Understanding these three basic rules of dog psychology can help you overcome many of your dog’s behavior issues. Knowing which actions you are taking, or not taking, that is causing or contributing to their behavior problems can go a long way in helping you and your dogs have a better relationship and be able to live together in deeper harmony.

Do you think that if your dog really loved you, she would behave better, would come when you called, and wouldn’t eat your shoes, pee in the house, be aggressive, or tear up your stuff…?

Do you sometimes think that after all you’ve done for them, they should treat you better? After all, you work very hard providing food, shelter, treats, and you give them tons of affection all the time showing them how much you love them… Why aren’t they being the dog you want them to be?

Veronica came to me this past month with her much loved four dog pack of monsters, Percy, Shamus, Loo and Bear. There weren’t any repercussions from their bad behavior yet since she lives in a rural area. However, Veronica had plans to move into town soon, and other people wouldn’t be so tolerant. She’d have to make the painful and heartbreaking decision to let go of some of her family.

Her dogs fought with each other, barked non stop, jumped on strangers and were never allowed off leash because they wouldn’t come when called.

Veronica’s dogs frustrated her all too often causing her to yell at them frequently… which did no good, either for her blood pressure or as a behavior correction. She wasn’t getting anywhere with her training attempts. She was also worried about their health because Loo and Bear were vomiting frequently.

Veronica thought an animal communicator would help figure out why they were acting out so badly, help with their health concerns, and discover what could be done to fix the problems. She realized that loving them wasn’t enough to resolve things between them.

After I spoke to the dogs, I shared with Veronica that the dogs said they didn’t respect her and they didn’t trust her much either. They enjoyed the food and attention to a point, but were actually allergic to some of the foods she was giving them.

Veronica’s energy was weak and unfocused, which made them feel anxious and unstable. They couldn’t figure out who was the leader of the pack, so they constantly fought over position and resources. Her directions could safely be ignored most of the time, and they knew how to avoid her when they wanted to.

Veronica had forgotten the 3 Cardinal Rules of dog psychology.

1. Dogs aren’t born thinking they owe humans anything, including respect. Why should they? They didn’t ask to be bred, or beg to be trained, or want to be vaccinated or spayed or neutered, or given to various people and hauled away to strange places… They also weren’t inclined to offer respect to someone who they didn’t have to please or appease.

2. Trust is earned as a reward for having spent quality time developing a proper balanced relationship. Every time you are with your dog, you are either training them or untraining them by what you choose to reward and what you choose to ignore, by how you show up as a leader or follower. Be sure you are rewarding the things you want your friend to continue doing, and that the reward you are offering is something they value.

3. Affection doesn’t make sense to a dog without having been earned first from someone who is of good standing in the pack, and is often unwelcome attention that can cause them pain or distress, or even trouble in their pack status. True love isn’t based on pity. It is based on respect, trust, communion of the soul, and a deep understanding about who each of you truly are in your authentic Self.

Veronica said after her session with the animal communicator “Listening to her talk to my dogs quickly clued me in to the root cause of our problems: my dogs didn’t respect me. She helped me understand our interactions, how and why my own behavior was influencing theirs, and that I needed to act differently.

“She started me on a new path and a week later my formerly fractious pack is sitting here around me calmly. No one is fighting, they’re not growling at each other constantly, they don’t bark all the time anymore, and they’re happy to listen to and obey me.

“It seems like a miracle but it’s not, just the results of listening to someone who really knows what she’s talking about and can communicate that effectively to others. Communicating with understanding really is the key.”

Remember too that dogs value integrity very highly. They are honest souls who will let you know if you’ve crossed a boundary or not kept your word to them.

They check your energy constantly to reassure themselves that all is well. If you’re resonating with unstable, anxious energy, then they will reflect you. If you’re breathing deeply and radiating a calm assurance and confidence, then they know they can relax.

If your relationship with your dog isn’t all you want it to be, then give yourself a reality check. Your dog wants you to be his Love Guru too – but in all the right ways.

If you haven’t been showing up as an authentic Leader, someone your dog can respect, love being around, enjoy and trust 100% of the time, then you’ve got some work to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Val Heart is called The Real Dr Doolittle™, and teaches animal lovers how to connect and communicate from the heart. She specializes in resolving behavior, training, performance, health problems, euthanasia decisions. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course (value $79), The Real Dr Doolittle™ (podcast) Show now on iTunes! (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Are they so different from us?

Humans have traditionally held themselves as being separate and more intelligent (read “important”) than other Beings. They perceived animals to be different (“they don’t talk or look like we do; therefore, they are obviously inferior to us”).

Until recently, this has been easy to believe where animals are concerned. They cannot speak “the language” like we do (of course, they don’t have the vocal apparatus humans do which makes this feat basically impossible!). And, after all, humans can often control, dominate and manipulate them.

However, recent studies have shown that animals are much more intelligent than previously thought, and in fact, may surpass human intelligence in some ways. Researchers have observed multiple levels, methods and types of communication that were heretofore unknown and unsuspected.

Animals (and plants) use a variety of communication techniques to converse with each other. Alternate frequencies, projections, sounds and body language have been observed, and researchers now know there are additional variables that have yet to be discovered. I believe that these variables are telepathic in nature, and that every Being is born with the ability to communicate on this level.

Every animal lover knows they have a special communication connection with the animals in their lives. Many young children can “hear” animals talk and can talk back – that is, until their parents convince them that this isn’t possible and they are being silly. When we succeed in conforming our communication to the accepted modes of speech used by other humans, we shut ourselves down and begin to box up other species into neat packages that we can then pretend to manipulate and control. And, sadly, we lose an important part of ourselves and our connection with all of Life.

Communicating with other species is like this: If I took an entire experience I had had, complete with feelings, visions, sounds, scents, thoughts, concepts and actions, and gave it to you, from my heart to your heart, and you could experience it almost as if you had been there with me – then you would know what true communication is all about. Is this possible? You bet it is. I have been doing it in my work as an animal communicator with surprising and wonderful results.

Have you ever …
… wondered what your pet was thinking?
… felt certain your pet was trying to communicate with you
but couldn’t understand what they were trying to tell you?
… wished that you could simply explain to your pets what you wanted from them?
… wondered why your pet did what they did (and maybe how you can
get them to shop doing that)?
… wished they could tell you where or how much they hurt?
… thought about what life is like from their point of view?

Animals are telepathic. They can see what is in your mind’s eye, and feel what you are feeling. Have you ever noticed how Fido disappears when it is time to go to the Vet? Or how your pet appears almost magically when you have something good to eat? This isn’t an accident or a coincidence. If they are paying attention, they always know what is going on with us.

Do you have something you have been trying to get across to your animal? I tell my Clients to use this technique. Create a movie video in your imagination of exactly what you want them to know, complete with emotions and feelings. Try not to get too complicated at first, just concentrate on what you want them to understand or do.

This technique can be extremely helpful in training situations, in preparing pets for changes in their lives, and in explaining what you need to make you happy with them. Of course, this is only a one-way communication – not a dialog, but it’s a beginning. Many times they need to tell us something before they can (or are willing to) comply with our wishes.

Learning to truly hear and feel again, and how to share life experiences with others is a priceless gift – one which many of our companion animals wish to give us. Many Beings actually choose to spend their entire lives attempting to break through our barriers – to help us heal and become reconnected again with all of Life.

What if all creation contained a Divine Spark and God dwelled in each and every living thing, regardless of body shape or function? What if each separate Being was really like every other Being – the only difference was the type of body through which life was experienced? What if all Creation shared common essence, feelings and needs?

Many of us live with master teachers, healers and seekers disguised as animals. As a master animal communicator and pet psychic it is my gift and privilege to recognize the many gifts that animals truly do bring to our lives and to the planet as a whole.

Who are you living with?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Val Heart is called The Real Dr Doolittle™, and teaches animal lovers how to connect and communicate from the heart. She specializes in resolving behavior, training, performance, health problems, euthanasia decisions. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course (value $79), The Real Dr Doolittle™ (podcast) Show now on iTunes! (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

A client called not long ago to ask my assistance with his horse, Snow. Although Snow was a friendly, caring gelding, Bob was worried that his friend was having a really rough go of it lately, and his trainer had been hinting that perhaps he should consider putting him to sleep.

My client was hopeful that Snow would tell us that he was fine, really didn’t hurt much, and wasn’t ready to make his transition… maybe he even knew of something that would help him recover. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

When I tuned in and began listening to Snow, it became immediately apparent that he had been holding on for Bob. He’d been suffering miserably through his days, knowing he would never be whole and healthy again, envying his fellow horses at the stable where he lived.

He was so grateful for the chance to tell Bob to let him go. And for the chance for Bob to tell him he loved him, thanking him for all the gifts, joy and lessons over the years. Bob was finally able to face ‘the beginning of the end,’ with permission to feel his grief, starting the process of letting go with love, dignity and respect.

Snow wanted to have a Celebration Party, helping us choose a good day to die, and taking the time to see all his friends, humans and animal, having a chance to say good bye to each one. This way everyone got to express their love and caring, and share in the gift of transition. And, Bob also got to experience the support and love of his community in the loss of his dear friend and companion.

When the day came, it was clear to everyone that Snow was happy. When the vet came to assist in the transition, Snow’s head was high, and even though he walked slowly and stiffly, there was a prance in his step. There was a palpable joy nd peace about him, as Bob escorted his old friend out to the field where a place had been made for his body to rest.

Snow laid down under the tree, closed his eyes and sighed as he gently left his body.

Have you ever wondered about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives? A child once said, “Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody and being nice. Animals already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

In my practice as an Animal Communicator/Behaviorist and Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, I often find myself assisting both humans and their beloved companion animals in facing death with courage and dignity, honor and respect. Other Beings in our lives sometimes serve us by reflecting back to us the lessons we are here to learn.

I’ve often noticed that I’ll get numerous calls within a short time period all with people dreading to hear that it’s time to let go, and put their animal companions to sleep. This seems to go in cycles with many making transition around the holidays. These sessions are never easy for me or my Clients, but we always find comfort and certainty through inviting our animal friends to tell us what they want and need, participating in their own care, achieving death with dignity and respect. And sometimes they’re ready, and sometimes they’re not. That’s when talking with them can be such a great gift.

Working with my health care professional is so different when I can be the voice for the animal. They can ask questions and I can answer them based on what the animal tells me and on what I’m observing. This makes it so much easier for the vet or practitioner, and for the animal as well.

The gift of birth and the joy of entering a life comes with the gift of leaving it as well when it’s time to go. The death process need not be traumatic or especially painful. I’ve counseled many clients with beloved animals in transition during the ten years I’ve worked as a professional animal communicator, and in almost every single case the animal wasn’t afraid of dying.

They welcomed it like an old friend, grateful for the release from dysfunctional and pain-ridden physical bodies. Their main concern and worry was their human friends not understanding the process, painful interference and intervention, prolonging life beyond it’s time, and being besieged with fear and panic in a desperate attempt to hold on to life at all costs.

These very special sentient and wise beings have taught me much about dying, and what happens when we leave our bodies. Basically our spirit floats out of physical body, leaving the shell behind. We are welcomed back to the spiritual dimension from which we came. I find that animals go to the same place that we humans do when we’ve finished our purpose here. There is nothing to fear in letting go of life as we have known it, and much to welcome with joy.

If you are facing the dreaded euthanasia question, or have lost an animal friend and are having trouble making peace with their transition, call me. I can help. If you feel that you and your animal friend could use a communication mediator or animal behaviorist, or if you would like to learn more about BodyTalk for both humans and animals, Contact Me to make an appointment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Val Heart is called The Real Dr Doolittle™, and teaches animal lovers how to connect and communicate from the heart. She specializes in resolving behavior, training, performance, health problems, euthanasia decisions. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course (value $79), The Real Dr Doolittle (podcast) Show now on iTunes! (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Do you know the 8 common signs of illness for your animal friends? Things can go wrong in big or subtle ways, so be sure you are paying attention. The most distressing consultations are the ones when I am called in as the Hail Mary, the desperate plea of last resort, to help people or their animals who are suffering a health “emergency.”

In almost every case, there were signs for weeks or months before things became acute. Our animal friends show signs in every way they can, but are often ignored, mistreated, misdiagnosed or misunderstood – they got “missed”, often until it’s too late.

In my work I’ve proven my ability over and over again to discover problems brewing long before things got really bad, giving us time to address them. Among other things, I have pinpointed spinal misalignments, diet problems, allergies, brain dysfunction, broken bones, vaccination reactions, vision loss and hearing problems. My website is full of testimonials from clients and I receive notes, cards and emails every day so check them out, ok?

Lucky Lady, a warmblood mare, told me about a pain in her right hind hoof. It was the reason she wasn’t able to jump well anymore. She was hurting and unable to push off with her hind leg.

Then there was Percy, a Persian cat. He’d had a pressure and pain sensation behind his eyes for almost a year before they finally found the cancer tumor. But by then, it had grown so large they were unable to surgically remove it. If you missed his heartwarming and inspirational story, Click Here to read it now.

I recently worked with a wonderful therapy dog named Dougie. His owner wanted to know why he was behaving aggressively and growling a lot even though she’d been punishing him for it. It turned out he has a serious back and hip injury, and that he is eaten up with cancer. He was doing the best he could given the kind of pain he was suffering from…

Our animals do what makes sense to them from their viewpoint, and they always communicate what they are thinking and feeling. Listening to them allows us to take appropriate action on their behalf by discovering from their viewpoint where the real problems are coming from, what the triggers are, and if there are other unknown factors we don’t know yet which are critical to resolving things.

Knowing these things helps save us a lot of time, energy and money by choosing the right way to resolve the real problem. Being an animal behaviorist and communicator, I am also highly trained in alternative health modalities so once we know what is really needed, I will be able to help them heal too.

I have 2 goals in my work: one is to save you time and money by discovering and addressing the real problems, not just guessing and trying different things, hoping for the best. My second goal is to help you rebalance, regain your clarity, peace and sanity, and be as healthy and resilient as possible. We work in an experiential way where you are very much a part of the process.

Many signs of illness are nonspecific and can be associated with many different diseases. Each one is significant and should prompt your attention.

1. Lack of appetite is often the very first sign of illness. This can be difficult to determine if you let them ‘graze’ on dry food only and just keep their bowl full. I recommend scheduled feedings at the same time every day so that you can accurately assess their appetite.

2. Less activity can be a real important clue too. Many times this “less active” sign is mistaken for “getting older”. We shouldn’t lose our zest for life, playfulness, or ability to move just because we are ‘older’! If we do, then something is definitely wrong.

3. Weakness can show up as being “less active” or by displaying a loss of balance and coordination. These are potentially serious and you should seek immediate evaluation by your veterinarian.

4. Lethargy is a general lack of interest in their environment. A common symptom sometimes mistaken for depression or sadness, it can show up early or as a late sign of illness depending on the severity.

5. Losing weight can be an indication of disease or illness. Be careful as this is sometimes difficult to notice, especially in longhaired animals that you see every day. It’s easy to miss subtle changes. If they feel bonier, lighter, or you can easily feel the ribs, pay attention.

6. Drinking more water is often associated with certain diseases including kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. And not drinking enough water is also a problem clue, and can lead to dehydration or renal failure.

7. Animals that don’t feel well don’t groom themselves, or you may just notice a dull lusterless coat. If your animal’s coat quality changes, have them evaluated. This can also be a sign of nutritional deficiencies.

8. Bad breath (halitosis) can result from dental disease as well as other metabolic disorders, such as tummy trouble, toxic buildup or kidney problems.

Your biggest job as your animal friend’s caretaker is to educate yourself. Prevention is the best cure for any problem, so choose to feed a high quality diet, give them plenty of exercise, and pay attention if you see any of these signs.

Do you know about author Jan Rasmusen? She wrote a delightfully informative multiple award winning book called Scared Poopless: the straight scoop on modern dog care. Her book (co-authored by Chiclet T Dog and winner of the #1 Best Health Book of the Year!). I had a wonderful time interviewing Jan and that recording is available for free here on my website. Just Click Here to listen to it now.

I can highly recommend every dog and cat owner get a copy of her wonderful book, for their pet’s sake. Go here to get yourswww.dogs4dogs.com.

Jan partnered up with nationally renowned holistic veterinarian and pet food expert Dr. Jean Hofve to offer you a rare opportunity to learn everything you need to know to protect your dog and cat’s health in a series of 3 hour long audio classes. This priceless information is available at www.askthepetfoodexperts.com. Just tell them Val sent you!

Remember, a vet visit is always a good idea if you notice any of these signs of illness. But if you or your vet have trouble figuring out how to resolve things, then it’s time to communicate with your animals directly. After all, who knows better how they are feeling? Where they hurt? What helps or doesn’t? Or why they are doing what they are doing?

If you are ill, please ask for the support you need. If your animals are, please give them the gift of an animal communicator so they can have a voice in what happens to them.

To help you get started, I created a Free Report: 10 Things You Must Know Before Hiring An Animal Communicator. Click Here to Get Your Copy

Don’t let things get to the Hail Mary stage before you notice. Chances are that by then, it might be too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Val Heart is called The Real Dr Doolittle™, and teaches animal lovers how to connect and communicate from the heart. She specializes in resolving behavior, training, performance, health problems, euthanasia decisions. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course (value $79), The Real Dr Doolittle™ (podcast) Show now on iTunes! (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Our bodies store cellular memories of events, traumas and injuries that we’ve experienced, sometimes at a deep sub-conscious level. Some memories are from our current life, yet some aren’t. One explanation is that they come from past lives. Animals often tell me about incidents that happened to them in another time and place. Many times they remember their people from ‘before’.

In order to resolve a current behavior or health issue, we have to find the trigger for it. And that trigger may have happened a long time ago…

Cocoa, lahsa apso dog, suddenly developed an intense fear of water. She had never had a problem before with baths, the swimming pool, or showers. But now, if they went into the bathroom to take a shower, Cocoa was terrified and ran to hide. If they went outside to enjoy the pool, Cocoa, horrified would bark frantically behind the door, afraid to come outside. When they came in wet from the pool, she was afraid of them until they changed clothes.

The owner, Dee, said nothing traumatic had happened prior to her unusual behavior. Cocoa was fine the day before. The next day, she was afraid. Could I help?

We needed to first talk with Cocoa. Animals do what seems right to them given their instinct, experience and training. Sharing her viewpoint would help us resolve the problem.

Cocoa told me the water terrified her with an unreasoning kind of fear. Desperately afraid that her humans would drown or be harmed, she felt out of control and helpless. The images she showed me were confusing, painful and traumatic. To further complicate the matter, what I was intuiting had no obvious connection with her current life or history! This suggested we were dealing with a past life memory, possibly triggered by a current event(s).

Many of our powerful gut-reactions, phobias, attitudes and emotions seem to come from nowhere, and we are helpless to change how we feel or think. We react without truly understanding why.

Since Cocoa was unable to discuss the situation and her fears rationally, I suggested to Dee that we try the BodyTalk System healing therapy to help her resolve and balance the deep-seated fears.

Through the BodyTalk System, Cocoa’s Innate bodymind wisdom (the part that heals us when sick or injured, and knows the multiple causal factors for dis-ease) guided us through the 8th Chakra Portal into the past.

“The 8th Chakra relates to the concept that at birth we are already “programmed” with many traits of behavior, attitudes, fears, phobias, illnesses and beliefs from our parents, ancestors, religions and previous lives.

“When addressing the 8th Chakra we are utilizing a concept that there is an 8th Chakra [energetic center] located just above the head, and that it contains the essence of this programming. Whether this is the case, or whether the programming is only in our genetic code, or both, is debatable. The important thing is that when we use this concept, results occur.” [The BodyTalk System, Module 6 manual, by Dr John Veltheim]

Cocoa remembered being a dog on a ship at sea during a terrible storm where the ship broke apart and she was injured then thrown overboard to drown. She remembered feeling helpless, watching her humans getting hurt and drowning. The ship had been under attack and there were bad people killing and destroying her family and crew. She felt powerless and terrified, everything beyond her control.

Through the BodyTalk System we released the memories and balanced her brain at all levels, helping her cope with the emotional triggers of panic, terror and fear, and being out of control.

Within a week, Dee told me that Cocoa had willingly joined them in their swimming pool, allowing her husband to help her swim! Nothing had changed in their management of her, except our conversation and the BodyTalk therapy.

The BodyTalk System is a state-of-the-art, safe and effective holistic therapy that allows the body’s energy systems to be re-synchronized so they operate as nature intended. Each system and cell is designed to constantly communicate with each other at all times, allowing adaptability and flexibility. Various life stressors compromise these lines of communication, leading to a decline in physical, emotional and/or mental health. Reconnecting these lines of communication enables the body’s mechanisms to function at optimal levels, preventing disease and rapidly accelerating the healing process.

We are designed to heal and rebalance rapidly and quickly – it is a matter of survival. When we don’t, that tells us there is something in the way that is unresolved and not at peace, something that stops us from being well and whole, living a life full of purpose, clarity and prosperity.

“The Issues are in the Tissues” means that the wisdom of the bodymind knows exactly what is wrong, where it is stored and why. Our job is to listen and learn from it, to use our waiting time productively. When we do, amazing things can happen!

Yes, I work with animals — but I help YOU regain your sanity, balance and clarity.

One of my clients recently experienced, in just a one hour session: life counseling, diet and nutritional adjustments for herself and her cat, overall healing and rebalancing for herself and her cat, a quick chat with her dog, plus she had a shamanic experience where she met her animal teacher guide/totem, and also received a message from her deceased father! Wow!

The Bottom Line: If you are not healing quickly and easily, are not resilient and adaptable, or are not enjoying your life — then there is something blocking you. I am trained to discover and help you resolve that, and with your help and commitment to the process, you can expect to see things improve — sometimes dramatically and quickly, other times more slowly and surely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Val Heart is called The Real Dr Doolittle™, and teaches animal lovers how to connect and communicate from the heart. She specializes in resolving behavior, training, performance, health problems, euthanasia decisions. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course (value $79), The Real Dr Doolittle™ (podcast) Show now on iTunes! (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

Be Sociable, Share!

•