Animals give thoughtful answers

This past week, when I went to give a reiki treatment to one of my animal clients, her guardian told me that she and her husband had been trying to figure out if their dog would like another dog companion. She asked me if I could talk to her dog about it, which I was happy to do.

It was such an enjoyable conversation and a sweet reminder of just how robust the thought processes of animals are. They think, they feel, they process information, just as we do, and they really appreciate it when all those thoughts and feelings are acknowledged.

When we started talking about it, her first question was, "What would the dog look like?" Her guardian confirmed that if they got another dog, it would be the same breed as she was, so the answer was "He or she would look a lot like you." She was quiet for a few minutes and I could tell she was really thinking about how she wanted to respond.

When she was ready to talk, she told me she was not sure if she wanted another dog in the house. She explained that she was conflicted, because she really did like playing with other dogs and she thought it would be fun to have someone around to play with all the time and at the same time, she wasn't sure she wanted to share her mom and dad with anyone else. She really wasn't sure what she wanted.

We told her that we understood how she felt and that there was no pressure. She asked if we could check in again in six months and ask her again. Her mom smiled and said, "Of course, we can talk about it again in six months."

This sweet little dog thought about it a little longer and then had some more ideas. She wanted to know if her mom and dad could babysit some other dogs in the next six months, so she could get a feel for what it would be like to have another dog around all day and night. She thought that it would be important for her to "try it out" and see what it was really like to share her mom and dad with someone else, especially at night. Her mom agreed that if the opportunity presented itself, they would certainly babysit the dogs of any of their friends who were going out of town, so she could see what it was like.

This pleased her immensely and she seemed so content. She appreciated the fact that her mom and dad were interested in her opinion and she was so happy everyone understood her concerns. She closed her eyes and just soaked up the reiki after that. She got so relaxed, she even fell into a sound sleep during the last part of her reiki treatment.

One of the things I love about the work I do with animals is they never cease to amaze me. Even though I know they think and feel and process things, to have the opportunity to witness it again and again is still one of the sweetest parts of my job. I am in awe of animals, of their minds and of their hearts . . . and I think I will be for the rest of my life.