What Dogs Know…

Beautiful life lessons we can learn from dogs

What Dogs Know About the Power of Simplicity

June 13, 2022

There’s a powerful quote about simplicity—that it reveals the pure beauty in life. Nothing could be truer about this saying than with dogs. They have such simple needs…food, water, play, and love. A walk, a romp in the park, a pile of leaves, or even just a treat brings such joy to their lives.

One of my foster dogs exemplified the power of simplicity by inventing a game. He’d jump off the two-foot bank in the back yard, fly through the air ala Superman style with his front paws outstretched, land with a soft thud, race underneath the deck, jump up to the bank on the other side of the deck and careen around the corner to his jumping off point. Rinse and repeat. He’d do this until he wore himself out. And then relish the tranquility of a simple nap. It’s such a simple metaphor for life…work hard, play hard and reward yourself with something that makes you happy. Here are 3 things dogs know about the power of simplicity.

 

  1. Be open to experiences. Embrace them with your heart and allow yourself to feel and rejoice in the simplicity of every experience. An autumn leaf falling, the colors of the seasons, the sounds of the birds chirping, the changes of the seasons, all have the power to uplift and inspire through the beauty of simplicity.
  2. Stay young at heart. Like Peter Pan, who never aged, we can all tap into our inner child and recapture the innocent wonder that lies in every moment. Imagine you are seeing things for the first time and honor how it makes you feel. And take note of what it sparks within you.
  3. Look at life as a game and try to find the fun in every experience. Play with color. Color has the power to change our vibrational energy, shift our mood and renew us. Allow the innocence within you to bubble forth, and unleash the wonder all around you.

7 Beautiful Behaviors to Learn From—and For—Your Dog

October 25, 2021

Like people, dogs are complex, sentient creatures. They feel love and joy, sorrow and pain. They have thoughts and emotions, and hopes and dreams. And they care as deeply about their needs and desires as we, as human beings, care about ours.

As an animal communicator, I work telepathically with dogs, often to help humans, whether at shelters or in forever homes, to better understand and support them. So I also know this about dogs: they are more than “man’s best friend”—they are wise and wonderful teachers. By their very nature, they are remarkable role models for mankind.

But to benefit from your dog’s wisdom, you must open your heart and mind. And you must be willing to be his student.

For starters, consider seven virtuous behaviors you can learn from—and for—your four-legged companion:

  1. Be loyal. Trust is essential to any whole, loving relationship. Be a faithful companion to your dog, and devotedly meet his needs and desires—physical, mental, emotional and, if possible, spiritual.
  2. Be loving. Make an effort to deserve your dog’s unwavering, unconditional love. Every day, day by day seek ways to express the love and respect you have for him.
  3. Be attentive. Watch over your dog’s health and well-being. Educate yourself on his changing needs in each life stage, and consider holistic approaches to nutrition and veterinary care.
  4. Be compassionate. Always be kind and gentle with your dog. No excuses. No exceptions. Period.
  5. Be forgiving. Know how to forgive—and forget. And remember there are no bad dogs. Even bad behavior is often a cry for help, to express angst, boredom, or physical pain.
  6. Be dependable. Embrace routine. Be consistent with your dog in all areas—with feeding, training, walking, playing, and beyond.
  7. Be present. Don’t hold on to the past or fret about the future. Be in the present moment with your dog.

Finally, accept that being human doesn’t make you smarter, let alone superior. Be the teacher—and the student. Together, you and your dog can learn a lot.

What Dogs Know About the Power of Humor

July 06, 2021

Dog breed

Dogs add so much to our lives, especially when it comes to the power of humor. There are so many ways they make our lives compete. Perhaps their biggest gift to us is that of comic relief and laughter. Dogs find the fun in everything. And the simplest things make them happy. Show them a leash, say the word walk or treat, offer them a car ride and they are in heaven. Unless that car ride is taking them to the vet. Anyone who has ever loved a dog can tell you stories about the humor dogs add to life and how they make us laugh and see the lighter side of things.

I remember, Fozzie, one of the foster dogs I had the honor to care for. A big, fluffy sheepdog-shepherd hybrid with a heart of gold. What amazed me about him is that he was so different than many of the dogs that came into the rescue I volunteered for. All of whom were heartbroken and shattered after losing their homes and families. Not Fozzie, he was like the class clown, the comic relief in our lives. Everything was a game to him. He’d toss a ball in the air with his teeth, balance it on his nose then bump it into the air again. Or he’d strew magazines all over the floor, race down the hall and pounce on them sliding across the room like a kid at the beach on a skim board. He brought so much laughter into our home. And that’s the beautiful thing about humor, it elevates our mood, improves our physical wellbeing, and according to some studies, it can even improve our leadership skills. It’s vital to our lives and dogs are masters at it.  Here are three things dogs know about humor!

  1. Choose your mood – take time to look in the mirror. Just a quick glance. What’s your current mood and what are you projecting in the world? While dogs may not necessarily do this, as an animal communicator, when I tapped into my own dog, he told me that it’s important to know what your inner being is projecting into the external world. You want to radiate joy as much as you can. It’s your inner being that becomes your external projection. And what you project will be reflected to you ten-fold.
  2. Open up – when you tap into and open your heart, you’re accessing the deepest part of yourself. Deep inside of us we all carry pain, but we also carry the ability to heal ourselves and others which can ultimately bring us joy, a sense of weightlessness, and yes, the ability to see the lighter side of things and to smile no matter what.
  3. Be the eternal optimist – Try to see the lighter side of things, explore your dreams, and imagine that your best and highest fortune is just around the corner. The power of positivity and humor can lift you up and help you to manifest magic and miracles!Dog breed

What Dogs Know About the Power of Empathy

June 07, 2021

Empathy is a powerful emotion, it gives us the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. The importance empathy plays in our lives is that it allows us to treat the people we care about the way we wish they would treat themselves. And it allows us to better understand the needs of people around us, and to more clearly understand the perception we create in others with our words and actions.

Dogs are masters of empathy. They know when we are sad or blue and they communicate that to us through physical contact. And we’ve all seen photos of dogs laying on the grave of a departed human companion or keeping watch over an injured friend. Scientific research has established that dogs are empathetic to human feelings; in a groundbreaking 2016 study, researchers evaluated dogs’ empathy for other dogs. Study results suggest that not only do dogs empathize with the distress of other dogs, but they also show sympathetic concern. Anyone who’s ever loved a dog can testify to their ability to read our moods and celebrate our highs and support us through our lows. Here are 3 things that dogs know about the power of empathy.

  1. Empathy is an act of love. It requires opening our hearts to the feelings someone else is experiencing. It’s especially important to practice empathy when your life is flourishing in all areas. Opening ourselves at a time when everything is going our way allows us to give back to others who aren’t in the same place and offer our own personal fulfillment to be poured back into the greater whole.

 

  1. In the spiritual sense, it allows us to open up our chakra’s or our energy centers, particularly the source of our intuition. When we do, we are more awakened to feelings of love and devotion for those who need us and ultimately all humanity.

 

  1. To show empathy is like offering a burst of spiritual sunshine that encourages others to replace the darkness of a troubled mind and soul. It creates a bridge of compassion and understanding to everyone who shares your life path.

February 15, 2021

What Dogs Know About the Power of Love

Anyone who’s ever been loved by a dog knows that dogs are the essence of love. They love with their whole heart and being, unconditionally and without boundaries. You can see it in the way their tales wag their entire body, in the joyful abandon with which they celebrate our return home after a long day, and in the gentle way they lean into us when they know we’re hurting. Dogs are the masters of pure love.

As an animal communicator, I’m often approached by someone who has just lost a beloved dog, to do a final reading to connect, seek closure, and attempt to begin the healing process. The first thing every dog tells me is how deeply they loved, loved, loved their human. And they tell me about the beautiful life they had with that person. Teachers of sacred geometry and dimensional healing have told me that each animal on the planet is here to teach us and to help us evolve. Dogs are here to help us transition from the third dimension to the fourth dimension which is connected to pure love. But one of the most important things about love is that it must start with loving ourselves. Here are 5 things dogs want us to know, not just about love, but how the power of self love opens us up to all things about love.

  1. To give it freely and to never hold back. Lean into the power of sharing love without expectation.

  2. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. Find the wonder and beauty of even the tiniest thing and let it fill your heart until you are overflowing with love.

  3. Create sacred space and a sanctuary for yourself—a place where you can go within and seek inner peace, clarity, and vision. When you do, you open yourself fully to love.

  4. Love is the infinite and ultimate potential of the human race and the path that allows us to manifest for the greater good of all.

  5. Love is the ultimate path that awakens and connects us more deeply to the unity, grace, and spiritual treasures in our world.