Sky’s Blog

Tanya and Jack: Friends At Last

Joni contacted me about her cats in mid-November. One of their three cats, Cow Cat (who was white with black spots like a Holstein cow), had recently crossed to Spirit. Joni wanted to talk to Cow, but was most concerned about her other two cats — Jack and Tanya. Jack had been Cow’s special friend and he was not handling the loss of Cow well.

We talked to Jack first . . . his energy felt extremely stressed and depressed to me. Jack showed me that he felt that the “balance” in the house was gone. He felt he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Cow had always been the leader, but now Cow was gone. Jack was trying hard “to be Cow” but it was not in his nature to be the leader. Jack felt immense pressure to take over Cow’s job as leader and it was creating a great deal of stress for him.

I assured Jack that he only needed to be himself. I asked Jack about what his normal role in the house was. He said he was the “lover” — he loved everyone and they loved him. He kept every one happy and he felt like he did this job very well. I assured Jack that if he could go back to doing that — loving his people and letting them love him — that this would help his people with their grief over the loss of Cow and it would help Jack too. Jack’s relief — at knowing he did not have to try to be Cow any more — was palpable.

However, Jack was very concerned about who was going to be the leader of the cats now that Cow was gone, if the leader wasn’t going to be him. I asked Jack if he thought it would work if his people agreed to be the leaders, rather than one of the cats. Jack said that would work fine for him — and again, his relief at not having to try to be the leader, was very clear.

I found it interesting during my conversation with Jack that he never mentioned Tanya. I asked him about Tanya — he said, “I think she hates me.” Jack showed me that Tanya completely ignored him and wouldn’t come near him. This was OK when Jack had his best friend, Cow — but now that Cow was in Spirit, it only made Jack feel more isolated and insecure. I asked Jack if he thought he would like to be friends with Tanya. Jack said he would but didn’t think Tanya wanted that, which made him feel sad.

My feeling was that Jack could use some distance energy work because he was so depressed and stressed. Joni thought this was a great idea — “anything that will help him!” I did a short distance energy work session while on the phone with Joni. I was guided to do Integrated Energy Therapy (IET), which releases emotional issues that get stuck in the physical body. I found that Jack needed release at the points for fear, stress, anger/resentment and distrust. I suggested that Joni see how Jack was doing over the next few days and that we could schedule more energy work if she felt it would be helpful.

Next we talked to Tanya. Tanya was the polar opposite of Jack. Tanya was very confident and self sufficient. Tanya showed me that she kept to herself and told me that she liked to be “near my people but not on them”. However, Tanya showed me that she did demand attention from her people when it suited her — but when she’d had enough attention, she was off on her own again. Joni confirmed that this was the case and that Tanya could be VERY demanding when she wanted attention. My feeling from Tanya was that she was very independent and liked to be admired — Tanya assured me that she was extremely beautiful — but liked to be admired from afar. She felt very superior to the other cats — very queenly. Joni laughed when I told her this, because she said it was a completely accurate description of Tanya!

I asked Tanya what she thought of Jack. She said that, of course it was sad that Cow was in Spirit now, but Jack “was a mess” about it. Tanya said she loved Cow, but not in the “clingy needy way that Jack did.” She seemed to have little sympathy for Jack’s feelings of loneliness, but my feeling was that she just didn’t know how to behave in a comforting and supportive way with Jack. I suggested to Tanya that she could really help Jack if she would just sit near him and not go off on her own so much. I told her that spending more time with her people would help them too. Tanya said that “maybe” she could try — but she didn’t seem very sincere about trying.

Finally we talked to Cow. Cow was very concerned about Jack — he said he tried to let Jack know he was OK in Spirit, tried to “visit” with Jack from Spirit, but he didn’t think he was getting through to Jack because Jack was so sad. I told Cow that we’d done some energy work with Jack and also talked to him about just being himself. Cow said he was so glad — he just wanted Jack to be happy again. I asked Cow if he could continue to visit with Jack and to send him love and support. Cow said he would because Jack was his friend and he loved Jack. Cow showed me that he would sit close to Jack and would tell Jack that everything was OK.

Before we closed the conversation, I told Jack that Cow had said he would visit and sit with him. I also told Jack that Tanya would try to be nicer to him too. Jack was thrilled to hear that Cow would be visiting — but was doubtful about Tanya being nice to him. I encouraged Jack to be open to the possibility of being friends with Tanya and he said he would.

I heard from Joni again a few days later. She said that after the first session Jack slept for a good part of the day — an indicator that he’d had good physical and mental release from the energy work and communication session. However, Jack was still not back to normal, although he was more relaxed and less apt to try “to be Cow”. Tanya was being VERY demanding of attention from her people. So we scheduled another session for communication with both cats and hopefully energy work for both cats as well.

When we talked to Jack, he said that Cow had been visiting with him which he really liked. He said that Tanya was still not being nice to him, though, which made him sad. I told him we’d be talking to Tanya again and Jack said he hoped she could be nice to him. Jack did say that he was aware that Cow had been visiting him from Spirit, which he found very comforting. I asked Jack if he would like more energy work — he could not say “yes” fast enough!

Jack needed more IET, as well as Reiki. I found that his energy was better than at the start of the first energy work session, but he still needed a lot of release and inputting of positive/healing energy. At the end of the session Jack showed me that he felt very relaxed and his energy felt “lighter” to me.

We talked to Tanya. She said she was paying a LOT more attention to her people, but they seemed to be upset. I told her that it was good that she was paying attention to her people, but that she needed to be more gentle about it. She had no idea what I was talking about! I showed her sitting/lying down near her people, rubbing and head butting them, letting them stoke her and just being close to them. She said she understood now — but the stroking couldn’t go on too long. I told her that was OK — when she was “done” she could just jump down or walk a little away. She said OK. Clearly, everything needed to be on Tanya’s terms!

I asked Tanya if she would like some energy work, explaining it in a way she could understand. She said, “No — I don’t need it!” I told her that was fine.

A few days later I got an update from Joni. She said that Jack was doing MUCH better — he was no longer depressed and was relaxed now. He was cuddling with Joni and her husband a lot, which they loved. Unfortunately, Tanya now seemed depressed. We scheduled another communication/distance energy work session a few days later.

I talked to Jack first. He felt like a completely different cat! His energy felt lighter and brighter to me — I felt very little stress and he felt quite happy! Jack wanted to know if it was OK that he was wanted extra cuddling from his people. I assure him that his people were happy to give him as much cuddling as he wanted. Jack was very happy to hear that! Jack was more than happy to get more energy work. Jack needed very little release, but I did input the positive energy that comes with IET and did more Reiki. Afterwards, Jack said his heart felt better — to me, he felt relaxed and happy.

I talked to Tanya. She felt depressed and sad to me — very different from the previous sessions. My feeling was that Tanya was finally feeling her feelings at the loss of Cow. Tanya said that everything had been “out of balance” since Cow crossed to Spirit. Tanya felt that her people had expectations of her — that they expected her to be Jack’s friend now, which was not something she felt she was good at. I told Tanya that no one wanted her to do anything that didn’t feel right to her. I told her that her people were giving Jack lots of cuddles and that was really helping Jack. I suggested again that she might feel better if she just hung around with Jack more — sitting near him to keep him company. I suggested that Tanya might find this as comforting as Jack would. Tanya said she thought that might be OK and I felt she was much more positive about following through this than she had been when I suggested it previously.

I asked Tanya if she would like some energy work, since it had helped Jack feel so much better. Tanya said, “OK — I’ll try it.” My feeling was that she was really wanting to feel better.

I did Tanya’s energy work. She definitely needed IET and Reiki and I found she needed release at the IET points for fear, stress, anger/resentment and heartache. During the energy work, I suggested to her that she could sit with Jack and that this would help both her and Jack. When I checked in with Tanya after the energy work, her energy felt much lighter to me. She said, “That was really nice!” She seemed surprised to find that she really liked the energy work.

I had a report back from Joni a couple days later. Jack was back to his normal happy, loving self. Amazingly, Joni said, “Tanya was a completely different cat!” Tanya was spending a lot of time with Jack and was being very affectionate — even “kissing” Jack and playing with him!

We had a few more chats and energy work sessions, but both Jack and Tanya never looked back and they continue to be good friends. Balance has been restored in Joni’s house!

“Tanya really seems to really like Jack now and visa versa. They eat together, share the same places in our home and truly seem happy to keep each other company. They even play together! Jack will ‘swat’ Tanya and she will meow and run away — but with in a minute, she’s back for more. Jack will even share his food with Tanya. This is a true miracle!” — Joni M., MT.

Ravyn: Life Gets Better Every Day

Deborah was ready to bring a new dog into her life after ten years of being without one. She got the very clear message, three nights in a row, from her Guides that it was time to get a dog and that she needed to go to the Humane Society. On the second night, she checked out the photos of the dogs on-line. None of the dogs looked special or appeared to have the spark she was looking for. The day after the third message, Deborah went to the Humane Society. Annie was the first dog Deborah saw and Deborah thought she was adorable and just right in color and size! When Deborah went back to the web site that evening, Annie’s photo showed her with had her ears plastered back and looking terrified. No wonder Deborah didn’t even notice her on line! Deborah knew this was the dog for her. Deborah brought Annie home the next day. Annie barely responded to her name, so Deborah re-named her Ravyn — and that’s the name that stuck!

Deborah contacted me not long after about talking to Ravyn. Ravyn was adjusting to living with Deborah but there were some behavior issues Deborah want to work on with Ravyn. One of the biggest issues was that Ravyn would potty in the house, especially during the night. Deborah also told me that Ravyn seemed to have her days and nights mixed up — she was sleeping a lot during the day and was up most of the night. When I asked Ravyn about this, my feeling was that this was habit behavior left over from her previous life with her last people.

When I asked Ravyn to show me what her life had been before the shelter, she showed me being isolated in one bare room almost 24 hours a day. She was alone in the room with minimal contact and was rarely let out. She ate, slept, pooped and peed in this room. The room was dark — day was not much different than night — and the feeling was overwhelmingly of being alone. Ravyn said she always tried to be a good dog — she showed me that she didn’t bark or make noise because she knew that was “bad”. She did not show me that she had received any physical abuse — but the emotional neglect was huge. Abuse does not have to be physical to leave lasting scars.

I told Ravyn that she was a very, very good dog. The fact that her last people didn’t appreciate what a good dog she is was no fault of hers. I told her that Deborah picked her out and brought her home — to her forever home — because Ravyn was special and Deborah loved her. I could feel Ravyn’s energy relax and felt her make a deep mental sigh of relief.

I explained to Ravyn that now that she lived with Deborah, it was important to try to keep the same wake/sleep cycle as Deborah — awake during the day and sleeping at night. I told her she could nap during the day, but night time was for sleeping and being quiet. She said she understood and would try to do that. Deborah told me later that it took 2-3 months for Ravyn’s day/night cycles to normalize, but they finally did.

It was perfectly understandable, given her previous life experience, for Ravyn to be having difficulty with house training. I explained to her that dogs go potty outside, not inside. I told her we understood that this wasn’t what she did before, but going outside is the best thing for dogs. She said she did try to do that now that she was with Deborah, but sometimes forgot. (Deborah confirmed that Ravyn was getting better about this, but really needed to work on not pottying inside at night.) Ravyn said that she knew she shouldn’t potty in the house at night, but she felt it was wrong to wake up Deborah at night. My feeling was that this also came from her previous experience — that she had been punished for waking her people up if she had to go potty at night. I told Ravyn that Deborah would much prefer that Ravyn wake her up at night to go out, rather than pottying in the house. It took a bit of convincing, but Ravyn finally said she understood and agreed to wake Deborah up if she had to potty during the night.

Deborah told me that one of the things that Ravyn did that bothered her was nipping or “pinching” with her teeth. When I asked Ravyn about this, she showed me that it was a form of play or affection to her — something she would do to another dog that she liked. I explained while the nipping wouldn’t hurt a dog, Deborah’s skin was more fragile and it really hurt when Ravyn nipped her, even though Deborah knew Ravyn didn’t mean to hurt her. I suggested that Ravyn try other ways to initiate play with Deborah — like doing the “play bow” or smiling at her. I also suggested there were polite ways to show Deborah that she wanted attention — coming over to her and touching her gently with her nose, putting her head on or under Deborah’s hand, lying down at Deborah’s feet, following Deborah around (which was OK with Deborah) and just being with Deborah wherever she was. That all made sense to Ravyn and she said she would try doing those things.

A behavior that was baffling to Deborah was that Ravyn would not go through doorways. When I asked Ravyn about this, she showed me scenes from her previous life . . . being dragged back in to her room against her will on the rare occasions when she was let out. She was afraid to enter doorways because she was afraid she would not be allowed out again. After checking with Deborah, I assured Ravyn that now that she was with Deborah, she would never again be locked in a room and would always be allowed to come in and out as she wanted to. Ravyn said that she trusted Deborah — “She loves me and takes good care of me” — so she would try to be brave and go through doors now.

We talked to Ravyn twice during her first month with Deborah. Each time the behavior issues were a little better, but she still needed to have some reinforcement. Deborah was so happy with Ravyn and with Deborah’s love and patience, Ravyn’s confidence and trust were growing day by day.

We talked to Ravyn again about 6 monthes later, in January. There were still a few issues to work on, but as far as Deborah was concerned, Ravyn was doing great and most of the previous issues we’d worked on were resolved.

When I connected to Ravyn, she felt much more confident and independent to me. In fact, she was confident enough to argue with me a bit about one of the issues Deborah wanted to work on — coming to Deborah when called. I was happy that Ravyn had the confidence to say what she thought, rather than just accepting what a human said. I was able to get her to understand that coming when called was a safety issue — that Deborah could see dangers that Ravyn couldn’t see. Ravyn said she was willing to try to come when Deborah called her, even though she didn’t really see why she had to, but she would try because it was important to Deborah. In other words, she would do it to please Deborah — which works just fine!

The other thing that was striking to both Deborah and myself in the January conversation, was the sense of humor that Ravyn showed us during our conversation . . .

Deborah said Ravyn was pottying outside all the time now, but was still occasionally getting her up during the night to go potty outside. This was definitely better than Ravyn pottying inside, but since most of the time Ravyn could “hold it” through the night, Deborah wanted to encourage Ravyn to “hold it” every night if she could. I explained this to Ravyn. After some thought, Ravyn said rather pointedly, “But SHE [Deborah] goes potty at night!” When I told Deborah this, she started laughing — she said she does get up to the bathroom at night! I told Ravyn that while people can go potty at night inside, dogs need to try to potty outside the last time they go out at night and then wait until they go out first thing in the morning to potty again. Ravyn said that a lot of the time she doesn’t have to go potty at night, so she would try to be sure to potty before bed. After checking with Deborah, I told Ravyn that if she absolutely HAD to potty at night, it was still OK to wake Deborah so she could take her out.

Deborah also had a question about Ravyn and bubble wrap. Deborah runs a business from home and packs products for shipping on her dining room table. As a result, bubble wrap is ever present on her table. I asked Ravyn about the bubble wrap — she showed me sitting on a dining room chair and taking sheets of bubble wrap off the table. She showed me chewing the bubble wrap so the bubbles popped in her mouth — but never swallowing it. Ravyn loves the sound/feel of the bubbles popping in her mouth and thinks it’s funny!! She also said that Deborah thought it was funny too, so of course that only encourages Ravyn to do it more! Deborah asked if Ravyn gets up on the dining room table. Ravyn showed me standing on the table and chewing the bubble wrap — but only once. She said she doesn’t get on the table any more because she knows it’s “not OK” — but sitting on the chair is OK, so that’s what she does. Deborah and I were both laughing at this point and had to stop and catch our breath! Deborah said that Ravyn got up on the table once — but has only sat on a chair to get the bubble wrap since then.

I asked Ravyn if she was happy living with Deborah. Ravyn said that she didn’t know that life could be as good as her life is now. She didn’t know that someone could love her as much as Deborah does and she didn’t know she could love someone as much as she loves Deborah. Ravyn loves going out with Deborah and visiting with Deborah’s friends. Deborah said she takes Ravyn everywhere she can. Ravyn said that she feels she is in Deborah’s life to make her happy. The feeling I got from Ravyn is that she feels her relationship with Deborah is like a girl friend/roommate — and that works just fine for Deborah!

” Within a month, with Sky’s help, Ravyn was pottying outside all of the time. Ravyn never went potty in the house again! What’s really interesting and very telling to me, is that so much of Ravyn’s wonderful sense of humor came out in the communication session in January. It shows me how very comfortable Ravyn is here with me now. I think it is beyond wonderful! Ravyn has come a long way since June when she came into my life! Sky helped Ravyn with every issue that has come up. We are still working on a thing or two, but, without Sky, Ravyn would not be making the wonderful headway she is. ” — Deborah B., AZ.

Animal Communication: Sheep Herding Made Easy

Years ago, when I first started to communicating with animals, some friends and I went to a big international horse show in Maryland. In addition to getting to watching horses and riders doing cross country jumping, stadium jumping and dressage there were also lots of vendors and demonstrations . . . including a demonstration of sheep herding with some extremely well trained border collies.

I love watching sheep dogs work! They are so focused and so obviously “in the moment” of their work — nothing distracts them. We watched fascinated as the handler put the collies and eight sheep through their paces. I find it amazing — the dogs so intent on their work and the sheep are putty in their paws.

At the end of the demo, the dog handler secured the sheep in a pen at one end of the huge field and took the dogs off the field. The handler then announced, “You’ve seen what the dogs can do — now let’s see what people can do!” He asked for volunteers to come on to the field to herd the sheep.

People slowly started finding their way on to the field. Meanwhile, my friends, who knew that I was an animal communicator, started trying to get me on to the field. I resisted and that of course caught the attention of the shepherd who got everyone clapping to encourage me to come join the folks on the field. Finally I gave in and, with one of my friends, made my way on to the field.

The shepherd told us our assignment . . . someone needed to let the sheep out of the pen. We needed to herd the sheep to the far end of the field, herd them back down to the end of the field where the pen was, in a figure eight pattern and finally herd the sheep into the pen.

People started spreading themselves over the area of the field. Most of the human herders went to the far end and middle of the field. My friend and I were down near the pen, so we stayed there.

My friend opened the gate and the sheep were off! Clearly they knew the drill. They ran up to the other end of the field, followed the “wall” of human herders that were curved at the top of the field and started down toward the pen end of the field — but aiming for the opposite side of the field from where the pen was located. When they got to the opposite corner, they stopped.

There were very few people at that end of the field with me and my friend, who was by the pen. The sheep were about 15 feet away from me. I picked out the lead sheep and connected to her telepathically — she looked me right in the eye. I told her that she and the flock should follow me — she said OK. I turned my back on the sheep and started to run toward the pen — we were about 30 yards from the pen.

About half way to the pen I thought, “Either the sheep are right behind me or they are still standing there and I look like an idiot!” I stopped and turned around — the sheep were right behind me! The lead sheep looked me in the eye and said, “Why are we stopping?” I said, “Just follow me and run in the pen.” I turned back toward the pen and kept running! My friend opened the gate, the sheep ran in and my friend closed the gate. We’d done it!

The crowd went wild! When they finally quieted, there was a deafening silence from the sheep dog handler.

Finally he spoke, “That was the fastest that people have ever penned the sheep — but my dogs are still faster!”

Never underestimate the power of animal communication!

Rosie and Bentley: Getting to Know You . . .

Suzanne, who lives on a farm in Costa Rica, contacted me in early July about talking to her cats. Suzanne was going to be making a two week trip to Canada in August and was concerned about how her cats would manage while she was gone.

Suzanne felt that two of her cats would be fine, but she was very concerned about the other two cats. Suzanne had never been away from them over night before and had decided to do a “trial run” (being gone for four days) the following week to make sure they would manage while she was in Canada.

Suzanne said that the plan was for the day worker on the farm, Fernando, to arrive each morning, feed the cats and then tend to the farm. In the evening before he left, he would get the cats inside the house, feed them, leave them inside for the night and then feed the cats and let them out in the morning each day until Suzanne returned.

The problem was that two of Suzanne’s cats, Rosie and Bentley, were very skittish around Fernando — they wouldn’t go near him, let alone go in the house when he was there. Suzanne asked me to talk to the cats to see if we could get them to be more trusting with Fernando.

I talked to Rosie first. My impresson of Rosie was that she was a bit of a diva — she knew she was gorgeous and felt that everyone around her should know it too! She showed me that Fernando did tell her how beautiful she was, which she really liked. But she showed me that she kept her distance from Fernando when he sat down for lunch. She admitted that she would eat the occasional piece of food that he would toss her way, but she would NOT go near him. I told Suzanne that my impression of Rosie was that she was a very confident cat. Suzanne laughed when I told her what Rosie had shared with me — she said, “That’s my Rosie!”

I talked to Bentley next. He was the complete opposite of Rosie — shy, but not fearful and confident in his own way. He said he was “careful” with Fernando and did not go near him — not because he was afraid of him, but because he was “careful” with everyone other than Suzanne. He showed me that he always deferred to Rosie. Bentley showed me was that when he was near Fernando, he crouched down, hoping for a food scrap, but would not come anywhere near Fernando. Suzanne confirmed that was exactly how Bentley behaved.

I confirmed with both cats that Fernando never did anything harmful to either of them. Bentley said that Fernando seemed “kind” to him — neither cat had any negative feelings specific to Fernando at all. I suggested/showed the cats that if they were very, very brave and came closer to Fernando, he would give them more compliments and more food treats. They both thought this was a good idea and were willing to try. I told Rosie that Fernando would love it if she came closer — so he could admire her beauty close up. Rosie definitely liked the idea of even greater admiration!

I told the cats what the plan was for the four days that Suzanne would be away the following week. They weren’t too sure about having to stay in the house all night, but they said that they would be willing to go into the house to eat.

I told Suzanne to let Fernando know that he needed to tell both cats how handsome/beautiful they were and to encourage them to be brave and come closer to him and give them a food reward if they did. Suzanne said she would do so.

A few days before Suzanne left for her “trial run” of 4 days away, she reported to me that, Rosie had been making an effort to try to be more friendly with Fernando — “Rosie came closer to Fernando than ever before” and that Bentley was clearly trying too. Suzanne said that “both cats are cooperating — they stayed in the room when Fernando came yesterday for me to show him what he’ll need to do to feed the cats. Big Progress!!”

A week later, the “trial run” was a complete success, although Suzanne decided not to have Fernando lock the cats in the house at night while she was away. This was much better for the cats and good thinking on Suzanne’s part, since being locked in at night was the only part of the plan that Rosie and Bentley were not too happy about.

At the beginning of August, shortly before Suzanne’s two week trip to Canada, Suzanne emailed to let me know how Rosie and Bentley were doing . . . “I was sitting with Fernando for lunch and who comes to beg? Rosie and Bentley! They’ve been doing that since the first time you talked to them. Rosie was quite bold today, she even put her front paws up on Fernando’s lap so he could give her a little treat — of all things a black bean from his rice and beans!”

A few months later, Suzanne reported that, “Fernando is now able to touch Rosie a little bit and she takes food directly from his hand. The cats are fine now when I have to go away for a few days. Even Bentley seems to like Fernando now and Rosie is totally at ease with him. Happy changes!”

Getting to know the people that will care for them is very important to animals. Sometimes this even leads to new animal/human friendships — which is a bonus for everyone involved!

“I am so glad to know you, Sky. It is a nice feeling to have this kind of help with my animals when needed. Thank you very, very much! We all love you. I am so happy to know that, with your help, Rosie and Bentley now know that it can be nice to experience human contact with others besides me.” — Suzanne P., Costa Rica.

Bobby: The Gift of Time and Comfort

Nicki contacted me in mid-April about talking to her dog, Bobby (also known as Coyote Bob) — a beautiful Sheltie. I’d talked to Bobby and Nicki’s other animals (including the domestic rabbits she rescues) several times in the past. This time, however, the purposed of the conversation was much different.

Bobby had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in early April. The vet felt Bobby would only have a few months to live. Nicki wanted Bobby to be as comfortable as possible for whatever time he had left, but she was concerned that Bobby was in pain.

When we talked to Bobby, he felt like a very, very sick dog to me. Bobby did not show me that he was in pain, but he did feel significant pressure in the area of his liver that was very uncomfortable. Bobby was also experiencing vomiting, poor appetite and panting at night and during the day. Bobby showed me that his energy level was low as well and his body felt extremely thin to me. Nicki confirmed that the physical symptoms Bobby had showed me were what she had observed.

Bobby showed me that the day time panting was often due to feeling overheated — even in an air conditioned house. It felt to me that this was related to his disease process.

But it was the panting at night that Nicki was most concerned about, since she felt Bobby was in pain. When I asked Bobby to show me how he felt at night when he was panting, it felt like the panting was anxiety related because Bobby couldn’t get comfortable due to the pressure in the liver area. There didn’t seem to be any position that Bobby could lay in — or anything he could lie on — that was comfortable for long. It seemed that while the pressure bothered him during the day, it wasn’t so bad because there were things to distract him and take his mind off the discomfort. But at night, it was a different story . . . there was nothing to distract him and he focused more on the discomfort.

I suggested that Nicki try giving Bobby Rescue Remedy at night to help his anxiety and to help him relax and sleep better — she could give him additional doses during the night if needed. Nicki said she would do that. She said she also had prescription pain medicine and Prozac that she could give Bobby. I suggested she start with the Rescue Remedy and she could always add the pain medication if needed. We asked Bobby if he felt the Prozac helped him be calmer (she’d given it to Bobby per the vet for several months) but Bobby said it didn’t help with the anxiety at all, so Nicki stopped giving it to him. Bobby knew he was very sick, but he said he wasn’t ready to cross to Spirit. However, Bobby didn’t know how long he could hang on unless he started to feel better. Nicki assured Bobby that when he was ready, she would help him cross to Spirit.

I also suggested that Bobby might benefit from distance energy work — Reiki and Integrated Energy Therapy. I was very clear with Nicki that she shouldn’t expect that this would “cure” Bobby’s cancer, but I told her that animals who are ill often find their symptoms eased by energy work. Nicki said that she would definitely like to try energy work for Bobby — ” Even if it just helps him be more comfortable, that would be great! ”

We did Bobby’s first distance energy work session that day. I found that there were a lot of emotional issues that needed to be released (fear, stress, threat, heartache, distrust) mostly connected to the out of control illness that was taking over his body. I spent extra time working with the energy of Bobby’s liver — releasing the discomfort and pressure that was making Bobby so uncomfortable at night. When I talked to Bobby at the end of the session, his energy was much improved — he felt positively perky! Nicki asked when we should do the next session of energy work. I told her that it might need to be the following week or the week after, but I told her that Bobby would tell her when he needed another session.

Nicki contacted me by email a few days later with an update. She said that Bobby was less restless at night and that he was more active and seemed happy for the first time in weeks! Nicki was amazed by how much better Bobby was feeling following the energy work and said she definitely wanted to continue the sessions as often as needed. I told her that she should pay attention to Bobby — I was sure he would let her know when he needed more energy work, but my guess was that approximately every 2 weeks would probably be OK for now and that we could always schedule a session sooner, if needed.

Bobby received energy work every two weeks from mid-April until the beginning of August. I would talk to Bobby at the start of each session, do his energy work and check in with him at the end of the session. I emailed Nicki everything Bobby told me and what I found when I did his energy work. Bobby’s restlessness/panting at night improved and he had more energy to play and interact with Nicki — even asking for treats and gaining a little weight, which he hadn’t been doing before receiving energy work. We checked with Bobby each time to see how he was feeling and if he needed Nicki to do anything more for him. I adjusted the energy work session as needed, based on what Bobby told me and what Bobby’s body showed me. Bobby was always extra happy on days when he received energy work. Nicki continued to give Bobby Rescue Remedy at night. Bobby slept better and didn’t need the prescription pain medicine at night.

At the beginning of August, Nicki noticed that Bobby was getting thinner again and was panting more. He seemed weaker to me and had less energy. Bobby showed me that the pressure in the area of his liver had increased. Bobby said he wanted to talk to Nicki, so we scheduled an appointment just for communication. Bobby told Nicki that he was tired of fighting and was ready to cross to Spirit. Nicki knew that the last few months with Bobby had been a gift — she did not want him to suffer and she told him that she would help him cross to Spirit surrounded by love. Bobby knew that Nicki would help him — they both knew that it was nearly time. Bobby said he wanted to have a few more days to enjoy life. I told/showed Bobby what the euthanasia process would be like — he said he was not afraid and that he would tell/show Nicki when he was ready and that it would be soon.

A few days later, Nicki asked me to talk to Bobby again — ” I think it’s time, but I want to be sure. ” Bobby said he was ready to cross to Spirit. He showed me that he didn’t want to wait until he was too weak to walk on his own. Bobby told me that one of Nicki’s dogs in Spirit, a beautiful black Sheltie named Jett, had been visiting him and telling him that it was time to cross to Spirit — but Bobby said he kept saying ” no. ” However, the night before, Bobby had finally had told Jett ” yes ” — he was ready to cross to Spirit. Bobby said that he knew that once he crossed to Spirit he would be strong and beautiful again, free of pain — and he was looking forward to that.

Nicki sent Bobby to Spirit surrounded by love, a few days after our last session. Although her heart was breaking to loose her beloved Bobby, Nicki knew that she had done the right thing.

I was grateful to have been able to help make Bobby’s last few months more comfortable and to have gotten to know Bobby so much better. Nicki was grateful to have had more time with Bobby, knowing that he wasn’t suffering.

” When my dog’s yearly blood work revealed liver cancer, I worried that he might be frightened or in pain. I immediately contacted Sky.
Sky offered insight into Bobby’s feelings and perception of his disease. Sky’s energy work gave Bobby more energy and helped him be as comfortable as possible. Instead of sitting helplessly, worrying and second guessing what I should do, Bobby was able to tell me how he felt, what he needed and wanted when Sky communicated with him. This eliminated the doubt, fear and guilt I’d experience with my previous dogs aged and became ill.
I promised Bobby I would honor his decision when Bobby was ready to cross to Spirit. I am so grateful that Bobby could have a voice in that decision. I will treasure our last months together.” — Nicki K., CO

Moped: Endless Love

When most of us think about thoroughbred race horses, we think of the beautiful horses we see when we watch the Kentucky Derby and other big races that are broadcast on TV. Those equine athletes are a small, small fraction of the the horses that are the product of the horse racing industry. For many racing horses, life is neither kind nor easy. Many are not really able to do the grueling work that is the life of a race horse. If they are lucky, they find a new career.

That was the case for Moped, a handsome chestnut gelding. Moped did not have the drive to race. Eventually his owners realized that Moped was not a winner and sold him to a trainer so he could learn a new career — jumping.

Moped did the best he could at jumping, but he was too spooky. He was sold again to the owners of a lesson barn that taught both dressage and jumping. They thought he’d be perfect for more advanced riders.

About this time, a new rider — a woman named Jan — came into Moped’s life. Jan had recently had to help her beloved horse cross to Spirit and needed a horse to ride and love while she recovered from her loss. The dressage trainer thought that Jan and Moped would be a good match. Jan realized that Moped was special, that he needed the love she could give him and they bonded immediately.

Jan rode Moped for many months. She felt that the time she spent with Moped out of the saddle was just as important as the time she spent in the saddle. Moped received more TLC from Jan than he’d ever had from anyone in his life. Moped taught Jan to be a better rider.

By talking to Moped, we learned about his experiences at the race track (none of them good) and injuries he’d experienced that had begun to show themselves as he continued with dressage work and a little jumping. He told us how Jan could help him feel better and loved when she massaged his hip, one of his old injuries.

Eventually Jan bought another horse — but she was committed to continuing to give Moped the TLC he needed. We talked to Jan’s new horse and explained why Jan would be spending extra time with Moped, so her new horse wouldn’t feel jealous. We also explained to Moped that, while Jan would be spending less time with him and wouldn’t be riding him, she would still spend as much time as she could with him. Moped was grateful that Jan still wanted to spend time with him and said he understood that she needed a horse of her own. Moped knew he couldn’t work at the level of riding that Jan needed. He was sad, but happy that he wasn’t loosing Jan altogether.

As time went on, Moped’s behavior became very erratic and unpredictable, to the point that he couldn’t be ridden safely. It became clear that the injuries he’d sustained at the track, plus the body stresses of jumping and dressage were finally catching up with him. One of those injuries was a skull fracture that Moped had sustained when he reared in his stall several years before. As time had gone on, he’d developed a large hard lump at the site of the fracture on his forehead. When I “felt through” Moped’s body, there was a great deal of arthritic pain in his hips and his head felt like he had a continuous migraine.

Moped was retired in May of that year. When Moped was outside, he was tormented by the flies and bugs, trotting endlessly around his paddock — becoming more and more frantic trying to escape the biting bugs. Putting Moped in his stall didn’t solve the problem either — he would pace continuously in his stall. He was not at peace anywhere. Without work to occupy his mind, Moped fretted and paced constantly — but he couldn’t be worked because he’d become dangerous to ride. Moped had become dangerous to handle, even for the professionals at the barn.

We talked to Moped often during his period of time. Although Moped was always grateful that we took the time to talk to him, there was little we could do to comfort him. Moped did not want to hurt anyone, but he was like a raw nerve due to his headaches. One day Moped suddenly said, “Can I be allowed to cross to Spirit?” Jan and I were both stunned — and then we cried, because we both knew in our hearts that crossing to Spirit was the only way that this poor horse would find peace and freedom from pain.

Jan spoke to the barn owners but they were not prepared to put Moped down. They tried very hard to find a retirement home for Moped, but no one wanted a dangerous, unpredictable horse. Finally, they agreed to let Moped cross to Spirit.

Jan was given permission by the barn owners and the vet to be present for Moped when he was euthanized. The vet was concerned that Moped’s unpredictable behavior might make it dangerous for Jan to be there — but Jan had a plan. We talked to Moped and I explained the euthanization process, so he would understand and wouldn’t be frightened. I told Moped that when he started to feel wobbly, he should sit down, lay down, then roll over on his side. I told Moped that when he laid down, Jan would come to his head and would be there with him until the end, sending him to Spirit with love. Sitting down is not normal horse behavior, but Moped said he understood that this would keep Jan safe and he was happy she would be there for him.

When the day came for Moped to cross to Spirit, Jan stood as close to Moped as the vet would allow. Jan sent loving energy to Moped as the vet gave him the injection that would allow his spirit to leave his body. Jan reminded Moped not to fight the sleepiness, to sit down and relax. Moped remained standing for a few moments . . . then he wobbled a little, sat down and rolled on to his side. Jan knelt by Moped’s head and stroked his neck as Moped took his last breaths, sending love to him all the while.

After a few minutes of silence, the vet spoke. He was clearly stunned — he said he’d never seen a horse sit down and roll over like that. He was shocked that Moped, the dangerous horse, had crossed over so quietly. Jan told the vet that we’d talked to Moped ahead of time — told Moped what to expect and that he should sit down and roll over. The vet just looked at Jan in disbelief — but Jan knew that the talk with Moped had made all the difference.

We have talked to Moped many times in the years since he crossed to Spirit. Moped knows how much Jan still loves him, that she will never forget him. Moped feels that Jan is the only person in his whole life who ever really loved him and he has promised to be there for Jan when it is her time to go to Spirit. That’s endless love!

Rags: Putting the Past Behind Her

All animals do not start their lives in happy, loving homes. But many are lucky enough to be adopted by loving people — if not at their first home, then later in life. To survive the difficult circumstances some animals find themselves in, they often develop behaviors that can be baffling to their adoptive families and challenging to overcome.

One such dog is Rags, a female lab cross, who was adopted by a loving couple — Taryn and Mike. All the couple knew about Rags when they adopted her was that she came from the southeast USA, that she was brought to the northeast by a rescue organization — and that Rags really, really needed a home. Taryn and Mike were happy to adopt Rags so she could finally have a loving, happy home.

But a year after they adopted her, Rags still seemed depressed and unhappy much of the time. She was distant and never wagged her tail. She also displayed a variety of challenging behaviors that the couple had been unable to resolve.

Food aggression with their other female lab, Calli, was a big problem. Taryn and Mike described a recent incident to me . . . Rags and Calli were both lying on the floor. Mike put a strawberry down between each dog’s front feet. Calli, who had eaten strawberries before, immediately ate hers — but Rags only sniffed hers and ignored it, as though she did not recognize it as food. Calli looked over, saw the uneaten strawberry and promptly ate it — at which point Rags went after Calli very aggressively.

Rags also had a severe phobia of cars — which was triggered when she was walked near cars or when she was in a car. This made fun walks — not to mention trips to fun places or necessary visits to the vet — a complete nightmare for the couple and for Rags.

But the most challenging issue was the severe separation anxiety that Rags experienced every time the couple left the house. While Calli was completely fine when they left — Rags literally could not be left in the house unsupervised for more than a few minutes before she began destroying things.

The couple loved Rags despite her behavior issues, but that didn’t solve the issues. They sought the help of an animal behaviorist at a major veterinary college, received guidance on behavior modification, which they followed to the letter and started Rags on prescription meds — but these measures did not solve all the issues. In desperation, they decided to try animal communication — they didn’t know where else to turn to help the poor, tortured dog they loved so much.

I talked to Rags about her life before she was adopted by Mike and Taryn. Rags showed me that she grew up in a pen crowded with other dogs. She had to fight for every morsel of food. I asked Rags if she got all the food she needed now. She confirmed that this was true. Rags confirmed that she and Calli each had their own food dish — she said that Calli did not eat out of Rags’ dish. I told Rags that Mike and Taryn would make sure that Rags always had enough food and make sure that Calli didn’t eat Rags’ food. Rags said that she understood and would try to remember. Mike and Taryn said they would be sure to feed the dogs only from their bowls, so it was clear whose food was whose.

I asked Rags about her fear of cars. Rags showed me that she would cringe and crawl on the ground when she had to be near a car and that she was terrified of getting in a car. Once she was in the car, she would drool and vomit in panic. Mike and Taryn confirmed that this was true. I asked Rags to show me what her experience with cars had been before she was adopted. Rags showed me that she had been tied to the bumper of a car and forgotten — then the car had started to drive away with her still tied to the bumper. Rags had also seen a dog run over by a car. No wonder she was terrified of cars! I asked Rags if anything bad had happened to her in the car since she had been living with the couple. She admitted that nothing had. I asked Rags if she trusted the couple to take care of her — she said she did. I encouraged Rags to remember when she had to be in the car that she was safe and taken care of. I showed Rags what it would be like to relax in the car — to lie down, to look around, to be quiet and relaxed. She said she would try.

Next we tackled the issue of Rags’ separation anxiety. The couple said they had tried crating Rags and leaving Calli loose when they left the house. Rags was the one who destroyed things and keeping her in a crate made sense. But that just made the situation even worse! Rags became completely panicked in the crate. I asked Rags how she felt when she was crated — she showed me that she was terrified and that she would do anything to get out of the crate, even if she hurt herself in the process. I asked Rags if she could suggest something that would work better for her. Rags suggested that Calli go in the crate, so Rags could see her, but not have to worry about her. I checked with Calli — Calli didn’t mind going in the crate at all. I suggested to Rags that she pay attention to Calli — if Calli wasn’t worried when they were alone, Rags didn’t need to worry either. Rags said she thought this would work for her.

At the end of the conversation, Mike said he had one more question. He said they really wanted Rags to get better. Taryn and Mike both loved Rags SO much, but it was so hard to watch her suffer — and there was no doubt that she was truly suffering at present. They could see how unhappy Rags was and how controlled she was by her behavior issues. With a catch in his voice that could only be tears, Mike said, “Ask Rags if she would rather go to Spirit than keep trying — we don’t want her to suffer.” The fact that Mike asked this question showed me how desperate the situation was for both the couple and for Rags. I asked Rags if she would like to work on getting better or if she was ready to cross to Spirit. The anguish of her emotion was intense — if she had been a person, she would have been crying as she told me, “I love them. I want to try to get better.” We were all crying as I relayed this information to the couple. But we all agreed — we had to give Rags time to try to get better.

Six months, five communication sessions and two energy work sessions later and Rags was doing so much better! Her food aggression was a thing of the past. Rags was able to make trips in the car with relatively little distress. At times, Rags still had issues with destructiveness, but even that had improved dramatically.

But most importantly, Rags was now a happy dog! She had become affectionate with her people, liked having her tummy rubbed, wagged her tail and happily curled up next to the couple on the couch — none of which she’d done prior to our first communication session!

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Update on Rags . . . Since my first conversation with Rags in 2011, I have talked with her — and her other furry family members — many times. She still has occasional issues — like the time she kept trying to get into a floor level kitchen cabinet. She told me that she heard something in the cabinet — but when she showed me, it seemed like it was coming from the outside of the wall of the house, which was at the back of the cabinet. Her people couldn’t figure out what she meant — until one day they saw squirrels running down the wood shingles, right against the wall that abutted the cabinet! Whatever is happening with Rags, we talk it over and figure it out.

Rags still becomes stressed with changes at home, but explaining what is going on and when it will be over, some distance energy work from me and essential oil application by Taryn and lots of love from Taryn and Mike — and Rags is able to cope.

I am so grateful that I was able to help this special dog. But Rags is the one who did the hard work — letting go of her past and learning to trust and love her people.

“I honestly don’t know where we would be right now — especially with our dog Rags — without Sky. We thank Sky and I know Rags does too!” — Taryn H., NJ

Jake Negotiates a Deal

A new client, Mary, scheduled an appointment to talk to her dog Jake, a Jack Russell terrier. Mary was honest with me from the start — she said she’d never done animal communication before and wasn’t really sure she believed in it. I assured her that was OK — it can be hard for a lot of people to believe it’s possible until they experience it.

Mary said that she had to crate Jake whenever she left the house because he would destroy the house if she left him out when she wasn’t home. Mary said that Jake never damaged anything while she was home. Mary told me she felt bad about crating Jake and would love to leave Jake loose in the house if she felt confident that he wouldn’t destroy things while she was gone.

I asked Jake what happened if Mary left him loose in the house when she was gone. Jake showed me that he would destroy pillows, bedding, couch cushions and pretty much anything else he could get his teeth on with complete and utter joy! It was so much fun for him to do this — the more he could tear things apart, the happier he was!

I asked Jake if he thought he could stop destroying things. He was very honest and blunt, “NO — it’s too much fun.” I told him that Mary felt bad that she had to shut him up in his crate when she wasn’t home and that if Jake could stop destroying things, Mary would love to be able to leave him loose in the house. Jake thought about this for a minute and finally told me that he didn’t think he’d be able to stop destroying things — so it was best for both of them if Mary put him in the crate when she was gone — that way, Mary wouldn’t get mad at him and he wouldn’t get in trouble.

When I told Mary this, she was non-plussed and said, “Then WHY won’t he go in the crate when it’s time for me to leave?” Mary told me that every time she had to leave the house, Jake would run away from her — it always took 20 minutes or longer for Mary to catch Jake and get him into his crate. This made leaving the house a time consuming and frustrating project that was no fun for Mary and only made her tense and angry.

I asked Jake what happened when it was time for Mary to leave the house. Jake showed me that, from his perspective, when Mary prepared to leave the house, it was the signal that it was time for one of Jake’s favorite games — the chase game! Jake showed me that he LOVED the chase game. He was very , very good at the game — zig-zagging around and under furniture, zipping around corners — Mary had to work hard to catch him and Jake loved every minute of it! Jake really didn’t understand why Mary didn’t seem to enjoy the game, since it was SO much fun for him!

I explained to Jake that the chase game was definitely NOT fun for Mary. I reminded Jake that Mary took very good care of him — gave him good food, safe shelter, took him to the vet when he needed to go, gave him a great yard to play in, played with him as much as she could and that she loved Jake very, very much. Jake said he knew Mary loved him — she told him all the time. I told Jake that a great way for him to show Mary how much he loved her and appreciated all the things she did for him would be to get into the crate immediately — without playing the chase game — when it was time for Mary to leave the house. I told him that Mary would be happy to play the chase game at other time if he wanted to (Mary happily agreed to that) but when it was time for Mary to leave, he needed to get right into the crate.

Jake gave this plan serious thought. Finally he said, “Could I get a treat if I go right into the crate?” I checked with Mary and she said, “If he goes right into the crate when I tell him it’s time to go in the crate, he can definitely have a treat!” I told Jake this and he said, “Could I have three treats?” Again, Mary said three treats was acceptable — as long as he went right into the crate. I told Jake three treats was OK with Mary.

Jake then told me when he wanted the treats to be given. He showed me that he wanted one treat when he got to the door of the crate, then he would go in the crate. He wanted the last two treats when he was inside the crate. I told Mary when Jake wanted to be given the treats. She said, “Fine — as long as he goes in the crate and stays in the crate!” Jake said he would stay in the crate if he was given his three treats.

At this point Mary seemed a little distracted and asked if I could hold on for a few minutes. I told her I could — I assumed that the door bell had rung or her cell phone was ringing. Mary left the phone and I waited.

When Mary got back on the phone, several minutes later, she apologized for making me wait. She said, “I’m sorry, but I had to try to get Jake in the crate. I couldn’t believe it would actually work, but it did!” Mary told me she told Jake he had to go in his crate. She said Jake went right to the door of the crate and waited there, looking at her expectantly. Mary gave Jake one treat and he went right into the crate. Mary gave Jake two more treats and he stayed in the crate when Mary closed the door!

Mary said, “I would not have believed this was possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes!”

Sometimes coming up with a solution for an animal’s behavior issue can be a matter of changing their (or our) perception of the issue, giving the animal emotional support, adjusting circumstances to make it easier for the animal to behave appropriately or — as in Jake’s case — making a deal. Whatever works is the right solution!

Elephant Update

I was at a metaphysical fair in CO this spring and a woman who looked familiar sat down at my table. I was happy to find out that she was Sue Z. — the woman who had asked me to talk to the elephants in the Sheldrick Wildlife Sanctuary in Africa in 2012.

Sue wanted to check in with one of the elephants we’d talked to previously — a female elephant named Sities.

The first thing Sities said when I connected to her was, “I’m a BIG girl now!” She showed me that she was no longer in the nursery and was now living with a herd of elephants in the “wild” part of the sanctuary. Sue confirmed that Sities had indeed “graduated” to living with a herd outside the sanctuary compound.

I asked Sities what it was like living with a herd . . . she flooded me with feelings of how wonderful it was for her. It didn’t matter that this was not her biological family, they welcomed her in and treated her like she belonged, like she was a part of them, without hesitation. Sities said, “I have a family now.” Her joy at knowing and feeling this was overwhelming — as I felt her joy, I began to cry. Sities showed me that her favorite thing was when all the elephants would stand close together in a tight group, completely surrounding her . . . the other elephants touching her, caressing her all over with their trunks — while she touched them in the same way. Sities said, “I feel safe and loved now”. It was unbelievably touching and powerful to experience this from Sities’ perspective.

Sue asked if Sities was ever visited by her caregiver from the nursery. Sities said that her caregiver did visit her. Sities said that she always knows when he is near — he does not get too close to the herd — and she always comes running to see him! Sities said that “her friend” (the caregiver) always brings her a special treat (it appeared to be sort of like a flat biscuit-like treat) and that he rubs her head in the way she likes. Sue confirmed that this is the way that the caregivers interact with the elephants once they are released to a herd — and confirmed that the special treats are what Sities showed me.

Sue wanted to know how Sities was feeling about her Mother’s death, now that some time had passed. Sities said she was no longer sad because her Mother has been coming to visit her in Spirit. Sities said, “My mother is beautiful again and has her long, beautiful tusks back. She said she is safe and happy now.” Sities showed me that when her Mother in Spirit visits her, that they stand very close together — loving energy flowing between them.

I thanked Sities for talking to us and asked her if there was anything else she wanted us to know. Sities thanked us for talking to her and said, “It’s good to know that people we (“we” meaning elephants in the sanctuary) don’t even know care about us.” This too touched my heart deeply and brought tears to my eyes.

Sue then asked if we could talk to a male baby elephant named Jasari. When I connected to Jasari, I felt he was young and small compared to the other baby elephants in the nursery. Sue confirmed that this was true.

Sue asked me to see if Jasari remembered how he came to be at the sanctuary. He showed me that he remembered standing next to his mother, then feeling frozen in place (to me it felt like he was in shock). Much later, Jasari remembered was that he was lying on the ground — he said he remembered men standing over him and then loosing consciousness. The next thing Jasari showed me was being in an enclosed space that was bouncing around. Jabari said there were people with him, “They were nice and trying to help me. They wanted me to live.” After a very long ride, Jasari came to the sanctuary nursery. Sue confirmed that Jasari was found a very long way from the sanctuary, that he was transported to the sanctuary by plane and truck and that he almost died.

I asked Jasari if he liked living at the sanctuary. He showed me that he was nervous at first. But Jasari showed me touching everything with his trunk (the walls, the floor, the bedding, the food, the people) and finally he knew he was safe! Jabari told me that the people at the sanctuary were nice and that the food was always good! He said he was very happy at the sanctuary.

Sue told me that Jasari was a white elephant and wanted to know if he knew he was different because of his color. I asked Jasari the question: do you know that you’re different because of your color? He seemed confused by the question and didn’t answer me for a few moments. Finally Jasari said, “But I’m just me!”

Truth, simple and clear!

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If you would like to donate or foster an elephant or rhino at the
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, go to –

(http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org)

You can foster an elephant or rhino for as little as $50.00 year.

Rayme: Understanding is Everything!

I met Sue the first time at a metaphysical fair in Colorado. She was visibly upset and concerned. Sue told me she had recently adopted a toy Australian Shepard named Rayme. Sue said that her previous dog, Austin, had crossed to Spirit not long ago. Sue was concerned because she didn’t feel she and Rayme were bonding well.

I asked Rayme how she felt about living with Sue. Rayme showed me that Sue cried a lot — Rayme felt Sue’s heart was broken and she didn’t know what to do about it. Sue admitted that she was still grieving for Austin, who she was deeply attached to. Sue said she cried for several reasons — the heartache she felt now that Austin was gone, painful family/relationship issues and because she didn’t seem to be bonding with Rayme.

Rayme showed me that she would stand a distance from Sue and just watch her, not knowing what to do. Sue confirmed this was exactly what was happening — it was heartbreaking to Sue. It felt to me that there was a “barrier” between Rayme and Sue, which Rayme also felt. I asked Rayme to show me the “barrier”. What Rayme showed me was the spirit of Austin standing in front of Sue — always between Sue and Rayme.

I talked to Austin, in Spirit. Austin was upset by the way Rayme was treating her beloved person, Sue. She felt that Rayme was making Sue cry and that Rayme was not being loving to Sue. This was very upsetting to Austin, who loved Sue deeply, so Austin was standing guard over Sue, trying to protect her from the unloving behavior Rayme was exhibiting.

Clearly, there were several misunderstanding contributing to the situation!

I told Austin that we certainly understood her concerns for Sue’s feelings and that Sue was grateful for her protection. I told Austin that as much as Sue appreciated Austin’s intentions, it was important for Sue and Rayme to be able to bond. I asked Austin if it would be possible for her to stand next to Sue, rather than in front of Sue — which would allow Rayme to connect with Sue. I asked Austin if she could just observe Rayme and Sue’s interactions and encourage Rayme to connect with Sue. I told Austin that this was what Sue wanted — a deeper connection to Rayme — although no one would ever replace Austin in Sue’s heart. Austin agreed to step aside and make room for Rayme.

I let Rayme know that Austin was going to stand aside and that she could now connect with Sue. Rayme was concerned that Sue was disappointed in her and that was why Sue cried. I told Rayme that Sue went into the bedroom to cry for many reasons. I encouraged Rayme to give Sue space and time to cry if she needed to and when Sue came out of the bedroom, I showed Rayme how she could greet Sue happily and know that Sue would be happy to spend time with her then. Rayme said she understood and that she would do that from now on.

Sue was still concerned that she and Rayme were not bonding. Sue asked me to ask Rayme, point blank, if Rayme wanted to be her dog. Rayme said it was more fun when she first came to live with Sue, that Sue didn’t play with her any more, but Rayme didn’t understand why. Sue told me that she’d recently injured her hip, so she couldn’t play with Rayme like she had at first. I explained to Rayme that Sue had hurt herself and couldn’t play like she had before. Rayme said, “I’m not hurt — how long until she can play with me again?” I told Rayme that it would be “a few moons” (months) before Sue could play actively again. I reminded Sue that Rayme was a puppy and really needed the exercise and play — we brain stormed and came up with some activities that Sue could do with Rayme that would be fun and active for Rayme, but wouldn’t further stress Sue’s injury. Rayme said that as long as Sue played with her, she would be able to wait until Sue healed to play more actively. Sue agreed to play more safe games with Rayme and said she was hopeful that she and Rayme would begin to bond now that they both understood each other better.

[ Sue reported to me later that Rayme’s behavior changed completely immediately after our conversation at the fair. As soon as Sue got home from the fair, she noticed that Rayme was happy to interact with her. Rayme now respects Sue’s occasional need for privacy and showers Sue with kisses when she comes out. Sue said, “Rayme has turned into such a love!” ]

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We have talked to Rayme many times since that first conversation at the fair about a variety of issues . . .

— When Rayme was about 5 months old, Sue asked me to check with Rayme to see if she still needed to be crated when Sue left the house or if it was Ok to leave her loose in the apartment’s large bathroom. Rayme proudly informed us that she was “a big girl now” and would not have accidents in the house. Sue reported that Rayme never had any accidents when she left the house after that conversation.

— When Rayme was 6 months old, Rayme and Sue were going to move to Florida. Sue and Rayme were going to travel to Florida by plane, so we needed to explain an airline flight to Rayme. Initially I thought Rayme would be traveling in cargo — Rayme said, “I’ll be scared, but I know I have to be a big girl and be brave.” Sue corrected me and told me Rayme would be traveling in the cabin with her. Rayme said she liked that much better! I told Rayme she would have to be very quiet and still. Rayme promised to be a “good girl”. Sue reported that Rayme “did not make a peep” during the trip! The passengers around Sue couldn’t get over how well behaved Rayme was, even when she was laying on Sue’s lap, not making a sound!

— A few months ago, Sue got a dog agility-type tunnel for Rayme to play in — but Rayme seemed to be afraid of it. Rayme said she knew that Sue really wanted her to go in the tunnel and showed me running through it as fast as she could. Sue confirmed that this was exactly what Rayme did. Rayme said she was trying to be brave, but that it really scared her when the tunnel shook when she was inside it. I suggested to Sue that Rayme might be more willing to go in the tunnel if it was stabilized and didn’t move so much. Sue agreed to brace the tunnel so it didn’t move. Rayme was happy to hear this and said she would go into the tunnel now. Sue stabilized the tunnel and the next morning she threw a toy into the middle of the tunnel. Rayme not only ran right in to get the toy, but stopped in the middle of the tunnel,sat down, dropped her toy, picked it up and went out the other end of the tunnel. Sue reported that Rayme had never done this before! Rayme was never afraid of the tunnel again.

Rayme will be a year old on May 13th. With the help of good communication, Rayme and Sue have a bonded and loving relationship!

“Sky has assisted Rayme and me coming together as partners in a loving, bonding and trusting relationship. For me to experience Rayme’s understand of what was/is happening so she doesn’t have to fear outcomes is worth every session with Sky. My heart is warm and filled with joy that communication is truly possible with our beloved pets!”
— Sue D., FL