"Zelli, is this a good time to talk?" I asked. My mission was to explore Zelli's relationship with her human family members. She responded good-naturedly, "As good a time as any." I spent a moment just tapping into her energy and state. She feels generally happy and comfortable with her life, but also insecure and out of control sometimes. Situations that she is not prepared for or that take her by surprise make her uneasy, scared, and drain her confidence, so she compensates by putting on a show of bravado through barking and acting confident. But it's mostly just for show, as she doesn't feel aggressive or overly confident. It's this reason she also loves her family, as they make her feel loved, safe, and taken-care-of. There is a lot of love there going both ways! I wasn't getting specific family members in my connection, but as I tried to picture a father figure, mother figure, teen, and a younger kid, envisioning them one by one, I felt she loves them all, but in different ways. Father: not especially close to him. His stronger energy can be scary sometimes and she spends a lot of time observing him, watching what he is going to do next. Mother: nurturing, loving, probably the strongest connection with her. Zelli feels completely at home with her. Teen: feels feminine and also a very strong connection with her. When she is there with Zelli, paying attention to her, it's heaven. But other times she is gone and it leaves Zelli wondering what happened to their close relationship. Younger child: also feels feminine. Zelli likes the opportunity to interact with child, playful, young energy. She thinks it's fun. Cat: Zelli is curious and wants a relationship with the cat, but can't figure her out. The cat doesn't act or think the way a dog would, so her actions are always confounding Zelli. For example, I see Zelli do a playful lunge at the cat to try to get her to interact and the cat jumps back or tenses up and hisses. The cat doesn't seem to avoid Zelli and is comfortable in the house with a dog. But the cat is also confounded by dog interactions and doesn't understand why they do what they do. This disconnect also contributes to Zelli's insecurities, not knowing what to expect and feeling that life is sometimes out of her control or understanding. It feels like if her family would talk with her more, explain what was happening, she might feel better about many things. After writing all of this, I checked back in with Zelli, since we weren't really having a conversation this whole time (like I made it seem was going to happen at first). Zelli was patiently and curiously waiting for me, but mostly "observing" my thoughts and feelings on everything, She thoughtfully nodded her head up and down to show her understanding and agreement with my assessment of things. It was a bit of a revelation for her, too, finally being able to put into words what was happening. She really is such a loving, gentle, thoughtful dog and could really thrive on some more communication with her family. Feedback from her person: "Out of control" — yes, 75% of the time! She does put on a show of bravado when someone knocks at the door, but often seems nervous and uneasy. Father: he didn't want another dog, but in the weeks since this conversation has become closer to her. Mother: yes, strongest connection with her since day 1. Teen: yes, strong connection. The cat interaction is accurate. Since reading the last comment, we have all made an effort to communicate with her more frequently.
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AuthorMy name is Josh and I'm a learning animal communicator, hoping that sharing my journey will help others. Categories
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February 2020
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