Articulate Animals Blog, Kelly Krueger, Animal Communicator

Animal Communicator Kelly Krueger puts voice to your pet's thoughts, needs, and emotions.

Archive for category Stories about our Animals

Bringing A Missing Pet Home: Rufus’s Story

Aug 18

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Products & Animal Resources, Stories about our Animals | No Comments

A client contacted me a few weeks ago with the news that her parents’ pet parakeet, Rufus, had gone missing. While he spends a good amount of time out of his cage with his people during the day, he is not an outside bird. On this day, however, Rufus was outside by accident and, as all of us with pets know, sometimes accidents happen. Rufus was startled and flew out of grasp.

Rufus

A missing pet of any species is heartbreaking. We generally feel a combination of panic, guilt, desperation and devastation, yet we try to remain hopeful amidst it all. Though challenging, it is important to remain optimistic and to work through all possible avenues to bring your beloved pet back home safely.

This is a story of a family who did everything they possibly could to bring Rufus home, and it paid off. The parents of Rufus acted very quickly and called other family members in and out of their small town asking for support and guidance. This immediate networking provided resources and suggestions which wouldn’t otherwise have been available. Each family member took a bit of the responsibility to contact any resource of which they were aware. This included placing an ad in the local newspaper, requesting an announcement on the local radio station, posting signs around the neighborhood, contacting an animal communicator, and registering Rufus on FindToto.com, a service providing telephone broadcast messages to help bring missing pets home. Through it all the family was pragmatic, knowing the chances of a small bird being identified as a missing pet were slim, but still remaining optimistic that their efforts would be successful.

Low and behold, Rufus was found! He spent one night out on his own, and one night with a very loving gentleman who spotted Rufus sitting on his backyard bird bath and cared for him overnight. Apparently the gentleman mentioned finding Rufus to some family and friends, and this networking led to Rufus’s safe return home. Someone saw the advertisement in the newspaper the next morning, alerted the gentleman, and he returned Rufus promptly to his very happy and welcoming family.

Any of the methods used – signage, newspaper, radio, animal communication, a missing pet service - could have been the method that brought Rufus home. The fact is, we don’t know who may notice our beloved pet and what newspaper ad or sign in the neighborhood they might see. It only takes one to bring our pet home. Broadening the scope of the search by utilizing all methods available as quickly as possible increases the odds that the one person who has seen our pet has also seen at least one sign or newspaper ad or heard one radio announcement or received one phone message from FindToto.com.

It is my hope that none of us ever has to go through the anguish of a missing pet. Should that unforeseen circumstance happen, however, I urge you to network extensively and utilize all possible options, as this family did, to bring your beloved pet home quickly and safely.

Tags: , ,

The Wisdom of a Cat named Milagro

Feb 4

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Stories about our Animals | No Comments

Milagro

There is a new blog out there which, as an animal communicator, intrigued me when I learned of it. Now, having followed “Millie Cat” for several posts, I am hooked. Her wisdom is profound and many of her topics have reached deep within me as a human, not particularly as an animal communicator.

I’ll leave it at that and encourage you to check out Milago’s blog: http://milagrocat.blogspot.com/. I recommend starting with her first post (January 25th) and reading Millie’s story and how she came to impart her wisdom through her human interpreter.

Enjoy!

Tags: , ,

Are Veterinarians Open To Animal Communication?

Jan 19

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Frequently Asked Animal Questions, Health & Well Being for Pets, Stories about our Animals | No Comments

Occasionally I work with clients who express concern or nervousness about telling their veterinarian that the information they are providing regarding their pet’s symptoms is coming directly from their animal via an animal communicator. That’s fair. While the benefits of working with an animal communicator are becoming more and more accepted and acknowledged, I know there are skeptics out there. Many veterinarians are very open to the idea, and some are extremely enthusiastic when it comes to using information gained directly from the animal via an animal communicator.

Let me share Abbey’s story. Abbey hurt herself while playing and her limp had become worse over a couple of days. Her guardians called to see if I could talk with Abbey before their upcoming veterinary appointment scheduled for the following Monday. I applaud their strategy. They recognized Abbey’s discomfort and worked quickly to schedule x-rays or whatever would be necessary to understand her injury, THEN they turned to animal communication to gain understanding of Abbey’s symptoms as described directly by Abbey, which might provide additional information to share with their vet.

As I began to get a feel for Abbey’s aches and pains, I recall telling her human “Abbey says it hurts here, and it feels better when she moves in this way.” After a few of these comments I realized that the client was getting quiet and more reserved. She admitted two things: 1. she expected Abbey to confirm the client’s assumption that the discomfort was in Abbey’s lower limb, which she also assumed would be obvious to the vet; and 2.  the client hadn’t considered the need to broach the subject of using an animal communicator with her veterinarian and/or animal clinic staff.

You see, from human observation it appeared that Abbey probably had a “sprained ankle” of some sort. While they couldn’t find an exact location that was painful upon palpitation, the way Abbey was holding her leg and resting her leg when in a sitting position seemed as though her pain was in the lower extremity, the client explained. Conversely, Abbey expressed absolutely no concern for her lower leg; instead, her whole attention rested in the deep hip and pelvis area. The client, whom I had worked with on a few occasions previously, didn’t doubt Abbey’s explanation of her symptoms. This put the client in an awkward position, however, and she had to determine just how comfortable, or uncomfortable, she would be in telling the vet of our animal communication consultation.

An animal communicator’s role is to work on behalf of the animal, allowing the animal to be heard in whatever way is appropriate. The animal doesn’t care if their human admits to working with an animal communicator; they care that their information is being heard and used to the best possible benefit. When I understood the client’s discomfort in talking with the vet, we were able to come up with ways to share Abbey’s symptoms to the vet exactly as Abbey explained them, but which didn’t include the use of the words “animal communication.”

That Monday I received a very excited call from the client on her way home from their veterinary visit. The client had found a burst of courage and admitted to her veterinarian that she had received some very specific details about Abbey’s discomfort via an animal communicator. The vet’s response? “I LOVE animal communication! I’ve worked with an animal communicator myself a couple of times. Tell me, what did Abbey have to say?”

It turns out that Abbey’s very detailed description of where she was hurting allowed the vet to take one, and only one, x-ray and find the problem right away. The vet told the client that she would have started with the lower leg area, concurring with the client’s visual assumption. Her positive experience with animal communication, however, encouraged her to go first to the site of Abbey’s explanation.  The problem area was, in fact, in the area between the hip socket and the pelvis. There was no need to look further, saving the client the expense of multiple x-rays and saving Abbey from extended and unnecessary poking and prodding.

 ”To tell, or not to tell” is a viable question. As long as your beloved animal’s information is being heard and expressed in an appropriate way, I encourage you to follow your intuition. You may find, as in the case of Abbey and her humans, an unqualified acceptance of the concept of animal communication by your health care provider. This opens the door for more dialog in the future regarding your pet’s symptoms and overall health experience. If you are concerned, however, that your animal clinic is not completely on board yet with the concept of animal communication, then work with your animal communicator to identify ways to share your pet’s critical information and symptoms to your health care provider in a way that remains truthful and in integrity for the animal and gives your furry companion every opportunity for a thorough and successful diagnosis. At some point, however, you may find a burst of courage in talking with your veterinarian about the use of animal communication, and you might just be surprised with their positive response!

What is your experience with sharing your animal’s symptoms with your health care provider? Leave a comment and let us know!

Tags: , , , ,

Animal Communication: Katy’s Story

Dec 10

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Stories about our Animals | No Comments

I met Katy in August 2009. Her family’s beloved Dachshund, Cinnamon, had passed in March and the family needed closure. Cinnamon was available for communication from the spirit world, and was very compassionate and loving in her words to her mom and her doggie companions. After communicating with Cinnamon, I worked with each of the remaining doxies in the home, helping them understand their grief and addressing the one or two other topics that came up.

Each of the three doxie-girls was mourning the passing of Cinnamon in her own way. The additional topics for each of “the girls” were interesting and I enjoyed getting to know them all… but Katy’s story captured my heart.

Katy

Katy

Katy had some grief, but only a portion of her sadness was related to Cinnamon’s passing. Yes, she missed Cinnamon, but there was something more. She was timid and a little melancholy and her confidence was low. The topic for Katy was her regular (and annoying) barking and yowling. Whether in the house or in the yard, she would suddenly start barking for no obvious reason, often staring out into space blankly.

When I asked Katy about the barking and yowling, she said “I have to do that because otherwise I’m invisible! Being vocal is the only way that I know I can be seen and won’t disappear.” This was an interesting perspective which her mom and I both had to ponder. Her mom commented “we do see you and we love spending time with you Katy, so why do you leave the rest of the family and go sit by yourself?” Her answer reinforced her earlier comments about being invisible, and the rest of our conversation illuminated the depth of her self-esteem issues.  

At this point, Katy’s mom shared her experience of Katy since coming to their loving family seven years prior: Katy was adopted at four months old, and never seemed to totally integrate into the family. She would remove herself from the other dogs after a short period of play, would go out in the yard by herself for long periods of time, and in all the time she had lived with the family, she had never accepted the regular invitations to sleep on the family bed with her humans and the other dogs. To all of this, her rationale was that she had “reached her limit in expending energy to keep herself visible,” even though in every case her isolation was self-imposed.

Her mom and I talked with her at length about how welcome she is in the family, how loved she is, and how much the family appreciates her own unique self and would love to get to know her even better, if she would allow herself to open up. Katy helped me identify a couple of flower essence remedies which she felt would be helpful in supporting her emotionally in the next few weeks. I thanked Katy for being open and honest with us, and we ended our session.

Angel

Angel

About six weeks later the family scheduled another animal communication consultation, this time to help them welcome a new little girl-Dachshund into the family. Before meeting Angel, I was thrilled to receive an update on Katy and her doxie-sisters since our first communication session. Katy’s inappropriate vocalization (barking and yowling) had decreased considerably, and in the first week after our consultation Katy had accepted TWO  invitations to sleep on the bed with the family! In every way, the family was seeing a more confident, outgoing, and happy Katy.

The newly adopted Angel had her own story to share. Within days of coming to the family she had become very ill with pneumonia and irritable bowel syndrome, and her depression was palpable. She had been in two foster homes since being relinquished by her original family and her ability to trust and love had diminished to nearly nothing by the time she came to her new forever family. When I was introduced to Angel her short-term and long-term prognosis was still uncertain. She had been out of intensive care for just three days and I felt strongly that we needed to help her regain a will to live. Katy to the rescue!

The Dachshunds’ mom suggested that we ask Katy to take an active role in nursing Angel back to health and to show her the ropes once she was feeling well. Darling Katy, who just six short weeks prior was questioning her own viability in the family, said – quite enthusiastically I might add – “I’m ON IT! Leave Angel to me. That’s going to be my new job!”

Sure enough, the update in the next consultation in mid-November was astoundingly positive. Angel’s physical health, demeanor and zest for life was improving daily. Angel said “I’m 75% good and will be 100% very soon.” Her re-found joy for life glowed from within her. She had become “Katy’s little shadow” as their mom explained, and the piddle pads that had once carpeted the living room because Angel refused to go outside without extreme coaxing, were gone. Katy had something to say too – she was *thrilled* with her job of helping Angel learn her way.

Today, just four months after I was introduced to this remarkable family, the once-timid Katy with very low self-esteem is full of life, fully integrated into the family and relishes playing with the other dogs and humans. She is sleeping on the family bed every night, no longer isolating herself, and she barks only when a squirrel or cat happens by and catches her attention. The “wall flower” has become the center of attention and her job of mentoring Angel continues to be performed with expertise, love, and enthusiasm.

Written with permission and input from the loving mom of Katy, Angel, Danke, Clove, and Cinnamon.

Tags: , , , , ,

Your Pet is Speaking; Are You Listening?

Aug 4

Posted by Kelly Krueger in About, Activities, Events, Classes, Stories about our Animals | 1 Comment

Is animal communication right for you and your pets? More and more people are finding value in working with an animal communicator, yet for many is it a “leap of faith” based on a recommendation from a friend. If you are wondering if animal communication would benefit you and your animal family, please join me for a FREE tele-seminar titled

“Your Pet is Speaking; Are You Listening?”

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

6:30 p.m. MDT   (5:30 PDT; 7:30 CDT; 8:30 EDT)

Tele-seminar is free; long-distance phone charges may apply

In the 45-minute tele-seminar, we will cover: 

Your Pet is Speaking; Are You Listening?

Your Pet is Speaking; Are You Listening?

  • What is animal communication?
  • How do animal communicators receive and convey the information from and to the animals?
  • How can animal communication benefit me and my household?
  • Questions and Answers
  • Stories and examples from actual animal communication sessions

The tele-seminar is open to anyone interested in knowing more about animal communication, whether you have worked with animal communicators in the past, or you are considering listening to your animals through an animal communicator for the first time. 

Please join us as we explore the benefits of animal communication. To RSVP for the free “Your Pet is Speaking; Are You Listening?” tele-seminar on August 19th, please email Kelly@ArticulateAnimals.com to add your email address to the participant list. You will receive a reminder and the teleconference dial-in phone number and instructions on Monday, August 17th.  

For information about Kelly Krueger, Articulate Animals, and animal communication, visit www.ArticulateAnimals.com.

Tags: , , , , ,

Summer Dangers – Snakes (Part Two)

Jul 11

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Health & Well Being for Pets, Stories about our Animals | 2 Comments

At the conclusion of  “Summer Dangers – Snakes (Part One)” Cooper the black lab had been in the Veterinary Hospital for a few days after being bitten by a rattlesnake. He had received anti-venom serum, and Wendy, his temporary caregiver, along with the veterinary staff, was starting to see signs of improvement.

Morgan, Wendy, Cooper, Jill

Morgan, Wendy, Cooper, Jill - 2009

A Reminder of the Cast of Characters:

Cooper - four-year-old black Labrador Retriever

Morgan - Cooper’s Golden Retriever friend

Wendy – Morgan’s mom, and Cooper’s caretaker when his family is on vacation

Jill – Cooper’s mom who was on vacation in South America during the time of Cooper’s experience with the snake

 
Q: Jill, how long was Cooper hospitalized? How long after returning home did you feel he was completely recovered?

A: Cooper was hospitalized for five days.  By the time we returned from Peru, much of his swelling had gone down and his prognosis was very, very good.  I recall that he was a bit sluggish when we picked him up, but otherwise quite normal and in good spirits.

 

Morgan and Cooper

Morgan and Cooper

Q: Now, two years later, how is Cooper? Any lasting effects? Any signs of trauma, like not wanting to hike in particular terrains anymore?

A:Cooper has no lasting effects from the snake bite. He has no fear of prairie-like terrains, no fear of vets and is always up for a walk in the wilderness. He also has no lasting physical effects from the bite.

We are forever indebted to Wendy for her rapid response to the rattlesnake bite and for doing exactly the right thing every step along the way to ensure Cooper’s health and well being. In addition, our VPI Pet Insurance covered fully two-thirds of the cost of the veterinary treatment and care

Q: If Cooper should happen upon a snake again in the future, would his immune system withstand another bite experience?

A: I am not sure of the answer to this, and I suppose the circumstances would contribute as well. We hope we won’t have to find out, and remain aware of the potential for snakes on Cooper’s behalf when are on hiking trails.

 

Q: Wendy and Jill – any cautions, advice, or helpful hints that you can provide having been through a snake bite experience?

Wendy: The advice I would give is to be aware of where snakes may be prone – if walking in the area, go during cooler times of the day.  Look out for particularly sunny spots where snakes like to bask in the sun.  If you or your dog is bitten – act quickly – do not delay in getting to the nearest hospital.

Jill: Avoidance of areas with a preponderance of rattlesnakes is best during the summer months.  It is also worthwhile knowing vets in the area that are likely to have the anti-venom on hand. 

Playing Tug o' War with a stuffed monkey

Playing Tug o' War with a stuffed monkey

 

Comments from Cooper

Cooper was my first (and so far my only) snake bite client. As Wendy referenced, she called me very soon after getting Cooper to the hospital, and I attempted to communicate with Cooper a few times during his recovery. My notes from the first communication with Cooper, which was within a couple of hours after his run-in with the snake, included:

  • painful swelling in his mouth, excessive drooling
  • “tingly” in his legs
  • feverish, achy like flu symptoms
  • no appetite, interest, or energy for eating

I remember asking Cooper what it felt like in the area (between his eyes) where the puncture wounds were found. I assumed much of his discomfort would be focused around his upper nose, eyes, and forehead area. It was surprising to me that I didn’t pick up on any information about that area – he didn’t talk about pain between his eyes, having a headache, or any significant sensations in that area. He continually brought my attention, however, to very unusual sensations in his mouth. It felt as though his lips and gums were turning inside out, and he couldn’t stop the drool. I was sure I was misunderstanding him, but my visit to Cooper a couple of days later confirmed what he shared - his lips and interior cheek tissue was extremely inflamed. Poor guy. As bad as he looked, I knew he felt worse.

My attempts to communicate in any detail with Cooper over the next couple of days were largely unsuccessful. Once he was more alert and his prognosis for survival was clear, I talked with him about the snake. He didn’t have any idea what happened to him. “I just got sick” he said. As I described the sounds (rattles) and smells associated with rattlesnakes, I never felt that he fully connected the snake with his illness.

 

My thanks to Wendy and Jill for agreeing to be interviewed. Chances are you will never need to know how to tend to your pet in this way, however, according to some statistics found online, animal snake bite cases are on the rise. If you live or hike in areas with known snake activity, take appropriate precautions for your animals, and know where the nearest emergency veterinary clinic is located just in case. If you feel your pets may be at higher risk for a possible run in with a poisonous snake, talk with your vet about snake bite inoculations. As with any vaccination, there are risks and some animals may develop allergic reactions to the vaccine so consider all the pros and cons.

Tags: , , ,

Summer Dangers – Snakes (Part One)

Jul 7

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Health & Well Being for Pets, Stories about our Animals | No Comments

Ah, glorious summertime. Living in the mountains of Colorado, I look forward to a few months of warm, sunny weather as many of you do. Summertime brings some dangers, however, of which we all need to be aware. A previous post discussed poison mushrooms and some dangerous foliage. In most regions, summer dangers also includes poisonous snakes. The snake varieties vary from region to region – here in the Rocky Mountains we keep our Snake blog post warningeyes open for rattle snakes. Where my family lives in Arizona they remain aware of diamondback rattle snakes. I won’t list them all, but do take the time to be aware of what snakes may be lurking in your area and take precautions to keep your pets safe. Remember that outdoor cats love to play chase; dogs have a way of nosing in to areas they may regret; and horses can come upon a sleeping snake and startle it to reaction. Be aware!

Following is the first part of an interview with two client-friends who had an unexpected experience with a rattle snake. Part two of this article will conclude the interview, and I will comment on my communication experience with Cooper immediately after his run-in.

Cast of Characters:

Cooper - a well-behaved four-year-old black Labrador Retriever who enjoys hiking in the mountains of Colorado

Morgan - Cooper’s younger Golden Retriever friend

Wendy – Morgan’s mom, and Cooper’s caretaker when his family is on vacation

Jill – Cooper’s mom who was on vacation in South America during the time of Cooper’s experience with the snake

Cooper

Cooper

Q: Wendy, what was the terrain and conditions present when Cooper met the snake ?

A: The date was May 4, 2007.  The days had been really hot so I wanted to take Morgan and Cooper up Table Mountain (in Golden, Colorado) early.   We headed up around 8:30 a.m. and it was already 85 degrees with hot sun and little wind.  Table mountain is less than a mile up to the top but relatively steep.  We took the longer route with fewer switchbacks.  While Morgan was off the trail and wandering around, Cooper remained on the trail just slightly ahead of me.  We turned at a switchback approximately ½ way up the mountain and all of a sudden Cooper got excited and started to sniff around the bush – a little deeper than his usual sniffs….then I heard the rattle!

Q: Did you have any warning that a snake was near? Was Cooper nosing around under bushes and disturb the snake, or was it completely innocent on Cooper’s part?

A: I heard the rattle and quickly called Cooper back – it didn’t take much as he was already pulling away from the bush. 

Q: Cooper is a good-size Labrador. Once bitten, how did you manage to get him to the hospital?

A: As I had heard the rattle and saw the snake which was BIG, I was pretty sure that Cooper had been bitten.  I don’t recall if he actually whelped or if he just pulled away from the bush.  I quickly called Morgan and Cooper and headed down the hill.  I had previously had a run-in with a rattler so knew that raising Cooper’s heart rate would only speed up the blood flow which, in turn, would pump the poison through is body.   Within just a couple of minutes Cooper was foaming from the mouth and the bridge between his eyes was beginning to disappear (it was now clear that the snake bit Cooper directly between the eyes as evidenced by the puncture wounds).

I put both dogs on lead and slowly, yet panicky, walked down the hill.  It took at least 15 minutes to walk back to my house and all the while Cooper was getting slower and slower.  With anxiety building I put Cooper in the car and drove as quickly as I could to the Vet (another 15 minutes away).  By this time Cooper’s face was drawn and drooping – he was slow and obviously in pain.

Q: Please walk us through the next steps, Wendy – finding an emergency hospital equipped to handle snake bites, treatment options, the prognosis and any information the veterinary staff provided.

A: The entire Vet staff was very responsive and gave me all the critical information – the most important was to give Cooper the anti-venom shot which he did receive within minutes of arriving.  After admitting Cooper I promptly called you (Kelly) to ask if I was doing the right thing for Cooper, what else could I have done, etc. – I was nervous, scared, upset!

The doctor was excellent in telling me all they would have to do with Cooper.  After receiving the anti-venom, the staff could only try to make him as comfortable as possible.  The doctor would not give any indication if Cooper’s body would accept the anti-venom or his chances for survival.  That scared me the most!  Cooper was to be in the hospital for the coming 3-4 days and would most likely be very ‘out of it’ as the drugs were strong.  They put him on an IV and monitored his water-intake for the coming days.  Before I left the hospital I was allowed to see Cooper who was heavily sedated and obviously in pain.

I went back to the hospital at 3:00 p.m. and this time it was even more upsetting – Cooper was whining, delirious and his head had grown to an enormous size – probably 2-3 times his normal size.  His face drooped and sagged and he had managed to pull out his IV several times during the day.  I tried to comfort him, talk to him and assure him that he would get through this.  The doctor did ensure that his whining was more from the medication than him being in pain at that point.

For the next couple of days I visited Cooper several times a day – he seemed to be improving slowly but his head was still very large and he was slow moving.  I checked in with the doctor each time – he still would not give any indication of whether Cooper would make it or not.

Finally on Sunday, the day Jill and Mike were due home, Cooper started to show some more improvement.  He recognized me and was more responsive than he had been in previous days.   The doctor was also more optimistic and gave a positive response about Cooper’s prognosis.

Part two continues with Cooper’s long-term prognosis, advice should you find yourself in a similar circumstance, and my own experience in communicating with Cooper during his ordeal.

Tags: , ,

Gratitude for Service Animals

Jun 15

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Stories about our Animals | 6 Comments

Falzone - puppy in training

Falzone - service puppy in training

I worked with two service dogs a few days ago. One, Porter, is a Police dog trained to find drugs. The other, Boomer, is a seeing eye dog. Each in their own way expressed their absolute joy with their work. I am drawn to share their stories because so often I hear people express sadness and pity for the service animals they see. Don’t get me wrong – most of the time these people are very respectful of the benefits the service animals provide their handlers, but they feel bad in some way for the animal’s life. There seems to be a perception that service animals are forced into a life of melancholy and servitude.

Here’s my perspective from working with many service animals over the years. The animals we see working – the seeing eye dogs, law enforcement animals, dogs trained for those in wheel chairs, etc. are working animals because they *choose* to be working animals. It’s true. Those that go all the way through their rigorous training programs make it because they *want* to be working animals.

When I met Porter, the drug dog, I had barely introduced myself to him before he exclaimed – in capital letters I might add – that he LOVES his work! Everything else we talked about after that was secondary to him. It was most important for him express his appreciation to his handler for challenging him in a way that is very fulfilling for him. After Porter took the opportunity to share his love for his work and his handler, his handler shared his story. Porter was a rescue who had some false starts early in life before finding his true purpose. He went through the police officer training program and had been with this handler for only a few months but has quickly become the star drug dog in the region. Just like many humans I know, it just took a little time for Porter to find his true calling, and now that he has he can’t wait to be on duty!

Boomer is seven years old and has been with the same handler since graduating his training program about 5 years ago. Boomer’s expression of fulfillment in his work was very different from Porter’s exaggerated enthusiasm, but it was clear nonetheless that he, too, is doing the exact work he chooses. It was magical for me to watch Boomer and his handler interact. They are truly ”a match made in heaven” with mutual respect and admiration for one another. When Boomer was off his halter, signaling off-duty time, he explored and sniffed and greeted me enthusiastically. As soon as he heard and saw his handler start to reach for his harness, Boomer was at her side immediately. Boomer’s response when asked if there is anything he needs from his handler was  “don’t forget that it’s warmer now and so help me stay cool” and “use me more if you need me more – I’m here to help.”

I work regularly with a few service dog puppy raisers. Very often the puppies orchestrate their destiny, and they generally know very early on if they want to be service dogs or not. One of my first experiences with a puppy-in-training was a little girl-dog about six months old. She had been with her puppy-trainer for about three months when I consulted with them. After covering a few topics about expectations, behaviors, food preferences, etc. the raiser asked “does she know she is training to be a service animal, and what does she think of it?” Without skipping a beat this little girl said “I LOVE IT! I’m really good at it and I’m going to get better. I’M GOING TO BE A STAR!” Her enthusiasm was a little shocking for both her guardian and for me. Sure enough, 18 months later she graduated from the program at the top of her class and was placed in a loving home desperately in need of her assistance.

Others, when asked the same question, have been uncertain in a variety of ways – one wasn’t sure he wanted the responsibility; another would rather be a puppy-mom; one had some control issues and he wasn’t too keen on having to be at a humans beck and call all the time. You guessed it - in every case these uncertain puppies were dismissed from the program for some reason before reaching graduation day.

So the next time you see a service animal in working mode, be respectful and don’t distract them, but send them gratitude and appreciation for their awesome role in their chosen work. And do so without pity or sadness. They have found their calling and they are doing work they truly love.

Tags: , , , , ,