Sometimes the deepest lessons come wrapped in heartbreak.
As animal lovers, we often think that animals are here to give us love, and then we give it back. So it’s a situation of love flowing between us that helps us to heal and get through life.
And for some animals, that’s the case. And it’s a beautiful thing when that love is flowing because it feels so good.
Some of our animals are “furry grounding devices”, whose simple presence brings us down to earth. Whether inside or outside our home, they offer quiet support.
Some are very affectionate, and share their love with us in a healing way during challenging times. They can feel like our “heart animal” who somehow knew exactly what we needed at the right time.
Some bring a “high vibe” energy that helps us be more playful and find more joy in life. They lift us up when we feel low, and put a smile on our face and laughter when we need it most.
But there’s another role animals play: they are teachers. And the lessons they teach can be difficult at best, and heartbreaking at worst.
I recently met a very challenging teacher. He was an adorable corgi, who reminded me of my heart dog, Bailey.
Here’s one of the lessons Bailey taught me, which can help in so many situations. (And feel free to subscribe on YouTube for more animal messages.)
When I met the new corgi, he was just as adorable and even fluffier. His owner was struggling with his behavior which included biting, and I thought that I could “take him on” as a new pet (starting with a trial period).
I thought that the cooler mountain air, more space, and goats to play with, would allow him to relax and have fun. I thought that maybe he would become the usual herding corgi that liked to nip at the heels of everyone (including the vacuum cleaner), which is what Bailey would do.
Because I saw my Bailey in his eyes (and his furry butt), and I thought it would all work out – one way or another. But I soon discovered there was a far deeper issue he had that Bailey didn’t.
After picking him up and on the way home, he was highly anxious, and very frightened. He wouldn’t calm down. (Bailey had loved to sleep in her crate in the car) and I tried to soothe his fear.
When he arrived at our property and he saw the goats, his fear was triggered and he bit my wrist. This wasn’t about resource guarding, but his deep-seated anxiety.
I knew in my heart at that moment that I couldn’t trust him, which was really sad. (Even though I communicate animal wisdom and messages from animals to humans, one thing I am not, is an animal trainer or behavior expert.) That’s simply not the work I’m here to do.
After we got him in the house, he was walking around and checking things out. I gently called him over, and he came to me.
I looked down at his eyes, and thought I saw something in his right eye. I gently touched the top of his head as I spoke softly to him.
It was at that moment that he turned aggressive, and completely unleashed his fear in a terrifying way. He grabbed my hand and bit through the glove that I’d been wearing from unloading the wire crate from the car.
I fell back trying to get away from him. Then he continued the attack by grabbing my arm, and biting it. Luckily my husband was in the next room, and came out, shouted at him, and he backed off. (It was apparent that the dog would not have backed off anytime soon.)
I admit that I was terrified, because it was unexpected to us that he would go on that rampage. We got him to go back in his crate, and I called his owner.
At that moment I set a boundary. Personally, I’ve put up with human abuse in the past, and I drew a line in the sand around taking abuse from an animal (even though I love animals so much – and that’s the challenge.)
After all, it can turn deadly if a dog bites an artery. And as I write this, my arm is black and blue with a couple of puncture marks, but it’s healing. (It’s a good thing I had a glove on and my husband was there.)
In the end, there was profound sadness, because we were hopeful that it would work out. Also, the owner shared that she had done a lot already to try to help him, and stop the biting. (I admit, the aggression was more than I expected.)
This corgi taught me the lesson of boundaries once again, which is a tough one. We wanted the animal to be happy and well adjusted, and we wanted to share our lives with him.
But as animal lovers, when we have to make the difficult decision that something isn’t working, our heart breaks in two. We feel it’s our job to do everything within our power to love animals.
That’s true, but it doesn’t always go the way we expect, and instead it turns into a hard lesson. But on a soul level, once again we learn the self-love that animals always teach us – one way or another.
The truth is that animals don’t come into our lives for us to save them. They come into our lives to help save us. So, here’s what it’s all about:
Every relationship with an animal—whether joyful, challenging, or heartbreaking—holds an invitation to know yourself more deeply, honor your boundaries, and live with greater love and authenticity.
If you ever have to make a difficult decision regarding an animal, and especially when it was unexpected, know that you’re not alone. As always, look at the bigger picture, and what the animal came into this life to teach you.
It’s a far more healing way to see things. And, you can see the animal as the powerful teacher they came here to be.
