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Interview with Cindy Huff,
Pet Communicator
By Ginny Downs
(assistant to Miss Ruby D)
Pet Communicator
By Ginny Downs
(assistant to Miss Ruby D)
Continued from GABR Home page.
Why did you personally want to become a Pet Communicator?
Cindy- Both Terri and I did this when we were children very naturally. As adults, we each faced a challenging situation with a dog we lived with, and that lead us
to our animal communication teacher. We chose to begin doing animal communication and also the energetic healing work as a way of helping animals.
Specifically, we like to help animals and their human family members understand each other better, so that issues and problems can be more easily worked out.
If we are successful in doing that, the animal is more likely to stay with that family and not end up in a rescue situation.
How long have you been doing this work?
Cindy- Terri and I began learning animal communication as a skill since 1999. I started doing this professionally in 2001. Teri began doing this professionally in
2004 when she joined the business.
In your business, what are the usual types of consulting you are called upon to aid?
Cindy- Most people come to us about one of three things - transition, a specific behavior issue, or a specific health issue. Transition means either they feel
that it is time to help their pet pass over (or the pet has already passed over and they want to talk with them on the Other Side). We seem to do a lot of this
work, and we combine animal communication and healing work to ease the pets through the transition time. Common behavior issues that people ask for help
with are potty issues, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and basic training issues (jumping up, etc). We refer people to their vets for the potty issues, to insure there
is no underlying physical issue. For aggression, we often also refer people to a professional trainer for help in managing the situation safely. For health issues,
we again refer to a vet, and we also try to help the humans understand how the animal is feeling in their body, which can often give us clues as to where the vet
may want to look for an issue.
We at Guardian Angel Basset Rescue, know first-hand how valuable the information you gather from many strays and/or abused rescues.
Because the dogs are picked up on the run, there is no information about the former owners and what they did or did not do. It is for this
reason that our foster homes are so very important to learn where problems may be prior to placing on the adoption page. Could you help us
understand how you are able to obtain this information?
Cindy-First, it's important that a foster dog or cat understand that "then is then, now is now". The humans can help with that by reassuring the animals about
that verbally every day. Secondly, we ask the animal to share with us what their last family was like, or how they came to be out on the street as a stray, etc. We
also ask them what type of family they would LIKE to have - would they like a home with children, someone who is active, someone who is home all the time, etc.
This is probably one of the most important things we can do to help foster animals, to get them placed in the right home for THEM.
Today, with all the changes both financial and environmental, it seems more pets are being surrendered, euthanized or even worse, dumped
out in the country. Do you think people need to take more time when considering a family pet? What type of things would you say people need
to consider?
Cindy- ABSOLUTELY. Our first Basset Hound Beauregard was dumped, and he walked down our driveway. I always stress that it is important to look at the
family situation - how much are you home, what is important to you in that type of pet, are you ready to assume a considerable financial obligation, are you
willing to give up precious free time to spend with your pet, etc. Are you willing to make a long term commitment to the care of this pet? Do you like an active
pet, or a pet that will hang out with you and watch TV? There are great websites that help people select the right breed for their circumstances and lifestyle.
One of the reasons Bassets work so well for Terri and I is that we both work out of the home, so they seem to be fine being on their own during the day. Also,
they don't require that we get out and jog with them nightly, a few minutes of chasing a ball in the yard seems fine. They basically love food and love attention
and just like to BE with us. Works great all around!
How can we become better owners and prevent the troublesome problems which often lead to pets having to leave the only home they know?
Cindy- Pay attention to them - see them as thinking, feeling, intelligent members of the family. Each has their own unique personality, needs, and abilities. SEE
them - greet them, talk to them, treat them in that sense just as if you would a human being. Leadership is very important as well - they are living in our world,
by our rules. We need to be effective, respectful, and kind leaders. That means teaching them what the rules are, working with them at their pace to
understand those things, and being consistent with them. I highly recommend positive, basic obedience training for ANY dog from a qualified professional
trainer. Finally - enjoy them, just enjoy spending time with them. Obi (GABR's Cabot that we adopted in 2009) is a great "hang out" kind of guy. When I do
appointments or work from home, he loves it because he just hangs out all day with me. He also likes to help me grill out or read. He is always close by. Lukas
(GABR's Brutus, adopted 2008) is very different - very smart, loves training, loves attention, wants to be on your lap. It is all about HIM. Get to know our pets as
individuals.
I often believe people wait too long to work on problems. It isn’t for lack of love so much as it seems a lack of understanding and education.
Perhaps, if we could guide people earlier, pets and owners would live happier lives. What do you think?
Cindy- I agree - we often wait until something is a major issue before we ask for help. We sometimes get calls from people that say "my husband/wife is going
to take the dog to the Pound if s/he doesn't stop doing _____". Educating yourself about yourself and your family's lifestyle as well as about the breed or type
of pet you are considering is essential.
Finances obviously play a big role these days in our lives. People have to make choices and not ones they want to make. As much as a family
pet is a member of the family, it is a consideration some must consider. When a family is in stress, I know from personal experience, that our
four legged, furry kids pick up on those “vibes” and will react to it. That “reaction” is considered to be the problem of the dog by the family.
How do we help in these cases? Or, am I “over-reacting”?
Cindy- Important point. Animals are extremely sensitive to our emotions, and read our body language very well. We often have to remind them that their job is
to be a loving companion to their humans, NOT to take on the human's illness, anxiety, or issues. It's best to explain to your pet that you're having a bad day, or
that you're mad at your spouse, and that they are fine, you love them, they are being good. Especially important with horses!
When there are changes in the home and surroundings, what type of problems do owners contact you for advice?
Cindy- Most often regression to old behaviors such as chewing, pottying in the house, seperation anxiety behavior, or even behavior that is caused by old
trauma. It's important to explain to pets about changes like moving, company, vacations, job schedule changes, etc before they happen.
Your services are more valuable to owners than one might imagine. Even when an owner is considering calling you, they may feel the expense
could be prohibitive and not go through with the call. I am all about education and information. Would you give some kind of estimate about an
average call?
Cindy - Animal communicators vary in terms of how they work, what they charge, etc. We charge by time - $40 for 30 minutes, $80 for an hour, etc. The client
can talk with as many animals as they wish during that time. Most calls last from 30 minutes to an hour.
Many owners consult you at that difficult time when illness or injury is more than we want for our pets. It is comforting to know our pets
understand that our love for them is so deep that we will do for them the ultimate gift. It is never easy and some of us are always haunted by
having to do this. Do you have any advice to help us? How important is it for our pets to have a loved one with them at that moment?
Cindy- VERY IMPORTANT - if the human(s) can do that. Being their when a loved one transitions is a wonderful gift - it reassures them, and it also reassures
the human. It's important to respect the animal's wishes, which is why we tend to do a lot of work with clients in this situation. I think understanding what the
animal wants helps give the human peace of mind in a difficult situation for both.
That question is hard and no one wants to even think about it and yet it is always there. I remember never wanting to be there, I just couldn’t
bare it. Then I decided that if I were part of this decision and loved my pet, I surely could have the strength to be with them all the way. Being
there or not doesn’t ease the pain. But, we do not question as much later or wish we had been. There is a special something about being able
to give the ultimate gift of love. Love just plain hurts but never having experienced it is never ever knowing how to care for another and have
another care for us. We may become hermits but our inner selves will always know anyway and at some point wish they had taken that leap of
faith and feel the unconditional Love of a dog - a basset in our case.
Is there anything that you can add for us?
Cindy - I think I covered everything. Thanks Ginny, let me know how this turns out. Thanks for what you do as well.
Cindy- Both Terri and I did this when we were children very naturally. As adults, we each faced a challenging situation with a dog we lived with, and that lead us
to our animal communication teacher. We chose to begin doing animal communication and also the energetic healing work as a way of helping animals.
Specifically, we like to help animals and their human family members understand each other better, so that issues and problems can be more easily worked out.
If we are successful in doing that, the animal is more likely to stay with that family and not end up in a rescue situation.
How long have you been doing this work?
Cindy- Terri and I began learning animal communication as a skill since 1999. I started doing this professionally in 2001. Teri began doing this professionally in
2004 when she joined the business.
In your business, what are the usual types of consulting you are called upon to aid?
Cindy- Most people come to us about one of three things - transition, a specific behavior issue, or a specific health issue. Transition means either they feel
that it is time to help their pet pass over (or the pet has already passed over and they want to talk with them on the Other Side). We seem to do a lot of this
work, and we combine animal communication and healing work to ease the pets through the transition time. Common behavior issues that people ask for help
with are potty issues, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and basic training issues (jumping up, etc). We refer people to their vets for the potty issues, to insure there
is no underlying physical issue. For aggression, we often also refer people to a professional trainer for help in managing the situation safely. For health issues,
we again refer to a vet, and we also try to help the humans understand how the animal is feeling in their body, which can often give us clues as to where the vet
may want to look for an issue.
We at Guardian Angel Basset Rescue, know first-hand how valuable the information you gather from many strays and/or abused rescues.
Because the dogs are picked up on the run, there is no information about the former owners and what they did or did not do. It is for this
reason that our foster homes are so very important to learn where problems may be prior to placing on the adoption page. Could you help us
understand how you are able to obtain this information?
Cindy-First, it's important that a foster dog or cat understand that "then is then, now is now". The humans can help with that by reassuring the animals about
that verbally every day. Secondly, we ask the animal to share with us what their last family was like, or how they came to be out on the street as a stray, etc. We
also ask them what type of family they would LIKE to have - would they like a home with children, someone who is active, someone who is home all the time, etc.
This is probably one of the most important things we can do to help foster animals, to get them placed in the right home for THEM.
Today, with all the changes both financial and environmental, it seems more pets are being surrendered, euthanized or even worse, dumped
out in the country. Do you think people need to take more time when considering a family pet? What type of things would you say people need
to consider?
Cindy- ABSOLUTELY. Our first Basset Hound Beauregard was dumped, and he walked down our driveway. I always stress that it is important to look at the
family situation - how much are you home, what is important to you in that type of pet, are you ready to assume a considerable financial obligation, are you
willing to give up precious free time to spend with your pet, etc. Are you willing to make a long term commitment to the care of this pet? Do you like an active
pet, or a pet that will hang out with you and watch TV? There are great websites that help people select the right breed for their circumstances and lifestyle.
One of the reasons Bassets work so well for Terri and I is that we both work out of the home, so they seem to be fine being on their own during the day. Also,
they don't require that we get out and jog with them nightly, a few minutes of chasing a ball in the yard seems fine. They basically love food and love attention
and just like to BE with us. Works great all around!
How can we become better owners and prevent the troublesome problems which often lead to pets having to leave the only home they know?
Cindy- Pay attention to them - see them as thinking, feeling, intelligent members of the family. Each has their own unique personality, needs, and abilities. SEE
them - greet them, talk to them, treat them in that sense just as if you would a human being. Leadership is very important as well - they are living in our world,
by our rules. We need to be effective, respectful, and kind leaders. That means teaching them what the rules are, working with them at their pace to
understand those things, and being consistent with them. I highly recommend positive, basic obedience training for ANY dog from a qualified professional
trainer. Finally - enjoy them, just enjoy spending time with them. Obi (GABR's Cabot that we adopted in 2009) is a great "hang out" kind of guy. When I do
appointments or work from home, he loves it because he just hangs out all day with me. He also likes to help me grill out or read. He is always close by. Lukas
(GABR's Brutus, adopted 2008) is very different - very smart, loves training, loves attention, wants to be on your lap. It is all about HIM. Get to know our pets as
individuals.
I often believe people wait too long to work on problems. It isn’t for lack of love so much as it seems a lack of understanding and education.
Perhaps, if we could guide people earlier, pets and owners would live happier lives. What do you think?
Cindy- I agree - we often wait until something is a major issue before we ask for help. We sometimes get calls from people that say "my husband/wife is going
to take the dog to the Pound if s/he doesn't stop doing _____". Educating yourself about yourself and your family's lifestyle as well as about the breed or type
of pet you are considering is essential.
Finances obviously play a big role these days in our lives. People have to make choices and not ones they want to make. As much as a family
pet is a member of the family, it is a consideration some must consider. When a family is in stress, I know from personal experience, that our
four legged, furry kids pick up on those “vibes” and will react to it. That “reaction” is considered to be the problem of the dog by the family.
How do we help in these cases? Or, am I “over-reacting”?
Cindy- Important point. Animals are extremely sensitive to our emotions, and read our body language very well. We often have to remind them that their job is
to be a loving companion to their humans, NOT to take on the human's illness, anxiety, or issues. It's best to explain to your pet that you're having a bad day, or
that you're mad at your spouse, and that they are fine, you love them, they are being good. Especially important with horses!
When there are changes in the home and surroundings, what type of problems do owners contact you for advice?
Cindy- Most often regression to old behaviors such as chewing, pottying in the house, seperation anxiety behavior, or even behavior that is caused by old
trauma. It's important to explain to pets about changes like moving, company, vacations, job schedule changes, etc before they happen.
Your services are more valuable to owners than one might imagine. Even when an owner is considering calling you, they may feel the expense
could be prohibitive and not go through with the call. I am all about education and information. Would you give some kind of estimate about an
average call?
Cindy - Animal communicators vary in terms of how they work, what they charge, etc. We charge by time - $40 for 30 minutes, $80 for an hour, etc. The client
can talk with as many animals as they wish during that time. Most calls last from 30 minutes to an hour.
Many owners consult you at that difficult time when illness or injury is more than we want for our pets. It is comforting to know our pets
understand that our love for them is so deep that we will do for them the ultimate gift. It is never easy and some of us are always haunted by
having to do this. Do you have any advice to help us? How important is it for our pets to have a loved one with them at that moment?
Cindy- VERY IMPORTANT - if the human(s) can do that. Being their when a loved one transitions is a wonderful gift - it reassures them, and it also reassures
the human. It's important to respect the animal's wishes, which is why we tend to do a lot of work with clients in this situation. I think understanding what the
animal wants helps give the human peace of mind in a difficult situation for both.
That question is hard and no one wants to even think about it and yet it is always there. I remember never wanting to be there, I just couldn’t
bare it. Then I decided that if I were part of this decision and loved my pet, I surely could have the strength to be with them all the way. Being
there or not doesn’t ease the pain. But, we do not question as much later or wish we had been. There is a special something about being able
to give the ultimate gift of love. Love just plain hurts but never having experienced it is never ever knowing how to care for another and have
another care for us. We may become hermits but our inner selves will always know anyway and at some point wish they had taken that leap of
faith and feel the unconditional Love of a dog - a basset in our case.
Is there anything that you can add for us?
Cindy - I think I covered everything. Thanks Ginny, let me know how this turns out. Thanks for what you do as well.
Contact Information:
Cindy Huff
Animal Communication & Wellness Services
cindy@acwservices.net
513-310-3997
PO Box 235
Pleasant Plain, OH 45162
Cindy Huff
Animal Communication & Wellness Services
cindy@acwservices.net
513-310-3997
PO Box 235
Pleasant Plain, OH 45162
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