Healing Energy and Animals

Although this blog is about Reiki healing for dogs, what’s presented here largely applies to all animals. Understanding the behaviors and communication styles of an animal species you want to work with is critical. It’s important to take cues and respect your animal client at all times, just as with humans. This requires considerable familiarity. Remember, Reiki is self-healing and the practitioner is merely a conscientious facilitator of the process.

Reiki For Dogs

Dogs are very much sensing animals. They pay close attention to behaviors, body language, and energy. They tend to be more present – live more in the now – than humans. This makes the link between energy perception and acceptance less analytical or constrained by limiting beliefs. Thus, dogs are more open and will more readily receive Reiki energy.

7 Best Practices for Reiki Healing For Dogs

The observations and suggestions included below are based on my experience as a Reiki Master/Teacher. I’ve been offering Reiki to people, dogs, and other animals for nearly 20 years. My clients include the many, many rescue dogs and puppies I’ve cared for in my role as their foster “parent.”

Giving sessions to dogs is similar to giving sessions to humans except for some important differences. These seven practices will give you a good starting point. They’re grouped into sections corresponding to the session process: beginning, during, and ending. Generally, they apply to in-“person” or distance healing.

With experience, you’ll accumulate your own wisdom and develop your own way of practicing with dogs just as you did with your human clients.

Initiation of the Reiki Healing Session

1.  Setting a Clear and Safe Space

Most Reiki practitioners know and appreciate the benefit of starting with a clear and safe healing space whenever possible. The principles and process are the same you’d follow with human clients; however, there is one key difference when working with dogs.

Dogs have a keen sense of smell and smoky smudge is generally too intense and uncomfortable for them. If you use this method, you’ll have to prep your space well in advance of the session. 

Liquid smudge is more subtle, but still highly vibrational. If you choose to use it, one or two spritzes of all-natural and authentic liquid smudge are generally sufficient. However. be careful not to spray directly on the dog or in his/her face. (For more on setting a clear and safe space, see my eBook Energy Clearing With Smudging and blog posts on Smoke-Free Smudges and Liquid Smudge for Energy Clearing).

2. Offer the Healing: Do Not Assume Your Dog Client is Willing

Always offer healing energy. Never force treatment on a dog. Even if the dog appears to be in need or you know there is something wrong. Let the dog decide if the time is right for him/her.

As with your human clients, you can always check in with the dog’s higher self to ask permission. This is highly recommended when offering to heal any animal because you can’t directly talk to them to get permission.

Ask the dog’s higher self if Reiki healing is in the best and highest interest of the dog and proceed if the answer is yes. If the answer is no, you can ask the higher self why. There may be a simple remedy to the resistance.

3.  Set the Intention to Heal

Just like with people, it’s helpful to set a positive, clear, and specific intention. The intention can be as simple as: “This healing is for the dog’s highest good.” Leave the intention somewhat open so that it can naturally match up with that of the dog.

Once you establish an energetic connection with your dog client, you may find that you can also communicate through the sensing of energy. In this case, the dog will help guide you. In fact, you might find that at times this energy communication seems oddly similar to talking.

Best Practices During the Healing Sessions

4. Start the Session Slowly and At a Distance

If you don’t know your dog client, progress very slowly. First, take time to acquainted with each other. Behave as you normally would with an unfamiliar dog.

When you switch to healing, start by just sending (beaming) energy. Hold your hands open limply, palms up, and arms relaxed by your sides. Sticking your arms out will appear very unusual to a dog.

Some dogs and all wild animals will prefer that the entire healing session will remain at a distance. In fact, they may even move around and go about their business, all the while soaking in the energy. This isn’t really a problem because remember Reiki goes where Reiki is needed.

Depending on the receptivity and reaction of the dog, move in closer. Let him/her sniff and inspect your hands. Let the dog control the level of intimacy and progression of the treatment. With dogs you know or have treated before, the process should move quickly. However, always take your cue from your client.

5. Stick to Ordinary Human Gestures Used With Dogs

A channel of energy flowing from your hands is bound to feel new and strange to a dog, at least, at first. Similarly, hovering hands over the dog’s body is not normal human behavior either. Nor is laying hands on a particular part of the body for a prolonged period of time without stroking, i.e., petting. These gestures could make the dog uncomfortable or suspicious; therefore, hesitant to receive. This blocks the healing channel.

Instead, offer Reiki energy with petting strokes through their fur. Or, gently rub the belly with your open palms if the dog rolls onto his/her back in the classic “please-rub-my-tummy” posture. These are normal human-dog interactions. With more treatments, your dog client will begin to acclimatize to Reiki and other more traditional Reiki hand postures.

6. Be Keenly Preceptive

Pay close attention to your dog client’s expressions, body movements, grunts, and groans. Also, see if you can clearly perceive what your client is communicating to you through the energy channel. Listen to your intuition as well.

Ending the Reiki Healing Session

7. Dogs Decide When the Session Ends

As with all animals, your dog client is the one to decide when the session is over. You might have the impression that they could benefit from more, but listen to the client.

A dog will tell you that it’s enough by getting up and walking away. Maybe they’ll stick around, but start rolling around and pawing at you. It’ll be clear that they’re not into it anymore.

These seven practices will get you started on successful Reiki treatments for dogs. However, you may be interested in other techniques: in particular, the use of Reiki symbols. You might also want to learn more about how dogs tend to behave during a session and what the behavior typically implies. There’s too much information to cover in one blog, but these practices are an excellent start. (For more, see my Reiki For Dogs eManual.)

A Final Note of Caution: Reiki is most often used as a complementary treatment that supports self-healing. It is not a substitute for conventional veterinary medicine or proper daily care practices for your dog. Make sure to treat your dog’s health and well-being holistically.

For More On Reiki For Dogs, See:

• Reiki For Dogs eManual
• Reiki For Dogs certification class.
• My blog posts on Why Give Reiki to Dogs and  Sending Healing Energy: Calling In African Wild Dogs