Contact Information
debbie@debbiestringfellow .com

In my work as an animal communicator, I am enjoying meeting and communicating with different breeds of dogs, cats and horses. They have brought to my attention how important it is for people, when choosing an animal companion, to consider the characteristics and tendencies of the breed that they are attracted to in order to create a harmonious and mutually satisfying relationship.

Several problematic situations I have encountered in my practice were due to owners not understanding the needs of their animal's particular breed. For example some breeds, like Labrador Retrievers, are meant to be very active. Labs were bred for hunting, specifically to retrieve fallen game. They do well when their owners find a way to answer their urge to run and to retrieve things, like throwing balls or sticks, and giving them play time off leash. A walk in the park is not sufficient physical exercise or mental stimulation for a Lab.

Other dogs are bred to be lap dogs that require less exercise and are content being a companion that you can pet and love. I once met a Papillion - a small, silky-haired dog with ears like butterfly wings - that spent a good part of each day in a large marble bowl in a design shop. When I first saw this, I felt so sorry for this poor little dog being so confined. However, when I checked in with her, I found that she was totally happy just sitting there in her elegant bowl, enjoying all of the attention she got in the shop.

Some animals are a mixture of many breeds. In this case, I recommend looking for physical indications of a dominance of one breed over another, and learning the inherited characteristics of this animal. What was it bred for, and what does it like to do? What is its job? Was it bred to work, hunt, herd, or be a companion? These are keys to understanding its behavior.

Lots of behavioral problems stem from inactivity. When an animal that needs to be very active spends too much time confined to a small area or an inactive lifestyle, it starts doing other things in order to satisfy that need for activity. When high energy horses do not get enough exercise and stimulation, they may begin to "crib", which means they chew on wood. Many dogs, too, will chew things, bark or dig from sheer boredom or loneliness. Cat owners can tell hair-raising stories of the creatively destructive habits of cats expressing their displeasure over unmet needs.

Some people want a highly active animal while others want one that is more interested in cuddling and kicking back with them. By paying attention to breeding, people are more likely to create a beneficial match: an animal whose tendencies are most compatible with their needs, and whose needs and wants they are most able to meet.