Preparing for New Family Members

I was recently asked to assist in an important communication.  A family had decided to bring another dog (a puppy) into their family and they wanted to not only make sure their two dogs were OK with it but they also wanted to know what issues/concerns the dogs had, so they could be addressed ahead of time.

I was very touched that the guardians were so focused on setting everyone up for success and I happily agreed to communicate with their two dogs.  They live out of the area, so I communicated with them remotely . . . which meant I didn't always know which dog was saying what, but when I shared everything they told me with their mom and dad, they were easily able to tell "who said what"  ;-)

The dogs had questions about where the new puppy was going to sleep, if they were going to have to share their toys with him, would he have his own own bowls and would they still have one-on-one time with mom and dad etc.

When I reminded them how much energy puppies have, they wanted to know if there was a place they could go that would be off-limits to the puppy when they needed a break.

I explained that part of their new role would be to help the puppy "learn the ropes" of their household, and teach him things like where to go potty, how to play and how to get extra treats from mom and dad.  :-)   This was the only time that I knew for sure which dog was talking to me, when one of them asked, "Am I still going to be daddy's little girl?"

When I spoke to their mom afterwards, she was very pleased with the feedback they gave her. She said she would definitely work it all out (sleeping arrangement, extra bowls, scheduling 1 on 1 time, etc.)   She was able to tell who said what, just based on their personalities and she confirmed that her husband has always called their female dog "Daddy's little girl" so I think she was extra comforted by the confirmation that I really was talking to her dogs.

Weeks later, she contacted me to let me know that the new puppy had arrived and that things were going really well. The two dogs were adjusting well to the puppy and they were all getting into the groove.  She was sure that it was such a smooth transition because they were able to understand the dogs concerns and address them ahead of time.  

She sent me a picture of their new family member and he is such a cutie, I just had to include it.  He is a little bundle of love and energy, with razor sharp puppy teeth!  But everyone in the family seems to be pleased that he is now a part of their pack.

I know how much animals appreciate it when their feelings are taken into consideration.  I am grateful that this family understood that and took the time to make sure everyone was set up for success when their new family member arrived.

Kealohalani

Back when Lucky was still with me, I learned something very important . . . that middle names are very important to children.  Lucky was a kid-magnet . . . no matter where we went, children would flock to her . . . and they would soon begin to pepper me with all sorts of questions.  They would ask if Lucky ever got "time-outs", if she had sleep-overs at her house, what her favorite snack was and most importantly, what her middle name was.  For many years, Lucky didn't have a middle name and the kids were always so disappointed when I didn't have an answer for that particular question.  Eventually we (the kids at the park and I) picked a middle name for Lucky . . . Rose.   It seemed to make everyone, including Lucky, happy that her name was finally complete.

Since I am coming up on the one year anniversary of bringing Kino home from the shelter, I have been thinking it's about time to find a middle name for him.  I don't know what the origins of Kino are but to me it has always sounded Hawaiian . . . maybe it was the crush I had at eighteen on a Hawaiian guy named Kimo.  :-)

One of my best friends from college, Natalie, is Hawaiian, so I consulted her to get some help. She said that Hawaiians believe that your name represents your "mana" - your spirit, essence, power . . . so she suggested I keep that in mind when picking a name for Kino.

I searched through pages and pageds of Hawaiian names and one in particular kept grabbing my attention - Kealoha, which means "Loved one." That felt very appropriate to me - as he truly is a "loved one" who helped me open my heart again.  Natalie explained that when you add "Lani" to a name, it means "from heaven" and that resonated with me as well.

Even though I thought I was just fostering Kino in the beginning, clearly someone else knew that he was meant to be with me . . . there were so many things that made it feel as if our coming together was divinely orchestrated.  I sensed "loved one from heaven" was the perfect name to describe Kino's "mana" . . . and so he is now officially Kino Kealohalani Burkley.

Apparently, he likes his new middle name because when I say it to him, he cocks his head slightly, his face softens and then he starts to wag his tail.  Part of me wonders if he and I ought to move to Hawaii. I've been feeling a pull lately to make a change and Hawaii is one of the only other places besides California that I could see myself living.  We'll have to wait and see what unfolds . . . . you just never know where your journey will take you next . . . but if we did move there, at least Kino would have an appropriate middle name for our new home.

Help From a Crow

Kino and I were out for a walk the other day and we received some guidance from a crow. The whole experience opened my eyes to the importance of trusting the guidance we receive, even when we don't understand why we're being guided to do something.

On this particular day, I was really tired and my brain wasn't in high gear.  I didn't want to go on the walk because I was so wiped out but I remember thinking that if I took Kino on a good long walk, maybe I could take a nap when we got back.

We were about 1/2 hour into our walk when a crow disturbed the daze my brain had fallen into.  It was a single crow and his "Caw-Caw, Caw-Caw" was almost deafening.  As I walked under the tree branch where the crow was making all that noise, I was trying to remember what Ted Andrews book (Animal Speak) says regarding what crows represent when they "show up" but his "caw-caw" was so loud, my mind went blank.

As we continued to walk, the crow flew down from the branch he had been perched on and buzzed my head - and he buzzed it so close that some of my hair actually flew up in the air.  He landed on a branch a couple feet ahead of me and continued his "Caw-Caw, Caw-Caw."  I was stunned and when I looked down at Kino, he was looking at me and seemed as stunned as I was.  I knew the crow was trying to get my attention - but why?  I said to him, "What are you trying to tell me" as I stared up at the tree branch but I didn't "hear" anything.  Just as I began to take a step forward, the phrase "Turn around and go home" popped into my head.  I thought it was odd.  I didn't know if the phrase came from the crow or if I had just thought of the phrase myself, since clearly, I would have much rather been home that day.

I looked ahead and noticed that two houses down there was a dog loose in a front yard.  At a quick glance, the dog looked like a labradoodle and from the way he was bouncing around the front yard, I assumed he was young.  I observed that the fence surrounding their yard was barely two feet high and wondered if walking past their house would be too much for me and my leash reactive dog to handle.  It would be easy for either of them to jump over the fence and if the dog got too close to us, who knows what Kino would do.

I got lost in those thoughts, as I was assessing the situation and trying to determine if Kino and I would be able to safely cross the street.  Apparently I started to walk forward again because the next thing I knew the crow buzzed my head again.  This time he landed on a power line right above my head and his "Caw-Caws" were even louder and more incessant.  Then he started to smack his beak against the power line and I could feel his frustration . . . if I had to put words to what I was feeling from him it was, "You're not LISTENING to me!!!"

So once again I stopped and this time I took a couple deep breaths, closed my eyes and in my head said, "What are you trying to tell me?"  I stood there with my eyes closed for a minute or so and the phrase "Turn around and go home" popped into my head again, only this time it included the word NOW!

I looked down at Kino and said, "I guess we're going home" and we promptly turned around and began walking back home.  The analytical side of me was itching to know why . . . why did we need to turn around and go home?  but I also sensed that it was more important to just do what the crow had told me to do.  As we walked home, I noticed the crow was no where to be seen.  I couldn't hear his "Caw-Caw" anymore so I figured he no longer needed to speak to us, since I had finally listened to him.

Still, my brain couldn't stop wondering . . . Why did we need to go home?  Was there some danger up ahead that he was trying to keep us from?  Or was there something going on at my house that I needed to be back for?  As we continued to walk, the phrase "Crisis Averted" popped into my head a couple of times.  That time I was sure the words didn't come from me and I could only assume that there must have been some danger ahead that Kino and I would have encountered if we had kept walking the path we were on.

The experience was certainly interesting . . . and it confirmed for me the important of "listening"and trusting the guidance we receive.  That crow was determined to get his message across, even if he had to buzz my head and smack his beak against the power line to get me to listen.  I am grateful that he was looking out for us and much to my delight, once I heard the phrase "Crisis averted" the analytical side of my brain relaxed.  I could sense that the most important thing was that we had turned around and gone home . . . I didn't spin my wheels trying to figure out why.  The crow knew why and I was glad I listened.

Animals are our guardians here on earth . . . not just our own animals, but ALL animals and this experience was a sweet reminder that we are being looked after and guided all the time.  I am extremely grateful that Kino and I were protected from whatever "crisis" was up ahead that day.  I'm also grateful that the crow was so determined to protect us that he went above and beyond to get through to me. :-)