Posts Tagged Horses

Article: Kelly Krueger Provides a Voice for Your Pet’s Needs and Emotions

Mountain Connection Magazine, July 2011 issue

Kelly Krueger Provides a Voice for Your Pet’s Needs and Emotions (click to see full article)

By Sarah Schraad

Are you or your family heading on vacation this summer? And if so, have you told your pets what is in store for them while you are away? Kelly Krueger, owner of Articulate Animals, can help you pass along the message. A professional animal communicator, Krueger says that it is important your pet understands when and why you are going away…and that you’re coming back.

Kelly Krueger, Animal Communicator

“More and more people are utilizing animal communication for a variety of situations like vacation preparation, as well as behavioral problems and health concerns,” says Krueger. “By enlisting an animal communicator, individuals can deepen their relationship and understanding of their pets, as well as obtain information about a particular issue that can then be used to benefit both the family and the animal.”

Born and raised on a Wyoming cattle ranch, animals have always been part of Krueger’s life. Based in Evergreen, she launched Articulate Animals in 2007 and has worked with clients in nearly every US state as well as around the world in places like India, Australia, and Ireland.

While the majority of her consultations are with dogs, cats, and horses, Krueger has also worked with birds, rabbits, iguanas, and more.  She connects telepathically with the animal in an effort to better understand a variety of issues, for example, why the pet behaves a specific way around strangers. In the event of a health concern, Krueger can help identify where an animal’s physical discomfort exists, which can then be shared with the family’s veterinarian. She also helps animals prepare for upcoming household changes such as a new baby, loss of a loved one, or moving to a new home.

“Most pet owners speak with their pets daily, usually to accomplish a specific task or correct a behavior,” Krueger says. “While we know our animals listen to us, it may not be as clear that our animals are also speaking to us with the same purpose and intent. I help individuals better understand what their pets are saying and feeling, because once those details are uncovered, harmony and balance can be restored.”

While there will always be skeptics, Krueger says that once an individual actually experiences the benefits and sees the results – such as a strange behavior that abruptly stops following a consultation – they recognize that animal communication does work and can improve the health and happiness of an animal.

“All of my clients have the same goal in mind, which is to gain a better understanding of their pet’s overall well-being and ensure the animal is content and feels loved. I can think of no better reward than helping my clients achieve a stronger relationship with their animal companion,” she adds.

More information is available on Kelly’s website, www.articulateanimals.com, including first-hand testimonials about her work and information on upcoming classes on animal communication. If you have questions or would like to schedule a consultation, contact Kelly at Kelly@ArticulateAnimals.com or by phone at 303-670-0292.

 

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Assisting our Pets with Disabilities

When our beloved pets are still full of life even in the midst of a diagnosis or physical disablity, there are many resources and alternatives to keep them healthy and active for a while longer. It is amazing to me the resources available for our pets. Diabetes, degenerative myelopathy or similar, and cancer are all scary words to hear and difficult diagnoses to wrap our heads around.

These diagnoses don’t necessarily mean the end is near. Certainly, we don’t want our beloved pets to suffer if we can possibly help it.  In some cases the most loving, compassionate, and selfless act is to let (or assist) our companion pass. In many of these cases, however, there are ways we can help our pets to continue to live happy, fulfilling lives for as long as they wish to remain on earth with us.

Diet and nutritional supplements is a great place to start in supporting our pets living with a medical diagnosis. Talk with your holistic veterinarian about foods and supplements which support, and in some cases, help to counter-act elements of the disease.

I have known animals in my animal communication practice who lived many happy years with diabetes - receiving daily injections to keep their insulin levels in check. I also have several kitty-clients in various stages of renal failure, and they are living active lives with IV fluids administered by their loving humans a few times a week in the privacy of their own home.

Physical therapy, acupuncture therapy, chiropractic treatments, and energy work like Reiki can all help our pets with neuromuscular conditions to remain active on their own, and wheelchairs, slings, or leg braces can be appropriate for those whose spirit for living remains high as their condition progresses.

The resources available nowadays are many, and it is important that we consider all aspects of the diagnosis carefully. It is not a “one size fits all” proposition. The animal’s condition, demeanor, and spirit are paramount in our decision making process. Ask your pet how they are feeling and include them in the treatment strategy. If you and your pet agree that there are more weeks, months, or years of living left, know that there are resources out there that may work for you.
 

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Practice Communicating with Your Animals

I am excited to offer (new for 2011) the “Deepening Connections Practice Series,” a regularly scheduled tele-class for those who would like practice and a little more instruction on communicating with animals.

Join me, Kelly Krueger, for quarterly animal communication practice sessions to deepen your ability to connect directly with your pets. Each 45-minute tele-session will include instruction and tips for successful communications with animals, a brief guided meditation, and two topics to explore with your pets. If the topic of the session does not directly apply to your own animals you may practice with a friend’s or family member’s pet.

Dates and topics for 2011 include:

March 16, 2011 – Tips for communicating with our aging animals, including encouragement and support as their body changes, understanding stiffness and discomfort, and setting the stage for the future when a more detailed discussion about end-of-life topics will be appropriate. Litter box and house training communications will also be included in this practice session. If you have a new animal companion, we will discuss how to set expectations and house rules regarding pet hygiene.

June 8, 2011- Preparing our pets for family vacations and the pet’s care options will be discussed and practiced. We will also consider the addition of a new animal family member - the short-term disruption this may cause your existing pets and how to telepathically welcome your new family member into the fold while establishing house guidelines from the beginning.

September 21, 2011- This practice session will include instruction on working with a variety of pet behaviors. Generic communications will be discussed, and a few specific behavioral issues will be practiced. For those with holiday house guests arriving, we will practice preparing our pets for the holiday, preparing for holiday visitors, and helping our pets understand the short-term changes in household routines.

December 7, 2011 – The final practice session of 2011 will include development of appropriate telepathic communications to encourage healthy social behaviors with other animals as well as humans (playing nice at the dog park, and saying hello to Aunt Jane when she visits, for example). Included in this session and the topic of social behaviors will be social play time. This may include setting appropriate play expectations for your obsessive ball chaser, or a kitty who insists on playtime in middle of the night!

We all can communicate telepathically with animals – it just takes practice!

For more information on the practice tele-series, visit www.articulateanimals.com/blog and view the “classes” tab for “Deepening Connections.”

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Take the 24-hour Pet Communication Challenge

Are you up for a challenge? You can do it, I promise! It’s simple.

Objective: Spend the next 24 hours joyfully communicating all the wonderful things you know about your pet

Rationale: This challenge reminds us just how simple it is to express our love and our expectations to our pets in a way that encourages their enthusiastic participation

Steps

1. Identify 2-3 items you wish to work on with your pet, or recent successes which you wish to reinforce

2. For 24 hours, be conscious of communicating with your pet, both out-loud and silently, in an encouraging, positive, and compassionate way

That’s it! I told you – simple! To help you with your challenge, here are a few examples. Some may apply directly to your own topics, or you can use these examples to create your own reinforcing communications.

House training example: Perhaps your dog has been properly house broken for some time, with only the occasional accident due to a short-term virus or a moment of extreme excitement. At some point in the day, unrelated to a bathroom break (or mistake), simply affirm the great job they’ve been doing: “You are my great go-outside-to-go-potty boy, Rover.” Do they know exactly what the words mean? No, but in that moment of expressing your sincere appreciation of a consistent job well-done, you will feel joyful at the success and you will automatically envision the several productive trips outside for appropriate elimination. The words of affirmation help you to feel and envision your expression of joy and congratulations and that is what your pet will understand and respond to.

New companion example: Perhaps you have introduced a new kitty to your family of cats. It is never too late to appreciate and affirm the wonderful integration (even if it isn’t consistently wonderful yet!) offered by your existing cats. “Fluffy, I am so proud of what an excellent big sister you are!” Your sincere expression of the welcoming nature of Fluffy, even if Fluffy still has an occasional hiss-fit toward the new kitten, sets a joyful, compassionate expectation which will eventually be fulfilled.

Weight loss example: If your horse enjoys chomping on all the fresh, tender spring grass and has plumped up a bit, you can encourage him through his weight loss regimen: “What a handsome, svelte, and energetic stud you are, Poco!” The tone and content of this affirmation, given randomly and with no direct affiliation to mealtime, helps both you and your horse to remember the goal and see the successful outcome which will soon be realized.

Aging example: My own 11 year old dog still loves her walks, but I notice that its taking a little longer to complete our usual loop. It is healthy for both the human and the animal to accept and acknowledge some of the typical aging issues that might begin to surface, such as slowing down slightly: ”Jezebel, you are my great walking-girl companion!” This simple affirmation, delivered by actually envisioning our very pleasant daily walks, however long they might take, keeps us both present and appreciating every moment we have together. It’s not unusual for me to give this affirmation in the evening as we snuggle, hours after our walk that day.

Most of us move through our day with our beloved pets stating fairly routine requests, corrections, and praise, and we may say little else to our animal companions. These are all appropriate and important ways to work with and connect with our pets, but it takes so little time and energy to communicate even more with them.

This 24-hour challenge encourages you to identify and add in non-routine affirmations through the day. I’m always in a better mood after saying to Jezebel, randomly, just because I love her, ”you are my beautiful and sweet 11 year old girl!” My loving relationship with her just got a little boost and my smile got a little bigger. Challenge yourself to a day of positive affirmations with your pets and see if you don’t have a better day for it. I bet your beloved pet will!

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Pet Names DO Matter!

Through my work as an animal communicator, I never tire of hearing some of the creative and distinctive names that humans assign their pets. It is common for clients to want to know if their newly adopted pet likes their new name. While the responses from the animals are varied, I recognize that names DO matter to animals, but not in the way we might think.

A name is a name to the animals, but it is the energetic reaction that we humans might have when hearing their name that they respond to. If an iguana named Rose is regularly faced with the reaction of “that’s a silly name for a lizard” then Rose the iguana may start to question her stature in the world. A horse named Chomper may make some of us wonder if a piece of our bicep might become his afternoon snack! If many people who meet “Chomper” have that same fear and energetic reaction of distancing themselves from his powerful teeth, what is that conveying to the horse over time?

Consider your immediate internal (i.e. energetic) reaction when meeting for the first time:

  • a Rottweiler dog named Terminator
  • the same Rottweiler dog now named Lovey
  • a six month old kitten named Terror
  • or the same kitten named Cuddles

Could you imagine yourself being cautious when meeting a dog named Terminator? And did you imagine yourself wanting to scoop up Cuddles the kitten to hold him or her? There really IS something in a name, and over time a cat named Terror may really start to live up to that name. Chomper the horse may become skittish and self-isolating, and Lovey the Rottweiler might become the most popular and adored pet of the neighborhood.

Most of us put a lot of thought into the names we choose for our beloved animals, and appropriately so. I’ve met several animals who truly do live up to their name, both positively and with some behavioral issues. So the next time you find yourself needing to name a new family pet, consider the energetic reaction their name might illicit, and remember that over time those reactions very likely may have a long-lasting affect on how your pet behaves.

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Dental Care for Animals

I’ve just become an expert in animal dental care. Well, not an official expert. I’m not a veterinarian or vet tech but I have just been through extensive dental work with my girl dog and now I know a lot more about responsible guardian dental care than before. It’s not that I didn’t know it before – I just let it slide.

Jezebel and her beautiful smile

None of my pugs had beautiful teeth even when young. They all had dental cleanings occasionally, but not as often as most veterinarians recommend. The process of needing to go under general anesthetic for a good, thorough dental cleaning always made me nervous and I hid behind that excuse every time the vet stated a dental exam was due. I also had plenty of excuses for not brushing their teeth at home regularly (okay, never in recent years). A pug’s smooshed face doesn’t give one much of a handle and their tiny little mouths are difficult to get to through all their cheek skin. Not to mention they are STRONG and PUGNACIOUS (get it?) and they can clench those tiny little mouths closed and hold that pose forever!

Alright, no more excuses. Jezebel has several fewer teeth this week than she did last, and I’m going to be brushing those few remaining teeth every day. She’ll be annoyed at first but I’ll communicate with her that this process is for her good, and she’ll question my logic but she’ll believe me eventually. It’s my responsibility as her guardian to do this for her.

All domestic animals need routine and regular dental care just as humans do. Home dental care and regular dental exams are a must. I love my vet and she’s done great dental work on my beloved animals in the past, but she also knows when to recommend a specialist with appropriate equipment including an x-ray machine with dental capabilities. A visual exam did not reveal the area where a tooth had broken off under the gum-line, leaving the roots intact but dying. Dental x-rays are also important for small mouths (like Jezebel) where tooth roots naturally grow near and even into the jawbone. Your veterinarian may be well equipped to take care of any anticipated and unanticipated dental issues, but if not then take their recommendation for a local veterinary dental specialist.

Every pet needs regular dental care, no matter the age. Pick up a toothbrush from any pet store and schedule appropriate dental exams and cleanings as part of your routine pet health care. Your pet’s beautiful smile will be all the thanks you need!

 

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Animal Communication Provides Vacation Preparation

May begins the vacation season. Through the summer many of us will be taking a week or two away from our own homes to visit family, attend weddings and graduations, or to get away to a special spot with our loved ones. Often that means leaving our animal companion loved ones at home. Whether you share your life with dogs, cats, horses, guinea pigs, fish or others, animal communication can provide the opportunity to explain how they will be cared for during your time away.

May is National Pet Month; show them how much you care!

This summer, prepare your pet for your summer vacation. Let your animal companion know when you will return and how he or she will be spending THEIR summer vacation! Animal communication consultations with Kelly Krueger are available during the summer months for vacation preparation. 

Special:  Pre-book by May 31, 2010 for a 15-minute vacation prep phone consultation in May, June, July, or August for a discounted price of $15.

Enjoy your summer holidays!

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Talking To Your Animals is Great Validation!

Animal communication is, in its simplest form, validation for both you and for your pets. External validation helps us know we are on track and making a difference in our world and for those around us. It serves the same purpose for our pets.

The dictionary definition lists:

Validation - to make somebody feel valued as a person, or feel that his or her ideas or opinions are worthwhile; confirm truthfulness of something – to confirm or establish the truthfulness or soundness of something; make something legal–to declare or render something legal or binding; i.e. validate a passport

Just as we humans enjoy a well-timed “atta boy” or “atta girl” from family or co-workers on a job well done, our pets enjoy knowing they are on track and making a difference in your life as well. Praise is immediate gratification to our pets, and most species react physically to sincere praise. An enthusiastic wag of the tail, a special “this is just for you” rubbing and purring, or a little nuzzle on the arm from a horse all give us indication that our pets appreciated our praise – the validation from you to them that they did something well or right.

In the reverse, most animals *love* giving validation to their humans for what is going on in our world. Very often, however, we humans are too preoccupied to catch the praise coming our way from our animals. Sometimes we even minimize or discourage our animals’ attempt to validate our efforts. How often have you responded to your kitty coming to give a nice leg-massage, “oh that’s just Fluffy – always asking for more attention.” That could be true, but it is not unusual for our pets to want to participate deeply in our life in the ways they know how. They want to congratulate you on your accomplishments, AND they really want to thank you and acknowledge all that you do to keep them safe and healthy. Perhaps in that moment Fluffy was sincerely expressing her pride in your accomplishments.

So many of my animal communication consultations reflect exactly this desire, and serve as a wonderful opportunity for your animals to give you some “atta boys (or girls)” on jobs well done. My list is long of animals who have jumped at the chance to tell their beloved humans:
“I love the new house; good choosing on this huge back yard!”
“That’s the *perfect* job for me – thank you for thinking of it!”
“Thank you for cooking my food; and you could add a little more {xyz} sometimes if you want to!”
“I really appreciate that you moved my litter box out of that scary room”
“You are doing a great job taking care of me as I get older; thank you for asking my opinion on what the next step should be”

What human wouldn’t relish this kind of sincere validation that we are, in fact, making a significant difference in our pets’ quality of life?

Similarly, many of my animal communication sessions provide the human with the opportunity to validate the animal in a very deep way. A nice rub on the head and a “good kitty” goes a long way in showing our immediate emotions to our pets. Adding some words around how deeply grateful we are to our animals for just being them, and a “thanks” to them for being in our lives often elicits a deep feeling of pride in animals. Quite often the ability for humans and their pets to share in mutual validation results in a much deeper emotional connection and a stronger relationship.

Yes, we certainly do communicate in some form or fashion with our pets every day. We know when we’ve given Rover a job which he performs with precision and enthusiasm, and the empty food bowl generally indicates that Fluffy likes her food. Working with a professional animal communicator can take it one step further and expand our understanding of what our pets love and desire, and can provide the validation that we need as our relationship with our pets evolve and grow.

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