Touching Animal Souls

Love this blog. See below. Hi , One of the most common problems I hear from fellow dog owners is the incredibly stressful case of separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety can turn into nervous wrecks, and as owners, we don't know what to do. We still need to go to work, buy groceries, and take care of our children. So, what can we do to train our dogs that it is okay when we leave, that we will return and they needn't worry? It's a tricky science with many people voicing their opinions. But, in the end, it comes down to simply being there for your dog and not supporting their behaviour with reinforcement. The Danger of Separation Anxiety To start with, separation anxiety is often mistaken for excitement. When you return home and see your dog bouncing around wagging its tail, you probably assume that they are just very happy to see you. This may be the case, but it can also be a sign of excitability - the result of anguish they felt ...

Change happens.  It is inevitable.  It is what we resist and strive for.  Do we prepare the animals in our lives for change or do we wrap them in cotton wool and then see them stress when even the smallest thing changes. Yes.  animals also have comfort zones.  A suggestion for the animals in your life - provide them with a small gift everyday. For your dog, it could be a plant he has never sniffed.  For your horse a rub on the shoulder.  For your cat, perhaps a bit of sand paper wrapped on a stick.  and tomorrow we start again with something new.  Something to look at, touch, sniff, feel, taste...  A new place to visit... If you work with exotic animals it is called enrichment.  An essential part of working with animals!  Domestic animals deserve it too. Basically when providing novel stimuli in the form of small gifts, we are preparing our loved ones for changes they may experience.  Then experiencing new things b...

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Sometimes easier said than done.  Stick to the facts.  Your facts are not mine.  Your idea is not the as mine, and you assume so much that I don't even know about - and visa versa.  The joy of our experience is that we all come from differing perspectives.  Take this baggage into relationship with animals - Not fair!   5 TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY ON POINT Get mentally fit.  Practise listening and not going off on a tangent.  Keep a question in mind - even with an animal.  So, if in a training session focus on one thing at a time. Stop, Look, Adjust, Move - when working with an animal and it is not going according to plan, stop practising what is not working out.  Do something else and come back clear. Be prepared - so, know what the point of the communication is - what are you wanting to share, experience, teach, learn. Play.  It is not all about the facts, or the rules or the judgement.  Take time out to ju...

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  There is nothing better than true connection.  And it begins in innocence and ends there. Liberty is letting go of the expectation, taking a deep breath, and then just being in the world.  

Touching Animal Souls: Top 10 things I choose not to live without : So grateful...  For a while it was taken for granted.  Now there is joy in the little things.  The amazing amazing little things.  Cannot ...

So grateful...  For a while it was taken for granted.  Now there is joy in the little things.  The amazing amazing little things.  Cannot sum it all up here.  But here is a start anyway. 10.  Beach living - swimming with animals, wherever that may be. 9.  Friends who are as passionate about animal care as I am. 8.  Open-hearted animals - the reason for waking up in the morning. 7.  Early morning sojourns with the menagerie (with the joyful repeat at dusk) 6.  Physical labour required in the care of animals 5.  Fur on my couches 4.  The smell of fish on me after a satisfying day at work 3.  Barefoot living - provides the contentment of being connected to the planet 2.  That look in their eyes. 1.  Putting my face into the fur of the horses, dogs and cats, inhaling and knowing that this is where I wish to be.