The Human-Animal Connection - Pet Life Radio Original

Animals can help us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Different dogs have different talents and even a specific purpose in life. It is important to recognize an individual dog’s innate talents, opinions, and the ways in which they desire to serve. In this episode we explain the difference between service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs. We explain the types of w...

Words have power. And silence has power. There is a saying that “in silence all answers can be heard.” Entering the Language of Silence is what allows you to communicate clearly with animals. I have learned how to listen by entering the Language of Silence. In this way we can communicate in a way that is profound and beyond words. In the realm of silence, we can hear our deepest truths, and the tr...

In part two of Opening the Door to Animal Communication we explore how better communication leads to better connections in both the human and the animal world. It is an art to simply observe, neutrally, to be open to hear and feel what the animal is really feeling without projecting or interpreting based on our own perspectives. Animals are very honest communicators, which is refreshing. But I tel...

In part one of this episode, we explore the Seven Steps to Opening the Door to Animal Communication. Begin by letting go of self-doubt that you can communicate with animals. How to begin to trust that YOU can communicate with animals. This is a natural process that many cultures accept, and many young children feel they can communicate until someone convinces them it is not real. Listening is not...

‘I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is definitely superior’. That comment from Hippolyte Taine reflects the fact that animals have a wisdom that we humans would be wise to honor. From animals who can sense impending natural disasters like earthquakes and storms to animals’ innate sense of who they can trust, by paying attention to what they perceive, our lives are g...

If you can communicate with an animal, you can understand any behavior. All behavior is done to get a desired result – sometimes the desire of the human and the animal don’t match. The Human-Animal Connection’s philosophy is that if we focus on relationship training – obedience is the result. If you only focus on obedience, you run the risk of undermining trust and connection. The good news is tha...

Canines Teach Compassion is the name of The Human-Animal Connection’s class where we bring therapy dogs into high school classrooms to teach kids to treat themselves – and each other -- better. You can’t be compassionate towards others if you are constantly judging or criticizing or comparing yourself to others. Students learn how to train therapy dogs and at the same time come to appreciate how e...

Jane Goodall once said, “You cannot share your life with a dog or cat and not know perfectly well that animals have personality, and mind, and opinions.” What does it mean to consider that the animals who share your life have opinions? In my work as an animal communicator, I find it essential to consider that animals have opinions, and they often surprise me. When I listened to Charlotte the donke...

Eckhart Tolle once said, “I lived with several Zen masters – all of them cats.” If you have shared your life with a cat, you know how they can focus on something with all their being – often something we can’t see. This ability to focus with all their senses in alignment is something we can all benefit from. So many things split our focus – that we don’t even know what feels right and we don’t fee...

“All animals except for man know that the principal purpose of life is to enjoy it,” according to Samuel Butler. Play is truly an essential element of a balanced life. This is as true for people as it is for animals. It is one of the reasons it is so healing to spend delightful time with the animals who share our lives. They remind us to enjoy the simplicity of the moment, the curiosity about new...

No matter how crappy your day is, if you have a dog, there is always a happy face waiting for you to come home and cuddle. In today’s world many of us are touch deprived and the hunger for kind and loving touch is very real. And so many people have experienced unwanted touch, that they have shut down the desire to have gentle touch. While gentle touch with animals doesn’t replace the need for huma...

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only the true friends will leave footprints on your heart.” What is it about animals that elicit pure love? Sometimes we have an ache that only an animal can heal. This is because words can fool us, but animals love in a way that is beyond words. Jeffrey Mason wrote a book called Dogs Never Lie About Love. He speaks a...

This episode explores how animals can teach us to be more present. It is a curious thing about being human that being present is the most pleasant experience there is – yet it is so hard for humans to resist the temptation to race into the future or dwell in the past. Animals are thus our partners, or guides showing us the way back home, to being right here, right now. In this episode I speak abou...

When you deepen your connection to animals, you awaken your intuition. This is because connecting with animals encourages us to pay attention to our intuition. By sensing the world, as animals do, we become reattuned to the realm of the senses, which will not lead us astray. Logic, while essential to humans, can also lead us to not know what is really true for us, if it is not working in tandem wi...

The secret to having more pleasure in your life is to come to your senses. Pleasure is something you can only experience in present time. So, if you are dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future, your sense of pleasure will be diminished. Animals help us come into the present time because they are grounded in their sensory nature. That is why it is so nice to pet a dog or cat or horse or...

We are all animals. Sometimes we forget that. And we pay a huge price for forgetting. When we are disconnected from our animal nature, it is harder to access our intuition, our sense of what is true for us, and the ability to instantly know what the right decision is, who to trust, what path to take in life. Our animal nature keeps us connected to our innate sensibility – what feels truly “right”...

Do you gaze into your dog’s eyes and say, “Good Doggie!” Not only do those words make them feel good – but they lift your spirits also. This sweet moment creates a circle of good feelings between you. Dogs often feel good, and when we let ourselves be affected by their positive energy, it makes us feel happy too. In this way we can keep our emotional “Goodness Tank” full, making us more resilient...