by Lake Erie and watched the sunset. I sat on a picnic table and took photos of the lighthouse off shore. The light was golden and lovely, and I enjoyed my time there.

The next morning I was getting ready for my business meeting, thinking about what I should say about this or that problem. As I was brushing my teeth, it was as if someone put a photograph in front of my eyes. In the photo I was sitting on the picnic table, looking out at the lighthouse. But it took my breath away when I realized there in the lush green grass of fall, looking peaceful and happy, was my sweet, sweet Dylan! He was looking at me with his wonderful kind eyes. It was one of those moments a person never forgets! There, in a hotel room in Cleveland, Dylan let me know that he was with me, ever with me.

I have to admit there was a part of me that thought maybe I should see a doctor! I know what grief can do to the human mind, and I had been in the throes of immeasurable grief for a long time. I decided to contact an animal communicator who had connected with Dylan when he was sick to ask how he was tolerating the chemotherapy treatments. I told her about the heart on the back door, the photo that flashed before my eyes, and that how sometimes I felt Dylan’s presence around me. I also told her I missed him so much that I wondered if I had imagined these things so I could bear the grief I was feeling. Her response was just what I needed:

Maggie - photo courtesy of Donna

This is the second of three posts telling the story of Dylan’s Hearts, as told by my client Donna G. Please leave a comment with your thoughts, feedback and sharings. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

“When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the soul laughs for what it has found.” Rumi

It would be easy to write pages and pages describing the heart wrenching grief I felt on the loss of Dylan. So many other stories on the web and in print do a wonderful and much needed job of documenting the grieving process and the indescribable pain that losing our animal companions can cause. If you are reading this, you already know this. I want to concentrate instead on what can happen when we look beyond the grief and find miracles at every turn!

Dylan passed over on March 18, 2011. By the end of May, at the urging of family and friends and in an effort to try to find some positive energy in our household, I rescued a 3-month old golden retriever whom I named Maggie. Maggie had been abandoned, along with the rest of her littermates, and had been in a foster home for about 2 months. Except for her love of putting everything possible in her mouth, Maggie has been a great puppy. She quickly fulfilled my goal of bringing some positive energy into the household! There were times I could have sworn that Dylan whispered in her ear and told her what kind of funny, crazy tricks she could do to make me laugh. Many of her antics were very much like Dylan’s, and she does make me smile.

About a month after Maggie came into our family, the first tangible and documented message from Dylan arrived.  

Photo courtesy of Donna

This is the story of Dylan’s Hearts, as told by my client, Donna G. This is the first of three posts. Please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts and feedback. Enjoy!

Introduction

The Sufis believe when your heart is broken or your soul is wounded, your soul sends a light out into the universe. Somewhere, another soul sees the light and comes to help you. The wound is the place where the light enters.

And so it was with Dylan and me. He answered the call and immediately the fog of my life lifted. It had been there so long that I thought it belonged there, was meant to be there. I was almost comfortable with the sadness that was always close by.

By the time I was 27 years old, both of my parents and all grandparents had passed away. I have a brother who is married with children of his own. I have numerous cousins that I am close to and who have meant the world to me through the years. As the years passed, their lives grew fuller with their own children, and they moved further and further away from the reality of my life. I turned my attention to my work and became successful in my career. I was into my fifties when Dylan came into my life, wondering if I was ever going to be “Number One” to anyone. Dylan changed all of that the moment we met.

My love for Dylan is immense, just as my grief was when he passed away after just six short years here on this earth. With Rain’s help, I have come to know not only what a great gift he was while he walked beside me, but what a much greater gift he is as he helps me with my “whole hearted healing” that he is directing from the spiritual world.

This document is not for looking back, but for sharing facts that I know to be true to help everyone who knows the pain of losing a beloved animal companion, or anyone on their own journey trying to understand the things that cannot be proven.

Dodger playing

This is an inspiring story from one of my clients who used animal communication to find her lost dog.

When my husband and I had first gotten our new dog, Dodger, my husband took Dodger and our other dog, Canyon, out for a hike. During the hike, Dodger took off and got lost. After a couple hours of looking for him, my husband called me at work to say that he couldn’t find Dodger anywhere and I should come help look for him. So I came home and my husband, Canyon, and I hiked around calling for Dodger for another couple hours until it was dark. We were kind of giving up hope that we would find Dodger that night. At that time, my sister happened to call me on my cell phone and I told her what we were doing. She told me that she had read somewhere that when you have a lost animal, you should

Mitch

Here’s a sweet one minute video from the folks at Little Pearls, tiny films that open hearts and minds.

I love the last line: “When your heart is broken, let it break open…. to even more love.”

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pycMJ5iKv5c&feature=player_detailpage

I received this in an email from a friend. I have no idea who the original author of the story is nor who the kind soul is in the dead letter office of the US postal service. However, this sure is a sweet story and I wanted to share it with you. I hope it warms your heart.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy