Why would outstanding dog trainers use animal communicators? My friend Ana Melara, a dog trainer and behaviorist with over 20 years of experience, explains why she uses animal communicators.
Watch our interview here.
This excerpt of our discussion was edited for brevity and clarity.
Ana shares,
Twenty years ago at the Great American Mutt Show I received a session with an animal psychic as a prize. I thought, “Ha ha, whatever. That’s so silly. Let’s go see what the dog says. Oh, does he want more cookies?” I was told that my dog wants more belly rubs. “Whatever, you’re right!”
But I thought, what if you could talk to animals? For instance, my 19-year-old kitty wasn’t feeling well. One day, he looked at me and communicated, “Mama, I’m done.” It was crystal clear. I replied, “I believe you. I don’t know how this happened, but I hear you and this is what you need.” I called my vet, who confirmed, he was ready to go. I let him go.
A while back, my friend, Kim an animal communication intern, needed practice sessions. I had a client whose dog started showing aggression towards children. Because they wanted to have children, they worried about him. So they agreed to let me and Kim communicate with him.
Kim said that there was a little girl in a yellow dress and a sash around her waist who was sitting on the dog’s back and riding him like a pony. He didn’t like it.
I relayed this to the family, who said that’s ridiculous. It never happened.
But a few days later, the dad calls. “We asked our friend that babysat our dog if he was okay with the children.”
The dad’s friend replied, “Oh, your dog was lovely. My little girls came from church in their Easter Sunday dresses and climbed on him. They rode him like a pony. It was wonderful!” The family described the dress almost exactly as Kim had described it. The family – and I – became believers.
I used to hear that from families when I suggest animal communication. “That’s ridiculous.” Or, “Can’t we just do the training? I don’t really need to know anything else.” But that’s in the past. Now I tend to attract clients who are open.
I don’t believe it just takes one person to fix a problem. Everything from nutrition to communication, to nurturing, medication, holistic care, understanding, solitude, exercise, or sniff walks – there’s a variety of different things that help animals.
For me, communication is another tool. I get another angle on what more can we do for this dog. For instance, why does this dog have this fear? Or why do they behave this way around certain things? Many times, I get information I can apply to the training.
I work with rescue dogs who are candidates for euthanasia. Sometimes they need time to decompress before I can train them. So I give them that. And sometimes we do animal communication.
As an example, we had a Greyhound who bit multiple times. I helped him decompress first. Then an animal chiropractor saw him and also communicated with him.
Through her communication, she found that nobody listened to him. And so got angry and bit people. Plus she said, “Hey buddy, stop being a victim. You’re not a victim anymore.” Because just like humans, they get stuck. When he realized he wasn’t a victim, I saw his face change. And his behavior changed, too. He’s in a home now!
A client was ready to re-home her dog, He lunged at another dog, she fell and dropped the leash as he sprinted towards the other dog. He didn’t bite the dog, but it was too much for her. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve got to re-home him.”
So, as I recommended, she talked to an animal communicator. Her dog said, “Mom, you’re not showing up. You’re busy with your mom and your dad and sister. You give me food and let me potty, but I get nothing else.”
Hearing that, we formulated a plan to give him sniff walks and exercise again. And everything changed for her. Side benefit, he helped her do the things she loved again – playing and hanging out with her pup! And yes, they’re still together.
She’s a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She’s TAGteach Advanced Certified.
Whether she’s teaching basic manners, agility, puppy socialization, potty training, or addressing a dog’s aggression issues, Ana stresses to all her human clients, the profound importance their gentle leadership plays in their dog’s training.
She helps people in person in the Denver, Colorado (U.S.) Metro area. And she sees people virtually on Zoom.
Visit her website at gracedog.com or call 303-238-DOGS (3647).
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