​Summer is full of vacations and trips that often do not include the animals – which is sometimes great for us but not for them.
To make this easier, the animals have simple requests. Some of them I’ve listed below to help you and your animals have a better time apart:

• Before you leave, share with them how long you will be gone in using the number of meals instead of days.
• Let them know why they are not going simply stating the facts such as “It is a long airplane ride.” or “We will be river rafting and it is not a great environment for cats.”
• When trying to decide on a care taker for them, let them meet the person and listen with your heart, watch the body language, and trust your gut if this person is a good fit for them.
• Talk out loud to your animals and let them know the schedule of when the caretaker will be visiting, etc.
• When you are gone check in with them every day. Create a routine where each morning and evening you send them love and let them know about your day.
• The animals want you to know that when you are on vacation and you suddenly think of them, that is them reaching out to you – like a ping and they’d appreciate a love ping back.
• Tell them what you are doing at the moment either out loud or imagine having a conversation with them in your mind.

At the Animal Communication Basics class in Durango, Colorado, we discussed the different ways of visualizing changes in animal companion behavior. We explored the many lines of communication that we are constantly receiving from our animals and constantly sending to our animals – though in both cases, we may not be aware of it.


One of the lines of communication is through Emotion.  You and your beloved animal companion are sending and receiving each other’s feelings and emotions.  You may sense their dismay when you sit down to watch TV instead of going for a walk with them. You may be sending emotions unconsciously which could mean that behavioral challenges might be arising. Take for example you want to walk on the bike path but you are afraid of your dog chasing the bikes (which he has in the past and it did not go well). Over time, you have a created a considerable amount of fear tied up with this exercise. Now, when you walk on the path you are emanating fear and it is tied to the picture of a bike.  Your dog receives this message and understands that you are afraid of bikes and they become the enemy.  He sees a bike and chases it to try to chase away the fear that you hold and you become even more fearful.  Now, it is a catch twenty-two.  


Since you have been stuck in a fear cycle around the bike, there needs to be a big energetic shift within you. It starts by beginning to send them a picture of what you do want when a bike goes by.  Thoughts get switched into pictures so don’t worry about sketching out what you want, instead imagine watching the scenario you want to play out like a film.  For example, you are both walking on the path with the leash loosely held and a bike is approaching.  The two of you notice the bike, while the leash is still loose, your body is calm, and he is calm.  As the bike approaches, you both are still calmly walking, stopping to smell the bushes or take a pee, etc.  Then, the bike passes you as you two are still walking, disinterested in the presence of the bike and biker, with the leash loose between you.  When the bike passes, you praise him and let you know how you like walking on the path with him when all is calm.  He will feel your calm presence and enjoy walking.
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Often during my class or animal communication sessions when I can sense that there is a behavioral challenge, I will invite you to reflect upon what emotion you may be sending out that may trigger this response and then start imagining what you do want instead. Sending images of how you want the situation to go is far more effective and allows you to start rewriting the movie.