I took my dog to a psychic

I think it may have actually worked?
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The Recommendation

July 20, 2025

A session with a pet psychic improved my dog's life

A brown dog's face appearing from a crystal ball in front of images of dog treats and toys on a dark blue background.
Dana Davis/NYT Wirecutter; source photos by Annemarie Conte, Majestic Pet, Woof, Diggs, SodaPup, AdobeStock
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By Annemarie Conte

When she's not busy trying to read her dog's mind, Annemarie writes the Ask Wirecutter column, investigative features, and reviews trending products.

Why did I recently book a session with an animal communicator (aka pet psychic) for me and my 8-ish-year-old dog, Buddy?

It definitely wasn't because I believe in all things woo-woo. I'm not someone who can, for example, interpret your personality based on your star sign, or elicit meaning from a Tarot card.

But I do believe in approaching life (and journalism) with an open mind — plus, I'm always curious about what the heck is going on in Buddy's big square noggin. I often wonder if he's not-so-silently judging me when he sighs and tosses me some side-eye. Is he actually happy here? Does he even like me? Also, why does he skip breakfast sometimes?

An animal communicator seemed like … well, an intriguing way to try and find all that out. And when The New York Times Styles section wrote a story about animal communicators being a TikTok trend, I knew it was officially in the zeitgeist.

So I sat down at my dining room table for a 30-minute Zoom call with a dog psychic, while Buddy napped peacefully upstairs. I was relieved that there was nothing Ouija-board-y or communing-with-the-dead-scary about our session. It was pretty low-key: The communicator dropped her head and addressed Buddy out loud so I could hear what they were talking about. She then told me what he was thinking.

READ THE STORY

Here were all of Buddy's revelations→

Was everything Buddy "said" through the medium accurate? Unlikely. I cannot fact-check, for example, whether or not his name was originally Blue or that he was previously surrendered to a shelter due to skin issues — something he has never experienced with us.

But that's sort of beside the point. What struck me was that many of his desires were about the basics: wanting more play time, more emotional bonding, and more interesting mealtimes. Did I need a dog psychic to tell me these things? Probably not. But did hearing them in this way — "from" Buddy directly — motivate me to prioritize them? Absolutely yes.

Much of what she shared with me were all very attainable goals, I quickly realized, so I consulted with several pet experts and tested out a few products with Buddy. Some of which have already improved both of our lives, including a tug toy that turned out to be a lovely midday break for both of us.

Unfortunately for Buddy, though, I don't plan on fulfilling his apparent request to "go for a ride on a big boat." But he's welcome to watch Below Deck with me anytime.

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One last thing: Can you read his mind?

Annemarie Conte/NYT Wirecutter

Speaking of woo-woo: Boo! Does ghost-hunting gear work? We tested some in a haunted place to find out.

You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can't always respond, but we do love to hear from you.

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