Clocks are off!

I had the pleasure of throwing my clocks off today! I got up at 5 am to get things together to go teach a class at the Harford County Community College on Canine Massage. They are all looking at me like "Why are we up now"? So cute!

I spoke at one of the local pet stores in Bel Air last night, Baron's K9 Country Store. It was the monthly Wine and Kibble night there. It was great as there were about 25 or 30 folks there to listen about the topic of Animal Communication and animal wellness. It was interesting to watch the dogs as they sat there an listened with their people companions. The dogs were all talking among themselves as the people there listened intently. It was good to see old friends again and to make new ones. A lot folks signed up for the next Animal Communication Workshop I am having. Check out my website www.spiritpaws.com if you too would like to learn how to communicate with your pet.

Gotta go get the "snoozing" clocks out of bed!

Happy Trails,
Sherry

The Best Job!

I have what I consider, the best job in the whole world! Being an Animal Communicator and dealing with the health and well being of animals and their caretakers, I just love my job. Actually to call it a "job" isn't really fair because it is my passion. I know it is what I am here to do. I love animals, all animals, because of who they are and what they teach us. When I am around animals I feel very much at home and at peace.

Addison is pictured here and she is my very young 12 year old Aussie! She said to me as I was thinking about what to write about today that she had the best job in the world. I asked her what that was, even though I already knew, basically she said to she was here to sample all the food that comes into the house. She is the food connoisseur for all of us here and that it is very important that I take her job seriously. Her job is to sample, at least once, everything I bring home, just to make sure it is edible. There is no 5 second rule here either on food. If it hits the floor it's Addison's. The other dogs two have long given up trying to go after anything that has been dropped. As Addison stared at me with those big sparkly eyes she also wanted me to know that I really needed to give up on that "diet food plan" as the food was not as tasty as usual. I had to laugh and agree with her in one sense, but I explained it was for a reason I brought those foods home with me.

I told her I really appreciated the fact that she was the "food police" and that I would try to make a couple better food selections this week just for her. With that conversation ended she curled up in front of the fan to go back to dreaming about the next meal. I swear she thinks about food every minute of everyday, that is how passionate she is about her job. And as you can tell from the photo she is far from a starving dog, she does take her job seriously.

But she did get me thinking about how much do we as humans really love and focus on our passions in life. For her I can tell you it is 24/7. I can picture her as Julia Childs in fur conjuring up and cooking all these wonderful and delicious meals. She would don the apron and chef's hat and just go to town with new creations everyday. She eats, lives and breathes her passion every minute of everyday.

I think I do too for the most part. There are those times when I would love to have the focus she does with her purpose in life. There are times when the human side, the side that begins to think too much, that I can get distracted from just being in the moment and being in the passion of my life. That is where my girls help to bring me back to the reality of why I am here. There is much comfort in the fact that I know and feel that passion and let it fill my heart.

What is your pet's passion? How close is it to yours? For me Addison and I share a great love of food. I understand her passion that is why I need to go fix something for the two of us to enjoy as our day begins to come to a close. Don't worry the other two are not left out, it is just that they don't get it about food like Addie and I do.

Happy Trails,
Sherry

Healing Energy

I would like to talk a little bit about he benefits of energy work for our animal companions. Most people are familiar with the term Reiki. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. These principles apply to both us and our animal companions. Healing Touch for Animals is a wonderful modality I have added to my practice. After almost two years of classes I became a certified Healing Touch for Animals Practitioner. In working with traditional veterinary care and HTA techniques, many animals have recovered quicker from ailments, injuries, behavioral issues and have improved their overall well being. All energy work is based in science. There is an actual physiological response to the energy work.

All animals and people benefit from having energetic work done on them. I know the last foster I had in my care benefited greatly from HTA. She was a puppy mill dog from Lancaster, PA. She spent 7 years in a crate pumping puppies out. She was so traumatized she shook at the drop of a piece of paper. She didn’t know what the inside of a house was so she always hid in the nearest corner of a room. It was through providing her with a loving home, a good diet, massage and energy work that she became about 80% dog in 9 months. She even became adoptable! She was appreciative after every session.

When looking for alternative ways to deal with behavior issues or health issues with our animal companions consider energy work as a compliment to current treatments. I often suggest to my clients that they themselves experience an energy session just to see what it is their animal will feel. Generally once they go the first time they go back again. We are surrounded by energy every day, some good and some not so good. We then bring that energy home to our pets and because they are energy sponges they soak up it up from us.

I can say that 80% of the animals I see also share the same disease or neurosis as their owner. Be aware of the energy you bring into your home. I know if I come home in a chaotic state it is not too long after that that my dogs begin to react to that energy and get all hyped out. On the other hand when I meditate I put on soothing music and relax. Within 5 minutes of the music starting my dogs are conked out at my feet, calm and relaxed.

Do you have a pet that would benefit from energy work? I always encourage people to look for alternative ways to help keep their pets healthy and well. If you have any questions about HTA and what it may be able to do for your pet please email me at sherry@spiritpaws.com.

Bubba the Fish

I must tell you about this most amazing fish named Bubba. I originally got Bubba when he was just a baby Oscar fish. I had him in a tank with a couple other fish that he apparently got along with. Oscars for the most part are hunter fish and pretty much kill what ever lives in the tank with them. There are a few fish they can coexist with and I guess I had the right ones. It was interesting to see Bubba grow and form his own personality. Yes fish have personality! Unfortunately most of the fish in the tank with him were a lot older and they ended up passing away one by one until Bubba had the tank all to himself. It was probably a good thing as Bubba now took up most of the tank.

The tank was situated in one of the other rooms but still in a place where he could see me while watching TV in another room. When I say he had personality I mean it! I can tell you he was like "Messy Marvin" in the fact that he didn't like anything neat and orderly in his tank. Every once and a while I had to clean the tank out and get it all sparkling clean, I would set his little plants back upright and the little lighthouse fixture I had in his tank. It never failed about an hour after I had all that done and had gently placed him back in the water he would immediately go to town knocking things over and pulling the plants from their upright rooted position. He wasn't happy unless things were wildly strewn all over the tank.

Thre were nights when he wanted my attention and made that fact known by thrashing about the tank and knocking the floating thermometer up against the side of the glass. The knocking would be so loud and constant he wouldn't stop until I got up and went over to the tank. Many nights we just sat there and communicated. He was an interesting character. He really liked the ladies and when ever one of my girlfriends would come into the house he would splash around to get their attention. He was such a ladies man!

There came a point where he was just getting too big for his tank and so I had to find another home for him. A woman I knew had a huge 8 foot tank and agreed to take him. I explained to him he was going to a place where he could see lots of ladies all the time! He was very excited about that and was looking forward to the new digs! A few months after he was moved and I went to see him. He was in great spirits and was very happy to see me. I also noted that he kept his new tank just as messy as the old one. I haven't been back to check up on him in a while. Something tells me wherever he is he is with the ladies.

So I am here to tell you fish do have personality! A very good friend of mine has a beautiful Koi pond. Each and every one of the fish have names and very different personalities. They each respond to her differently. She is learning to listen to them and understand the messages they bring to her. It is awesome to watch.

I have a new tank now and two new fish, Amos and Andy. They are Black Moors and they each have different personalities. Amos is much more of the go getter and Andy is more refined and laid back. So you see everything can communicate with us if we take the time to be quiet and listen. Heck, have you ever seen a cat in front of a fish bowl? You may think the cat wants to eat the fish, and I am sure some do, but there is a communication that happens between them. I am sure there is a communication between the animals in your home. As I am told quite often in my home, Sssshhhhhhhh, listen, do you hear it? "It's cookie time"! Gotta go!

Happy Trails,
Sherry

Teaching the Teacher

All of us are teachers in one way or another. Whether we formally went to school to teach others or have learned some of life’s lessons and have passed them on to others. Every day we teach someone new something they may not have thought about or even imagined. Every day I try to share with others about animals and who they are. It can be talking about the importance of good nutrition, the different holistic healing modalities available to animals or helping someone realize their animal companion actually has language all their own that they can learn.

It is in looking at them a little differently that we can begin to see the teachings and lessons they bring to our lives. They are our teachers in fur. In learning more about them and making a deeper connection with them we are actually connecting to something much deeper in ourselves. It is that connection to the universe. Many times our animal companions are the only true connection we feel in life. We may feel disconnected from ourselves, our friends, our family or world as a whole. Our only connection may be to our animal companion. They keep our hearts open to love.

Animals teach us in unconditional ways and in unconventional ways. Whether it is the goofy dog who is here to be the clown and lighten us up or it is the cat that sits and encourages us to be meditative with them to find that inner peace. They are unique beings unto themselves. They can encourage us to live in the moment and connect with nature. There are also those animals that have come from horrific backgrounds that are still here and teaching us how to take baby steps and have patience with not only them but ourselves.

I have become a teacher because of the animals in my life just as many of you have. Let them continue to teach you as you will and do teaching others who they are. I can tell you the animals are grateful and if you don’t believe me ask your animal companion.

There are several variations on this but one of my favorite quotes is, “Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am”. As I sit here and look at my dogs now I thank them for making me a better person and for continuing to have patience with me as I sit in their classroom, the classroom of life.

The Spirit of Things

Say the word spirit and a whole host of images probably come to mind. For me the image is the spirit or energy of beings or things that come up. We often comment about the human spirit or the spirit of an animal. How many have you heard a persons comment on a specific animal as being very "spirited" or having a "strong spirit"? Take a look at the animals who you live with and consider what kind of spirit they have. Are they mischievous or serious? Are they stubborn or one that goes with the flow? Or are they just like you in many ways and if they are how do they reflect back who you are.

My three girls are each a reflection of me. Addison is my fat and happy homebody, she is most content when she has a full stomach and can just stay home and sleep. Maggie is my intuitive. She is sensitive to others feelings whether it is a person or another animal. She is beginning to get the dreaded "silver eyes" and yet as that is happening her other senses are heightening. Maggie loves to be out and about, connecting with people and enjoys the freedom of being outdoors. When I worked at my friend Stacy's pet store in Bel Air Maggie would accompany me to work and to say she was in her element is an understatement! She was allowed to help greet the people as they came and went from the store. Stacy's dog's Sunny and Drake are there at the store everyday and Maggie gave them a break from their duties when she was there. There were no "leash" rules when we were there. She was free to go in and out as she pleased. Now my third dog is fairly new to me so I am still seeing where she fits in. My one friend just calls her the "princess" although I don't totally agree with that there is some truth there. Takla is the youngest and most active of the three. She too prefers to stay home. Being a little dog she thinks she is really a big dog and will pretty much mouth off to anybody no matter what the size. Maybe that is the connection. She voices her opinion, even against the big guys.

Three different dogs and three different spirits within each body. I have seen all types of spirits within animals. There are the "broken" spirits also. They break my heart but their spirit still lives deep within. These are the puppy mill dogs. I have had several in my life, they came to me through foster care. They may have had their spirit broken but love, nurturing and a whole lot of patience helped them reclaim their spirit and live fairly normal lives.

Honor those individual spirits you have living with you. You each chose to be in each others lives. In understanding who they are we get a better insight as to who we are.

Happy Trails!
Sherry

The Power of Oneness

There is a certain power of oneness, whether it is with animals, nature or the universe. Our animals have the ability to show us that everyday if we pay attention. I am moved by those animals and their caretakers who move and understand each other as one. They are in perfect harmony and communication with each other. There is something fluid about the relationship. You see and hear stories of it all the time.

There was the You Tube video not too long ago that made its rounds on the Internet about Christian the Lion and his reunion with his two caretakers early on in his life. His caretakers Ace and John adopted him from Harrods department store when he was a baby back in 1969. He was living in a cramped cage in the store. After a year he grew too big and was released into the wild. A year later Ace and John went back to see if they could find Christian again. They were told he had his own pride now and that he was completely wild and he probably would not remember them. They went anyway. You see the in the video the instant recognition from Christian to his two original caretakers. That is oneness with animals. Go to You Tube and look for the video that reads "Christian The Lion Full Reunion Ending HQ". It is one of the better ones on there. Also the music is Whitney Houston's "I will Always Love You". The clear
communication between the three of them is clear, the love is still there.

Another example of a relationship of oneness is with Stacy Westfall and her horse Baby Doll. I have the link posted on this blog but the first one doesn't have audio so go to the next one down or even the third on to watch it. Stacy rides bareback and her and her horse work in perfect unison to create a beautiful dance together, they dance together as one. Of course it doesn't hurt that the music they are playing is "Live Like You Were Dying"...very moving! Anyone who knows anything about horses or who experienced them know the connection between horse and rider are important but this relationship goes far deeper than that with the two of them.

Even if your story doesn't make it to You Tube there is a oneness you and your animal companion have created. People often honor that relationship by doing something special or creating something from their lives they never would have thought about creating. Look at all the folks that have started store's, rescues, shelter's, lines of clothing or food lines named after their pet. They help keep us connected to life and the world around us.

In keeping with that line of thought I am heading out in the rain with my dogs to connect with Mother Nature!

Happy Trails,
Sherry