What are the animals in your home learning from each other?

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER

Leaf, Sunshine, and Cuddles

The animals who live together in our house appear to be learning from each other. It’s a strange sight to behold.

As dogs tend to do, our cocker spaniel Leaf runs to the door when we comes home and he wags his tail with friendly excitement. Now, so does our little cat Cuddles. She scampers along behind Leaf. Her tail swishes. Uncatlike as it may be, she expresses her happiness at seeing us.

When he was about one year old, Leaf was abandoned at an animal shelter. We adopted him, and it’s been quite an adventure ever since. Even though he’s made his home with us for eight years now, he still has abandonment issues.

We leave the room or he wakes up and doesn’t see us; he howls. We leave the house; he howls even louder.

We adopted Cuddles as a kitten from the same animal shelter. She’s never gone through abandonment nor has she howled. But after years of watching and listening to Leaf, she’s added howling to her behavior.

It’s her version of a howl which is more like a yell. But the other day, after Allen left the house, Linda was surprised to hear Cuddles mark his departure with a long, drawn-out meow. We had a symphony of howling and yelling for about 30 seconds.

Early on after Leaf came home, he began watching Cuddles jump up on our bed at night to sleep with us. Guess who soon joined us on the bed? If she can do it; so can I!

What are the animals in your home learning from each other?

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Who is in charge of keeping you in balance when your life fills up with too many to-do list items?

Who tells you it is time to play?

The truth of the matter is – we are working too hard and putting in too many hours on the next books. But we have barometers in our home who tell us that. They are named Leaf, Cuddles, and Sunshine.

A Dog Named Leaf

Cuddles

Sunshine

Leaf, our dog, brings his ball and drops it at our feed and tells us to throw it for him. Cuddles, the little cat, vocalizes with a scolding tone of voice. Sunshine, the bird, screeches more than usual but also sings his song if one of us spends quality time with him.  He is giving us positive reinforcement to play with him too.

Everybody joins in the chorus to let us know that it is time to rest, time to take a break, time to play.

Who is in charge of keeping you in balance when your life fills up with too many to-do list items?

What do you think about emotional-support animals?

EMOTIONAL-SUPPORT ANIMALS

The April 22, 2013 issue of TIME Magazine had a thought-provoking article about emotional-support animals (ESA), “Comfort Creatures: Support Animals Help Patients, but That Lizard May Be Against the Law.”

The National Service Animal Registry (NSAR) certifies service and emotional-support animals and has registered 7,000 of them since 1995. The NSAR certifies dogs, cats, pigs, birds, mice, rats, hedge hogs, iguanas, rabbits, and goats. These animals can then wear vests or patches and have ID cards to prove they are necessary to the people they serve.

Mental health professionals can prescribe an animal’s companionship for patients to help them cope with emotional and psychological symptoms. But health departments can counteract the diagnosis with laws that restrict farm animals. Neighbors can and do report pet owners who they believe are keeping pets or traveling with them illegally.

According to the article there is a confusing gray area about what constitutes a service animal and who needs them. With physical disability, everyone can see why the person needs the animal. With emotional issues, the reasons for having a service animal may not be visible. “Complicating the issue further was the growing diversity of critters aiding people with physical disabilities: boa constrictors that warn their owners of oncoming seizures; capuchin monkeys that help quadriplegics eat and drink; parrots that verbally calm owners who suffer from bipolar disorder.”

Allen and Leaf

The article doesn’t mention a further complication – people who make up their own vests and badges in order to self-certify a pet. Sometimes, this is due to the fact that someone with a disability is on a long waiting list to receive a professionally trained service animal or can’t afford to pay for one. Someone wrote to us that she couldn’t bear to be without her dog and had “faked” a vest that allowed the dog to go everywhere with her.

What do you think about emotional-support animals? Have you had an animal officially or informally who offered you so much emotional support that you had to have him or her with you everywhere?

CUDDLES LOVES HER NEW SCRATCHING POST

Every morning Cuddles wakes up and runs to her scratching post to stretch and scratch. Her claws are often sharp and in need of good vigorous scratching. This morning routine is her “me” time. She enjoys that the scratching post belongs to her alone. Never would her humans Linda and Allen, the bird Sunshine, or “that dog” as she refers to Leaf, scratch her post.

Cuddles

All has been good in Cuddles’s world except that the post was falling apart from her enthusiastic and forceful daily scratching. It was time for a new one. Her two humans went on a journey to the pet supply store and examined a dozen scratching posts.

Cuddles

We had lengthy discussions as we attempted to think how Cuddles would view the different styles of scratching posts. An impossible task. Who can figure out what a cat is thinking?

Cuddles

We finally decided on one that had the long length and the sturdiness we thought Cuddles would enjoy. She embraced her new post with vigor, gratitude, and love.

Cuddles

Visit http://www.angelanimals.net/nlimage127.html to see Cuddles with her new scratching post.

ANIMALS STARS – NEW BOOK OFFER

We are thrilled to announce that the new book we co-authored with Robin Ganzert, PhD, president and CEO of American Humane Association, is available for a special presale offer.

ANIMAL STARS: Behind the Scenes with Your Favorite Animal Actors is being published by New World Library. Visit the website, view the book trailer, and get details about the presale gift offer at http://www.animalstarsbook.com.

ANIMAL STARS includes fascinating true stories from world-class animal trainers who train dogs, cats, horses, bears, birds, and a wide variety of animals to star in movies, television, and commercials. It’s truly a behind-the scenes look at how animals are trained, cared for, loved, and protected.

While being entertaining and full of juicy secrets, the book also provides readers with vital information for how to train and keep their own pets safe and happy.

And guess what? Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Ewan McGregor, Hailee Steinfeld, and Angie Everhart contributed stories to the book about their exciting experiences with animal actors!

The book has photos of all those world famous celebrities plus Robert DeNiro with animals who won their hearts. Dr. Marty Becker, DVM, official veterinarian for the DR. OZ show and best-selling author, wrote the foreword for the book.

About this time last year, we went to the Los Angeles area to meet the animals and interview trainers whose stories are in this book. Photos from the trip show us getting to know Finder, who played Joey in the movie WAR HORSE and Crystal, the monkey who stars in the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM movies.

Writing the book and getting to know Robin and more about American Humane Association’s outstanding mission of advocating for animals in film and television has been a highlight for us.

To received your GIFT for pre-ordering ANIMAL STARS:

1. Pre-order ANIMAL STARS from your local bookstore, a chain bookstore, or any online bookstore such as Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com

2. Keep a proof of purchase such as a paper receipt and make a photo of it as a jpg file.

3. Email the jpg image of your proof of purchase BY AUGUST 30, 2014 to <jilln@americanhumane.org> and let her know which gift you want an animal-themed coffee mug or tote bag — and your post-mail details.

A portion of the proceeds for this book benefit animals around the world, so order your copy of Animal Stars today! Thanks for your continued support of American Humane Association — the voice for children and animals.

“I’m so thrilled that Dr. Robin Ganzert and American Humane Association not only monitor animal safety in films and television productions but also have a unique connection to these amazing animals and their trainers. As an animal lover, I’m glad that she is bringing these stars and their stories to a wider audience while at the same time teaching the value of protecting all animals.” –Naomi Judd

“Every movie fan who loves to see animals in their favorite movies will want to read Animal Stars. The book contains lots of animal-training tips, along with the behind-the-scenes stories.” –Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human and Animals in Translation

Animal Stars

We Love Cats Too

Cuddles

WE LOVE CATS TOO

With all our writing about the release of A DOG NAMED LEAF, you may have been wondering if we have forgotten about cats. Never fear. Cats still make us purr. Our sweet little black-and-white kitty Cuddles remains a star in our universe. We treasure her intuitiveness and intelligence but most of all, her kisses.

Our mornings start with Cuddles licking Linda’s fingers a minute before the alarm is set to ring. She’s never been wrong about the fact that it’s time to get up.

So as we approach Thanksgiving, we are grateful for Cuddles and all the other cats who have enriched and blessed our lives — Mugsy, Fiesty, and Speedy. Each of them brought their special gifts and taught us how to be more gracious.

Speaking of gratitude, we have to mention how exciting it was when Allen had the lauch of his new book at Common Good Books in St. Paul, Minnesota last week. The stores’ renowned proprietor, the ever-entertaining and witty Garrison Keillor, stopped by and said hello prior to the event.

Go to http://www.angelanimals.net/nlimage98.html to see a photo of Allen with Garrison. It was a highlight of an evening that was filled with the good wishes of friends and animal lovers. The store donated 10 percent of the book sales that evening to the local shelter Animal Ark, which is one of the nation’s leaders in the no-kill movement.

If you have read A DOG NAMED LEAF, it would be a wonderful support to us if you would log on to Amazon.com, search for the book by title, write a short comment to say what you loved about the book, and gave it five stars. With hundreds of thousands of animal books for people to enjoy, reader comments mean a lot as someone is deciding to buy a book or request it from a library. Thank you in advance for your help.

What in life, especially in relation to animals, are you grateful for?

Please share your comments, answers to the question, and photos on Angel Animals Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/angelanimalsnetwork or http://www.facebook.com/adognamedleaf and “Like” Angel Animals and A Dog Named Leaf.

This week’s story is about Simon, a 10-year-old cat born with a spinal deformity who has been a registered therapy animal since 2009. He was recently awarded the Colorado Animal Hero Award in the service category for his outstanding therapy work.

We encourage you to e-mail this newsletter in its entirety to your animal-loving friends and encourage them to sign up for our weekly publication. They will be joining a terrific community of thousands of like-minded people from around the world. We do not sell to or share our newsletter subscriber list with anyone.

Animal blessings,
Allen & Linda Anderson

 

Writing about Leaf

Writing about Leaf

We are compiling letters, emails, and comments about Leaf for a special writing project. Since we adopted Leaf from the animal shelter on October 7, 2006, we have consistently written about him in the Angel Animals Story of the Week, on Facebook, and in our blogs.

Many of you have been part of his journey from the beginning. He entered as an abandoned, frightened dog, attempting to live in a home with two cats, a bird, and two humans who grieved over the death of their beloved yellow Lab, Taylor, only months earlier.

We’d love to hear from all of you who have followed Leaf through such things as dog park, doggie daycare, panic attacks, fear of strangers, animal communicators, learning to live with cats, being the first cocker spaniel to run for President, and growing into trust and love.

We’d also appreciate hearing from those of you who are just now tuning in. If you want to catch up, you can go to http://www.angelanimals.net and click on archived newsletters or go to Leaf’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/leafdogbookauthor and post your thoughts there. The name of the page is “Leaf, Spiritual Hero Dog.”

What are your impressions of Leaf? What are your thoughts about him and his journey? Please send letters to angelanimals@aol.com or even better, post your comments on Leaf’s Facebook page for everyone to read.

We would greatly appreciate hearing from you in regard to Leaf and how he might have helped you remember your own journeys with animals.

 

Allen and Linda Anderson

Angel Animals Network – Where Pets Are Family

http://www.angelanimals.net

To subscribe to the Angel Animals Story of the Week, send a blank message to AngelAnimals-on@mail-list.com

 

Photographing Animals and People

Photographing Animals and People

We have been working to get a good photograph of Allen and our dog Leaf. With Linda as the photographer, it seems to be an interesting journey.

We have great admiration for good animal photographers. How do they ever get the animal and the person to look into the camera with pleasant expressions on their faces at the same time? It’s a mystery to us.

When Leaf looks directly into the camera, the glint of light turns red in his eyes.  If he looks at Allen, his cute profile is fun to see. His eyes with their unique expressions, though, aren’t clear in a side view.

After putting up with us for about fifteen minutes of hassle, Leaf found a solution. He licked Allen’s nose, then turned, and stuck out his big, pink tongue at the camera. So there!

On the other hand, our cat Cuddles poses like a runway model. She’s the ultimate beauty, posturing for the camera, arching her back, and gazing contentedly toward the lens.

Visit http://www.angelanimals.net/nlimage91.html to see Linda’s photography talents and choose the one you like best.

You can post your answers to these questions and comments at our Angel Animals Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/angelanimalsnetwork and “Like” Angel Animals while you’re there.

 

Allen and Linda Anderson

Angel Animals Network – Where Pets Are Family

www.angelanimals.net

To subscribe to the Angel Animals Story of the Week, send a blank message to AngelAnimals-on@mail-list.com

 

Division of Labor – The Way of the Pet

Division of Labor – The Way of the Pet

One of the issues that often irk today’s ultra-busy woman is the need for an equitable division of labor. She longs for her husband and children to do their fair share in keeping the  household operating efficiently. She wants coworkers to pitch in at the workplace. Complaints abound when the major part of the responsibility falls on female shoulders.

Our animal family members have wrapped their paws around this prickly issue and come up with their own creative solutions.

We have no idea how the animals, who share our home, have decided what chores they should do or how they’ve figured out which of them should have certain responsibilities. We just know that they do.

The division of labor goes something like this.

Leaf sleeps near the bedroom hallway door if Linda or Allen are out of town, as if he is waiting for them to return. This isn’t where he sleeps at night when his two humans are both home. He is normally on his doggy bed. He also has ultimate responsibility for keeping watch if Allen is out of town because he becomes the man of the house.

Cuddles, our black kitten with white-mitten paws, is Linda’s guardian angel. Cuddles follows her charge everywhere and won’t even take a nap until she knows exactly where her female human is. Whenever     Cuddles sleeps on the bed with Linda, she takes on the task of waking her a minute before the alarm rings. She licks her human’s fingers or bites them, if Linda won’t get up right away.

Food preparation comes under the watchful eye of our eager dog, Leaf. What meal would be complete without Leaf being alert for any escaping pieces of food that might hit the floor?

Sunshine is the household’s watch-bird. If anyone approaches our home, he screeches at the top of his lungs. No one could ever sneak past his watchful vigilance.

There is some silent communication about who is supposed to handle each task, although no visible signs of a household manager.  Just a smooth animal operation at the Andersons’ home.

Visit http://www.angelanimals.net/nlimage90.html to see images of Cuddles, Leaf, and Sunshine.

Are pets demonstrating in your home divisions of labor for vital chores, jobs, and power positions?

You can post your answers to these questions and comments at our Angel Animals Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/angelanimalsnetwork and “Like” Angel Animals while you’re there.

Allen and Linda Anderson, Angel Animals Network – Where Pets Are Family, www.angelanimals.net

To subscribe to the Angel Animals Story of the Week, send a blank message to AngelAnimals-on@mail-list.com

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION TIME

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION TIME

All right, you resolved that in 2012 you would write that book, article, or story about the most important animal in your life. Or you have figured out some terrific methods or products for training and getting along better with pets. Or you are a nature enthusiast who wants to write about the fascinating wildlife you have met. Or you have a point of view about animals that you feel compelled to write about and share with the world.

Now is the time, gentle readers, to get serious. Take a look at our comprehensive new course for writing about pets and animals. We’ve poured over twenty years of professional experience into designing it.

We want to see as many people as possible writing about pets, because this is how consciousness gets changed. The more everyone gets the message that animals are sentient beings and important (essential) parts of home and family life, the more animals get adopted, and the fewer are sent away to shelters.

WOOF, MEOW, WRITE, PUBLISH will help you to start 2012 by writing whatever you always wanted to write about your beloved pet.

Wouldn’t you like for someone, who has a lot of experience in fulfilling a dream of yours, to sit down and tell you what you need to do and know to duplicate that success? That’s exactly what we’re offering those of you who want to write about some of the most satisfying relationships in your life — the ones you have with animals.

WOOF, MEOW, WRITE, PUBLISH: Writing about Pets and Animals for Love and Money is a new, downloadable, three-part, comprehensive course to guide you in writing books, articles, stories, blogs, and essays about animals for pleasure or extra income. We designed and wrote this one-of-a-kind course based on our experience as best-selling, award-winning authors of 14 pet books published in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Italy, and Japan so far.

Start keeping your New Year’s resolution today by going to http://www.allenandlindaanderson.com.

Allen and Linda Anderson
Woof, Meow, Write, Publish
http://www.allenandlindaanderson.com