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o maintain our animal's emotional wellbeing we need first understand that animals are living, feeling, sensitive beings. They feel fear, sadness, anger, love. They grieve, they can be happy, unhappy, jealous, trusting or distrusting. They can be playful, alert or dull depending on how they are feeling.
Animals are intelligent but non intellectual - (this doesn't mean they don't think!) What it means is, if you want to communicate successfully put your intellect aside! They don't rely on words or intellect to find out about you - they sense you and your feelings towards them - they know whether you are angry, nervous, sad and whether you love them. You can't fool an animal - they sense your intentions toward them, they sense your energy, your "vibes" - rather like reading your energy field.
This is why YOUR state of mind is so important when interacting with your animals. Always think CALM.
To have a relationship with your animals that will give to you in so many ways, the key is TRUST. This is built through communication and love. Love is the greatest power of all. Love is Universal - all living creatures recognise and respond to Love. Animals, like children, sense your heart energy, and when they feel this from you, they respond by opening their hearts and giving from their hearts to you. When an animal loves you it will often astound you what they will do for you. To have a relationship with an animal based on mutual trust and love is one of the great joys in life.
Communication with your animals is not just about you communicating what you want them to do- it is a two way process, and is about you listening to them. If you want them to listen to you, listen to them too.
ANIMALS CAN HELP YOU WAKE UP YOUR INTUITION, because to effectively communicate you have to put aside your intellect and listen via your senses, feelings, your intuition. You will be amazed as you open intuitively to them, at how much they can communicate to you. You will start to sense their needs, how they are feeling and what you can do to help them.
This way you can often prevent a major problem occurring by responding to a smaller present need e.g. you may sense your horse is tense - so by taking the time to calm and relax the horse you may prevent a bout of colic or an injury in the paddock resulting from the tension.
Some basic points to remember when communicating
So much can be imparted to the animal via your attitude - try to impart a feeling of calmness, openness, good intent and heart to them. When you first meet an animal you are acknowledging and greeting with respect another living being.
With mutual respect the lines to communication open. You can also learn a lot about the animal from their eyes - most people are familiar with the expression "a kind eye".
You may see, sense in their eyes- kindness, fear, anger, cheekiness, gentleness, uncertainty, openness, love, sadness. Sometimes when an animal has become very distrusting of humans, there is a "hard" look in the eye, you sense a wall, a feeling of "shut off". This animal doesn't yet want to let you in, open to you.
Sometimes simply using your voice to reassure the animal that everything is alright opens the eye and animal to you. If an animal is really distant food can serve a purpose initially to help break the barrier down because the problem is often the result of the animal receiving less than good from humans - so by giving you establish a new association. In other cases it can take patience and time to re-establish trust.
Voice tone is another important tool in communicating. Because human beings tend to rely so much on their intellect they often forget some simple but very effective tools of communication. Via your tone of voice you can again impart so much. You can impart calmness, encouragement, appreciation, authority, reassurance, love. Listen to your tone of voice when you speak to your animals - are your messages clear or are you confusing the animal.
You can be authoritative without being angry or aggressive. Practice, if you need, to drop your tone, focus and mean it. A short, deep toned "no" is far more effective than an angry outburst which usually only serves to confuse the animal.
Remember encouragement, praise for doing something right is far more effective than punishment for not getting it right. If it is reassurance that is needed for a very frightened animal keep the tone even, clear, strong and calm - remember you are trying to help the animal open to and trust in you. Most of the time a gentle, calm tone is all that is needed.
When first meeting animals such as dogs, horses, remember they are using their senses, including their sense of smell to ascertain whether they can trust you. Offer your hand palm down for the animal to sniff. A common mistake (which results in misunderstanding, because the animal will often pull away leaving you feeling rejected) is to approach the animal with your hand (palm up) coming toward their face. Would you like someone putting their hand over your face when you first meet them?!
When an animal trusts you and is open to you, you will not have to resort to the primitive way of using power over the animal to "control" it. A trusting animal doesn't need to be "controlled" because it will be willing to follow your guidance and directions. It will want to be in harmony with you, please you, be "with you" not fight against you. When an animal trusts you and WILLINGLY (not through fear) works with you, you are Master in the true sense of the word.
FOR ANIMALS TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO YOU,
YOU MUST FIRST OPEN YOUR HEART TO THEM.By giving from your heart to your animals they will be willing to give to you. A relationship that is based on Love, trust and respect is a powerful and wondrous experience. Learn to develop patience, your intuition and give quality time and love, for a relationship that will make your heart sing.
Jane Young B.Sc. N.D.
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