My animal family and I have decided to keep the six-month-old poodle. His name is Luca, meaning light in Italian. It is hard to imagine that my Maia, a 115-pound wolf dog, would come back as a 30-pound poodle.

In the wilderness I am a bit worried that Luca is coyote/mountain lion bait, where Maia was my protector. When Maia was around we had certain rules around the house to keep the neighborhood safe from her unpredictable (for a mere human) behaviors. The dogs had to wait on the front porch until the hatch of the Jeep was up and I gave them a sign to run and enter the car, and when they got out of the car they were under strict orders to run across the driveway, across the front yard, and up to the front porch to wait for me. Stormy, my Aussie, is not aggressive, so since Maia’s passing I have been more lackadaisical about this rule with him. But Luca does it naturally, still following this routine with prompting from neither Storm nor I.

When I look at Luca out of the corner of my eye, I sometimes see Maia smiling. But I still miss my wolf-dog. I don’t know what I expected from reincarnation, but it is bittersweet to me. It is a wonder they can come back to us, but I wish they lived longer in their bodies.

I ask my animals, “What have you learned about reincarnation?”

Serafina

Serafina, my youngest cat, says, “I learned that if you suffered in life, when you come back to life you can come back more playful and with no pain in your body from your past.”

Joey

Joey, my oldest cat, says, “When you come back you forget memories of your old life. It must be odd when others remember you, and you don’t.”

Makia

Makia, my whitest cat, says, “I learned that in heaven you can become more tame. I believe Maia did a lot of work in heaven to come back the way she did. I am proud of her, but I also miss her old self.”

Bean

Bean, my bunny, says, “Sometimes when Luca looks at me I see Maia. I remember being your bunny once before. I believe his memories of being Maia will come back to him slowly.”

Stormy

Stormy, my 12-year-young Aussie says, “I have learned when you come back you have to start friendships all over but they grow faster. You have to learn to trust each other again. Maia learned how to be happy around people by watching me in her old life. She brought back that wisdom into her new life as Luca. I see my friendly eyes in Luca now.”

Luca

Luca, the new poodle, says, “I vaguely remember places and people and I greatly remember being agile. When I came to this family I instantly felt more smart and aware. If I lived with you before, I hope I remember. There is an angel around me that says that I will remember my old life and my life in heaven when I am a little older. They say I must have new experiences first. I feel special but I also feel young compared to the other animals in the house.”

Maia

Maia in heaven says, “Every moment the family enjoys Luca I feel more vibrant. Every time Luca learns something I too have more wisdom. There is a flow of energy between us. Right now it is mostly only directed one way. Luca’s experiences flow to me. It is too early to let my wisdom completely flow to him. I have been integrated with all my past lives. I remember them all. As Luca lives, my higher self becomes greater. Once he has a solid basis of learning and being an individual in the world, my life as Maia and all our past lives will integrate more with Luca in your world. Luca is me. I am Luca. This is our path toward enlightenment, awareness, and expansive consciousness.

“I do laugh when I see how he is not that familiar with the forest. Mom, do not worry. I will make sure he remembers to listen, smell, and see like a wolf. All things in time. I will be back even more.”

How strange and wonderful for us all. Maia stretched my awareness in her last life; it seems she is my greatest teacher in her new life as well.

Maia, my late wolf dog from heaven, told me that she was coming back into body. She told me where to find her, how she would be cared for, when she would come back, and what she would look like. I found the pup. He is a six-month-old poodle. He is smartest six-month-old puppy I have ever worked with. In two days, he is housebroken, walks on leash, and knows the commands “off” and “wait.”

Though he doesn’t know he is Maia, and after two days of having him home, my animal family and I are confused. We are tired and torn. We don’t want give back “Maia,” but we want to be happy. He has a lot of energy for this older household, and he takes me away from work. We have until Sunday to decide. Here my animals tell what they think:

Stormy, my 12-year-old Aussie says, “I like him. I think he is very intelligent but it is hard to have him in the house because he plays with all my toys, wants to eat my food, and is always following you around. He is faster than me and it makes me feel old. Sometimes I think he is Maia, but it makes me sad that it is not the Maia I used to know. It is a different dog, but I see her in him. It makes me miss Maia even more. I don’t want him here cause it makes me feel old like I am going to die soon.”

Joey, oldest cat, says, “I think it is definitely Maia ’cause when he runs around he reminds me of Maia but more graceful. I can hear Maia saying she is him. I think we should keep him, but I am going to stay up high until Serafina, Stormy, and you train him not to bother me. It’s Maia. I see it.”

Serafina, youngest cat, says, “I am not sure what to think. Maia was more intense and I had to look out for her teeth, and this dog runs away from me when I hiss at it. I have to hide a lot because I am worried that he will open his teeth; but he doesn’t. I think we should keep him because if he is Maia and Maia becomes more conscious in that body, she will be very sad we gave her away. What if we want to come back one day? We wouldn’t want you to give us up just because it is hard and confusing in the beginning.”

Makia the cat says, “I think that it is Maia and that it is going to take us time to get used to her in a new body. I keep getting scared he will hurt me, but I have seen that he has not hurt me. It is strange because he doesn’t talk to us like he is Maia and that is very sad to me. I can hear Maia from far away and I want to hear her from in his body. Will that happen?”

Bean says, “He does not look anything like Maia. Maia was much bigger and Maia chased me sometimes and also lay with me sometimes. When he barks he makes me nervous, but when I am outside with him loose, I feel safe. Maia knew more about nature. He just knows about the house. I’m fine with him being here as long as he is quiet.”

The puppy says, “I want to stay here really badly. I have been trying hard to be good. I think that older dog is very wise and I want to be like him. I didn’t know animals could talk so much to each other. I feel like they know me and I know them but I don’t know how. I wonder if this Maia was smart. I don’t know how I could be one dog and then another. How does that work?”

Maia, from heaven, says, “There are many parts of our soul. He is just one part of mine, but we are all connected. If the part of my soul that is “Maia” goes into his body, I will have to bring the fears and territorial wolf behavior in with me. Right now only the best of me came back into that dog. He has to grow and experience life in a new way, and then I can be more integrated. It is truly me inside that dog. I am scared you are going to give me up. I am scared that you all don’t love me. But I can see it is strange. The more he is happy with you, the more me as “Maia” is happy here in heaven. It is like we feed each other. I am in my over-soul. Please trust the process. Stormy and the cats and Bean will be okay. Please trust that it is me.”

Hi Laura,

A question that haunts me: Do animals choose the circumstances they end up in just like humans do before reincarnating?

Thanks,

Ruthie

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Let’s ask my animals this question.

Makia the cat says, “I am not sure if I choose it or if it was chosen for me. I remember being in heaven and wanting to live someplace tropical with beautiful flowers, butterflies, and birds. Then I remember this big tabby cat telling me I had to go and meet you and you don’t live in a place like that. I remember being disappointment but saying okay. I am happy I live with you because I feel like I am wiser than I would have been anywhere else, but I still wish we lived somewhere tropical.”

Serafina the cat says, “I don’t remember heaven, but I bet I did because when you found me, I thought, ‘There is my mom. She’ll take me home now.’ So I am sure I did choose my life. I don’t remember choosing being thrown out of a car but it led me to you so maybe I did.”

Joey the cat says, “Yes, I remember it well. I said I want to be brave in this life, so that big tabby cat Makia talked about said to me, ‘Then we will put you in a home with crazy kids to create fear and then we will put you in a good home so that you can become brave.’ I am very brave now. I also remember deceased human spiritual masters telling me that I would teach people that animals have thoughts and feelings. They said it was a big job.”

Bean the rabbit says, “I don’t know why I would ever choose to be treated roughly by people. That sounds ridiculous. God must have been mad at me. I am sure I chose to live with you—someone that gives me treats and salad mix every night. Every moment I choose to be grateful and trusting rather than nervous and scared. Maybe I chose the first experience so that I know the value of trust and gratitude.”

Storm the Aussie dog says, “I remember looking at people and choosing you. I remember talking to a being about living with a wolf dog and being her teacher. I remember how the angels told me I would be a dog that would help many beings smile and feel complete. I know I chose my life. I didn’t choose every experience because I think we all have free will when we are here, but I definitely chose my life and what I would learn and give during it. I always strive to make others happy. That is my job. You have to make wise decisions once you are here.”

Maia wolf dog from heaven says, “I have chosen all of my lives. The reason why I chose to be beaten and abused during my past life is because I had to learn that someone would not give up on me and that I could transcend anything. It was a test in faith and perseverance for my person and myself. I had to endure a great amount of suffering so that my spirit would know great pain. My spirit needed to know this so that in my next life I can spread hope and the image of a much greater life for those who suffer. My person had to experience that as well. We may not choose every incident, but we choose our general lessons. Storm is right. Then it is up to us to make wiser decisions and grow—otherwise our suffering will continue for lifetimes. It is important to value good teachers and your own inner strength. Our lives once we get to earth are we what we make of them.