Attention, astrology buffs: Mercury is finally moving direct after its recent retrograde phase, whichended on December 30. To appreciate why this is such great news, and why Mercury retrograde is a particular pain for dog lovers, go here. But the zodiac has even more good news in store this month.

According to Susan Miller of Astrologyzone, Mercury -which governscommunication and travel – isn’t the only power planet that’s now moving in the right direction.

“All planets – every one of them – will be orbiting in direct speed until January 26,” Susan explains.”To have EVERY planet going direct almost never happens! The big outer planets retrograde for nearly five months straight out of every year, and at different points of the year. Among the smaller, more ‘personal’ planets like Mercury, Mercury retrogrades four times a year for three-and-a-half weeks. As you see, to get Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all moving direct at the same time is nearly impossible, but that is what you have – clear skies ahead – from January from 1 to 25.”

This is excellent news for dog lovers who seek to build a better, deeper, more meaningfulrelationship with four-footed friends. There are many ways to harness these powerfully positiveplanetary aspects.

The Association of Professional DogTrainers has declaredJanuary National Train Your Dog Month. Dog training is all about maintaining clear, openlines of communication. With Mercury, the communication planet, moving direct, messages conveyed between you and your dog in training sessions will be understood with clarity and ease, making this month doubly auspicious for starting a newgood-manners regimen.

So, whether you plan to seek the advice of a professional such as master trainer and Sirius Radio host Greg Kleva, or you opt to do-it-yourself by purchasing a humane training system to help you harness your dog’s energy, don’t delay – right now, you will seeimpressive results.

This is also a great time to implement a heart-healthyfitness routine. If you and your dog have gained some inches you’d rather lose, start eating light and making time to get outside and run or walk a few miles together every day – you’ll both melt off those unwanted pounds, enjoy the fresh air, and increase your longevity so you enjoy each other’s company longer.

If you’ve been contemplating adopting a new dog, right now is an exceptional time to visit your local animal shelter. With communication favored, not only are your chances of finding your perfect pet at an all-time high, your rapport with the shelter staff will also flow easily, making the whole adoption experience simple, efficient, and completely positive. You’ll want to tell everyone abouthoweasy it was to find the perfect dog for your lifestyle!

There are other ways to communicate with dogs. If you’d like to know what’s on your pet’s mind, consulting an animal communicator right now would also be highly favored astrologically. Maybe you’ve thought about this before but dismissed the notion as “woo-woo.” I assure you, it’s not.

A few years ago, at a difficult time in my life, I sought the advice of animal communicator Dawn Allen, who gave me uniquely intelligentinsight into one of my dogs’ thoughts – and that insight enabled me to make a very important decision that helpedall my animals. (In a nutshell, Dawn told me that Dora themutt, in the photo above,desperately wanted to eat my cats. I neversuspected this!Sweet Dora, whose amazing eyes can communicate volumes,couldn’t stand the stress of living under the same roof with thefelines, knowing that if she atejust one,I’d be very unhappy; soDora opted to live with my ex, who has no cats. I miss her terribly but am comforted to know that, with Dawn’s help, I honored Dora’s own wishes.)

Whether you’re pondering a life-or-death matter (i.e. when to put down a dog who’s very sick) or something lighthearted, oryou’re justcurious about consulting an animal communicator, now is a good time to take the plunge because the communication channels are wide open and you’re bound to get a message that can help you understand your dog in a surprising new way.

What’s the most unusual thing your dog ever communicated to you, and how? Please share it in the comments!