Denise Mange shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Denise, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
As always, I’m learning from animal companions and their humans, who I am privileged to work with every day.
As a dog trainer and pet intuitive, I see patterns that go beyond basic obedience issues. And when I notice a spike in housebreaking accidents, barking, separation anxiety, on leash reactivity, or even general mischief, it is never random.
That’s because our pets are incredibly sensitive. They don’t just respond to what is going on in our lives. They also internalize and respond to what our broader communities are moving through. And perhaps most importantly, they make sure through their behavior that we are aware and mindful of those things too.
For years now, we’ve all been navigating uncertainty and rapid change, and our pets’ behavior can mirror it back. When that mirroring shows up as behavioral issues with your animal companion, it can be frustrating to us, especially when we rely on our pets to be a source of calm, comfort, and act as a safe place.
But through working with pets and pet parents, they have taught me to see challenging moments in their relationship differently. When our pets are being mischievous, they are not simply acting out to frustrate or spite us. They are communicating. Through their behavior they are inviting us into deeper awareness of how we are feeling about ourselves, our habits, and our worldview, which ultimately shapes us into more grounded, balanced, and resilient humans, for our own benefit, and the benefit of our pets.
So who am I learning from right now? I’m always learning from pets and pet parents. They continually teach me about sensitivity, resilience, connection, and the power of a positive mindset. They remind me that when we meet behavioral challenges with curiosity instead of control, everything shifts.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Denise Mange. I am a certified dog trainer, pet intuitive, pet numerologist, bestselling author of Translating Your Pet’s Behavior, and the founder of Pet Prana®.
After more than a decade working in advertising in New York City, I followed my passion for digging into the pet / pet parent connection and created a new breed of dog training aimed at the new era of pet guardians.
My proprietary philosophy Translating Beyond Behavior bridges the gap between traditional dog training and personal development to help pets and their people transform and grow together. It honors what all mindful pet parents know — that pets are so much more than companions. They act as mirrors of our energy, emotions, and attitudes, and as such, are some of our most powerful teachers.
That’s why my work goes beyond behavior and obedience to explore how everyday interactions with our pets can help us grow, shift unhelpful patterns, and flourish in all areas of our lives.
I offer in-person and remote dog training classes, intuitive reading sessions (also known as animal communication), online courses, and other resources designed to support both pet behavior and pet parents’ intuitive abilities.
And if you love shopping for your furry friend, Pet Prana® has a line of pet-à-porter (yes, we dig puns!) ranging from fun bandanas (“I don’t sniff and tell” and “I chase dreams, not squirrels” being top sellers) to energetically aligned crystal pet pendants.
What makes Pet Prana® unique is this holistic focus that integrates behavior and energy, practicality and intuition. I’m continually inspired by the animal companions and pet parents I work with — they’re at the heart of everything I’m building.
If this sounds like a philosophy you might like to dig into, I’m always expanding on these topics in my free newsletter (sign up at petprana.com).
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
As many pet parents may relate to, I was always very empathic and empathetic when it came to animals. Growing up, I spent countless hours connecting with my childhood pets: fish, turtles, caterpillars, frogs, a baby chicken, and even a mouse. By age 7, I had already chosen to become a vegetarian.
But then, life happened. Enter adult responsibility and serious new mindsets. University beckons, careers need building, financial survival becomes pressing, and time management robs us of our pet projects and passions.
But in 2012, everything changed. Post-graduation and post-Madison Avenue, I had my a-ha moment.
I left my corporate job in advertising and began working as a traditional dog trainer. About a year in, I knew there had to be more that could be done to honor the relationship between humans and their pets beyond simply teaching them how to sit and fetch. There was so much more depth to the relationship.
That’s when I began combining traditional dog training with animal communication and pet numerology. After working with thousands of clients over the span of nearly 15 years, I developed a road map of how our pets’ behavior speaks to our broader mindsets, patterns, habits, and attitudes, and act as a reflection of self.
For me, this realization changed everything, and became the foundation for a new era in pet guardianship, speaking to pet parents who know that their pets are more than “just” pets — they have the power to transform us.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
As many pet parents can relate to, I am by nature a highly sensitive person, so one of the biggest fears that has held me back in life has been the fear of upsetting or disappointing others.
As a result, my instinct has always been to manage the emotional temperature in the room. That can look like overthinking, over-accommodating, or softening my voice and words to make sure everyone else feels comfortable — often at my own expense.
It is my work with pets that has helped me move through that fear.
Our animal companions do not respond to overthinking. They respond to clarity. They ask us to be grounded, authentic, and congruent in our energy.
Whether during a dog training session or a pet reading, I cannot hedge or dilute my message and still be effective. I have to trust my voice, wholeheartedly. And through practice, I have learned to communicate and advocate for not only the pets’ perspective, but also for my own.
It turns out that the pets I set out to train have expertly trained me. They have helped me strengthen my conviction, communicate more directly, and share my passion openly. That growth has led me to write a bestselling book, speak on numerous podcasts and radio shows, and step onto keynote stages — opportunities I might once have avoided.
It’s funny how that works. In helping pets and pet parents find clarity and confidence, I found my own.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A belief I am deeply committed to – no matter how long it takes — is championing the perspective that we are entering a new era of pet guardianship. And a new breed of pet guardians is leading this shift.
Today’s pet parents do not want simple obedience — they want connection and mindfulness. They want to understand the motivation and message behind their pet’s behavior.
This shift has led to a new mindset in pet training. One that goes beyond basic obedience to encompass a more profound understanding of the pet-human relationship. And this is where Pet Prana®’s mindful approach to pet guardianship comes in.
By integrating positive reinforcement training with mindfulness, empathy, and emotional awareness, Pet Prana® offers pet parents a more nuanced and fulfilling experience that reflects a broader cultural movement towards conscious living.
To me, this is not a niche trend. It is a growing movement.
In this new era of pet guardianship, the journey is as important as the destination. It goes beyond teaching pets to obey commands. It is about fostering a deeper, more meaningful relationship that benefits both pets and their guardians, in which personal growth is as much a part of the process as the training itself.
As pet training continues to evolve, we become more mindful not only with our pets, but more broadly in all relationships and aspects of our lives. And that ripple effect — from pack to community — is what we are building in this new era of pet guardianship.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I am gone, I hope people will say that I helped them remember important aspects about themselves, and realize that they can accomplish extraordinary things alongside their pets.
As a pet professional, I help translate pets’ behaviors and teach pet guardians ways to practically and energetically communicate with their animal companions.
But I hope to achieve more than that.
I find that so often, pet parents underestimate themselves, so I see my role as a mirror. When working with pet guardians, I aim to highlight their sensitivity, their steadiness, their ability to love, guide, and grow alongside their animal companions. I want pet parents to know that they have the ability to be commanding, that their unique expression and leadership is not only valid, but needed in their homes and in their communities.
I hope people will say that through their work with me and their pets, they felt more empowered. That they began to trust their intuition, their voice, and abilities in a deeper way. I hope they will say that what they learned about leadership with their pet on leash translated to more confidence during a zoom presentation to their boss.
Training, at its best, is about encouragement and creating an environment where both human and animal feel safe enough to step into their fullest potential. If people remember me as someone who — alongside their beloved pets — helped them recognize their own abilities in a new light, then I will have lead a purposeful life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://petprana.com/index.html
- Instagram: @PetPrana
- Facebook: @PetPrana
Image Credits
Pet Prana®
