Reisa Stone: Animal Communication & The Bible

Eden by Jacob Bouttats

 

I've had strong reactions to my Animal Communication practice. Most are positive, some cautiously curious. Then there are the people who back off nervously, or even start quoting the Old Testament prohibition against fortune telling at me. 

I'm not a fortune teller. I listen to animals.

Job 12:7-10

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁷ But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
   or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
⁸ or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
   or let the fish in the sea inform you.
⁹ Which of all these does not know
   that the hand of the LORD has done this?
¹⁰ In his hand is the life of every creature
   and the breath of all mankind.

The old English:

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
 ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
 ⁹Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
 ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Huh. What do you know, it turns out I only think I'm broadminded and philosophical. I'm actually a fundamentalist---I take the scriptures literally. I listen to animals.

And here's a cross reference, instructing humans to find God in Nature in Romans 1:20

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."  

Notice it says "God's invisible qualities" are found in his creations. They were right there in Eden (or whichever creation story you subscribe to). It was humans who were expelled.

Just kidding about being a fundamentalist. I've spent a lifetime studying world religions. I've discovered some fascinating things. And hypocrisy in every religious institution. Why? Because they're man made.

Interestingly, the nastiest, most harassing responses have been from atheists. I can't imagine what it's like to live your life around rebelling against your childhood religion, and having no spirituality to substitute.

Mostly, I let Nature teach me. I've yet to find hypocrisy in Her, or anything less than the truth in any single animal.

I can't imagine that any concept of God, Goddess, Creator or a benevolent Universal Force, could take issue with me helping create harmony among people and animals. Every day I pray, "Dear God, Divine Mother, St. Francis, Creator of all, please help me hear and understand your creatures."

Every day, my prayer is answered.


Kind regards,
Reisa Stone
Animal Communicator 
www.reisastone.com  

 All posts on the Animal Nation blog are copyright Reisa Stone. They may be Shared in entirety using social media buttons. For permission to reprint, contact Reisa Stone

Reisa Stone: Are You Housebroken?

Chant at Sundown & Karma Harmonica

A common problem I hear about during Animal Communication sessions is around house breaking. 

AC sessions are from your pet's point of view. I'd like to tell you a story that may change your own point of view about your pets' "problem" behavior.

My two Dobermans, Chant and Karma, were perfectly house trained. True to Dobe nature, to a degree that was even harmful. I was once trapped away from home in a blizzard, and Chant "held it" for over 16 hours, until my fearless neighbour managed to kick in my door. Also true to Dobe nature, his caring deed earned him kisses.

If you have a German personal protection dog, you'll know what I mean when I say they're like an extra set of limbs, or a Siamese twin. They go everywhere with you. You cannot use the bathroom without being subjected to a piercing, protective glare. You either enjoy this, or you do not. 

On forest runs, the girls crashed through the underbrush, within ear shot but only intermittently in sight. One day, Nature called. I found some bushes and...you get the picture.

The Dobes appeared, side by side. They were three or four years old at this point. The stared intently at me. Their stubby tails began to wag. Then their whole bodies vibrated with joy. One turned to the other and said, "She's gotten it! She's finally gotten it! Maybe she'll stop doing it in the house!"

They nodded solicitously. All this time, they'd been dutifully washrooming outside in even the worst Manitoba weather, and keeping their thoughts to themselves. While their backward Mom plowed on with her filthy indoor habits. I certainly did not show this kind of patience in training them.

My same day relapse was met with head shakes and tolerant, amused remarks in their dry German style. At least I cleaned up after myself. They conceded this was fair exchange for poop scooping and a clean, spacious yard.

We're role models by our physical actions, not our words. The next time your puppy/bunny/kitty has an accident, please consider what you model to them daily. It's a big leap to watch the big hairless animal upon whom you rely, practice contradictory behaviors. 

Our pets are extremely patient with us.

Explaining can help. Though my pets never have understood why I have an issue with the neighbours seeing me use the yard. From an animal's point of view, washrooming outdoors is a point of pride. 

Animal Communication can help your understand why your pet persists in a behavior. Acknowledging their patience and our own awkwardness, assists the change process. The rest is up to you. 

In a future blog post, I'll discuss tips that can make house breaking easier. Also, toilet training cats.

Raisa Stone

Expert Animal Communicator

www.reisastone.com

To receive the complimentary Animal Soul newsletter, visit my website. 

Copyright 2012 Raisa Stone. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact Raisa. Reprints must be in full, with credit and links intact.

What About Cesar?

Almost every time I speak to someone who's concerned about their dog's behavior, they ask me, "What do you think of The Dog Whisperer?"

My answer: "I'd love to see Animal Communication added to the format."  

As for Mr. Millan's training methods: I'd have to spend weeks or months with him on a regular basis, and see his work without the media editing. Hang out, watch, ask questions.

The format of The Dog Whisperer has many believing they can undo years of poor or no training, with two tugs on a slip knot and a "psssssst!" More troubling still, that a rescue animal can be liberated from post-traumatic stress disorder overnight. And that establishing your dominance is the key to solving every behavioral problem. It doesn't work that way. But TV makes it seem so.

Having now had approximately 300 media appearances myself, I can tell you it's a double edged sword. You answer a question with a complete paragraph, to discover only two words were published---out of context. Sometimes, not even two words you actually uttered. 

As a stunning 20 year old singer, I spent hours doing my hair and makeup and smiled brilliantly, only to find myself retouched in a full page article to look like a bad tempered old drag queen. The whole city laughed.

I'd love to see TV trainers filmed as they work with only one or two dogs over 6-8 months. Then a follow up the next year. That would make a fair comparison to trainers who work privately.

Unfortunately, TV is about excitement. It's about quick fixes. The long, slow process of animal training would not bring in millions of dollars of ad revenue. You can't train a dog in half an hour, but far fewer people would watch if you didn't.

How do I know?

Millions of people watch the show, yet sometimes the only audience at even major horse, dog obedience and agility shows are family members. I live around the corner from a venue that hosts several national animal shows. I can arrive at the last minute and get a front row seat, every time.

I'm quite certain Mr. Millan spends at least 30 minutes just showing each family member how to put on a collar and hold a leash. It takes time and patience. Lots of both. How many people would continue watching the show, at that pace? 

Not many. I've met several people who claim to be training their dogs "from The Dog Whisperer's show." They seem puzzled at their lack of positive results. I'm not puzzled in the least. 

The horse world has a similar dilemma. Horse trainers who normally spend many hours gentling young or wild horses, compete in "Trainer Challenges." A ranch pulls virtually unhandled colts off the range and shoves them in a trailer. They're offloaded into a strange arena with thousands of spectators. In one hour, they're pushed to show what normally takes three months.The stress on their minds and bodies is considerable. 

Many of the trainers don't like it much, either. They do it because the competition will attract multiple clients whose colts will be started gently. Is it worth putting the demo horses through the stress?

It's hard to watch. I send comforting vibes when I see the eye rolling and sweating. I tell myself that at least people will learn there's a better way than snubbing to a post, slapping on a saddle and let the horse buck itself into broken spirited exhaustion, the old school way. 

Just as many will go home and try to break their horses in an hour. They'll fail to study the precise art and science of body language, and chase frightened, confused horses around, demanding a Join Up that never comes. 

In the end, it's up to us, how much effort we make, what we will and won't buy.  

I was stunned that the final day of K9 competition of the 2009 World Police & Fire Games attracted only 200 spectators. They didn't even charge admission to some of the finest tracking, obedience and protection work in the world. 

I was allowed to walk onto the infield and touch the magnificent Czech Shepherd with 4 gold medals around his neck, and chat with his trainer.  

What can you do to take responsibility for how you train your pet?

-Engage local trainers whose sessions you can first observe. There are competent animal trainers everywhere. 

-Attend dog and other animal shows, and see them compete in obedience or agility classes. There are Pet Expos in many cities, too.

-Join animal networks. Certain trainers' names will come up repeatedly. If you don't yet have a pet, I'd advise starting this process well before you get one. Breed clubs are all on the Internet in your state or province. These folks get together. www.Meetup.com, for example, has dog lovers' gatherings in most cities, big and small. There are many pet lovers' online forums.

-Volunteer in rescue or at shelters. Again, trainers' names will come up.

-Watch trainers' full length DVDs and read their books. Again, these are tools for helping you choose a trainer. You can't learn from generic instructions if you're a beginner. Animals are unique individuals. Just determining the best training motivator for your pet, is a challenging task in itself. 

-Audit weekend horse clinics. Most are only $25 for a full day of learning. This is a great way to check out trainers before committing to one.

-Ask horse expos to focus on trainers who demo their own horses. This works very well for greats like Jonathan Field. I don't think it's coincidence that spectator numbers seem to be greater for these gentle demos with happy horses who even play to the audience. In most peoples' hearts, we prefer to witness harmony.

Before you ask me to discuss a particular Dog Whisperer episode, I should let you know I've only seen a hand full of episodes. The unreality and "formula" is too troublesome for me. I'm one of those boring people who gets excited when a dog sits .5 seconds faster than the week before.

Reality TV and breaking a horse in one hour---is not reality.

Kind regards,

Raisa Stone

Animal Communicator

www.reisastone.com

All posts on the Animal Nation blog are copyright Raisa Stone. They may be Shared in entirety using social media buttons. For permission to reprint, contact Raisa.