It’s easy to understand that when Buster carries over his bowl, he is hungry, or that he wants to go out when he waits at the door.

It’s more difficult to understand why Buster chases his tail for hours or won’t come when you call him.

Animal communicator Debbie Henkes could be the missing link between man and his dog. Henkes, a Reiki practitioner, recently went to work with dogs at Bark Avenue Day Camp in Bartlett.

“Reiki helps people be the person they are meant to be,” said Henkes, touting the ancient technique for its overall physical, emotional and spiritual benefits.

Henkes practices Reiki on humans and animals, channeling positive energy in place of any fear and anxiety. This can be helpful for rescue animals and even help manage pets with behavioral problems.

The touch technique — when Henkes detects tears needed to be mended in the dog’s aura by running her hands along its spine  — also helps animals “talk” more openly, said Henkes, who runs a communication session in tandem with Reiki.

“I think we all have animals talk to us,” she said. “Sometimes we think they are talking to us, and they are. We just have to believe what we are hearing.”

In her session, the owner provides a little background information and a list of questions to ask Henkes.

At Bark Avenue, Beckham, a wild 2-year-old yellow lab from Bartlett, is tamed by Henke’s calming hands.  Beckham’s owner wants to know where he lived before being placed at the shelter where he was found.

“I’m getting his previous owner had financial problems — that’s why he had to give him up,” Henkes said. “There was a lot of loss involved, but he’s very open to bonding with a new family.”

Henkes said the dog is a man’s dog and is not trained because his owners have never attempted to train him. Even though he is a large and powerful dog, she said, he believes he is still as small as a puppy.

Drago, a 7-month-old American bulldog from South Elgin, has worked with behavioral staff at the Bartlett dog care center to address aggression he showed as a puppy.

“When he was little, he showed aggression because he didn’t like to be picked up, so the breeder told the owners to put him down,” said Michelle Sarwas, owner of Bark Avenue Day Camp.

Instead, his owners brought him to Bark Avenue, and the behaviorist at the dog care center worked with Drago to overcome his negative behavior.

“I get a sense Drago is a very happy dog, and very grateful for having been given a second chance,” said Henkes.