Dogs Have Feelings, Too

By Pamela Varma

Mika on her armchair.

Have you ever had a stranger say something rude to you? It’s easy to brush off. After all, that person doesn’t know you at all.

But what happens when someone you know and trust says something rude, hurtful or insulting to you? It can feel like a dagger in your heart.

If you’re like most people, it can change your behavior for a while. You might become withdrawn, or the opposite: angry, impatient and aggressive.

Animals experience this, too.

This was at the root of the sudden change in behavior with Mika, the lovable and loving Whippet, who is at least as sensitive as the humans around her are.

Recently, while out on her daily walks, she unexpectedly started lunging at, and even trying to nip adults and young children. She barked aggressively, and her behavior became unpredictable.

Mika’s owners, who are extremely responsible, understandably became concerned and immediately planned to confine her to their home. Fortunately, they contacted me to find out what was going on with their precious pet.

“I’m just a dumb dog,” Mika told me.

“How in the world did you get that idea?” I asked this sweet and intelligent dog. Animals normally view themselves as the perfectly fine beings they are.

“Someone told me, so it must be true,” she said, sadly.

Mika with her pink sunglasses.

She explained that ever since learning she was “just a dumb dog,” she thought she had to behave aggressively to get people to notice her, and to understand her as well as her owners do. She hadn’t realized that her behavior could harm other life forms in any way.

When I transmitted the emotion of love to Mika’s heart, she began to regain her understanding of her essence, the love, light and joy being that she truly is. When an animal — or a person — believes they are a loving being, they can only behave in a loving fashion to others. Mika agreed to behave normally once again, when in contact with other people and animals.

Mika’s owners were shocked their dog had picked up a derogatory concept about herself, because they absolutely adore her.

Then they recalled that a fairly recent houseguest had offhandedly tossed out the comment that Mika was “just a dumb dog,” in an attempt to be funny, having no idea how the dog would internalize the remark. Being that this person was a guest in her owners’ home, Mika absorbed the energy and emotion behind the words, instead of deflecting them, as she may have been more easily able to do if a total stranger had spoken them.

Mika’s owner was extremely relieved to get to the root cause of his dog’s unpleasant behavior, and to have it turned around so easily.

“She is the sweetest dog. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body,” he told me. “Now I know if her behavior is not her normal loving self, that she’s emotionally out of balance.

“Some people think animals are not intelligent. They obviously are very intelligent, and the emotions, feelings and attitudes of others affect them, just like they affect us.”

• If you would like help communicating with the animal(s) you love, contact Pamela Varma at pam@animalchat.xyz or (808) 651-3533 (Hawai‘i Standard Time).