Ask Your Animal
Have a real-time 2-way conversation with the animals in your life
We often misunderstand what our animals are trying to tell us. Imagine if you could ask your horse, dog, cat or other animal if there is anything troubling them, why they behave the way they do, and what they need to thrive. You can! In a conversation, your animal can offer fascinating explanations and sometimes very simple suggestions that deepen your relationship. Here are just a few of the types of insights animals can provide:
Understanding What Helps Your Animal Thrive
Strategies for Adapting to New Situations
Understanding What Helps Your Animal Thrive
- Animals often share which sense is the dominant one they use in processing the world and explain how they learn best - for example, some horses ask to touch things with their noses to get comfortable, others say they want to watch other horses do something first before they try it. A horse who was terrified of walking over a plywood board and began avoiding the entire half of the arena the board was in, learned to walk over it easily after watching other horses do it.
- Animals prefer to have choices, but don't always know how to make their preferences known. One horse said he loves to be able to choose the direction sometimes on a trail and wondered how he could politely ask to do so because he didn't want to refuse to go where his rider asked him to go. He and his rider worked out a simple signal for when he can choose and he "perked up his ears and picked up his pace" because "he was so happy!"
- Animals' behavior always makes sense to them but humans don't always understand their motivations. The cat pictured above likes to lie on the computer keyboard, especially when her human is on work zoom calls. The cat explained that the computer is clearly stressful for her human and she is protecting her from it.
- Many animals have sensory processing issues and can be troubled by things humans don't perceive. Sounds can be especially overwhelming, as can specific types of touch. Knowing what your animal likes and dislikes and what stimuli they are responding to allows you to adapt to their needs. This is especially true of animals that have been abused or neglected. One dog who was biting asked for a slip leash because he said that every time his family reached for his collar to snap on the leash it reminded him of when he had been roughly grabbed by the neck in the past and he had to fight the urge to bite. Switching to the slip leash provided comfort and helped him calm down his body instead of re-experiencing the trauma.
- Animals who are in pain may not know how to communicate the cause of their discomfort. The horse pictured above who had been seen by many medical specialists who were baffled by his decrease in appetite and development of ulcers was able to communicate that he was uncomfortable eating off the ground because his neck hurt. He asked for his hay to be higher and when a high-hanging hay bag was put in his stall, he immediately and vigorously began eating .
Strategies for Adapting to New Situations
- Animals transitioning from one home to another often have specific requests about how to make that transition easier. The dog pictured above was anxious about an upcoming move and asked to go back to the apartment she was moving away from to make sure all her hidden toys had been found. According to her family, she was thrilled to go back to the nearly empty apartment, "had the biggest smile and looked around," then "happy as can be" calmly began the journey to her new home.
- When animals are changing families, the explanation we give them is very important - no animal wants to feel they have failed or are being rejected. A horse who said he felt he was being "banished from the herd" changed his whole attitude when he was told he was being given a higher-level job that was more suitable to his talents.
- Animals who are being considered for a new family or a new job can describe how they feel about it and what would help them succeed in the new arrangement. It's almost like a job interview, in which the human and the animal have the opportunity to set expectations and see if they are a good fit. A horse being considered for a new home at a camp said he was very excited about being a "first horse friend" to so many children and was happy to go as long as he knew he would get to see his current child owner again in the future.
Let's Talk
To schedule a session, please text or email Carrie Brady the name and gender of your animal and a recent picture at 203-803-8333 (cell) or [email protected]. Please do not include any other information about your animal at that time so I can first get the animal's perspective in an initial private pre-call check-in. At that time, I'll introduce myself, explain what we are going to do and ask your animal what they would like to discuss. This pre-call is invaluable because it gives the animal a chance to set some of the agenda for our conversation. After speaking with your animal, I will contact you to schedule a 3-way phone conversation. I will initially share everything your animal brought up for discussion and then you'll then have the opportunity to ask any questions or explore any issues you'd like to discuss for up to 60 minutes. $150
You may speak with multiple animals in your care during one session. If there are more than 2 animals you'd like to speak with, please note there will be a $25 extra charge per additional animal due to the extra time for the 1:1 check-in's.
You may speak with multiple animals in your care during one session. If there are more than 2 animals you'd like to speak with, please note there will be a $25 extra charge per additional animal due to the extra time for the 1:1 check-in's.
