“There are so many benefits to learning how to communicate with animals. Love, trust, a spiritual connection that goes to the heart of the human-animal bond. Every time I listen to them, I learn about myself.”
Jon Katz says that instruction is not the purpose of this book. Told largely through the stories of his relationships to the animals on his farm, Katz explains his growth as a person as he learns to relate to the animals. “A trainer once told me that to have a better dog, I needed to be a better human.”
“Animals do not communicate in words . . . they communicate in images.” “We humans tend to use too many words.” So, how do you talk to animals? Katz uses relationships built on trust; a knowledge of individual species and individual animals; and visual cues along with simple verbal commands. Animals are very good at reading body language. They are also quick to pick up on confusion, uncertainty and frustration in their owners. Katz learns to control his own thoughts and emotions in order to communicate clearly with animals. He also learns patience and he learns to listen.
Does it work? To the amazement of his farmer neighbors, Katz brings a 3,000 pound bull to a stop with a gesture and sits with him on the crest of a hill to gaze on the valley below.
Review by Janet T., Reference Librarian
