Facing Your Fears
We often take Leaf to the dog park. We especially like the one that has a river running through it. At this park Leaf runs, plays, explores, and has a great time.
On a recent November day Leaf was having a lot of fun. I (Allen) would throw the ball into the river, making sure it didn't float out too far. Leaf would go in after it with only a bit of hesitation as he evaluated the distance and possible challenges.
We walked the long distance to where there is an inlet of still water from the fast-moving river. The water in this inlet is dark, undisturbed, and appears to be deep. It's unlike the river where there are all sorts of activities with dogs jumping in, small waves from the boats passing by, and people chatting and throwing sticks into the water while intermittently sipping on their Starbucks coffee.
This inlet also had a few ducks swimming nearby. But the real difference was how still the dark surface of the water was, as if there were unknowns lurking below it.
Leaf loves his black-and-white ball. He lives to chase and find it, often running into the water and retrieving to bring back the ball for more tosses.
After we arrived at the inlet I threw Leaf's ball into this different type of water. He hesitated. He looked at the ball and at me. I said, "You can do this." It was not that far for him to swim and retrieve the ball, maybe six feet away from where he stood on his short legs with water up to his knees.
A gentleman sat on a log nearby and watched us. I learned later that his larger dog was also a rescue. Like Leaf, the man's dog had become a wonderful friend and companion. The man called out words of encouragement for Leaf to go and get his ball.
Leaf barked at the ball. He whined and whimpered as if pleading with it to return on its own. Since the ball wouldn't cooperate, Leaf took one careful step after another into the water. It was clear that he did not know if he might be hurt by some unknown danger lying in wait below the surface.
Nearby, maybe three or four feet to the left of where Leaf's ball floated, an old rather large tree branch had fallen into the inlet. Leaf looked at the branch. He assessed the situation and worked out a strategy.
Carefully he jumped up onto the long branch and slowly walked toward where his ball floated. He took one cautious step after another. As he drew closer, I could tell that he still felt conflicted. Should he continue on his quest or retreat to the safety of land?
Bravely he continued onward. After arriving at the spot closest to his floating ball, Leaf had to make another decision. Would he jump into the ominous water or retreat from a dive into the unknown?
The gentleman said that watching Leaf's dilemma and problem-solving skills was the cutest thing he had ever seen a dog do. He commented on how smart Leaf was to find a way to retrieve his ball. He also observed how conflicted Leaf seemed to be.
I said nothing to Leaf at this point. I knew he needed the freedom to make his own decision. And he did.
He held tightly to the branch with his paws. He jumped into the murky, still water. His head and body dipped under the surface for a second. He emerged from the dive, saw his ball, grabbed it in his mouth with determination, and victoriously swam back to shore.
Leaf had conquered his fear. A bright light of new confidence emanated from him. Both the man who had been watching and I were totally enthusiastic about Leaf and his victory over fear. He had made the decision to face the unknown, and I was so proud of him.
See Video of Leaf playing at the dog park at www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiVo_Jdt8lA
What fears lurk in the dark, still waters of your life? When have you witnessed an animal overcoming fear or anxiety to burst into the light of self-confidence?
Allen and Linda Anderson
ANGEL ANIMALS NETWORK
www.angelanimals.net
Animal Sniffers and Sixth Senses
We live in a houseful of sniffers. Anything new, in a different place, or that could possibly be food gets sniffed by our two cats and dog. The bird checks out the new and unusual with his calls and screeches.
As we observe how the animals who share our home carefully inspect and analyze objects with their noses, it's a reminder that we're living with a different life form -- one that doesn't approach the world as humans do.
Animals have their own ways of viewing the planet. No matter how hard we might try, we'll never experience the world as they do. We can't imagine what we'd understand if we explored life with the noses and licking tongues of dogs and cats, the ultrasound of dolphins, or the pecking of birds.
And then there is the animals' sixth sense. The mystical, spiritual, extrasensory sense that many of them seem to have in abundance. Anyone who lives with an animal and has an open mind and heart has to admit that there are just some things animals seem to know.
Early on, after we started Angel Animals Network, a reporter from our local newspaper, the MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE, came to our house. She was doing a story about this strange couple who were collecting, writing, and publishing stories about the spiritual nature of animals.
The reporter got out her tape recorder and placed it on the table in front of us. Then she proceeded to ask questions. We answered them as honestly and carefully as we could.
Our cockatiel, the yellow, orange-cheeked Sunshine, sat on his perch in the living room where the interview took place. Mostly he remained silent. Occasionally he would join in the conversation with a chirp, a song, or a string of words that were unintelligible to the reporter.
Later, in the article that appeared accompanied by a half-page photo of us walking around Lake Harriet with our yellow Lab Taylor, the reporter commented on an unusual thing she had observed in our home. Listening the tape recording of the interview had been quite a revelation for her.
Every time the reporter asked a question of a spiritual nature, Sunshine seemed to chime in with a comment. Only questions about Spirit, God, or miracles caused him to express an opinion. She was amused but also mystified by Sunshine's ability to sense when the subject matter had turned to a less mundane or more unearthly topic.
When have you noticed animals in nature or your pets displaying a sixth sense?
Allen and Linda Anderson
Angel Animals Network
www.angelanimals.net
Animals Helping Animals
We were walking with Leaf next to the Mississippi River and Allen threw the ball for him to chase. It went into the water a little too deep. Leaf watched as a large fish jumped out of the water near where his ball had landed.
Being a rescued dog Leaf had to learn how to take care of himself. He was not about to swim into the river where there may be creatures underneath trying to nibble at his feet or worse. So he stared at the ball and barked.
Then he moved toward the ball. He backed away. He barked some more. Because he knew how to swim and had often gone after his precious ball, he seemed frustrated at not being able to retrieve it this time.
As we watched, Allen was about to take his shoes off and wade out to get Leaf's ball. Just then a family walked by with its dog who also had short legs. Their dog looked at the situation, jumped into the water, swam, got the ball, brought it back to shore, and dropped it at Leaf's paws.
A happy Leaf grabbed his favorite ball and wagged his tail with gusto. We thanked the dog whose name was Lizzy.
It was nice to experience this. One dog made a choice to help another dog. And Allen was grateful that Leaf's hero had kept him from having to get his feet wet.
There is a wonderful book by Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., M.S., KINDRED SPIRITS (Broadway Books, 2001). Dr. Schoen wrote about how his dog Megan took care of an injured one-week old goat by licking the animal and lying by her side, breathing against the goat's chest.
Dr. Schoen had to hurry away to save the life of a wounded kitten and wondered if it would be all right to leave the goat in Megan's care. Megan looked into the vet's eyes and seemed to assure him that she'd take care of the kid while he was gone.
He writes, "Megan had intuited and understood my role in life and now she had adopted that responsibility for herself. She was becoming a healer -- just as much as I was. Although I had been very close to many animals before, this connection moved beyond any I had ever made. In a moment's time, my sense of the human-animal bond had changed forever."
Over the years we have received thousands of stories from around the world about all kinds of animals helping, healing, and working with other animals in ways that sometimes are amazing. And we have many personal experiences with our beloved pets assisting each other over the years.
When have you seen one animal choosing to help another?
We welcome you to answer this question and the "Something to Think About" question at our blogs and forums, so everyone can see your comments.
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DON'T MISS!!!
The launch for our new book, HORSES WITH A MISSION is on Saturday, October 10th, 2:00 p.m. at Borders Books & Music in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Hope to see you there!
Go to www.horseswithamission.com to read excerpts of the book, see video clips of stories, and join in the fun of launching this exciting new book.
Allen and Linda Anderson
Angel Animals Network
www.angelanimals.net
Feast of Saint Francis
Sunday, October 4th, is the celebration of the Feast of Saint Francis, patron saint of animals and ecology. Around the world churches hold a special ceremony called The Blessing of the Animals on or near this day as a way of remembering Saint Francis's love for all creatures.
To find out where this blessing is being held in your state, if you are in the US, go to www.americancatholic.org/Features/francis/us.asp
The actual blessing below is a lovely celebration of the sacredness in life.
"Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen."
About ten years ago we went to a local cathedral for the Blessing of the Animals. We wanted to experience it for ourselves. We've reprinted an excerpt of how we described the event in our book, ANGEL ANIMALS: Divine Messengers of Miracles.
"Hundreds of dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, iguanas, and ferrets waited inside boxes, sat next to their cherished people, or were draped over human shoulders as the sermons, songs, and barking resonated throughout the massive cathedral.
"To close the church service, a zebra, a falcon, and a camel led the procession down the middle aisle to the front where a minister intoned the liturgy for the Blessing of the Animals.
"After singing hymns and reading the liturgy in the cathedral, all the people and animals walked across the street to Loring Park, where we followed white-robed priests and joined two other churches that had had similar services.
"We walked with our yellow Lab Taylor close behind the priests with hundreds of animals and humans behind us. Smiles on the priests' faces conveyed their obvious joy and the love they felt at giving a service to the animals in this way. When we arrived in the park, a musical group from Ecuador played wind instruments accompanied by an occasional howling dog.
"The ministers and priests each dispersed to tents with people and animals lining up to receive their blessings. As the priest blessed the dog in front, Taylor scooted out of her collar and ran to where Allen stood, preparing to take her picture.
"He explained to her that the blessing is a special event to honor her and that she might enjoy it. She settled down and returned to where Linda stood in line.
"When it was her turn, Taylor stepped up to the priest, who looked amused. He leaned over and gently touched Taylor's forehead while offering a blessing that brought tears to Linda's eyes.
"He said, 'May the God who made you bless and keep you.' Taylor solemnly accepted the gift with her eyes wide open and her tongue hanging out.
"As Linda and Taylor left the line, a woman with a thick European accent said, 'She will always be with you now.' And so she will. Our love for each other is the forever kind."
Have you participated in the Blessing of the Animals? What was it like for you and your animal companion?
We welcome you to answer this question and the "Something to Think About" question at our blogs and forums, so everyone can see your comments.
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HORSES WITH A MISSION was a top 100 bestseller horse book on Amazon.com this week!
LAST DAYS FOR SALE AT ONLINE BOOKSTORE Go to shop.angelanimals.net for a great sale. Both HORSES WITH A MISSION and ANGEL DOGS WITH A MISSION are being offered for 40 percent off this week. The sale ends at midnight Central Time zone, Monday, October 5th. The books will be autographed for you. It's a great chance to buy gifts for you and your animal loving friends.
DON'T MISS!!!
The launches for our new book, HORSES WITH A MISSION are on Tuesday, October 6th, 7:30 pm, CDT, at Garrison Keillor's Common Good Books in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Saturday, October 10th, 2:00 p.m. at Borders Books & Music in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Hope to see you there!
Go to www.horseswithamission.com to read excerpts of the book, see video clips of stories, and join in the fun of launching this exciting new book.
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Watch and listen to Linda and Allen this week as they talk about HORSES WITH A MISSION and the book launches.
***Animal Wise Radio, Sunday, October 4, 1:20 p.m. Central Time. To listen live in Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, tune to KYCR (AM 1570) or KDWA (AM 1460. Listen streaming or later at www.KDWA.com. Podcast available at www.allpetsradio.com and www.animalwiseradio.com
***KARE 11 (NBC), Showcase Minnesota, Monday, October 5, 10:20 a.m. Central Time. If you miss the show live, you can see it online at www.showcaseminnesota.com/
Allen and Linda Anderson
Angel Animals Network
www.angelanimals.net
www.horseswithamission.com
NEW, ONE-WEEK SALE AT ONLINE BOOKSTORE Go to shop.angelanimals.net for a great sale. Both HORSES WITH A MISSION and ANGEL DOGS WITH A MISSION are being offered for 40 percent off this week. The sale ends on Monday, October 5th. The books will be autographed for you. It's a great chance to buy gifts for you and your animal loving friends.
DON'T MISS!!!
The launches for our new book, HORSES WITH A MISSION are on Tuesday, October 6th, 7:30 p.m, CDT, at Garrison Keillor's Common Good Books in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Saturday, October 10th, 2:00 p.m. at Borders Books & Music in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Hope to see you there!
Go to www.horseswithamission.com to read excerpts of the book, see video clips of stories, and join in the fun of launching this exciting new book.
