I got the job!

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Sindi Somers

I look forward to continuing my work with animals and their people in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Long story short… I got the job! Okay. So you may not have known that I was up for a specific job, but I was and I am over the top excited that I got it!

Now for the long story, for those that enjoy details and especially those that believe, like me that everything happens for a reason and other woo-woo perspectives. 😉 It also is a great example of being in the present moment and going with the flow. What helped me to do both of those things was using the simple, powerful meditative, visualization technique of grounding!

I visited the most beautiful rest area I have ever seen just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Monday, May 25 – I crossed the border from California into Oregon. As I enjoyed the lush green trees, I kept saying to myself, “I could live here!” My actual destination was Washington State, which I loved and still love. Washington is where I lived the majority of my life. However, when I arrived at my friend’s house in Beaverton, Oregon, where I was planning to stay for just a couple of days, I decided that I should look into the possibility of living in the area, instead of continuing on to Washington. That night I looked on craigslist for job possibilities. I saw a number of jobs that I felt I might be qualified for. However, it was one job in particular that got my attention! I was very excited and felt motivated to move forward with applying.

Another beautiful site at the rest area just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Another beautiful sight at the well kept rest area just north of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Tuesday, May 26 – I wrote a personalized cover letter, specifically for that one position. I attached my resume and applied for that one job and only that one job. The job that I felt was made for me and perhaps was the reason I had ended up in Beaverton, Oregon.

Wednesday, May 27 – I received a phone call from the owner of the store, wanting to schedule an interview with me. Of course I said yes! It was scheduled for the following Monday.

Me and my loyal companion, Rock taking in the sights in Oregon.

Monday, June 1 – What a great way to start a new month, with an interview for a job I could not believe was available in the area where I was staying and the week that I had arrived! I interviewed with three animal loving people and felt that all went well, though it can be hard to tell with interviews. I decided to remain optimistic.

Tuesday, June 2 – I was called for a second interview, which was scheduled for Thursday.

Thursday, June 4 – I felt that the second interview went great. The four of us seemed like a great match! But you never know for sure and interviews can always bring up insecurities and doubt. I did my best to stay in the present moment, have faith and allow whatever was meant to be and was most beneficial to just happen. I emailed my references, as requested and then sent a thank you card to the store owner.

So excited that we will be carrying Answers Raw Goat's Milk for cats and dogs!

We will be carrying Answers Raw Goat’s Milk for cats & dogs at our store in Tigard, OR! Yay!

Tuesday, June 9 – I received a call offering me the job! The owner went over the details and I again, of course, said YES!!! I am going to be the store manager for a brand new pet supply store opening in July. It is located in Tigard, Oregon, which is less than ten minutes from where I am currently staying in Beaverton!! Coincidence? No such thing!! Did I mention that I am over the top excited?!

Wednesday, June 10 – I started my role, by helping with the interviewing process to select our retail staff. We will be doing more of that next week. Woo hoo!

So in case you were wondering, I definitely will be staying in Oregon. I will still be teaching continuing education classes in Centralia, WA in July and August at Centralia College. The commute isn’t too far. I’m sure I’ll be making other visits to Washington too, so I hope to see some of you reading this later this year!! Yay! P.S. My classes are on page five of the course catalog that can be found on this link.

Please Note: I will still be offering private, long distance animal communication sessions and readings and nutrition consultations and holistic pet care sessions. I will be doing in person appointments in Beaverton, Tigard, Gresham, Aloha, Lake Oswego, Newberg, Hillsboro, Salem and Portland, Oregon and surrounding areas, including Camas, Salmon Creek, Minnehaha and Vancouver, Washington. Remember I’ll be traveling to Centralia, WA once a week starting on July 25th too! I will also be visiting Chehalis, Olympia, Federal Way, Tacoma, Everett and Seattle, Washington and adjacent cities soon.

P.S. If you or someone you know happens to be in the Tigard/Beaverton/Portland area, I hope to see you/them at the store in July or after! I’ll keep you posted, as things unfold. Thank you for reading the long version of my story!

P.P.S. If you want to learn to meditate and experience the sometimes hard to believe results of using life changing meditation techniques like grounding, contact me! You may want to consider joining my Wild and Tame Meditation Club. More information can be found here on my website on the Meditation menu tab at this link. Join The Club! 😉

P.P.P.S. If you want to get started meditating now, visit ESpirit.info for meditation instruction on their website. They also have books and CDs available for purchase that can be shipped to you or downloaded. Enjoy the perks of a grounded life!

Arizona Desert Wildlife

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Sindi Somers

At the beginning of one of our morning walks the air smelled like skunk. The smell seemed to dissapate, as we continued on, so I forgot about it.

A walk with Rock is always an adventure. 🙂

Rock loves his walks. He has a lot of energy and a curious Retriever nose, disguised in a Chihuahua body. So he sniffed and I looked. He enjoyed the smells while I rejoiced in the sights of the desert with trees a.k.a. Prescott, Arizona.

We have had fun exploring and I like Rock’s curiosity and sense of adventure. We were walking on a path lined with trees. Over to the left I heard a noise and saw something move. I actually thought it was a trash bag blowing in the wind for some reason. It wasn’t. Haha! Nor was it a skunk. It was a Javelina also known as a Peccary or Skunk Pig, hence the odor I smelled earlier.

There were actually two of them. Rock saw them too and surprisingly didn’t bark. In fact I found it interesting and was surprised he wasn’t more reactive. However, I could tell he was mainly trying to figure out what in the heck these things were! He huffed a few times, stared at them and changed positions, but didn’t agress towards them. I’m sure what helped is that they were calm and although they looked at us for a moment, they went right back to foraging for food. They weren’t interested or concerned about us.

A Peccary at night, courtesy of MorgueFile.com. I love you Morgue File photographers!!!

Someone had told me about there existence in Arizona, so I had heard about them before. I forgot about them until that moment though. I had been told that they can be aggressive and mean, so I was watching them with caution, waiting to see if they would charge us, but again they were not threatened by us being there. I love seeing animals in their natural habitat. It makes me so happy! After several moments of this live Natural Geographic documentary, Rock wanted to leave. So we did. I would have liked to have snapped photos, but my phone battery was out of juice. I have included two photos in this post that I was able to download from MorgueFile.com. It is an awesome website with a great selection of beautiful stock photos available for FREE, with some restrictions. I have been using them for years. Photos may have varying use criteria, so be sure and read and abide by their guidlines. Here’s a link to MorgueFile.com.

Here is a cute photo of a Javelina. Also known as a Peccary or Skunk Pig.

Here is a cute photo of a resting Javelina. Also known as a Peccary or Skunk Pig. Photo is courtesy of MorgueFile.com.

I was over the top excited to see these two Javelinas and wanted to learn more about them. I was able to thanks to Google! Here’s a Wikipedia article about these wild pig like creatures if you would like to learn more. Plus another photo!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peccary

While I am mainly known for working with people and there pets, I have helped people with wild animals in and out of captivity, as well as farm animals. I also provide services for people without animals. Any being, living or that has passed on. I am a spiritual communicator and reader of souls. Want more information? Call me at 619-797-0705.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Yesterday was Happy Hiking. Today is Happy Valentine’s Day. We will have to see what type of happy we are tomorrow. 😉

Sindi outside hiking on a beautiful day in Prescott, AZ.

On a rejuvenating, meditative nature walk with my nature boy, Rock. See photo below.

Rock is a Retriever in a Chihuahua body. Well… At least his nose is Retriever-ish. 😉

On one of our recent hikes we came across abundant paw prints in the dirt. Do you think they are coyote tracks or from a domesticated dog? Check out the photo below.

Coyote or dog tracks? What do you think?

One of the things I like about hiking and being out in nature is seeing wildlife. As you may know, I love animals! Whether birds, lizards or whatever creature might reveal itself to me. The other day I was overjoyed to see that a cute little ladybug had landed on my car. I realized that I hadn’t seen one in quite awhile. Aren’t ladybugs supposed to bring luck? I think more than one person has told me that seeing ladybugs represents that particular symbolism. I do know that seeing this spotted creature brought me joy. A sales manager I had years ago said that luck is when preparedness meets opportunity. To me, this means being in the present moment and able to respond to what may come your way. In the case of meeting this ladybug friend, I was definitely in the present moment. I had the opportunity to experience an interaction with this being, was prepared to do so and received the energetic result of joy.

There are so many different inhabitants of the animal kingdom. Today, my friend David posted photos on my Facebook timeline of a cute little critter called a Quokka. I never saw this animal before. I didn’t consciously know they existed until David shared the photos with me. I said it looked like a Koala Chipmunk! Haha! It was absolutely adorable. It is a marsupial apparently, but not sure if it is actually related to the cute Koala Bear or not. I guess I need to Google it and find out! So cute!

The more I learn about animals, the more I want to learn and the more I realize how much more there is to know. I absolutely love getting to work with animals and their people. If you want to learn more about the animals in your life, contact me. We can learn more together. 619-797-0705

Enjoy your evening!

Happy Hiking

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Rock was a bit of a sleepyhead yesterday morning. I love that he likes to sleep in. I do too, when I am able to. 🙂

Today I feel happy and energized. Yesterday was blissful and peaceful. Rock was a bit of a sleepyhead, so we took our time getting started yesterday morning. It was a relaxing way to begin our day.

After we both were awake, we each had some water and a little something to eat before heading to check out a recommended hiking trail. And wow! Was it ever beautiful! I felt so joyful, enthusiastic and in touch with the earth and nature!

We can get so busy. It is easy to forget how much taking time out for ourselves can be rejuvenating and actually give us more energy. The more we replenish ourselves and our own well of energy, the more we have to give to others. Giving to ourselves does not take away from others. It diminishes depletion and deprivation within ourselves and creates more abundance so that we have more to share; more to give. Don’t believe me? Try it! You may be pleasantly surprised! 🙂

Hiking trail in Prescott, Arizona surrounded by trees.

The trail that led to relaxation, rejuvenation and many internal, as well as external observations. It truly was a walking meditation with long term healing results, along with joyous memories.

During our replenishing nature hike, we drank in the beauty of the Prescott, Arizona landscape. Trees as far as the eye could see, mountains, birds singing and a cool breeze that would sometimes change to a temporary gust of energetic twirling wind. It would make a whistling sound that made it seem like the trees were speaking to us. At times it felt a bit eerie, but mostly it was a gentle, yet powerful healing experience.

Rock wanted to turn back before I did, so I carried him for awhile, so he could rest his legs and have an upper level view of the world. After a little while, I agreed that it was time to turn back. When I set him down, Rock took off running seeming to be in a great hurry to get out of there. Instead of remaining on the trail, he decide to scale a huge boulder with great zeal! He wanted to keep going up higher, but there wasn’t sufficient footing for my larger than Chihuahua paw sized feet, so I had to put an end to the ascent. Sorry Rock! And sorry to the rock Rock was climbing for putting an end to the fun it was providing and the obvious appreciation it was receiving from Chi-ROCK.

Unfortunately, during his adventure, my Rock got pricked by a small cactus that was growing in a crevice of mother nature’s rock. Luckily I found no cactus needles or prickly hairs embedded in Rock’s mouth where he had apparently tried to kiss the cactus. Following several lip licks and self provided mouth massage movements, Rock appeared fine, as if nothing had happened and we continued our descent down the large rock formation. I was attempting to take a photo of Rock on his rock, but taking care of his potential injury took presadence, so you will have to use your imagination for this particular visual. 🙂 Luckily, Rock was okay and there were no lasting effects or reoccuring signs that he had had his first face to face run in with a cactus.

As of today there still have been no signs of residual effects, so all is well, thank goodness! We didn’t hike in the mountains today, but took what has become a daily walk in one of the pretty local parks. We actually take several walks everyday, but the park walk was our longest one today.

Everyday is Different

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Sindi Somers

Well if I was tired of any routine, that particular fatigue is gone! Each day of my journey has been unique. Perhaps that is true about everyday of our lives. Though our routines that we grow accustomed to can provide feelings of regularity, familiarity and stability, as well as, at times perhaps, boredom.

Besides drinking water, using the restroom and walking Rock, the most routine thing in my life right now has been driving. Of course, after not having a working car for over eight months, this could be one of those, “be careful what you pray for” moments. Even though I am driving often, every single drive is different. Varied sights, temperatures and smoothness, or should I say, bumpiness of road.

You may have noticed that I didn’t mention eating or visiting Starbucks in my list of most common routines. That is because my eating schedule has been thrown off and I oddly haven’t been drinking coffee daily. I also purchased some of Starbucks packets of instant coffee that have been super convenient! I love them. I bought a package of 12 during the holidays. Each packet is a one cup serving. Just add any temperature of water, stir and you are good to go! Yum and thank you, caffeine!

Thanks to their instant coffee packets, now Starbucks can be everywhere I go!

I’m in a hotel in Las Vegas and I feel like the guest with a million complaints! But they are all legitimate. Well… You decide!

1) My nonsmoking room smelled like smoke. The two women at the front desk gave me an option of the room next door, but it smelled more like smoke than the first one! I was tired and had already brought a load of stuff to the first room, so I opted to just buck up or you might say, go with the flow, and stay there. I wanted to get settled, feed Rock and then feed me, which I did with thin crust pizza with bell pepper and pineapple toppings from Dominoes. It tasted so good to me! I haven’t had Dominoes in a long, long time!

2) I couldn’t get the TV to turn on when I pressed the Power button on the remote. I asked the young woman at the front desk if there was a secret to turning on the TV. She said she would send maintenance over. In the interim I discovered that I needed to press Play and not Power. But of course, haha! I called the front desk to let them know in case any other guests may be similarly technologically challenged. In her defense, I think the woman I spoke to was new and not familiar with the querks of the hotel. 🙂

3) My toilet kept running really loud. Not consistently, so it would be quiet for awhile and then a rush of water would startle me, as I tried to fall asleep. Jiggling the handle did nothing to change it. The nighttime front desk man said that I could turn the water valve off. Okay. I can do that. My 133rd most favorite thing to do in a hotel: turn the toilet water valve on and off, as flushing is needed. Haha! 😉 But it was around 12:40 AM when I called him. Not sure what else he possibly could have done. He gave me a workable solution and one that I hadn’t thought of. So thank you, him! 🙂

So I guess not everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! Goodnight! Going to get some sleep in preparation of another unique day with my big little trooper. Thanks for reading this post! Have a Wild and/or Tame day!

Rock sleeps where I sleep, but he also has beds all his own. This is his current favorite. I put my shirt in it for him to cuddle on.

Indoor Activities for Dogs When It’s Too Hot, Too Cold or Just for Fun

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Sindi Somers

The all mighty Kong!!! It comes in different sizes to suit all ages and sizes of canine companions. 🙂

When it’s too hot to spend time outside, I find the dogs at my house nap a lot. If you want to break it up with some fun activities, here are some ideas. Please note: Cats and other companion animals like training games, treats and playtime too!

1) Fill a KONG toy with wet food or stuff with meat or favorite treats. Serve, as is or if using wet food, you can freeze it if you want it to take longer to eat all the food.
2) I believe that training should be fun! It also can provide beneficial mental stimulation. Teach a new trick, such as “High-5”, “Shake” or “Speak.” You can work on skills like, “Sit”, “Stay”, “Come” or “Loose Leash Walking” inside too. Google “Positive Reinforcement Training” for humane training techniques. Never use training approaches or techniques that you feel uncomfortable with or that are emotionally, mentally or physically harmful to your companion animals.

Positive reinforcement training rewards the desired behaviors, which helps the animal to prefer implementing that behavior themselves.
This is a great way to increase the bond with your animal friends. Cats and other animals respond to these humane training techniques too. For when it’s hot out, cold out, or any time at all!

3) Get creative! Think of fun game variations that will be engaging to your animal friends. “Hide and Seek” can be taught. I have played it with both cats and dogs. You can start with saying, “Peek a Boo” around a corner. Then when you go back into hiding, wait for them to find you. You can repeat several times, if they don’t investigate right away.
4) Have them wait in the other room while you go hide treats in various places. This can be a great opportunity to help teach “Stay” and “Come” also. After all is hidden, have them “Go Find It!” When teaching new games or training of any kind, you want to set your pets up for success. So start with an easy spot that they can see and say, or as I like to do, enthusiastically encourage, them to “Go Find It!” You can do this as many times as needed, until it seems they have the hang of it. Then make it a little harder and increase the difficulty if you want, so that it continues to be interesting and fun. Of course, for many, any involvement of treats is interesting AND fun!!!
5) Have a conversation with your animal friends. Even if you don’t believe they understand you, you will notice that they enjoy the attention, validation and recognition. And even if you feel like you are making it up or “just pretending,” allow yourself to receive messages and know what they are communicating to you.

Enjoy your special times with your animal friends and stay cool all! I am posting this in the heat of summer, but you may want to try these activities when it’s too cold to go outside or just for the fun of it to enhance your relationship with your animal friends.

Bragging Rights

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Before children learn the “rules,” to be modest and downplay their strengths and favored attributes, they neutrally and joyfully remark about themselves. Instead of turning it down, let’s turn it up! Learn from kids and be proud of yourself. There is only one YOU!!!

A very insightful friend of mine said something to me that I wanted to share. She said that one thing she doesn’t like about our society is that we are taught not to be boastful, but that it is encouraged to have self-esteem. She was commenting on how we, as people learn to not accept compliments, but instead, disagree with the compliment giver. Here’s an example. If the compliment is, “You’re pretty,” then the trained response may be, “No. I’m not.” We may later learn the polite response is, simply to say, “thank you.” How do you feel when you respond by acknowledging it with a thank you? How do you feel if you respond by invalidating the compliment giver and disagreeing with their complimentary view of you?

We also may learn to apologize for our strengths and if we mention something we are confident about, we, ourselves may feel uncomfortable about this, or others may label us as being egotistical or arrogant. Perhaps there is a belief that if we own one of our gifts are strengths then we are saying others are not as strong in this area.

So what is okay and what is not okay? Are we only allowed to have silent confidence? If we share with others something about ourselves we are excited about, do we risk certain judgment, criticism and less than pleasant responses?

I may be able to admit that I am a good writer, but Dr. Seuss is my favorite writer! And Christopher Durang is my favorite playwright. 🙂

Here is another example. I am a good writer. I think I am a good writer. I have been told throughout my life that I am a good writer. At this point in my life, after years of practice, successful writing projects, becoming a published writer and receiving payment for some of my writing, I feel confident that I not only think I am a good writer, but I am in fact a good writer. I am not a perfect writer, however and I have never claimed to be perfect. Not everyone may like my style of writing, but I am still a skilled writer. Me knowing and stating that I am a good writer does not take anything away from anyone else’s writing abilities. Yet often, when we excel in an area, whether it is a natural attribute or a learned skill, we attract admirers and haters. Some people will love, appreciate and admire our strengths while others will be competitive and possibly feel that it threatens them, effects them in a non-beneficial way, makes them look bad or takes something away for them. Often it can trigger insecurity in someone.

We all have insecurities. We all have strengths and weaknesses. One of my strengths is writing. However, there are plenty of things that are not strengths. I do not know how to fix my broken car, change a car’s oil, do complex mathematical equations, rock climb, fly an airplane, cut a person’s hair, play guitar, sew, play cribbage, work as a barista, scuba dive and you will never see me skydive! Okay. So never say never, but performing risky stunts, like jumping out of a plane isn’t something I gravitate towards.

Okay. So I came clean with you and admitted that I believe I am a good writer. Now it’s your turn. Think of at least one of your strengths and validate it. Take a deep breath and let go of anything that says this is not a strength. Let go of invalidation, doubt and any interference to you admitting, owning and appreciating this strength. It is a gift you have and its okay to own it and let the world see it. Shine baby shine!

Oh and just to share… here’s a link to an article I wrote for San Diego Pets Magazine, which was recently bought by the San Diego Humane Society. A new version of the magazine will be out later this year. The Little Dogs’ Big Problem. By, Sindi Somers.

Me and my Rock. My Chi-ROCK-Wah! 😉

If you want help letting go of invalidation, criticism and anything else that may be interfering with your happiness and your ability to validate your gifts, I can help. With either a one-on-one private session, energy healing or perhaps learning some of the life changing meditation techniques that I practice and teach, I can help with your process. Feel free to email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com or call me at 619-797-0705.

Yuma and Phoenix and Sedona, Oh My!

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Sindi Somers

On the road again. Well… almost! Yuma, Phoenix, Chandler and Sedona… Arizona, here I come! 🙂

It all started with a little trip to Yuma! It actually was a pretty big and awesome trip. The Palms RV Resort saw my TV interview on YouTube and then invited me to give an Animal Communication presentation and demonstration as part of their annual PetPalooza event. I had a great time and met many lovely animal lovers and their animal friends. The staff and guests were gracious hosts and very kindly welcomed me. I am looking forward to going back in January of 2015!

Desert beauty in Arizona.

Breaking through the California border, intrigued my interest. My decision to venture beyond Yuma came next. Last month I was thrilled to offer my first Animal Communication presentation and demonstration in Phoenix, Arizona. It was hosted by the independently owned, health focused, pet supply store called the Noble Beast Natural Pet Market. The animal loving owner, staff and customers were all lovely and welcoming. We were able to work together to raise funds for the Phoenix animal rescue, Poverty’s Pets! The loving caregivers of Rise and Shine Petsitting took excellent care of my favorite traveling companion, Rock, while I was working. Huge thanks to everyone!

Beautiful bird enjoying the high life in Arizona. Looks kind of angry though. Maybe he doesn’t like having his picture taken!

This weekend marks leg three of my Arizona adventure! I will be south of Phoenix in Chandler, Arizona at the Choice Pet Market offering 10 – 15 minute pet psychic readings and animal communication sessions from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 5th. They are first come, first serve and Pay What You Can. While in Arizona, I will be spending time in Phoenix and am hoping to venture up to Sedona. People keep telling me I need to go there and when I say people, I mean a lot of people, unrelated that don’t know each other. When you get a heavy dose of multiple messages like that, well… I’m thinking it would be a beneficial idea for me to check it out!

The desert just isn’t the desert without some cute, heat loving lizards! 😉

Below is a link, if you or someone you know will be in the Chandler/Phoenix area.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

CHOICE PET MARKET

http://www.choicepetmarket.com/events/

Rock makes everything in my life more fun, including road trips. What a great traveler he is!

For those not in Arizona, I have some fun events coming up in San Diego too.

Doggie Meditation – April 26

Animal Communication Talk – May 2

Animal Communication Talk – 9/18

I offer pet loss support groups with healing guided meditations each month too. RSVP to me if interested in attending.

And I offer long distance sessions for those too far away to drive to see me or for me to come visit you. Feel free to email me at sindi@apetpsychic.com or call me at 619-797-0705 if you have questions about any of my services and events.

Rock and Sindi’s Excellent Adventure

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Rock makes everything in my life a lot more fun, including road trips!

Although we started planning for my Animal Communication presentation and demonstration months ago, my visit to Phoenix came and went last weekend. It was a full weekend with readings Saturday, Sunday and I was even able to sneak one last one in on Monday morning. My talk was a lot of fun and I felt very welcomed by the participants. The proceeds from my talk went to the animal loving non-profit animal rescue, Poverty’s Pets of Phoenix.

I enjoyed my time at the Noble Beast Natural Pet Market, where my presentation and the majority of my readings took place. The owner and staff were absolutely lovely and accommodating. When it comes to shopping, I would rather shop for my dog any day of the week. So I especially love visits to health conscious, independently owned pet supply stores, such as this beautiful one in Phoenix, Arizona located at 1005 Camelback Road. I bought a car harness for Rock that hooks to the seat belt. I liked the look of it and how it fit him and he seemed pretty excited about it too! Noble Beast has a variety of humane collars, harnesses and leashes, as well as healthy food and treats, beds and carriers and a wonderful assortment of toys. I loved the entire experience!

Rock and I met a number of great new friends. In addition to some related to the Noble Beast and my work, the lovely dog sitters, Brandi and Christian with Rise and Shine Petsitting. They were so kind and compassionate with Rock. I could tell that they truly loved him and he loved them too. What a relief that as a pet parent not have to worry about my beloved animal friend when I’m gone!

In addition to Rise and Shine Petsitting’s recommendation of checking out the beautiful Encanto Park, the owner of Noble Beast pet supply store, suggested I check out Dreamy Draw, when I asked her for a nice place to go for a hike. Although by the time Rock and I made it there on our way out of town on Monday, it was too hot to go for an actual hike, we enjoyed a nice walk and doggie potty break before hitting the road.

It took a while to get back, as I got a little turned around, as I was trying to leave town. I wondered if that was a sign that I wasn’t supposed to leave. 😉 But we eventually got on the right freeway, with the help of a kind, young man at a local 7-11 who took the time to help me. We stopped several times along the way for puppy and mommy snack and potty breaks. I also stopped in El Centro and got a new toy for Sir Rock at Ross there. If you don’t know, Ross stores have a pet section with beds, dog clothes, toys and more.

We finally made it back to San Diego around 10:00 PM. Before heading home, Rock and I drove straight to the site where I feed my feral kitty. My friend fed him while I was gone, so while he might have missed me, he didn’t miss out on his nightly feeding. Since I haven’t told you about my feral feline friend yet, I realize that that needs to be a blog post in the near future!

Well… I have an animal communication session and people and pet psychic reading to get ready for. So until next time… Hug your animal babies and have a Wild and/or Tame day!

The Two Minute Walk to Disneyland, Part Two

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Sindi Somers

Children may love to see Goofy, but he would be a scary sight for a dog that has never been exposed to such a thing! Sure he’s a dog, but just like Halloween costumes, Goofy could be alarming.

It’s been two weeks since I wrote and published my last post, The Two Minute Walk to Disneyland, Part One. Although we haven’t ventured to the park every single day, Rock has made great progress and is feeling more confident and tolerant of varied activities and surroundings. We have walked to the park, which includes the scary, noisy overpass 4 or 5 times since my last post.

I went from carrying him across the overpass, to us running across it, to today’s progression of, Rock choosing to walk instead of run. He walked quickly, but slow enough so that I could walk and his leash remained loose. We got about half way across the overpass and he decided it was time to run.

Rock likes to watch the world. It’s his Dog TV! As you can see by his upright, stiff tail, he is alert. On walks when he actually has his tail in a more relaxed position, I reward him with treats. I want to teach him that it’s okay to let his guard down.

Rock loves to watch the world around him. He also likes to smell it! While the park is a bit overwhelming and perhaps not a completely carefree experience or playground, like Disneyland is to a human child, it is interesting, fascinating and mentally stimulating to Rock. After about an hour at the park, which included sniffing like an experienced retriever and running free in the in the fenced in area, Rock walked calmly and in a relaxed manner back across the overpass. If you have a reactive dog or one who gets into “mischief” or an incessant barker, or any dog with exuberant energy, get them out of the house! Introduce them to new experiences. Our park field trips, definitely provide great physical exercise, but also, tons of mental stimulation. This combination is fatiguing, as well as fulfilling. Rock is a more relaxed dog after both outlets for his energy. Even physicists and scientists agree that everything is energy! That includes enthusiasm and joy, as well as stress, anxiety and fear.

Rock receives praise and sometimes treats when he is more interested in his walk or sniffing the ground than lunging at moving people, animals or objects. And it’s working awesomely, as a way to teach him alternative behaviors!

Some wonderful responses to note include, Rock’s choices today to walk all the way around the fenced skateboarders’ area at the park without barking, lunging or in any other way showing signs of stress or reactivity. He chose to stand and watch the action a few times, but mostly walked around sniffing and accompanying me on a stroll. There were a few key times I rewarded and or distracted him with treats. I gave him a few food rewards while he walked calmly next to the noisy skateboard area, as well as when a jogger or walker passed right by us. He impressively, did not lunge, bark or react. Although there was one woman who walked by that he wanted to chase. He didn’t bark or even lunge at her. After she passed, he just really wanted to chase her! We went in another direction and he was fine with that choice after a few moments.

If there is a chance your dog may pull or lunge while on leash, I recommend using a harness collar, like this Puppy One harness on Rock. Your dog will be less likely to damage his trachea or otherwise harm himself with a harness. It is humane, unlike prong, choke or shock collars. A comfortable harness is a safer option than a regular neck collar too. And although a Houdini dog can wiggle out of anything, a harness will be more difficult.

For the amount of time we spent at the park, I really didn’t give a lot of treat rewards. I didn’t have to. His time sniffing and exploring was reward enough, not quite Disneyland, but perhaps more like a day at Cub Scout’s or Boy Scout’s camp. Interesting and educational and experiences that built confidence and maturity with some fun thrown in.

Well… I am going to have to have at least one more part to this story! So much more to tell, but I want to cuddle up with my Rock and go to sleep.

Me and my Rock.

If you want help with your dog, whether reactive, shy or just in need of some education, call me at 619-797-0705. You can also email me at sindi@wildtame.com. And… Happy New Year to you and yours! Wishing you the courage to confront yourself, to not only help yourself, but also your companion animals.

I will be in Yuma, Arizona on January 16 and January 17. If you would like an in-person animal communication reading, positive reinforcement training session or nutrition and holistic pet care consultation, let me know! Secure your spot by calling me at 619-797-0705 or emailing sindi@wildtame.com.