Learning The Language Of Your Dog!

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Nikki Leave a comment

This Article can also be read in the Free online Magazine RAW INSTINCTS.. CLICK IMAGE TO READ NOW

Written By: Nikki Brown – UK Dog Whisperer

Nikki with Annie (Greyhound) & Leo ( Husky)

All species on the planet use different forms of communication with each other. Birds whistle and tweet, bees hum, elephants trumpet, wolves howl and growl, cats purr and meow and dolphins click and chirp. Our human voice box can pretty much replicate any animal or insect noise but as much as we can replicate them, most humans do not know what the animal is actually saying. The one form of communication we do have in common though is silent and non-verbal, it is what we would call body language. Every species uses their body to communicate and dogs are no exception.

What we think changes our feelings and our feelings are communicated through our body movements. When we are happy, proud and joyful, we stand up tall with our heads held high, chest out, shoulders back and we breathe deep and calmly. Our eyes become large and sparkle and our faces light up with a smile. When we feel sad or afraid, our body tenses up and closes down, our heads hang low, our shoulders slump and our chest concaves, which changes our breathing to short and shallow. Our eyes become sunken and perhaps fill up with tears and our foreheads bear a frown. Our energy weakens and everyone around us can just tell we are not happy.

We have to learn how to communicate our thoughts, feelings, needs and desires with others so we can ensure a great relationship with them. If we want a great relationship with our pet dog then we must take the time to learn their language so we can bridge the communication gap between our species and be able to solve any issues that come up in our relationship easily and effectively.

When we bring a dog into our home, we are in fact inviting the closest descendant to the wolf into our living room and yet how many dog owners actually take the time to really learn the language of their dog? I think dogs do a great job at learning human language and learning to associate our words and body movements with what we feel, want and need, so would it only be fair if we took the time to learn more of their language, so we could bridge the communication gap between our two species?

I have spent years studying the body language and signals of dogs and learnt what every tail or ear twitch means. I knew it was imperative to be able to speak the language of dog to be able to do my job efficiently and get the results that my clients were looking for. Being able to communicate with the animal means I can diagnose what the real problem is very quickly and offer the correct treatments to ensure a successful result is achieved.

During a consultation with my human clients, I teach them how to read their dog’s signals and how to use their own body language to communicate back to their animal and they are amazed at how instant their dogs behaviour changes. Communicating with animals is an art that needs to be practised but anyone can do it if they take the time to learn.  I have listed below a few tips and pointers to help you understand how a dog communicates and how their communications differ from ours.

DOGS NOSE, EARS AND EYES

Let’s take a little look more closely at the dog’s eyes, ears and nose and see what role they play in the communication of a dog.

For the first 16 days of a dog’s life its nose is open and its eyes are ears are shut, therefor the dog learns to do everything with its nose first.

DOGS NOSE

The dog’s nose is an important part of communication. Your dog will pick up smells way before you do. They can pick up the scent of another dog and sense whether the interaction will be friendly or confrontational.

How many dog owners get embarrassed by their dogs smelling another dog’s bottom? I encounter this scenario on my dog walk every day. When another dog and its owner approaches my dog, Annie, she will usually offer her bottom to the other dog if she senses the other dog is calm enough. The other owner starts to tell their dog off for sniffing Annie’s bottom and feels all embarrassed, so they order the dog to move away and leave Annie alone.

Sniffing tails Is the polite way to greet each other!

It is in fact the most polite way another dog can greet your dog, bottom sniffing is the equivalent to us shaking hands or hugging when we meet each other, so let your dog do it. There is nothing embarrassing about it in the dog world and it means that those two dogs like each other.

 

 

DOG'S Ears!

A dog’s ear position can tell you a lot to what state of mind they are in. When they are pinned back it can mean they are in an anxious state of mind, they are saying “I don’t want any trouble, or I am nervous or unsure about something” If the tail is tucked under as well as the ears pinned back then the dog is in a fear state of mind and feels threatened and unsure. This is a time to back off and leave the dog alone. Trying to comfort a dog in this state of mind with affection with only reinforces this state of mind even further.

Dog’s ears usually erect or prick up when they become interested in something, perhaps the sound of their meal coming or when you prepare to go on your walk together. However we need to see what the rest of the dog’s body is doing to really read what the ears are telling us.  If your dog meets another dog and stands side on to it, with ears pricked up, tail high and wagging, body tense and eyes large, this can be a signal that the dog is in freeze mode and is likely to be feeling threatened in some way. Flight or fight usually follows a freeze position and it can be a stance of defence or dominance, so if you see your dog like this with another dog, give a correction to break that state of mind in both the dogs and you could save a dog fight from happening.

Dog's Eyes

Dogs use their eyes to communicate a whole host of things. The biggest difference between the way dogs use their eyes and the way humans use their eyes is that humans will give direct eye contact when they want to communicate with another human being. Dogs avoid eye contact with each other as much as they possibly can and will actually direct their eye line to other parts of the other dog’s body or look away in another direction.

When a dog sees another dog approaching and then starts to sniff the ground and look away, the dog is actually giving off a calming signal to the other dog and saying “Hey calm down, I don’t want any trouble!”

If dogs stare at each other and give direct eye contact this is usually a confrontational sign and a fight is likely to happen.

So when you are next telling your dog off, do not look at it directly in the eyes as you will only keep the dog in a state of mind that is confrontational. Instead when correcting a dogs behaviour look at another part of its body.

Dog's Tails

A wagging tail can mean many things, it depends what position it is in to whether a dog is happy or not.

If the tail is horizontal and slightly relaxed and wagging then it is a sign that your dog is fairly relaxed and happy.

When a dog’s tail is held up high, stiff and wagging this means the dog has gone into defence mode and may take one of the three options, to Freeze, Fight or Flight.

I have had many clients call me in after their dog has attacked another dog or maybe one of the humans in the family and they say to me “I don’t understand why he bit that other dog/child, as his tail was wagging!” Once I explain and teach my clients how to read their dogs signals correctly, they can begin to understand and prevent any more attacks from happening by responding with the correction the moment they see their dog giving a particular signal that could potentially lead into an attack.

When the tail is tucked under the bottom this shows your dog is in fear mode and is very unsure or threatened about something and may go into submission or freeze or retreat.

Docked tails in my opinion are cruel as we are in fact taking away one of the dogs biggest communication tools! Without its tail, a dog really cannot talk to other dogs properly, not only that, but they have lost an important part of the body that acts as a balance mechanism. I urge you not to support any breeder who docks the tail of their dogs just for show or vanity.

Dog's Hackles

Hackles up on the neck and spine.

Hackles up on a dog fur means business! They are getting ready to fight and are displaying their ultimate dominance. Adrenaline is surging through their system and the hackles come up to make themselves look bigger to their opponent and to send a very clear warning message to back off.

If we can learn to read these other signals correctly we could prevent many more dog fights and attacks from happening. Many dog owners are not skilled at reading their dogs signals correctly and often miss them altogether and a fight between dogs can break out or a dog can bite a human. The dog may have given plenty of warning signals but the owner did not respond in time and the dog was left to feel that it must take on responsibility to defend its pack on what it perceives as danger.

If we can remember it is our job to look after and protect our dogs, we are their pack leaders. Dogs are intelligent but are only as intelligent as perhaps a 3 year old child. We would not give the responsibility of looking after us and our needs to a 3 year old child so we shouldn’t expect so much from our dogs either.

Dogs never work alone in a pack, they always work together and good communication skills are necessary for their survival. Take the time to learn the language of your dog so you can form a deep trust and bond and achieve a fantastic relationship with your trusted best friend and learn to work together on the challenges that appear for both of you.

If you would like to learn more about the language of dogs so you can bridge the communication gap between you and your best friend, contact Nikki through her website for more information. www.canineangel.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Dogs , , ,

Fulfilling Your Dog’s Greatest Need!

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Nikki Leave a comment

This article has also been published on the RAW INSTINCTS ONLINE MAGAZINE visit: http://www.rawinstinctsmagazine.com/HOME.html

One of the greatest and most important part of fulfilling our dog’sneeds correctly is to provide them with a good balanced and nutritious diet that they were designed to eat. After all, the simple rule is: what you put in, you get out! It is really no different to a car; if you put the wrong kind of fuel in your car it will eventually break down and need costly garage repairs. Keep feeding your animal processed food out of a sack or tin and eventually it will need to visit the vet or behaviourist for treatment. Poor health and poor behaviour in our animals is on the rise and there are some really simple things you can do to prevent illness with your animals from ever happening.

Our dogs and cats are carnivores, you only need to open their mouth and take a look at the set of teeth that Mother Nature gave them. Their digestive systems are different to ours and can break down raw meat and raw animal bones with much more ease than we ever could. They were not designed to eat grains and most of the commercial pet foods all contain some form of grain, not to mention the chemical preservatives, unhealthy fats, oils and sugars, all of which can do your animal great harm when fed over a period of time.

I have been studying and recommending the Raw Meaty Bones diet for over 4 years and have converted in the region of 4,000 dogs onto this much healthier way of feeding in that period of time. I have witnessed incredible changes in the health and behaviour of these animals in as little as 8 weeks! I want to share one of my greatest success stories of how the Raw Meaty Bones diet helped my very own dog, Annie, to completely heal from all the damage that a dry kibble and processed diet had caused her and show you her amazing transformation.

Annie was bred to be a racing dog and spent the first four years of her life racing around a sand track chasing a pretend rabbit!  Apparently, Annie was a very fast dog and won many of her races and no doubt made her trainer alot of money in the process.  I don’t agree with Greyhound racing, even though I know the dogs love being on the track, their life off the track is not a very nice one at all. Most of them are kept in small kennels and only get to see daylight when they are being trained or are out on the track. They are fed on rubbish diets and many leave their racing careers in very poor condition. The lucky ones find homes but many of them spend more time rescue shelters or even worse end up being destroyed.

I am pleased to say Annie was one of the lucky ones. Somehow Annie found her way to me and I know I saved her life. The story starts when Annie injured one of her ankles which meant her racing days came to an end. Her trainer wanted to retire her into the Retired Greyhound Trust, but was having difficulty as Annie was showing some severe aggression towards people entering her kennel and had bitten several people already.

This meant that Annie was given a label as a “fear based aggressive dog” and the RGT staff did not know what they could do with her and was discussing her best options. One of the staff said out aloud “What we need is a dog psychologist to come and look at her!”

I must have heard their wish, because on that very same morning, I had emailed all the local dog homes in the area, stating that I wanted to foster and rehabilitate a dog that had spent most of its life in kennels. I requested that they give me their worst dog, the most aggressive one or the one that no one wanted.  It was my wish to use my skills to help one of these “lost dogs” to find their inner spirit again and set it free.

I received a call back from the RGT immediately saying they felt they had the very dog for me, they told me Annie’s story and I knew I wanted to help. I arranged a time to go and meet Annie and was very excited about doing so.

When I first set eyes on Annie, her body language was ridged and nervous, her tail was tucked right under and she didn’t make eye contact with me. I could see in her eyes that she looked lost, the sparkle just was not there. Her coat was dull, dry and flaky and she had scars all over from the fights with her kennel mates. She was wearing a bright pink muzzle and her head hung low. I could tell immediately that she was suffering with mineral deficiencies as she was shaking so much and looked undernourished.

I took Annie’s lead and gently coaxed her into the back seat in my car. The first thing I did was to take her muzzle off; I whispered to her “How are you ever going to grow in confidence with that thing attached to your face?” I threw the muzzle on the floor of the car and said, “You won’t ever need this again as I am here now and it is my job to look after you and protect you!”

Annie understood me and her body relaxed once the muzzle was removed and she fell into a deep sleep on my back seat. Somehow she knew she was going home.

When Annie did her first poo, I was horrified! It was bright yellow and hot and sticky and gave her great discomfort to pass it. I looked at the bag of food her trainer had given to me and it said something like “Best food for Greyhounds” on it! I got out one of the little dry biscuits and looked closely at it. All I have to say about it was that it looked like cardboard and It looked like dead food.

I opened Annie’s mouth and was even more horrified! Her gums were swollen and very sore and her teeth were black and had large decay holes! No wonder the poor love was biting people, she was doing everything she could to say “Hey look my teeth hurt!” Anyone who has ever had toothache or gum disease knows how grumpy you can get with the pain.

Annie also had gut rot, you could tell from the stench that came from her breath and her passing wind that her gut was in a very unhealthy state. Mouth and gut rot can cause an animal to become aggressive and I knew this was where her aggressive outburst were stemming from.

I put Annie on Fulvic Acid minerals straight away to boost her mineral deficiencies, cleanse her toxins, strengthen her gut flora and digestive enzymes and boost her natural immune system.

Annie’s first taste of Raw Meaty Bones was Raw Chicken Legs! Oh my goodness, she LOVED them! It was so amazing to watch her chomp her way through them. I will never forget the expression on her face of sheer delight and contentment; she looked like she was in heaven! She gobbled the lot up and asked for more, with every crunch and chomp I knew Annie was on her way to healing her mouth and gut rot and returning back to full health.

The changes I noticed in Annie in just 8 short weeks was amazing, she had her sparkle back in her eyes, her skin and coat gleamed and became so glossy and shiny, her smelly wind and breath disappeared and her faeces were a nice healthy, light, powdery texture and colour and turned white and chalky in the sun! Annie’s tail came out from being tucked under and her nervous shaking stopped, her aggressive outbursts become less and less and her confidence grew each and every day.

People were stopping me in the street and admiring how well Annie looked and asked me what I was feeding her. The staff at the RGT was amazed by Annie’s transformation when I took her for a visit with them! They could see the huge difference in Annie just as I could!

 

See Annie’s pictures of before and after the Raw Meaty Bones diet!

Before feeding a Raw Meaty Bones Diet, Annie’s face was scarred and she had a lost look in her eyes, her coat was dull and her muscle definition was weak  land her body language showed she was nervous and afraid

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the pictures below you can see that after 8 weeks on the Raw Meaty Bone Diet, Annie’s coat is gleaming and has regrown over her scars, her eyes are sparkly, her ears are pricked up showing calm and relaxed confidence. Her muscle definition shows inner strength and vitality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annie is my biggest testament to the amazing difference you can make to a dogs health and behaviour when making the switch to a raw food diet supplemented with Fulvic Acid minerals.

I did also put Annie through my extensive Rehabilitation and Behaviour Therapy Programme as she needed time to learn about all the new things she was experiencing in the outside world and learn that it was not a good thing to bite humans or show fear or aggression.  It took 11 months to rehabilitate her to the point she was ready to be adopted into a forever home.

Annie and I had bonded very deeply, I had set her spirit free again and in return she had been my greatest teacher so far. I felt our work together was not complete and my heart had fallen in love with Annie, so I took the decision to adopt her myself.

Annie now comes to work with me on my consultations and helps me to show my clients just what a Raw Meaty Bones diet can do for your dog. When Annie stands next to my clients dogs, they can see the difference immediately! They see how much Annie’s coats shines, how much her breath does not smell and how healthy she looks. All my clients say how calm and beautiful Annie is and when I tell them she was a dog with a fear- based aggression label, they can hardly believe their eyes. It gives them hope and realisation that they can turn their dog’s health and behaviour around too. When I tell them Annie has not been to see a vet in over three years, as she is incredibly healthy they look astounded!  It is true that raw fed dogs are thriving and commercially fed dogs are only just surviving!

Annie and I will continue to work as a team to help spread the message and educate others to stop listening to the commercial pet world and start listening to Mother Nature more. It brings joy to my heart to receive updates from my clients saying how they wish they had known about raw feeding, natural treatments and methods for their animals before and what amazing changes they have seen in their pets know they are armed with that knowledge!

WANT TO READ MORE GREAT ARTICLES ON RAW FOOD DIETS OR NATURAL TREATMENTS AND METHOD FOR YOUR PETS THEN VISIT THE RAW INSTINCTS ONLINE MAGAZINE WEBSITE BY CLICKING ON THE LOGO BELOW.

 

Dogs, natural healing for animals , , , ,

Top 10 Tips For Bringing A New Rescue Dog or Puppy Home…

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Nikki Leave a comment

“Remember we are inviting the closest descendant to the wolf into our homes, and that comes with huge responsibility…”
By Nikki Brown The UK Dog Whisperer

 

Q: What are the most common reasons that people put dogs in care, from your experience?

There are a variety of reasons that people abandon their pet dogs into the rescue homes. Lack of experience and knowledge on how to handle and control a dog, people moving house or emigrating, change in circumstance, either being made redundant, or a new baby arriving into the family, divorce, separation or death of the owner. Unfortunately some people realise that caring for a dog is far more responsibility than they first anticipated and the novelty wears off, so they give up on the dog and dump it onto someone else.

Q: What are your feelings on taking on a rescue dog, as opposed to a dog from a breeder?

It depends entirely on the reason for wanting a dog in the first place. It is always a very good idea to have a powerful reason for wanting a dog and not just because it’s the fashion or trend or because your neighbour’s puppy looks cute.  Caring for a dog comes with huge responsibility and I would suggest that if you are taking a new dog on for the first time you speak to an expert before making your choice.

There are pros and cons to getting a dog from a animal rescue shelter or taking on a pup from a breeder. Both can be very successful and both can come with problems.
Rescue dogs can come with some issues and take longer to bond with a new pack or family. Saying that however, I would always suggest that anyone looking at taking a dog on could try the local animal shelters first. Often there are pedigree dogs and puppies that have been abandoned and you will pay a lot less that what you would from a breeder. It’s always a nice feeling to know you have successfully rescued a dog from a home and given it a second chance in life.
Cross breeds generally come with stronger DNA structures and can suffer less with health problems that some pedigree breeds have. Over breeding has caused some dogs to have genetic problems from the moment they are born.

Natural Rearing is growing in popularity and more and more breeders are looking towards raising a more natural dog, by letting the mothers and the queens of the pack wean the pups without human interference. They will feed a diet of natural raw food to both mother and pups and not let the pups go from mum until its socialisation period is properly fulfilled.
Most breeders are happy to let the pups go to a new home at 8 weeks and I would say this is still too early for the pup. If you can wait until the pup is at least 12 weeks old before you separate it from its mother then the puppy will benefit from extra socialisation whilst its tiny brain is still developing. Not only that, but the pups immune system will develop stronger whilst it is still getting its nutrients from its mum.
Q: What in your opinion are the things to look out for when choosing a dog from a rescue home?

When choosing a dog of any kind, I would say the most important factor to consider before you even consider what breed you would like, is that you match the energy levels of the dog to your own. If you are of high energy then you will want a high energy dog, if you are of low energy then you will want a low energy dog. Too often I see a mismatch of energy levels between owner and dog, the owner has chosen the dog on breed rather than what will actually suit it’s life. For example an old lady should not really own a high energy Husky that needs plenty of exercise but would be more suited to a calm natured dog like a Grey Hound or Dachshund Hound. If a person owns alot of land then a more working breed such a Border Collie or Springer Spaniel or Terrier breed would suit them better.

When choosing a dog from a rescue shelter or from a breeder, take your time, visit the dog often and spend time with it as much as possible before making a decision. Get to know your potential new best friend and let him get to know you before taking him home.
I would also suggest a visit from a professional dog psychologist, when you first take the dog home to help you settle it in and understand the dog’s needs. An animal communicator will be able to help the new owners understand where the dog has come from and what its needs are from the relationship.
Q: What are the biggest mistakes new pet owners make when taking a rescue dog or new puppy home?


One of the biggest mistakes a new owner of a rescue dog can make is it shower it with love, affection and attention when it first arrives in the house. Many people think that because the dog has had a hard time before coming to them, or it’s cute and adorable they want to treat it like a baby and let it get away with everything and not give it any discipline.
A discipline routine should be put in place straight away so the dog understands what the new set rules, limitations and boundaries are. Once the new routine is firmly established then you can start to add affection when the dog behaves in the way that pleases you.
Q: What sort of problems arise when bringing a new dog into the home?


Rescue dogs can come with a host of problems and taker longer to bond with their new family, all of these problems can be resolved with the right professional help, time and patience.
If you have taken a rescue dog on and are having difficulties with settling it in and establishing your self as the dogs natural leader, then don’t take the dog back to its shelter before seeking professional help from a dog psychologist.
It might just be a few simple things that need changing that will make all the difference.
Bear in mind that when you take a dog out of the rescue shelter, it frees up kennel space for another homeless dog to stay. If you then take your dog back, the rescue shelter becomes overcrowded and their resources are over stretched which can lead to even more problems for both them and the dog.

Nikki’s Top 10 Tips For Choosing A Rescue Dog Or  New Puppy.


1)      Think carefully about the reasons you want a dog. They must be powerful reasons not just having one on a whim because it looks cute. Remember it is a living creature with needs that need fulfilling.

2)     Talk it through with a professional and enlist their help to help you choose the right kind of dog  for you and your family.

3)      Prepare your self and your home ready for the new dog to arrive. Seek guidance on the best diet, bedding, walking equipment and toys for your dog. Collars and leads are not the best for your dog, never buy choke chains and don’t buy beds or toys with soft stuffing if your new dog or puppy is going to chew a lot.

4)      Before the dog enters your house, take the dog for a nice long walk in the new neighbour hood where it can put down it’s scent and pick up the scents of the other animals. This will also give you time to start to bond with your dog and drain some of its excess energy and food waste. It is quite common for dogs to scent mark their new territory so make sure they do this outside first. Introduce them to the garden after their walk and let them meet the family here, where they will feel safer in the outside air.  Introduce the dog to one room at a time, always making sure you enter the room first. You are pack leader and you have to claim the house and let the dog know it belongs to you.

5)      Do not offer lots of fuss attention of affection to your new dog when it first arrives. It will be in an anxious state of mind and any affection will reinforce this state of mind and behaviour.

6)      Enlist professional dog psychologist to come and help you settle your new dog in and teach you about the canine species and what their needs are. Talk to a raw feeding expert to ensure you know everything about how to feed your dog a diet of Raw Meaty Bones safely.

7)      Be patient, don’t give up on your new dog because he doesn’t get the new pack rules straight away.  Give him time to find his place and feel safe in his new environment.

8)      Give your dog space, It’s all too easy for the excitement of a new dog into the home to cause children and new dog owners to give the dog too much fuss and attention in the first two weeks. This time should be used instead to enforce your pack leadership status, by setting the rules limitations and boundaries and being consistant with them. Give your dog exercise, discipline and then affection when he is in a calm state of mind only.

9)      Feed your rescue dog or new puppy outside, it’s the best way to get him house trained as he will be used to eating and eliminating waste in the same place.

10)   Enjoy your new dog but stay calm and assertive at all times. The best leaders will remain calm and assertive when all around them are losing their heads. You dog will quickly learn that you have everything under control and will want to follow your lead naturally.

 

For more information or help on any of the above please contact Nikki Now!

www.canineangel.co.uk

 

Dogs

My photo shoot with Annie for my new book!

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Nikki Leave a comment

As we near the end of autumn here in the UK, many exciting things are happening with Canine Angel. It was my goal to finish writing my first book by the end of spring this year, but I soon realised, as the summer months begun, I was still some way off from getting it finished and there was no way that I was going to hit the deadline I had set myself.

The thing I have learnt about writing a book, is that you need to be in the right “zone” for it, you need to almost let the book write itself. If you try and force it before you are ready, then it is not actually going to happen. I knew that I still needed to collect some important information for the book and I needed to feel ready within myself to write it.

Then one day, 4 weeks ago, I sat down at my lap top and started to to type up some notes for a handout I wanted to give to my clients. I planned on writing about 5 pages but before I knew it,  I had written 20 pages and it was just flowing out of me at a tremendous rate.  I suddenly began to see a book appearing on these pages and felt really excited at the realisation that I was at last in the right “zone” to write my book!

After 3 weeks of continual writing I had typed up over 20,000 words and my first draft of the book was formed. I was so excited. Ok, so I was about 6 months late on the deadline that I had set myself, but here it was, the end of autumn and my book was ready to be sent off for editing.

Luckily, one of my best friends is called Simon Golding and he is a published author. He has written screenplays, books and articles. He is most famous for the wonderful book “Life After Kes”, which he wrote and published back in 2007. Check out Simon’s profile below.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0325715/

Simon very kindly helped me with the edit and proof read of the book and gave me some great tips along the way. I can honestly say that I learnt more about writing from Simon than I ever did at school, where all they really told me was to read the dictionary more! Simon has been a god send and I do not think I could have done it with out his help! Thank-You Simon!

As I was writing my book, I was thinking about how I could do with some really good professional photos for the cover and throughout the book. My other best friend, Sarah Jayne Hinton, is a very talented photographer. We have an amazing friendship, one of those where we do not see each other often, but we insticntively know when we need to meet up and catch up with one another.

Out of the blue, Sarah contated me and asked if I wanted to meet for a forest walk as she wanted to get some nice shots of me and Annie. I laughed out loud when I received her message, again she had read my mind and somehow had picked up on what I needed!

We met at the Wyre Forest in Shropshire. It was an amazing morning, the sky was beautiful and clear blue and the autumn leaves were bright in amazing warm, orange, yellow, red and brown colours. It was really warm too, considering it was mid October and it was the perfect day for a walk in the forest and a photographic shoot. The light was just amazing and the atmosphere for the back drop was set.

As Sarah and I walked through the forest searching for the perfect spot to do the shoot, far in the distance, between the trees, I spotted a deer, just standing there and looking at us. This is not the first time I have seen a deer when Sarah has been with me, she just has something about her that they are attracted to.

It was then that we knew then that the spot we were stood at was just right for the shoot to take place. There was this lone tree stump just sitting among the trees.  It was almost just waiting for me to sit on it and be part of the photo shoot.

I sat on the tree stump, the mid afternoon light was just shimmering through the trees, Annie came and stood by my side just as Sarah began her magic with her amazing camera.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to take photos and adore being behind the camera. However, I do love being in front of the camera as well. I am not shy when a camera is pointed at me, but Annie usually is! She always tends to face away from the camera when I point it at her. On this day though, Annie seemed to be in the magic zone too, she wanted to join in and became the perfect model. She smiled, showing she was happy to be there, she was relaxed and seemed to know what was going on. Annie loves Sarah and was responding really well to everything she wanted to her to do.

Annie is my very special friend and we have the most amazing relationship and deep bond. I fall in love with Annie every day, she is always there by my side, offering her unconditional love, support and loyalty. I could not ask for a better companion to share my every waking moment with. Annie’s beautiful spirit shines through, she is thriving and loving her life by my side. You can see the beauty and magic Annie brings to my life for yourself on the video below:

See Sarah’s photos of Annie and I in the magic Wyre Forest.

 

 

To see more of Sarah’s amazing work and to contact her please CLICK HERE

Please enjoy the video and leave your comments below.
Love and light
Nikki xx

 

Dogs ,

Dog Whispering.. What is it all about?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Nikki Leave a comment
Let dogs sniff each others bums.. It's their way of saying hello..

Let dogs sniff each others bums.. It's their way of saying hello..

Communication with your dog

All of the species on the planet have different ways of communication with each other. Even humans have different languages but if we meet a person who lives in another part of the world and they does not speak our language, we can still usually get by in understanding them through body language, tone of voice, facial expressions and hand signals. If the worst comes to the worst we can always draw pictures to covey what we are trying to say.

Dogs communicate with each other through body language, facial expressions, eye contact, ear movement, growls, whimpers, and howls. They also communicate by the power of their mind. Often you will notice how you can think about something and you dog will respond as if by magic. You will notice how dogs communicate often in silence, they don;t use human language but they still know what we are thinking and feeling.

I studied the art of dog language by sitting in the kennels of the many animal rescue centres I worked in around the world. I would settle myself down with the dogs and become one of them, just sitting silently and observing their every ear twitch, tail swing, eye movement and body postures, until I could actually start to read what they were saying.

What I noticed was that dogs do most of their communication with their eyes, alot of their communication is silent and once you become silent with them you can become one with them and pick up what is going on in their mind.

When I work with my clients and their dogs I often observe that they are misreading their dogs signals and putting some sort of human thought or emotion behind them which leads to all sots of confusion between the dog and its owner.

I had a client once where the dog would come up and put their paws straight on your lap and stick their nose to yours and stare right into your eyes. The owner had read this as the dog being affectionate and interested.

I explained that the dog was not showing affection in the slightest. It was showing dominance, putting its paws on me and staring right in the face was a totally invasion of my space and I had not invited this dog in. If a dog does this to another dog, its not polite or affectionate and often means totally the reverse that the dog is being dominate and confrontation is likely to happen.

I explained to my client that their dog was demanding attention from me. It was challenging me for the alpha position. It was saying “Hey your on my settee and I am going to dominate you until you get off!”

I calmly and assertively took the dogs paws from my lap and put them on the ground, giving it no eye contact at all. My message was clear, All four paws should be on the ground when you greet me and I will not have you invade my space and demand attention from me.

If a subordinate dog in the pack went to up to an alpha dog and behaved this way the dog would be excluded from the pack and probably been given a nip. Once your dog show your disrespect then you are not the leader.

When you greet a dog never give it eye contact, watch how other dogs greet each other. They circle each other and go in for the sniff of the bum. They never give each other full on eye contact like we would do when we meet each other. When a dog does stare right into the eyes of another dog it is seen a s a challenge and a threat. So there for when we come through the door or we first meet a new dog we should always keep our heads up looking ahead and avoid eye contact as this will show respect for our position as the pack leader, it also gives a calming signal to the dog that we are calm and relaxed.

DOGS NOSE, EARS AND EYES

Lets take a little look more closely at the  dogs eyes, ears and nose and see what role they play in the communcation of a dog.

For the first 16 days of a dogs life its nose is open and its eys are ears are shut, therfor dog learns to do everything with its nose first.

NOSE
Sniffing of the bum area… Many owners seem to get really embarrassed when their dog greets another dog by sniffing around the bum area. Of course it wouldn’t be acceptable behaviour in the human world to go and sniff each other bums but we have to remember this is the correct way a dog says hello to another dog. There is nothing disgusting about it.

A dog can tell everything its need to know by smelling the bottom area of other dogs. Its their way of saying “Hello I am Annie and I am a greyhound, I am an alpha dog and I like to lead or I like to follow and be subordinate.”

So let your dogs greet each other in this way and let them have a chat.
Also when a dog is sniffing the ground out on its walk it is like they are picking up and reading their emails. They find out what’s been going on in the neighbourhood over the last few hours. So let them sniff. You wouldn’t like it if every time you opened your email and started reading it someone pulled you away and you didn’t quite get to read it all.

EARS
A dog’s ear position can tell you a lot to what state of mind they are in. When they are pinned back it can mean they are in an anxious state, they are saying “I don’t want any trouble, or I am nervous or unsure about something”
When their ears are up and pinned forward they are interested and alert, they pick up their ears to listen out for noises in the background or they use this when they are more relaxed at home and want something usually food or a walk. A dogs ears will also become erect when they meet another dog if they are showing their dominance over the other dog.

EYES.
You can tell a lot from a dogs eyes and they way they look at you. If they stare at you for more than a few seconds its usually means a dominance issue as they are challenging you by staring you out.
This is why we should never stare at a dog or give it any eye contact when it is misbehaving.
A dogs eyes will pop out and go large when they are getting ready to attack or bite. It is often the case that when we are scared too our eyes widen and pop out of their sockets.

A dog will look away and yawn when it wants to give a signal for us or another dog to calm down. Its a calming signal they use to relax the tense situation that is around them.

TAILS
The most common mistake I hear humans say about their dog is “I dont understand why he bit that other dog as his tail was wagging!”

A wagging tail can mean many things, it depends what position it is in to whether a dog is happy or not.
If the tail is horizontal and slightly relaxed and wagging then it is a sign that your dog is fairly relaxed and happy.
When it is up and stiff and wagging this means the dog has gone into defence mode and may take one of the three options, to flee, fight or freeze.
When the tail is tucked under the bottom this shows your dog is in fear mode and will either retreat or become aggressive.

Docked tails in my opinion are cruel as we are in fact taking away one of the dogs biggest communication tools! Without is tail a dog really cannot talk to other dogs properly, not only that they have lost an important part of the body that acts as a balance mechanism. I urge you not to support any breeder who docks the tail of their dogs just for show or vanity.

Hackles up on the neck means the dog is getting ready to fight. Its body is producing adrenaline to get it ready for fighting and shows its hackles to make it self look bigger to its opponent and say back of or else I am going to fight.

HOW TO APPROACH A DOG
So when you approach a new dog follow these simple rules to a guide on how to greet a dog in his language. Always greet the owner first with a smile and ask permission if you would like to stroke their dog. If they say no then back off and respect what they are saying they are saying it for a reason, perhaps the dog has bitten before or the owner knows its is having an off day.

If the owner says yes it is ok, then where possible stand up straight or squat down with your back straight up. Do not arch over the dog, they find this very threatening body language from us.

Offer the back of your hand to the dog’s nose and let the dog come to you to smell you. They will take a smell of you and decided there and then if they think your carrying good vibes that day or if your not and they don’t like something about you , they will back away.

If they back away respect them and leave them alone. If they come forwards for a tickle or pat on the head then give one gently. At this point you may give them eye contact.
Try not to bend over a dog, keep your back as straight as possible. Nervous or frightened dogs can see this as an invasion of their space and become fearful and go into defence mode.

HOW TO DEAL WITH A DOMINANT DOG
Keep your body language assertive and confident when around dogs. Stand like a leader would with tall upright strong body language.
Projecting your energy and body towards a dog.
If a dog is dominant he will come forwards towards you and jump up you and into your space.
Walk towards the dog and stand directly above the dog until he retreats backwards. keep your eyes on cantact with his tail and do not look him in the eyes. If he keeps coming forwards then stand your ground and use your body and energy to push him back.
Keep calm when doing this and do not use your voice.

Remember dogs read our thoughts, feelings and body signals more than our voice, they respond far better to whispers than they do shouting. So keep calm, talk softly in whispers to them and notice how they respond.

For more information of how to read your dogs body language and signals so you can bridge the gap in the communication barrier between you contact me today and Please do leave your comments on this post.

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What is Bio Resonance and how does it help us and our animals to heal?

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Nikki Leave a comment

Two years ago I was called in to help a very special greyhound called Annie. She needed help, she was not well and showing fear based aggression and biting anyone that she did not trust. I knew instinctively that Annie had arrived in my life for a good reason and was going to help me learn some valuable lessons in my work as the UK Dog Whisperer!

It took a lot of work to get Annie completely balanced again but with the right treatments and time given we got there in the end. I wanted to write about Annie’s transformation and how we both worked at getting our selves balanced. It was not just about Annie, I knew, I was also dealing with fear based issues in my life too!

I am always saying to my clients that whilst it is not directly their fault for how their dog is, we do play a huge part in the health and wellbeing of our dogs and sometimes our own issues need dealing with alongside that of our pets. It is very common for a pet to show symptoms of an underlying cause that we are selves are having battles with.

Take Annie’s fear based aggression. I could see that Annie was completely out of balance, her diet needed changing, her environment needed changing and she needed help to feel secure in the world again. If I was honest about my own life at the time, I needed all these things too! I don’t really know what happened in her past on the race track, I have no control over that, just as I cannot change my own past.

We have to begin to start again and let what ever happened in the past go. If you are having trouble with letting your past go then please do seek out someone who can help you do that. NLP (Neuro Lingusitic Programming) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) are great at really helping with these things and there are plenty qualified practioners who can help you remove your fear programmes from your mind.

Most people are still looking towards convential medicine and drug therapy as the quick fix and sure sometimes these things help towards giving you a kick start in getting better, but in my experience they do not solve the problem altogether and the problem keeps persisting and returning time and time again.

When Annie came to me, I instinctively knew what she needed to get better, I knew it was going to take time to unravel the last four years of the rubbish diet and living conditions she had been subject to as a racing dog.

I knew Annie had emotional imbalances as well as physical ones and I wanted to treat her with Homeopathy, she had a particular fear of any loud noises such as bangs, gun shots, or fireworks, she would really get herself worked up into a stressed out frenzy and I knew there were treatments to help with this.

I knew her nervous system was out of balance, when there is a disconnection in our system and the circuitry is broken in some way then the body cannot function properly. I knew vibrational therapy such as Homeopathy and Flower remedies worked wonders with these emotional imbalances so I started her on a course of homeopathy for fear.

I then came across bio resonance and it totally fascinated me, this amazing new technology meant that a hair sample of human or animal could be scanned for its DNA and ANY imbalance be that emotional or psyichal or viral would be picked up. Not only that, but this clever computer can specifically build a treatment programme that is designed to correct these imbalances and aid the body to do its own natural healing.

I was very intrigued to learn more and had to give this a go and try it for myself. At the time I had just had a miscarriage and my body and emotions were well and truly out of balance. I booked in a session with Kevin Garrington from BioPets as he came with excellent reccomendations.

Kevin came across as very knowledgably and I felt relaxed in his presence immediately. I could feel his passion with wanting to help me and I trusted that he could show me something new that would help me to start to recover from what had been a very traumatic time for me.

The scan is very unobtrusive; you put some of your hair into the scanning machine and sit there chatting with Kevin whilst the scan takes place. I felt completely relaxed during this process.

I have to say the results of the scan were amazing and facinating.This clever machine had picked up every single imbalance in my body, some of them I knew were there, others I did not. It picked up my emotional, psychological, hormonal and Physical imbalances and then linked to database of over 2 million bio resonance treatments and designed my very own unique treatment programme which was then programmed into a pendant. Yes, that’s right a pendant!

At this point I must admit I was trying to figure out how wearing a pendant that was programmed with Bio Resonance treatments could possible work, but Kevin explained to me it was a bit like a CD.
A CD is programmed with music or film and most of us don’t exactly know how this CD is programmed but it works doesn’t it. You put it into another machine and out comes your favourite music or film. We don’t really stop to question it we just enjoy the benefits of it. So away I went a little sceptical, who wouldn’t be, but I wanted to try this new technology to see for myself it worked.

Over the next few weeks of wearing the pendant I really did start to feel better in every way, I started sleeping again, I stopped crying all the time and my appetite and focus came back again. Could this pendant really be working I thought to myself?

As I continued to wear the pendant, I continued to improve in everything; I started to feel confident again to make the necessary changes I need to make to get my life back on track once again after losing my baby and my relationship. I started to believe in myself again.
I moved out of the city and into the country, something I have wanted to do all my life so I just did it. Moving is always a stressful time and throws up lots of fears. I knew the move and everything I had been going through was having an emotional effect on Annie too, so seeing how well the pendant was working on me, I decided to trial one out on Annie as well.
I wanted to help her with her fear of steam trains. We had just moved into the Severn Valley Railway Route and she was really freaking out by the steam trains, she did not like them one little bit and the first sound of them she would tuck her tail under and head at full speed back to the safety of the car. I thought let’s see if this pendant will work on her fear of trains. Homeopathy has helped her through her fear of fireworks so I was more than willing to give it a go. I wanted my girl to feel safe and secure in this new environment.

I sent off Annie’s hair sample in the post and not long after I received this little black pendant in the post. It was great I did not even have to take Annie to see Kevin! I attached Annie’s pendant to her collar and gave it time to work.

Four weeks into wearing the pendant and I noticed a massive change in Annie, she just seemed more confident and the steam trains were coming and going throughout the valley and she was NOT freaking out at them any more… She wasn’t running back to the shelter of the car anymore.. She was beginning to trust and feel secure. I knew the pendant was working just as it was on me.

Six months on and Annie’s fear of trains has COMPLETELY GONE, in fact ALL of Annie’s fears are GONE. She is a completely different dog to when I first picked her up two years ago. She is calm balanced and thriving. It’s taken us two and bit years to unravel the damage her early days as a race dog did to her, but we have got there and I am so pleased with the results and I am a firm believer in natural medicine, treatments and methods.

If I am to recommend anything on to my clients I have to try things for myself to know they work and I would say I am over the moon with the help and support that Kevin offered both me and Annie to achieve balance again in every way! I would highly recommend to anyone that is having health, emotional or behavioural imbalances, issues or problems to try bio resonance and see the amazing results for yourself! This is natural healing at its best!!

Please leave your comments about this post and if you want any further information on Bio Resonance Therapy CLICK HERE

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Annie’s Story – Poem by Nigel Lowe

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Nikki Leave a comment

My last post about my relationship with my dog Annie touched so many of you and I received so many wonderful comments, feedback and stories about your own personal relationships, so thank you to everyone who shared those with me.

Nigel Lowe who is the founder of SONGS OF LIFE wrote this wonderful poem about how Annie may express her side of our story. Thank You Nigel, it touched my heart deeply.

 

Annie’s Story by Nigel Lowe.

My story starts a while ago,infact quite a way back,

You see I was a race dog, you know, on a greyhound track.

It seems so many years ago, another time, another place,

That all I did was be prepared for my next competing race.

Until one day I stumbled, I hurt my leg, it got real sore,

My racing days were over, no chance of winning anymore.

I was now worried I could not run, I could no longer earn my keep,

I feared what happened to injured dogs, was it for me the big scrap heap?

I started to get angry, for my racing days were bust,

They said that I was being sent, to the retired greyhound trust.

But I thought they cannot do that to me, its a place that I will not stand,

I thought I know, when they come to get me, I will bite their hand.

They put me in the kennels, and back into a cage,

I became so scared and angry, I was always in a rage.

They sent me to different people, I knew they would not cope,

I was now feeling oh so nervous, I was losing all my hope.

Was this now my life, I felt so scared, so nervous and in pain,

I just wanted someone to rescue me, and let me run again.

Then one day as I was laying there, feeling sad and in despair,

There came the sweetest lady, with such a nice smile and lovely hair.

They took me out to see her, I looked poorly and needed rest,

But I saw a twinkle in her eye,which told me this lady was the best.

I don’t know what she thought of me, I was shaking and very rough,

With recent events, I felt so weak, I had really had enough.

I heard them call her Nikki, the day she came for me,

I had been through this before though and thought, oh well, we’ll see.

Nikki took me in her car and for a walk we’d go,

I was not too impressed that day, coz the ground was deep with snow.

Soon though Nikki realised that this was not so neat,

So we got back in her car and up she turned up the heat.

Then this lady took my muzzle off, at which I thought was pretty cool,

I tried to thank Nikki with in my doggie talk and I thought, wow she’s no fool.

The months went on, she changed my diet and everyday we would train,

I was so glad to be with Nikki, even walking in the pouring rain.

We learned so much from each other, she would whisper in my ear,

“Let go of the past dear Annie, your with me now, have no fear”.

Then one day it was decision time, would Nikki send me back,

The thoughts flooded through my head about the days at the greyhound track.

I stared Nikki in the face and thought look into your heart,

We have been through so much together, we both need a brand new start.

It was that day that Nikki became my owner forever,

As we rode off in her car, I am sure I heard her singing,

“I love you just the way you are”.

Now we spend our days together and go long walks in the countryside,

I hold my head up high now, for with Nikki I have so much pride.

She’s known as “Canine Angel” and helps other dogs like me,

So all you owners out there, call Nikki, then you’ll see.

That we as dogs have problems, we want to be part of a pack,

It’s in our genes please understand, that our ways are from way back.

So Nikki I must thank you, its like you were sent from above,

You are “The Canine Angel” and for all dogs you give your love.

Cheers Mom ;0) x

Written by Nigel Lowe – Songs Of Life

Visit Nigel’s Facebook page by CLICKING HERE

Please leave your comments and feedback below

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The Secret To A Wonderful Relationship With Your Dog

Posted on May 14, 2011 by Nikki Leave a comment

A partnership between two souls, joined for a reason, a season and a lifeltime

Happy Anniversary Amazing Annie, these last two years have been the best in my life, and it’s all thanks to you!!

Just over two years ago, on January 12th 2009, “Amazing Annie” stepped into my car and into my life. It was in that moment, that I knew we were going to be best friends forever and some amazing times were going to be shared!

Today I wanted to reflect back on those last two years and give thanks for those times we have shared. I have complied my most favourite moments and Annies Amazing journey into a short heart felt video of some of our most treasured moments together so far and a way to say Thank-you, you are amazing and I love you just the way you are!

It was not just dear sweet Annie that needed help, I did too! We both agreed on a mutual partnership right from the very beginning.

It had been twenty years since I had last had a dog and I felt it was now the right time I bought one into my life again.

For anyone that knows the story about my last dog, Jake, you will know why this was such a hurdle for me to climb. I felt it was time to let go of the past and embrace my future with both hands.

I didn’t want any old dog though, I wanted a dog that would help me to learn more, grow some more and to teach me new things about myself and how dogs are kept and treated in today’s society.

On my amazing journey to become The UK Dog Whisperer, I had spent many years studying and volunteering in rescue shelters around the world. It was in these rescue shelters, that I had met some of the most traumatised dogs you could possibly imagine. You will always hear me say, that whilst the written information on dog psychology I was studying, had its place and importance, it was the time I spent sitting for hours on end with these dogs that taught me the most about the canine and human species and how they are evolving in today’s world.

I can remember every single dog I have ever come into contact with in my lifetime, but more importantly, I can remember every single lesson each dog has taught me.

With the experience and skills that I had learnt over the last 8 years in dog psychology and animal communication, I knew I wanted a dog that needed help, one with psychological and health problems. I wanted to test my skills and see if I could turn a dog like this around and help it to heal, gain true balance and live life to the full.

It was on a cold January day when I wrote a letter to all the local rescue homes in the area, explaining that I was a dog psychologist and that I was looking to foster and rehabilitate problems dogs so they could find new homes.

I asked the rescues shelters to give me their “worst case”, a dog that they had in their care which was having real problems finding a home. I wanted a dog that had been in kennels for a long period of time and so desperately needed to see the outside world. I wanted to free one of these dog’s spirit, let it come out from behind the bars and reach its full potential and lead a full and happy life.

I was completely open to what the universe would send my way, I trusted with my heart that the right dog would come forward for me. I knew I would attract a dog that reflected some of my own self doubts and fears. I knew which ever dog came to me would come with lessons and teachings of its own.

I emailed the letter to all the dog’s homes that morning and felt really excited about what dog might come along.

A new dog was coming into my life and I knew my life would be about to be changed in a magical way.

I didn’t have to wait long at all, almost immediately I received a phone call from the Retired Grey Hound Trust (RGT) which was located two miles down the road from me.

A lady on the other end of the phone sounded so very excited and started to tell me about how they were only wishing this very morning that a behaviourist would come and look at one of the Ex Racing dogs called Annie. She explained how they did not know what to do with her and was running out of options. She said ” You are an answer to our prayers! ”

In that moment I knew The Secret and law of attraction was at work and this was meant to be.

She begun to tell me about Annie’s background and explained how Annie was an Ex Racing Greyhound who was being retired from racing due to an ankle injury and was looking to be transferred into the RGT to prepare her to find a forever home.

She explained how they couldn’t take her into the RGT fully as she was being aggressive towards people who entered her kennel. They described her as having “dog fear based aggression” and explained it was proving to be very difficult to find Annie a home whilst she continued to display aggressive outbursts.

They asked if I would come and meet her and see what my opinion was, so I jumped in my car and headed down to her racing kennels.

My first sighting of Annie was when one of the kennel girls bought her out of her kennel to me.

This girl had been in her battles but was a survivor!
Here was this slender black dog, her head hung low and nerves quivering, her face was covered in scars, her coat was dull and flaky and her eyes were bloodshot red. I could see instantly past all of this though and could tell that she had something special about her, something wanting to come out and wanting to be expressed.

I took the lead from the girl’s hand and gentle whispered to Annie, “Come on girl, let’s go for a walk and let’s get to know each other.”

Annie came with me, I looked at her and in that moment knew I wanted to help her. I felt a real energy about this dog and I could feel my heart opening.

Two days later I went to pick up Annie to bring her home, I remember the day well, it was a very deep snowy and cold January day. She climbed into my car nervously and we drove off the Wasley Hills for a walk and bonding session.

As I trudged up the snowy hill in my wellies, the bitter freezing wind was biting at my face and my knee was really hurting. It was an old injury that seemed to get worse on cold days, but the pain was very intense on that day for some reason. I looked down at Annie with her pink coat on, she didn’t look to happy with the situation either, so I abandoned plans for a walk to bond with her and said “Come on let’s go sit in the nice warm car!” Annie seemed to have a spring in her step on the way back to the car but as I looked down at her, I noticed the bright pink muzzle that was attached around her face.

All racing dogs come with muzzles, it is so that if they get into a fight with each other, the trainer will not have any injured dogs that he cannot race and will ultimately lose money on. I looked down at her and thought “It’s pink, but it’s not pretty, and how on earth are you going to grow in confidence with that thing attached to your face?” I thought this animal has been caged up enough of her life and it was time to start setting her free, I wanted to begin to set her spirit free.

I gently removed the muzzle and said “You won’t need this anymore girl, you have got me now to defend and protect you!” As I took off the pink muzzle, I could feel a sense of relief come from Annie, I could feel a sense of freedom and I felt her say “Thank you!”

“It’s you and me from now on and I am going to help you get better.” I said as I put Annie into the back seat of my Black Toyota Celica. I remember thinking that Annie looked good in this car!! :0)

I turned on the warm air heater in the car and put some nice chill out tunes on the car stereo. Annie was on the back seat and we just spent time together listening to the music and getting to know each other. We started to bond and connect in that time in the car, I could feel her energy emerging into mine and we were starting to become one.

I heard Annie say “Thank-you” and in that moment my heart melted and tears strolled down my face, it had been Twenty or so years since I last was responsible for a dog. Memories of Jake flooded into my mind.

“I promise you, I will do my very best for you Annie” I said as I wiped my tears away.

They were tears of happiness, joy, sadness, and relief all rolled into one. I knew at that moment Annie was here to help me heal too. Our partnership started in that moment and has continued to grow in strength every day since. I knew this was going to be an amazing journey and I felt so thankful and so grateful that I had never given up hope or given up on my dreams.

I got to work on Annie’s fear based aggression straight away; it took a change of diet and months of consistent Dog Training and Canine Behaviour Therapy to help Annie with her fears and nerves. It took a lot of dedication from both of us.

Annie responded well to me gently “whispering” in her ear
We worked as a team, like I said she helped me as much as I helped her. She taught me so many lessons, she introduced me to Raw Feeding For Dogs and she helped me too see the amazing benefits of feeding your dog this way. She taught me about nervous and aggressive behaviour in dogs, and which natural treatments and methods had the best success.

As I taught Annie to show her confidence and remove her fears, so I grew in confidence and my fears melted away too. We worked hard at achieving a balanced state of mind and a balanced reaction to life but more and more people were commenting on how much of a change they could see in both Annie and myself.

Everything I gave to Annie, she reflected back at me.
The more I became calm, the more Annie did, she was like my mirror, I would only have to look deep into her eyes to see how I was really feeling. She would reflect right back what ever was going on deep in my subconscious mind, hell Annie knows me better than I know myself. She even knew a week before I found out I was pregnant and she instinctively knew when I had lost my baby and had a miscarriage too. She was my rock through those times and helped me through my tears and grief.

Annie has sure helped me through some times and in return I have helped her through some times. I have taught her many lessons about how to behave nicely in the human world and Annie has taught me many lessons about what dogs really need in today’s society. She also taught me alot about myself.

I think one of the biggest lessons Annie has taught me is about commitment in a relationship, something that had seemed to elude me before. I had been working for Ten months with Annie and up until this point had just been fostering her with the view to rehabilitate her ready to find her a forever home, somewhere where she would feel safe and loved and someone who would understand her needs. The RGT asked me what I wanted to do with Annie?

Was she ready to find a permanent home with me or with someone else?

I looked into Annie’s eyes and asked her “What do you want to do girl?” Do you want to stay or do you want to go?

Annie’s big brown eyes sparkled back at me and she replied “Look into your heart Nikki, the answer lies there!”

I knew the answer already, I wanted Annie to stay, I knew our bond was too deep and we had formed a solid friendship and trustful relationship like I had never had before. We had shared some amazing times together and I knew there were even more to come. I felt gratitude, love, joy and happiness when I was around Annie and I know that’s how she felt too.

I will never forget the day I signed Annie’s formal adoption papers, the staff at the RGT were delighted and overjoyed at the news that Annie had at last found her forever home.

The journey Annie and I have taken together has been full of amazing experiences, some that have made us laugh until our sides split, some that have made us cry, some that have pushed us to the limit and beyond and some that have moved us deeply.

Annie is my partner, she is my best friend, and I think she is beautiful, amazing and wonderful. She truly is a gift that I treasure every day and wanted to say Happy Anniversary Annie!

Annie you’re amazing just the way you are…. and I love you more than words can say.

May our journey take us to some more amazing places and may we continue to grow, learn, love, trust and respect each other just as we are.

Nikki Brown The UK Dog Whisperer

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