The Dog Whisperer

Terri Sides talks to the animals By Kelly Watson | May 28, 2019

“Sometimes animal behavior can get what we consider rude or inappropriate, but it’s important to realize our pets are not being stubborn,” Sides says.

For better or worse, pet psychics have taken the spotlight. First there was that goofy lady on Animal Planet who helped alligators with anger-management and calmed cats in her television audience. Now bookstores display titles like "Spirit Animals" and "Is Your Pooch Paranormal?" You will recognize these books by their covers, which show the animals surrounded by glistening auras, looking frighteningly close to shooting lasers from their eyes.

People may deem Terri Sides a pet psychic, also. But while "pet psychic" rolls off the tongue easier than the label on her business card, Sides fits the title of "animal communicator" quite well. Skeptics take note: a session with Sides costs half that of a visit to the vet, and she refuses to advertise, stating that the world has always provided. Her mission, Sides says, is simply to help pets and their owners better understand each other.

This mission stems from a life-changing experience Sides had during a Hawaiian retreat.

"At the retreat, wild dolphins would swim into this bay just to play with the humans," Sides says. "I was snorkeling with them when all of a sudden my mind was flooded with pictures and words and the feeling of joy." The dolphins, Sides says, showed her a picture of herself surrounded by animals. Each animal was attached to her by a single ray of light, creating a web of connection with herself at the center.

"I nearly drowned, I was so amazed," Sides says. "But the dolphins, they woke me up. It became clear that I needed to be doing my passion: working with animals so they can have a comfortable, happy existence with their owners. And now, that's the crux of what I do." No one disputes that most pet owners enjoy the companionship of their furry friends. Yet pets, despite providing comfort, are not always a convenience.

"Sometimes animal behavior can get what we consider rude and inappropriate, but it's important to realize that our pets are not being stubborn," Sides says. "Many people put emotional garbage on their pets. They'll say, 'My dog is being manipulative.' And I'll say, 'No, your dog is just frustrated. He's just desperate to communicate with you.'" Unlike humans. Sides says, animals communicate mostly through pictures and feelings.

"When I approach an animal with a behavior problem," Sides says, "they'll tell me, 'I've already sent the pictures, and no one's getting it. I've tried sending oat feelings; they're not getting it. So now I have to do these very unsubtle behaviors.' And it's the behaviors we notice."

These behaviors are something many pet owners are familiar with. Destructive chewing, house training issues and aggression are all things Sides has helped her clients to alleviate.

"One of my clients came home one day to discover that his dog - a big German shepherd - had attacked and nearly killed another dog," Sides says.

"When I worked with her, I closed my eyes and called her name inside my head. When they're ready to connect with me, I see them trot up and sit right in front of me. And as she did, this wave of embarrassment came over me so intensely that I just had to laugh. I told the owner, 'Well she's just as horrified about this as you are. So let's find out why it happened and how to resolve it.'"

The dog also showed Sides a vivid memory of the fight itself.

"It was ultimately a matter of getting the right picture," Sides says. "And that picture was a memory of hers. Sometimes I don't get just a memory but also a feelingin this case, embarrassment and discomfort."

In addition to dogs, Sides has also worked with horses, hamsters, lizards and llamas.

"I worked with a cat once that kept eating its owner's clothes," Sides says. "Well, during the session I learned the owner had a gift shop which required her to go to Bali several times a year and buy all this expensive, exotic clothing. Of course, that was the only clothing the cat ate."

After connecting with the cat, Sides learned the cat did not like being left alone during the owner's business trips and ate the clothing to show its feelings. Once the owner arranged for someone to spend time ; with the cat while she was away, the problem was resolved. If you would like to clear up your pets' behavioral issues, or just understand them better, fear not. This kind of communication, Sides says, is accessible to all pet owners.

"I think that, like many things," Sides says, "animal communication I is partly learned and partly innate. We all love our animals, or else we I wouldn't be living with them. They may have a different way of showing it, but they do love us. If we can just quiet our minds enough to feel that love, then we've opened the door to communication."

This article by Kelly Watson appeared in the July 2004 issue of Mountain Living Magazine.

© 2004 Mountain Living Magazine