Since my dog can't talk, I tried telepathy instead!

I don't know what Shelly is thinking, but maybe an animal communicator does.

The most confusing thing about having a pet is trying to gauge what they're thinking. What exactly makes them nervous or irritable? If they're sick or in pain, what's wrong? And do they really pay attention to you at all?

As much as you might hope for a witty talking dog like Brian, the martini-swilling pooch from Family Guy, we have to rely instead on guesswork, visits to the vet and observation to learn and interpret their behavior. It's equal parts fascinating, worrying and frustrating to determine why your cat sulks or your dog won't stop barking at nothing, but maybe there's another answer. Could telepathy tell us what's going on in those furry heads? 

Jai Jamison, an animal communicator in Eugene, Oregon, says it can. In 2009 after a career as an elementary school counselor and teacher, she started Wagtime Wisdom to help pet owners better understand your best friend. By using telepathy Jamison's goal is to serve as a translator, telling humans what their animal is thinking and feeling about situations or conditions. She charges $70 for a 30-minute session and $100 for an hour to talk about whatever topics you'd like.

"I personally don't call what I do a psychic reading. I call it animal communication because it's really a back-and-forth conversation, a conversation that goes through me," she says. "I'm using telepathy, which has a deep intuition."

Many of the issues Jamison says she can explore are likely to trigger stressful animal behavior that can perplex us -- things like moving to a new house, health problems, end-of-life decisions or new members of your family, both human and not. But ultimately she wants to deepen the bond between you and your pet and, if needed, help you work together to solve training problems. (As part of her work, Jamison, who has a master's in counseling, has partnered with animal trainers.)

"It's really about a relationship and about communicating and cooperating … and honoring [your pets] and finding out what they need, just as much as you would with a partner, a friend, family or your colleagues," she says. "It's about talking things through, finding out, 'How can I support you?'"