Wouldn't it be wonderful to be like Dr. Doolittle and be able to talk to the animals? Anyone who has a bond with an animal — whether it's their puppy or a snake — is curious about what their companion is thinking and feeling. When an animal is sick and can't speak with you about where the pain is coming from or what might have caused it, you wish even more that your friend could talk to you.

It turns out that there are Dr. Doolittles among us — people who can interpret and share the thoughts and feelings of animals. They are called animal communicators, and as skepticism about what they do diminishes, they are becoming more and more popular.

The objective of this book isn't to sell you on animal communicators any more than it is to get you to use flower essences, aromatherapy, or acupuncture. One of its goals, though, is to present it as something that could be helpful — especially if you are at your wit's end about how to handle a particular problem with your puppy or dog. You may have consulted a veterinarian, worked with a trainer, sought out a specialist, applied aromatherapy — almost everything — and come to the last option of seeming hope, asking an animal communicator to find out from the dog what's going on for him so that you can help remedy the situation.

Marta Williams, author of the books Learning Their Language and Beyond Words describes animal communication as an intuitive exchange of thoughts, images, and emotions. This is something animals do among themselves and other species (including humans) all the time. Intuitive communication can happen in four ways: through feelings (clairsentience); through mental telepathy (clairaudience); through visual images (clairvoyance); and through a feeling/knowledge that something is absolutely true even if you didn't know it before.

How does a session with an animal communicator work? Once an appointment is scheduled, all you have to do is get your questions ready. At the appointed time, either you call the communicator or he or she calls you. The communicator will ask you some basic questions — whether you want to talk to one or more pets in your home, an identifying physical feature, the dog's name, etc. From there, you can pose the questions you want the communicator to ask your dog. Once asked, there will be some silence as he or she contacts your dog. And then get ready for some revelations!

During a session, your puppy or dog will most likely be fast asleep by your side, sometimes in a seemingly very deep sleep. Don't disturb your dog; instead, focus on what you want to learn from your dog.