One of the secrets to communicating with our pets is to be clear about the fact that they are still animals... and so they think differently from people, and will only communicate about what's important to them... as animals...

I have been trying for ages to try and talk to my dog, Timmy. I have read lots of books about it, and tried to sit relaxed and just free my mind, but still i don't seem to reach him. Please, I would REALLY like to know what he thinks about his life, if he really loves me, does he like the food i give him and is there anyhting he would like me to do. PLease i would be forever grateful if you could ask him. Maomi

It sounds like you've been trying to talk to your dog as if he's a boyfriend and not your dog. Dog's are very logical about what they will reply about and they don't understand conceptual thinking. It sounds like he shows you what he wants and needs instead of "thinking" it to you. My Great Pyrenees, Hannah used to get very angry with me for talking to her instead of just opening my mind to her. She often would tell me how redundant people were because they felt the need to make noise instead of just letting the question in their head be enough. She felt people were just too chatty. It sounds like your dog might be like Hannah in that way.

You need to allow the fact that your dog is with you for many lessons and one of the biggest is that he is a dog and not a person. Just watch and observe him when you ask in your head and see if those questions are answered. Also, dogs feel that is it anough to show you they are happy to see you and be with you for you to get that they love you. But again I ask are you confusing your concept human of "love" with the love (respect and devotion) that a dog will show you. Is he eating his food? Then he likes it. Wheither or not it's nutritionally sound, that's a human question that you'll need to read the label for. Dogs are like kids, they will eat Fritos, chips, and pop all day and love it. . . . Is it nutritionally sound? I don't think so. You are the human and the responsible animal. Don't defer your responsibility to his whims. Don't anthromorphosise him into a species that he has no concept how to react in.

Enjoy your dog as he is a dog and ask your questions in a frame that he can understand. Love, Laura

Hello Laura! I want to ask you...I have a mixed breed dog. Her name is Trixie. I want to ask you if you do far-away readings, because I really want to know if my dog can help me in some way to understand her, and ask her if she really wants to talk with me. I live in Sweden. And I can't afford anything expensive, so if you could help me. I've just finished reading a book about talking with animals, and it fascinates me. I have always wanted to do this, read the animals minds, and in that way help them with their problems or maybe ask them for advice or just have a "chat" with them. I love animals and what couldn't be a better way to learn more about them and their thoughts. Maybe get beneath their furry surface and just learn to love them as a person, not a pet! With love Emma Lindmark Sweden

I do readings by email and phone for people and their pets around the world. Trixie tries to let you know her wants and desires in many ways. Most of them are body signals and vocalizations. If you respond to her vocalizations with a similar pitch in your voice and ask a question, or make a statement, see how she responds to you. Does she just look at you - as if to say, ' You didn't get it" or "Wrong", or does she get excited and wag her tail - as if to say, "That's it! " or "You got it!". That's how she and you can work together to get the flow going. Also watch her eyebrows. They can do some talking to! Also, blinking or closing the eyes means a lot too.

Do remember though, Trixie is a dog, not a person.

She won't really know how to respond to you if you ask her about issues that relate to people. Or if you are looking for a response that a person might give, don't expect Trixie to answer in that way. She is a dog and needs to be respected for those views and not made into a little person in dog suit. It isn't fair to her, and you'll be missing the lesson in Trixie's wisdom. Animals have a different conciseness than humans. Humans have a lot of things we have to do that our animal friends don't have to deal with in there present incarnation. It gets too convoluted to mix the two up and lowers your awareness in the process. Granted these are times that enough people are waking up to see the the animals point of view on things, but it is not the same as a humans responsibility to the collective consciousness of the world. It is also important for dogs, and each other species, to blend their thought and each species to grow as a whole in collective thought.

There is a story about an ape observer watching monkeys in the wild. One day he noticed one monkey using a twig in a new way for a tool. As time progressed the whole band of monkeys learned how to use the tool in the same way. Finally it came to where the hundredth monkey learned the lesson then, as if by magic, the whole species of monkey were using a twig for a tool in the same way. This is collective consciousness. If enough of any species gets the lesson it gets into the daily life of all. It is important for each species to grow at their own rate and not be blasted into something that would be ungrounding for the animal. They would have no way to reference the thought or the action.

For example, you wouldn't expect a toddler to do quantum math. In the case of a dog or cat, we can't expect animals to behave and communicate as a human would. Mimic possibly, but to truly understand? You get the point.

It's easy to anthromorphosize our pets, but it isn't fair to them. To paraphrase Freud, "Sometimes a horse is just a horse."

Keep up the good work and keep "listening" to the animals around you. Love, Laura

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