The Sympawtico Dog Blog

Whisper Softly and Carry a Big Stick

2009-09-05T17:23:00.002-05:00

An immigrant from a poor family who made it to the big-time, Cesar Millan embodies the American Dream. And that, combined with his charisma and Latino charm, makes for compelling television. But television is seldom art, and as such rarely mirrors life. In the real world of dog training, Cesar’s techniques are considered not only antiquated but just plain wrong: he demonstrates such a misunderstanding of modern behavior science that many not-so-famous dog trainers cringe at the mere mention of his name. And yet the public reveres him. So does Millan really deserve respect for his work “rehabilitating” dogs? Or should we all simply stand back and marvel at the man and his marketing machine?

Because marketing is a marvelous thing, transforming mere mortals into the stuff of legend in as much time as it takes an electrical impulse to circle the globe. You see, less than 20 years ago, the myth that is Cesar Millan did not exist. Instead, there was just César Milán Favela: el perrero, the derogatorily-named dog-boy of the streets of Mazatlán, who entered this country illegally and lived on the streets of San Diego. With $100 and little English, he began his quest to become “the world’s best dog trainer.” And that is where National Geographic Channel picks up the story. In promoting the channel’s blockbuster reality show The Dog Whisperer (2004-present), the company website touts Millan as “one of the most sought-after specialists working in the field of dog rehabilitation”, and claims that this is so because of the expertise he gained from a “childhood on his grandfather’s farm in…Ixpalino (near Culiacan, Mexico) where he observed the behavior of the farm’s many dogs.” (The Dog Whisperer) On his own website, Cesar attributes his skills – his “blessed gift” – to “observation, awareness, and firsthand experience”. (About Cesar) Surprisingly lacking in these biographies, however, is a list of credentials or qualifications that might undergird those claims. That’s probably because there aren’t any.

Aside from vague and mystical references to “an uncanny gift for communicating with dogs” (The Dog Whisperer) and “a primal communion with nature” (About Cesar), there is little in the way of evidence to support Cesar’s claim on the title of dog trainer extraordinaire. In fact, Paul Owens, a 35-year veteran of the field of dog training and author of the 1999 book The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training, says of his apparent namesake:

“The methods demonstrated by Mr. Millan include the use of choke collars, jerking, hitting, asphyxiation, pinning to the ground, etc… People trying these methods at home, (sic) could likely kill their best friend. They are certainly not very easy on the dogs. Most importantly, these methods are not the most effective in modifying problematic behaviors.”(Owens)

Veterinary behaviorists aren’t happy with Millan, either. Dr. Sophia Yin calls him an “old-school” trainer and, along with fellow board members of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), has released position statements which specifically target and rebut his dubious training techniques. And when, in 2009, veterinary pharmaceutical giant Merial, makers of such products as Frontline™ and Heartgard™, signed Millan as their spokesperson, the AVSAB even went so far as to join together with three other veterinary associations, the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, and the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, to caution that while the show may be “at best entertaining but misleading to pet owners. At worst, Mr. Millan’s techniques and misinformation have contributed to increased aggression and anxiety or resulted in physical injury to the pet and/or pet owner.” (Yin, et al., 2009)

But therein lies the rub: Merial is not alone in subscribing to the cult of Cesar. In fact, National Geographic Channel, along with Millan’s own company Cesar Millan Inc., have invested big bucks in their Whisperer campaign. And with an alphabet of advertisers from American Express to Yamaha it looks like they’ll be able to keep it up for some time to come – even in the face of much-hushed 2006 and 2007 settlements for “breach of contract, fraud, animal cruelty, and intentional infliction of emotional distress” (Associated Press, 2006) which may or may not have precipitated the closing of Millan’s famed Dog Psychology Center in 2008. So, for what exactly does Cesar Millan deserve acclaim? With his demonstrable paucity of knowledge and education, his egregious misinterpretation of behavior science, and his lack of support within his field, it does not appear to be for training dogs. Instead, it seems that the only thing laudable about the shaggy dog story that is Cesar Millan, Dog Whisperer, is the way in which he has trained his media machine to wag the Cesar.

Works Cited

About Cesar. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2009, from Cesar Millan Inc.: http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/about/about.php

Associated Press. (2006, May 5). 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Sued By TV Producer.Owens, P. (n.d.).

Paul Owens FAQ. Retrieved September 3, 2009, from The Original Dog Whisperer: http://www.dogwhispererdvd.com

The Dog Whisperer. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2009, from The National Geographic Channel: (http://channel.nationalgoegraphic.com/series/dog-whisperer

Yin, S. D., Meyer, K. E., Ciribassi, J. D., Sueda, K. D., Krause, K. D., Morgan, K. D., et al. (2009, June 11). An Open Letter to Merial From the AVSAB. AVSAB.

Your family dog may be smarter than your toddler - CNN.com

2009-08-08T08:27:00.002-05:00

Quoted from http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/08/07/smart.dogs/index.html:

Story Highlights
Professor: Dogs "closer to humans than we thought"
Most dogs can understand 165 words and count to five
Average dog is on par with 2-year-olds, "super breeds" with 2½ years
Border collies at the head of the class; Afghan hounds bring up the rear
By Doug Gross
CNN

(CNN) -- Your dog may not actually be smarter than somebody's honor student -- popular bumper stickers aside. But your canine companion might well be smarter than their toddler, according to a growing body of research on how dogs think.

The smartest dog breeds are on par mentally with a 2 1/2-year-old, professor says.

Using adapted tests designed for human children, psychologists have learned that average dogs can count, reason and recognize words and gestures on par with a human 2 -year-old.
"They may not be Einsteins, but are sure closer to humans than we thought," said Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and leading researcher on dog behavior.
Coren planned to present his research Saturday at the American Psychological Association's annual convention in Toronto, Canada.
He said the average dog can understand about 165 words, including signs, signals and gestures. They can also count to about 5, he said.
"I mean, we're not going to make them an accountant or something," Coren said in an interview with CNN Radio.
The smartest dogs, he calls them the "super breeds," are on par with a 2½-year-old, recognizing up to 250 words.
And, no, not all breeds are created equally.
Don't Miss
American Psychological Association
Dr. Coren's Web site
For his book "The Intelligence of Dogs," Coren asked more than 200 dog-obedience judges to rank 110 breeds based on their intelligence. Border collies, poodles, retrievers, German shepherds and Doberman pinschers were among the dogs at the head of the class.
The intellectual runts of the litter? The borzoi, chow chow, bulldog, basenji and -- finishing dead last -- the Afghan hound.
The dividing line, Coren said, tends to be the age of the breed. More recent breeds, like the collies and retrievers, have been bred for years to do what humans want them to do.
"We've been wiring into dogs the ability to communicate with us," said Coren, author of several books on dogs' thinking, most recently "The Modern Dog." "If you will, we've been manipulating their intelligence."
Meanwhile, breeds like hounds naturally did what humans wanted -- i.e. chase tasty animals -- and didn't need to be fine-tuned, he said.
"They did the work all by themselves," Coren said. "They didn't have to cooperate with the human being, and all the human had to do was get there before the dogs ate it all."
Included in the number of "words" dogs are believed to know are hand gestures, like pointing, and nonverbal sounds, like the whistles used to direct sheep dogs and retrievers.
Fact Box
Psychologist Stanley Coren asked dog-obedience judges to rank 110 dog breeds from most to least intelligent.

Top Five
1. Border collies
2. Poodles
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Doberman pinchers

Bottom Five
106. Borzoi
107. Chow chow
108. Bulldog
109. Basenji
110. Afghan hound

Source: "The Intelligence of Dogs"

Counting ability is tested in drills such as one in which treats are dropped, one at a time, behind a screen. When the researcher either sneaks away one of the treats or stealthily adds an extra before raising the screen, the dog will wait longer -- appearing to puzzle over the bad math -- before eating the treats.
That's the same way toddlers respond when faced with a similar switch, said Coren.
Aubrey Fine, a psychologist and faculty member at California State Polytechnic University, said research like Coren's could help dog owners better relate to their animals.
"Too often, many people look at dogs as four-legged people," said Fine, who specializes in the use of dogs in treating patients with developmental disorders and other mental-health conditions. "We need to recognize what dogs cue in to. Once you understand better how to interact, it causes a better coexistence with your pet companion."
Coren said the findings on dog intelligence showed they have more sense than some scientists may have thought, but that some in the general public may be surprised for different reasons that span a wide range of thought.
"There are some people who think that dogs are just little human beings running around in fur coats and there are other people who sort of think that they're unfeeling biological mechanisms," he said. "The truth of the matter is really that dogs are neither extreme."

Deer Shot, Suffocated, Suffering in Akron, Ohio

2009-08-08T07:59:00.001-05:00

Can someone, anyone tell me how this can be considered humane?

Dog Aggressive for Toenail Trim

2009-04-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

The correct way.

Safe or Unsafe Handling of an Aggressive Dog

2009-04-15T11:54:00.001-05:00

How NOT to groom a dog.

Undercover Investigation Reveals Cruelty to Chimps at Research Lab | The Humane Society of the United States

2009-03-06T09:08:00.003-06:00

Quoted from http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/animals_in_research_news/undercover_investigation_reveals_chimpanzee_abuse.html:

March4,2009

A nine-month undercover investigation by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has pulled back the curtain on the secretive, federally-funded New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana, revealing routine and unlawful mistreatment of hundreds of chimpanzees and other primates.

The investigation of New Iberia Research Center is the most comprehensive ever at any major primate research facility and has resulted in a 108-page complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), alleging a minimum of 338 possible violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act at the center. The law sets minimal standards for the treatment of animals in labs.

Shocking Footage
The HSUS' videotape evidence shows severe distress of primates in isolation: they engage in self-mutilation by tearing gaping wounds into their arms and legs, a behavior that could be the result of NIRC's failure to provide adequate environmental enhancement.

Routine procedures, such as the use of powerful and painful dart guns and frightening squeeze cages for sedation, are shown causing acute psychological distress to chimpanzees and monkeys.
Infant monkeys scream as they are forcibly removed from their mothers so that tubes can be forced down their throats.

Altogether, the investigation reveals animals forced to endure anxiety and misery behind the razor wire of the research facility.

Irresponsible and Inhumane

"These experiments come at an enormous short-term and long-term expense to taxpayers, and an even greater expense in suffering and anguish to chimpanzees and other primates forced to live in this pitiful laboratory," said Wayne Pacelle, The HSUS' president and CEO.

"Our investigation found an abject failure on NIRC's part to attend to the psychological well-being of primates as dictated by law, a lax USDA attitude about enforcing that law, and a knowing and gross violation of the federal government's pledge to stop breeding more chimpanzees for research."

NIRC cages about 6,000 monkeys and 325 chimpanzees on its 100 acres, but in the span of nine months, The HSUS' investigator saw only about 20 of the chimpanzees used in active studies. The majority of chimpanzees at the facility appeared to be warehoused or used for breeding – two activities that cost American taxpayers millions of dollars, even at a time of fiscal crisis and when no other developed nation uses chimpanzees in experiments.

Chimpanzees Held Captive

Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace said, "In no lab I have visited have I seen so many chimpanzees exhibit such intense fear. The screaming I heard when chimpanzees were being forced to move toward the dreaded needle in their squeeze cages was, for me, absolutely horrifying."

One of the chimpanzees at the facility—Karen—was taken from the wild and has been housed in a primarily barren laboratory setting since 1958, when Dwight Eisenhower was president.

The HSUS is calling upon Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to release her to a sanctuary—along with many other elderly chimps who were taken from the wild decades ago. Another chimpanzee—28-year-old Siafu—attempted to communicate with center staff by "signing."

Chimpanzee expert Roger Fouts believes Siafu's frustrated, repetitive movements were crude begging gestures, based on his viewing of the HSUS tape.

Federal Government Failings

In addition to The HSUS' 108-page complaint filed with the USDA, in part revealing the agency's lax enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act at NIRC, the group is calling on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stop its practice of paying the laboratory millions of dollars to produce infant chimpanzees despite the agency's explicit policy against funding chimpanzee breeding.

"This shows an appalling lack of attention by federal regulators and laboratory managers to their responsibilities," said Martin Stephens, Ph.D., The HSUS' vice president for Animal Research Issues.. "The only people who support continued breeding of chimpanzees are those who benefit from bilking the U.S. taxpayer."

Deceptive Dealing

Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues a 20-year-old policy that allows captive chimps to be used in invasive research, due to a highly unusual "split listing" under the federal Endangered Species Act.

In 1989, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed chimps as "endangered" in the wild, but merely "threatened" in captivity, and specifically authorized the continued use of chimps in captivity for biomedical research, the pet trade and roadside zoos.

All chimps should be consistently listed as "endangered," and thus only used in captivity for purposes that benefit the conservation of the species. No use of the chimps at NIRC could possibly be considered useful for that purpose.

What You Can Do
Watch the video; then take action for chimpanzees and primates»

If You're Aggressive, Your Dog Will Be Too, Says Veterinary Study

2009-02-19T19:47:00.003-06:00

Quoted from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217141540.htm:

ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2009) — In a new, year-long University of Pennsylvania survey of dog owners who use confrontational or aversive methods to train aggressive pets, veterinary researchers have found that most of these animals will continue to be aggressive unless training techniques are modified
The study, published in the current issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science, also showed that using non-aversive or neutral training methods such as additional exercise or rewards elicited very few aggressive responses.
“Nationwide, the No. 1 reason why dog owners take their pet to a veterinary behaviorist is to manage aggressive behavior,” Meghan E. Herron, lead author of the study, said. “Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them or intimidating them with physical manipulation does little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses.”
The team from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Penn suggest that primary-care veterinarians advise owners of the risks associated with such training methods and provide guidance and resources for safe management of behavior problems. Herron, Frances S. Shofer and Ilana R. Reisner, veterinarians with the Department of Clinical Studies at Penn Vet, produced a 30-item survey for dog owners who made behavioral service appointments at Penn Vet. In the questionnaire, dog owners were asked how they had previously treated aggressive behavior, whether there was a positive, negative or neutral effect on the dogs’ behavior and whether aggressive responses resulted from the method they used. Owners were also asked where they learned of the training technique they employed.
Of the 140 surveys completed, the most frequently listed recommendation sources were “self” and “trainers.” Several confrontational methods such as “hit or kick dog for undesirable behavior” (43 percent), “growl at dog” (41 percent), “physically force the release of an item from a dog's mouth” (39 percent), “alpha roll”physically -- rolling the dog onto its back and holding it (31 percent), “stare at or stare down” (30 percent), “dominance down” —- physically forcing the dog down onto its side (29 percent) and “grab dog by jowls and shake” (26 percent) elicited an aggressive response from at least 25 percent of the dogs on which they were attempted. In addition, dogs brought to the hospital for aggressive behavior towards familiar people were more likely to respond aggressively to some confrontational techniques than dogs brought in for other behavioral reasons.
“This study highlights the risk of dominance-based training, which has been made popular by TV, books and punishment-based training advocates,”Herron said. “These techniques are fear-eliciting and may lead to owner-directed aggression.”
Prior to seeking the counsel of a veterinary behaviorist, many dog owners attempt behavior-modification techniques suggested by a variety of sources. Recommendations often include the aversive-training techniques listed in the survey, all of which may provoke fearful or defensively aggressive behavior. Their common use may have grown from the idea that canine aggression is rooted in the need for social dominance or to a lack of dominance displayed by the owner. Advocates of this theory therefore suggest owners establish an “alpha” or pack-leader role.
The purpose of the Penn Vet study was to assess the behavioral effects and safety risks of techniques used historically by owners of dogs with behavior problems.

Gramby has been adopted! - Animal Haven

2009-02-19T11:43:00.003-06:00

Quoted from http://www.animalhavenkc.org/2009/02/13/gramby-has-been-adopted/

Gramby was our longest term dog here at Animal Haven and was recently adopted. Gramby was found as a stray from a city with a breed ban on October 13th, 2006 when he was just a pup. Last week he was adopted out by a fantastic lady from Blue Springs. He has adjusted very well to life with his new mother and is having the time of his life now that he finally has his lifelong home. He even gets to cuddle with his mother’s baby granddaughter for nap time.

And, what a wiggler he is too! Our ants-in-the-pants pal Gramby is always on the lookout for something interesting. Who can blame him? Gramby’s dedicated friends here at Animal taught him a few things before he went to his new lifelong home, and he’ll sit for a treat (though he likes to be sure it’s abundantly tasty).

Kansas City Dog Trainer Continues City’s Long History of Humane Education

2009-02-16T13:11:00.015-06:00

Kansas City has a rich history of involvement in humane education, and now an area dog trainer is continuing that tradition. Sympawtico Dog Training LLC’s Suezanne M. Law recently earned certification as a Humane Education Specialist through Humane Society University, an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States. Stephanie Clark, Manager of Outreach and Training with Humane Society Youth says that since the Certified Humane Education Specialist Program began, only 100 people have earned certification. “The courses are rigorous and I have high expectations of my students,” Clark says. “The program requires higher order thinking, community-related research, writing, and often assignment revisions. Only five students have earned all 700 points on the final exam in the last two years.” Law is one of those five.
Humane education in the United States began as the passion of Bostonian George T. Angell. Born in 1823, Angell helped to change the way Americans in the 19th and early 20th Centuries saw the animals with whom they shared their lives. After witnessing an 1868 race in which two horses were ridden past exhaustion to their deaths, Angell formed the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Within 3 short months, he had garnered the support necessary to achieve the passage of the state’s first anti-cruelty laws. John Quincy Adams and Ralph Waldo Emerson counted themselves among Angell’s supporters, and by 1871 animal-protection societies blossomed in 24 cities across America.

The son of a schoolteacher and a Baptist minister, Angell passionately believed that education was the key to ensuring humane treatment of both domestic and wild animals. In 1881, he launched the “Bands of Mercy”, a nationwide network of humane education clubs; and when Angell’s successor, the Reverend Frances Rowley, organized a 1912 Bands of Mercy convention in Kansas City, 25,000 children plus 15,000 parents and teachers attended. That same year, sisters Sarah and Henrietta Jacobs founded The Humane Society of Wyandotte County – now renamed The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City – because, as Henrietta wrote in the Kansas City, Kansas Gazette Globe, “We are particularly responsible for the welfare of domestic animals because we brought them from their natural conditions for our own benefit. They have learned much from companionship with us, but we have also learned much from them.”

As for Law, humane education provides one more outlet for teaching humans and dogs about living well together. “Dog training is not just dog training for Suezanne,” says Sharon Woodrum, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and owner of Personable Pets Inc. Dog Training in Louisburg. “She takes a holistic approach to education, not only for the animals, but for the families and the public as well. The CHES program falls right in line with her philosophies.”

Though Law and Woodrum own separate dog training companies, the two banded together last year to create Dog 101 Productions, a company dedicated to the creation of dog behavior related educational products for a variety of industries and individuals. Law also offers monthly Dogs&Storks classes at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, as well as classes and private instruction for pet dogs and their families, dog-bite prevention workshops for children, and, together with the trainers of KCDogTrainers.com, behavior and handling seminars for area veterinarians.

“People tend to think of animal welfare and humane education as new ideas,” Law says. “But since Kansas City’s beginnings, protection of animals has been our priority. Early on we recognized the link between an individual’s relationship with animals and his character. Now many states mandate character education in public schools. What better way to engage children than by relating these lessons to the animals they love? The children benefit, but of course the animals benefit, too. So this is my way of giving back to the community and to the creatures who have given me so much my whole life long.”

CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Senate legislation would make cockfighting a felony in Kansas

2009-02-11T08:25:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, February 10, Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC joined the Humane Society of the United States at the Kansas State Capitol Building in Topeka to lobby for the animals. We met with state legislators to encourage their support of a new law which would make cock-fighting in Kansas a felony offense, and also to ask them to oppose a resolution allowing Kansas horses to be exported for inhumane slaughter. It was a beautiful day for beautiful work. Here's a link to the photos I took while participating in this event, and please continue reading below for an article by Topeka Capital-Journal's Tim Carpenter.
Senate legislation would make cockfighting a felony in Kansas
By Tim Carpenter The Capital-Journal Published Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Humane Society supporter Sharon Berry wept Tuesday while recalling the fate of a pit bull used as fodder for a cage match.
"I'm sorry. Just a moment," the Atchison woman said before catching a second wind and explaining why Kansas should enact more stringent penalties for organizing illegal sporting events that harm animals.
The dog, she said, had to be euthanized.
"All animals that are being abused should have rights," Berry said.
That is why she joined John Goodwin, who works on animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, at the Statehouse to lobby for a Senate bill that would make the sanction for cockfighting a felony in Kansas.
Gamecock fighting is illegal in all states, but 38 states and the District of Columbia consider it a felony offense. Kansas is among a dozen states — most are in a corridor from Ohio to Mississippi — that categorize the crime as a misdemeanor. The four states surrounding Kansas elevated the sanction to felony status.
"The intent is to make Kansas consistent with all neighboring states," Goodwin said. "We do not want Kansas to become a refuge for cockfighters as they seek out jurisdictions with the weakest penalties for their crimes."
A hearing is scheduled for Friday in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Senate Bill 238, a measure sponsored by Sen. Julia Lynn, R-Olathe, that would reclassify the operation of a cockfight as a felony. Possession of gamecock equipment would be a misdemeanor.
In June, law enforcement officers raided a farm near Gardner where they found more than 170 roosters trained to fight. All were put to death along with hundreds of other chickens at the residence.
The main defendant in the case was charged in Johnson County District Court with dozens of misdemeanors, but he entered one-year diversion agreement in January. Defendant Fernando Tapia also surrendered $45,000 in cash seized by police in the raid.
Goodwin said gambling is common at cockfights in which the surviving bird is declared the winner. The specially bred birds wear knives on their legs to inflict lethal wounds to the head and chest of a rival, he said.
"It's a nasty activity," he said. "It tends to attract a lawless crowd."
Tim Carpenter can be reached at (785) 296-3005 or timothy.carpenter@cjonline.com.

How will you serve?

2009-01-20T13:21:00.002-06:00

My friends in the animal welness and welfare community: how will you respond to our president's call for service?

Dogged - For Cordelia: New Dog, Old Friend

2008-11-23T23:32:00.007-06:00

Dogged is a word viewed with contempt:
as though ambition stems from souls unkempt,

and drive for pleasure is a base attempt

to seek a treasure from which we’re exempt.

Stubborn, steadfast, strong-willed, resolute:

all are words of dubious repute,

describing we whose yearnings are acute,

as though our cheek in craving’s absolute.

And yet when our attention turns to you

and from your lips we take our every cue:

loyal, faithful, constant, good, and true –

you change our doggedness and take this view.

But truth must wrench you from your snug, safe fog

– for dogged perfectly describes the dog.

Doggedness: Stealing your pillow one centimeter at a time.

Dogs learn to read to inspire children

2008-11-12T07:47:00.007-06:00

Quoted from http://www.kansascity.com/news/neighborhood/leawood/story/885289.html:

By LINDA CRUSE
Photos by Susan Pfannmuller
Special to The Star
Robin Wall and her beagle June Bug worked with cue cards and hand signals Sunday at Tails R Waggin in Overland Park as a part of Reading Education Assistant dogs training. The training will let the dog appear to be able to read.

Brooke, Abby and Roscoe spent Sunday afternoon learning to read.
They are canines — not kids — who were among about 20 dogs participating in a seminar for members of the Kansas City Chapter of Pets for Life Reading Education Assistance Dogs program at the Tails R Waggin pet center in south Overland Park.
Dogs spent the day learning to respond to cues that made them appear as though they were reading the words “sit,” “down,” “beg,” “spin” and “stand.” “Sientate,” the Spanish word for “sit,” was also included.
Dogs were shown a word on a sign, then taught to respond using the verbal or hand sign the dog already recognized. Eventually, the verbal or hand sign was removed and the dog responded to only the sign, making it appear as though the dog was “reading” the sign.
Having dogs “read” is designed to inspire students, said Suezanne M. Law, who sponsored the seminar with Sharon Woodrum. They operate Dog 101 Productions.
“READ dogs inspire kids to improve with their patience and non-judgmental listening,” she said. “Our goal is to teach dogs a fun trick that will inspire kids even further.”
Retired principal Sharon Powell of Excelsior Springs was pleased with how quickly her sheltie, Abby, learned to read.
“She went to school with me every day and about 25 children read to her daily,” Powell said. “I’m going to start taking her to a preschool, so I was interested in finding something different to do. They will love this.”
Sue Shinkle of Fairway said that her old dog, 11-year-old Buccleigh, an Old English sheepdog, was learning some new tricks.
“I was interested in teaching him something new,” Shinkle said. “Also, it’s fun to socialize. We know a lot of the other people and dogs here.”
Kathy Stringer of Overland Park brought Roscoe, a labradoodle.
“He loves being with people and I want to share that with everyone,” Stringer said. “He’s just now getting READ certified.”
Greg Loeser of Lenexa, said that his greyhound, Brooke, was finding reading challenging.
“She loves being with kids,” Loeser said. “We go to the Olathe libraries and the Marillac Center. I will have to work on reading at home, away from the distractions.”
Law, owner of Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC, in Lenexa, is a canine human relationship counselor who specializes in behavior modification training for the family dog. She developed the seminar with Woodrum, the owner of Personable Pets Dog Training in Louisburg.
“Dogs are great at anticipating and they figure out patterns quickly,” she said. “This technique involves putting caught or lured and shaped behaviors on cue. They quickly begin to associate the cue with the behavior and reinforcement.”
Participants were members of Pets for Life, the parent organization of READ. Intermountain Therapy Animals, a nonprofit organization, launched READ in 1999. The national program operates in the United States and Canada and includes all breeds of dogs, as well as cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.
Fran Lancaster, the Kansas City area coordinator for Pets for Life, said local READ chapter members visits the Gills Home, Gordon Parks, Marillac and Operation Breakthrough. READ volunteers also visit several Johnson County libraries, those in Olathe and Shawnee.
“We try to visit schools and homes with the greatest needs, serving children who are disadvantaged economically and socially,” she said. “We go where we’re needed the most.”

Teaching Humbug to Clean Up

2008-11-07T22:54:00.004-06:00

This is raw, uncut video of a clicker training session I did this morning with my seven-year-old Boston Terrier, Humbug. There is nothing glossy about this video. I chose to leave it as-is: bare-naked training, mistakes and all.

In this fast-paced world where magic pills and Hollywood endings are not just hoped for but expected, I think it is important to show that there need be no mystique to training a dog. All it takes is a basic understanding of learning theory and simple behavior modification techniques, plus a little creativity, patience, and trust.

Teaching Humbug to Clean Up, Part 1

Teaching Humbug to Clean Up, Part 2

Humbug has been the subject of blog posts before, but this is the first time many of you may have seen the little guy in action. Quite a smarty, isn't he? I hope you enjoy viewing this video! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at trainer@sympawtico.com. For more information on my training services, please visit my website: www.sympawtico.com

New Classes Help Families Prepare Fido for Baby’s Arrival

2008-11-02T21:14:00.002-06:00

Shawnee Mission Medical Center Sponsors Dogs&Storks Classes for Expecting Couples

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 800,000 Americans seek medical help each year because of dog-bite injuries, and half of those injured are children. Worse, 66% of dog bites in children aged four and younger are to the head and neck. “Many expectant couples worry about how they can safely bring their new baby into a family that already includes four-legged ‘kids’,” says dog trainer and Dogs&Storks educator Suezanne M. Law. “But with a little preparation, mixed-species families can become stronger rather than becoming statistics. That’s what Dogs&Storks is all about.”

By teaching expectant families to understand canine body language and to cope with their dogs’ sensitivities and attention-seeking behaviors, the national Dogs&Storks program provides practical education during pregnancy and continued support after baby arrives. Now Law, currently the only licensed Dogs&Storks educator in the Midwest, is teaming up with Shawnee Mission Medical Center to offer 2-hour Dogs&Storks workshops as part of the Center’s 2009 Family Education series.

“We are so excited to have Suezanne teaching Dogs&Storks for us at Shawnee Mission,” says Meggin Finkeldei, a certified childbirth educator employed by SMMC. “So many parents who take our parenting classes are concerned about how their animals might adjust. I used to have to send them to websites to find information. Now I can send them to a class right here at the Medical Center where they can ask questions that pertain to their individual situations!”

Doula Dawn Morgan agrees, “We need to give couples all the tools they can possibly use in order to have harmony in their new families. As a labor doula and childbirth educator I strive to meet the needs of the family as a whole, not just during the time surrounding the birth of a child. Birth is an event; day-to-day life is ongoing.”

But then Morgan has a unique perspective on the issue. When not wearing her doula hat, she also works as a volunteer coordinator for Kansas City’s Animal Haven. “As an animal shelter employee I love the Dogs&Storks program because when people learn to understand dog behavior there is a much greater chance of them maintaining a peaceful family unit. Companion animals have less of a probability of being displaced because mom and dad are afraid of new – but often totally normal – doggie behaviors which they had never seen before the baby arrived.”

Dogs&Storks classes at Shawnee Mission Medical Center begin in January and will run throughout 2009. For more information or to register call the ASK-A-NURSE Resource Center at 913.676.7777. Online registration is also available by visiting www.shawneemission.org.

Suezanne M. Law, owner of Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC, is an accredited dog trainer. In addition to teaching Dogs&Storks classes for Shawnee Mission Medical Center, she offers reward-based group obedience classes, private lessons, and behavior consultations for pet dogs and their families in the Greater Kansas City, Metro Area. For more information please visit www.sympawtico.com.

BOOK REVIEW - Walter the Farting Dog

2008-10-05T20:13:00.002-05:00

I don’t know how William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray learned of my dog George. Somehow, though, they must have heard the tale – like the fart heard round the world – and seen in his story the drama, the suspense to capture an audience and make their New York Times Bestseller dreams come true. They changed his name, of course, called him Walter the Farting Dog; but then that is common practice, “to protect the innocent” – I assume that means me. And they changed some of the facts of the case – again, common; a true story fictionalized to make it more difficult for casual acquaintances to put two-and-two together and identify my family as the agonists (not exactly ant- but certainly not pro-). But it’s our story; really. And as Kotzwinkle and Murray benefit from its telling, here I sit, gas-mask mussing my hair, living the odorous reality of it all. It seems so unfair. Perhaps I should sue.

Chiefly I object to being portrayed as the kind of woman who would consider returning George because of his noxious smell. After all, my husband farts. In fact, he farts in bed. And not only does he fart in bed, he then proceeds to fluff the sheets to share his farts with me. It is egregious. It is gratuitous. It is, as he puts it, “The last bastion of manhood in a gelded world.” (All right: I’m paraphrasing. The way he said it was ever-so-slightly more salty.) And I have never once (well, maybe once) threatened to send him back to his mother in England – so why would I return George?

Though, George does fart. Like Walter, he farts when he bathes and while playing. He farts as he walks around the house – in the dining room and kitchen. And he farts in bed. And while my husband, fair-minded man that he is, laughs and helps George to fluff the sheets (George having that no-opposable-thumb issue), I admit I am not so forgiving. “Outside,” I’ll say, and then, “Bedtime,” as I hold the kennel door open and my nose closed and usher George into his own little bed for the rest of the night. Sometimes, then, I’ll lie in the darkened room down the hall and wonder if the kennel has yet swollen to ten-times its normal size as George’s hot-air inflates it like a balloon. The next morning it is always in its place, though. Flights of farts and fancy aside, George remains at home where he belongs. I open the kennel door, and with a fart and a stretch, George begins his day. I accept this. I would not give George up.

Aside from this one small error, however, Kotzwinkle and Murray got the story straight. We have consulted our veterinarian (who apparently is in the authors’ employ), and we have tried various foods (though not lettuce and tomato sandwiches – everyone knows that George doesn’t care for green food). Poor George does indeed get the blame for any and all suspicious smells, including those emanating from backsides decidedly less doggish (you know who you are, “Uncle Irv”). And while he has never in fact scared away nighttime marauders, guests who have over-stayed their welcome have occasionally been handed rather smelly, though figurative, hats as George has shown them the door. So you see: our story; not Kotzwinkle’s and Murray’s.

Yet, I suppose the story is theirs now, in a way; and because they have told it, it’s become your story, too. For Kotzwinkle and Murray, from their objective (and odor-free) distance, have distilled our malodorous little family saga to its universal essence; have made it a story of compassion, a story of acceptance, and, ultimately, a story of redemption. And so, you see, I cannot bring myself to pursue legal recourse. In a way, I’m proud that our smelly laundry has been so publicly aired. If it can but help one family, one other Walter, or George (or 30-something English computer programmer) retain his happy home, it will have been worth the sacrifice. No other compensation is necessary. (But honestly, Kotzwinkle and Murray: now that you’ve sold a million copies, couldn’t you at least spring for one bottle of Febreeze?)

Habit or Health?

2008-10-01T10:44:00.002-05:00

According to the CDC, about 25% of the human population suffers from behavioral disorders that are caused by chemical imbalances, neurological problems, or other bodily illnesses that affect the way their bodies and brains receive and transmit information. And though there are few studies to suggest the number of dogs who suffer from similar health-related behavioral disturbances, because so many structures within the canine brain mirror those within the human brain (we are both mammals, after all), including the structures that govern learning and the emotions, one can assume that the percentage of canines suffering from these biological maladies must be similar, too. In fact, even common illnesses like thyroid disease, diabetes, cancer, and allergies can influence the way your dog behaves in any given situation.

So, how do you know if your dog’s problem behavior is due to bad habit or ill health? It’s not always clear, even to skilled dog behavior consultants and veterinarians. But certainly, the closer the relationship you share with your dog’s trainer and veterinarian, the better able you are to make the decisions necessary to impact his behavior in the long run. Whenever you encounter a problem behavior in your dog, it is a good idea to consult not only a trainer, but also a veterinarian who is knowledgeable in animal behavior, just to make sure that any behavioral methods you and your trainer may try will be effective. A physical exam including a thorough history, routine blood-work, and occasionally more extensive testing may be necessary before you really get a clear picture of your dog’s total health – both physical and behavioral.

Consider, too, that for many years, scientists have worked with human subjects to find the best approach to correct problems such as anxiety or panic attacks, fear resulting in self-harming behavior, and even schizophrenia and psychosis. Their techniques ranged from electric shock therapy to cognitive behavioral analysis, with many stops in between. And just as it was discovered that electric shock therapy had a tendency to cause more problems than it solved for human patients, so electronic dog collars, also called shock collars, are contraindicated in treating behavioral problems of any origin in dogs.

Don’t be dismayed, either, if your veterinarian suggests that your dog be treated with one of the many new medications on the market today designed specifically to treat chemical imbalances. Over the years, caregivers who work with human subjects have come to the realization that though behavioral methods may help patients cope with the various stimuli their bodies and environment present them, the right medication most effectively addresses issues which are, after all biological and not behavioral at all.

Choose to Heal

2008-09-21T15:43:00.004-05:00

Somewhere in the recesses of Mom’s consciousness, she knew she needed her dogs. “What happened with the puppies?” she asked for the fourth or fifth time that day. One of us answered, voice raw with exhaustion and worry, “They’re at home and safe. Don’t worry about them. Just concentrate on resting and getting well.”

The next day she said to me, “I want my boy to crawl up in bed and rest with me.” I knew she meant Taz. “He would love that, wouldn’t he?” I replied, giving her hand a squeeze. Mom nodded and murmured, “I don’t think they would like it though.” I glanced around the darkened room and at the nurses stationed just outside. I imagined smuggling a 90-pound Boxer through the hospital corridors and hiding his fawn body under her twisted sheets. “Probably not,” I smiled wanly though she couldn’t see.

The hours stretched to days, and Mom remained little-changed since the helicopter ride that saved her life. She sometimes seemed lucid, sometimes in another world. She says now she remembers nothing of that time. A blessing, I think, to be unaware of terrible danger and the heartrending fear of loved ones gathered round. Dad never left her side. She seemed to know the rest of us as we came and went. But she was acutely aware of the family members not present: my soldier brother studying to become a P.A. (“Don’t bring him,” she’d whisper, “he has school.”) and her dogs. “What happened with the puppies?” she would ask again.

Not so long ago, the day-to-day caretaking of my companion animals – the Bostons, Humbug and George; three little lizards with spiny tails; and so many fish – pulled me through post-surgery days filled with pain and the confusion of too-strong medication. Even on the days I was unable to minister to them myself, when my husband and children shouldered the task, concern for the four-legged and many-finned in my life focused my energies. It’s not that care for them took away from my assignment of healing. Rather, my mission became to heal so that I could give back to them the joy and comfort they shared with me. Even in her muddled state, Mom must have felt the same. She just wanted her dogs. “What happened with the puppies?” she whispered time and time again.

Eleven days after the stroke that nearly killed her, Mom went home. Her doctor – wise beyond his years – sent her to rest and heal in the comfort of her own four walls, with the encouragement of her loyal four-leggeds to soothe her aching body and salve her soul. She walks through the house to let them out. She sits with them in the sun. And every day she gets a little better. What happened with the puppies? They waited for her to come home. And with the diligence of accomplished trainers, they are teaching Mom to heal.

‘Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog’s honest bark
Bay deep-mouthed welcome as we draw near home;
‘Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark
Our coming, and look brighter when we come.

George Gordon, Lord Byron; A Friendly Welcome

Responsible Dog Ownership Not Just for Dog Owners

2008-09-15T16:37:00.003-05:00

Local Company Celebrates By Collecting Used Items for Area Shelters

As the song says, we get by with a little help from our friends. And local business woman Linda Toombs is certainly a good friend for dogs and their families to have. Toombs owns Go, Dog…! Pet Care Services in Johnson County. Go, Dog…! specializes in helping busy families care for their pets by providing dog walking, pet sitting, and pet shuttle services. This month, Go, Dog…! will also help homeless dogs by collecting used dog-related items for donation to area shelters.

“I want people to understand the plight of the less fortunate dogs in this country,” says Toombs. “Part of my job is helping to educate the families I work with, but also the general public on what it takes to be a responsible dog owner. And since the American Kennel Club is celebrating Responsible Dog Ownership in September, I thought I would, too.”

According to Toombs, environmental enrichment is important for dogs, whether they live in a home or stay in a shelter. In other words, dogs need both mental and physical stimulation to be happy and healthy. “When I work with a family, I provide that: walks, play sessions, transportation to vet appointments and doggy daycare. In fact, many of my clients say I take better care of their pets than they do!”

But so many dogs get too little stimulation, and according to trainer Suezanne Law, owner of Lenexa’s Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC, that is a major cause of problem behavior. She says, “Shelter dogs and dogs who spend the majority of their lives outside, away from their families are especially susceptible to developing problem behaviors due to lack of environmental enrichment.”

For instance, many people don’t realize how detrimental it is to tether or pen a dog outside alone for long periods of time. “People think the dog is enjoying his time outside, and that he’s exercising, but he’s not,” says Toombs. Instead, Toombs and Law agree, a tethered dog is vulnerable to teasing by other animals or by neighborhood children. He can become very frustrated if he gets tangled in his tether, can’t get away, or can’t engage in activities he sees going on around him. And this frustration can sometimes lead to aggression.

“These are the dogs who end up homeless,” says Toombs, “and it isn’t their fault. We have failed them. And we fail them again when we let them languish in shelters.” Toombs doesn’t fault the shelters, however. “Our shelters do the best they can. They struggle just to have enough money to provide food and a warm, dry bed, let alone toys and activities to help dogs live as normal lives as possible as they wait for a new family to find them. That’s why I want to help.”

Area residents who wish to donate items can contact Toombs, and she will arrange to pick up their good condition, used dog items, clean or repair them if necessary, and then take them to shelters in need. “I love dogs – not just my own, but all dogs,” says Toombs. “They have given me so much through the years that I just want to give back to them.”

Linda Toombs is a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and is certified by the American Red Cross in Pet First Aid and CPR. She is insured, and as the owner and sole employee of Go, Dog…! Pet Care Services she personally cares for each pet enrolled in her program. Go, dog…! offers vacationing families e-mail communication, photographs, and video of their pets to ensure the happiness and well-being of the entire family. To arrange pick-up of your used dog-related items, or for more information about the services provided by Go, Dog…! Pet Care Services, please visit www.godogjoco.com or call Linda Toombs at (913) 378-8857.

Dogs Days of Summer a Great Time to Celebrate Responsible Dog Ownership

2008-08-03T19:23:00.001-05:00

Local trainer provides tips and information on living well together with your dog in a tough economy

Contrary to what the thermometer may be telling us this week, summer is winding down. And during these dog days of summer, many people come out of their air-conditioned havens to enjoy a few months of sun before the winter sets in. This is a great time of year for dogs.

“Dogs are a huge part of the American lifestyle, and what better way to celebrate their companionship than by being a responsible owner?” says trainer Suezanne Law, owner of Lenexa’s Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC. Every September, The American Kennel Club and their affiliates promote this celebration of four-legged and two-legged congruity by sponsoring Responsible Dog Ownership Day events across the country.

“But responsible dog ownership is about so much more than one month-long observance. Life with your dog should be a life-long celebration!” Law says. And being a responsible owner doesn’t have to mean spending big bucks in these tough times. Here are Law’s tips to start living well together with your dog today:

“Dogs are social creatures,” Law states, “and they need to be a part of a family. When we address dogs’ social and emotional needs, like companionship and leadership, first, then living well together becomes easy.”

First, remember that dogs need love and leadership in equal amounts. Love is a renewable resource and it’s free, making it easy to share, even in this tough economy. But don’t forget to help your dog understand and follow the rules of the home. Always use gentle, effective techniques, though, says Law, because, “A dog won’t follow a leader he doesn’t trust.”
Training is a great way to show your love, establish leadership, and socialize with your dog, too. “Private instruction is great, especially when people need to address very specific issues, such as aggression or separation anxiety,” Law says. “But group classes are the way to go if you really want to maximize your training time and money – and it’s a terrific way for both you and your dog to socialize!” Classes can range from instruction in basic manners to tricks, agility, and more, so don’t feel like you are stuck with traditional “obedience” curricula. “If you can dream of something you want to do with your dog, there will be someone out here who can teach it,” says Law.
And don’t forget to spend a little quality time with your dog, too! “We live in such a fast-paced society,” Law says. “It’s good for all of us to slow down and just spend time together with little or no expectation of what might happen. Stop and smell the roses – and let your dog get a good sniff of something stinky, too!”

Taking care of your dog’s physical needs helps to ensure a wonderful life together, too. “Just like us, dogs are living, thinking creatures; and just like us they move and breathe as well,” Law states. “It’s really important that we do everything we can to understand what our dogs were bred to do and how they need to eat and move to be healthy.”

Provide your dog with high-quality food and treats and ample fresh water, even if you are having trouble with potty training. “When it comes to dog food, what goes in should, by and large, stay in,” Law chuckles. “When you choose better foods, you feed less, but your dog actually extracts more nutrition from what you feed. So cost-wise, you’re about the same as with lower-quality foods.” But the real benefit for many people comes later: because your dog’s body uses higher-quality foods more completely, you should see a huge reduction of waste in your back yard. “And that’s nothing to turn your nose up at,” quips Law.
Find a great veterinarian and develop a good relationship with him or her. “Your veterinarian should be one of your dog’s best friends,” Law says. “Good preventive care will help your dog live a long, healthy life with you, and will also enable to him spend all of his ample energy learning and growing and not fighting off parasites and disease.” That will save you time, money, and frustration, too.
And do get out there and exercise with your dog! “I think the number one problem affecting American dogs today is boredom,” Law says. “People have the mistaken impression that dogs exercise themselves, in the back yard or even inside, but they generally don’t.” And even those dogs who do a lot of running around (and often getting into trouble, too) in their own home or yard are missing out on the mental stimulation that comes with getting out of familiar surroundings and expanding one’s horizons. Plus, statistics show that dogs who receive adequate exercise are better-behaved, too. “Exercise is free mind-body nutrition,” Law says, “and we should all treat ourselves to its benefits.”

When it comes to living well together with your dog, “Balance is the key,” Law says. “There are so many free and nearly-free ways to take care of his needs while making sure your own get met, too. There’s no reason to economize on your relationship.”

Suezanne M. Law and Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC offer many fun and informative classes to help you and your dog form a lasting, healthy relationship. From free Kids and Dogs Workshops for non-profit organizations, to group classes in manners and tricks, private lessons for behavioral counseling, and Dogs&Storks consultations to help expecting families integrate their two-legged kids with their four-, there are cost-effective options available for every family. For more information, please visit www.sympawtico.com.

“It’s only a dog.”

2008-07-29T14:36:00.002-05:00

If a picture paints a thousand words, a well-chosen word can paint one very powerful picture. Take, for instance, the humble pronoun.

Pro·noun /ˈproʊˌnaʊn/ Pronunciation Key - [proh-noun] - noun; any member of a small class of words found in many languages that are used as replacements or substitutes for nouns and noun phrases, and that have very general reference, as I, you, he, this, who, what.

Dictionary.com

In other words, the pronoun is one small but mighty word. Usually consisting of four letters or less (unless used in the reflexive, such as myself, yourself, or himself, etc.) it (see, there I’ve replaced the word pronoun itself with its pronoun) replaces nouns in a sentence to provide interest and reduce redundancy. Used judiciously, it (the pronoun, that is) can also indicate quite succinctly how the speaker feels about the subject at hand.

“Take that inside.”

A fairly innocuous phrase, I think you will agree, especially in the context of a wife asking her husband to transport picnic supplies in from the car. But apply the same phrase to a mother asking that a mucky child be removed from a mud puddle to have a bath, and the picture painted by the word “that” suddenly turns a bit muddy itself.

Happily, loving mothers rarely if ever use impersonal pronouns like that or it to replace their child’s name in a sentence – not seriously, anyway. And if an occasional mother might, society in general shuns the practice. Words like that and it connote an objectivity not appropriate in the context of parent-child relationships. But what of the human-dog relationship? And what if we add another small but mighty word: the word only? What picture do we paint then?

On·ly /ˈoʊnli/ Pronunciation Key - [ohn-lee] –adjective; no more than; merely; just.

Dictionary.com

“It’s only a dog.”

There’s a similar phrase often used about children: “She’s only a child;” but the connotation isn’t the same. “She’s only a child” means give her a break: she didn’t know any better. “She’s only a child” means she deserves our sympathy and our indulgence. Not so when it comes to our four-legged friends; and the word only only exaggerates the perspective. Which begs the question: if nouns are replaceable, do the pronouns we use to replace them indicate that the items they represent are replaceable too?

According to the vernacular, the answer is yes – if I lose everything but my life to fire or flood, apparently I am justified in categorizing my dogs as I would a kitchen appliance: “It’s only a blender.” Yes, the words we choose to speak about Man’s Best Friend paint a picture all right; not of 15-millennia-worth of mutual devotion, but of the dog’s lack of importance in the Big Picture, of their ultimately disposable nature.

A Tail in Two Cities - MetroPet Magazine

2008-07-23T14:35:00.004-05:00

Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC congratulates Kansas City's new MetroPet Magazine for launching its inaugural issue! Look for my article, titled "A Tail in Two Cities", about my recent trip to London and the dogs I met there, to be included in its pages.

I am also excited to have been asked to be a regular contributor to this terrific new publication. Please visit the MetroPet website, and look for their free magazines to start showing up on newsstands around town. For those of you who would like the convenience of receiving MetroPet Magazine delivered to your home, subscriptions are only $20 for 12 issues. Our subscribers help to make this beautiful magazine available to a wider audience.

If you can't wait to read all of the wonderful information included in the July/August 2008 issue, you can download a PDF version here:

MetroPet Magazine July/August 2008

Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, and thanks especially to the kind folks at MetroPet Magazine for giving me this opportunity to help even more dogs and their families as they enjoy Living well together.

Lessons of a Three-Legged Dog

2008-07-13T13:26:00.004-05:00

I’ve had better weeks. On Wednesday I had surgery, ostensibly to fix a torn ACL in my left knee. Nervous as I was about that surgery and its aftermath, I was unprepared for what awaited me when I awoke. As I struggled against the anesthesia, the pain, and the strangely cumbersome bandages and brace engulfing my leg, I remember pieces of conversation between my surgeon and my husband Alex. The surgery had gone well, but had lasted longer than expected. The ACL had indeed been completely torn, but was safely mended with a graft from my own hamstring. The damaged tissue around and under my kneecap was particularly ugly and had taken awhile to remove. And my meniscus has suffered a terrible tear. That was very bad news. The meniscus, important tissue which gives the knee stability and support when under tension, is difficult to repair and slow to heal. A tear meant more rehabilitation, a longer recovery time, and a higher chance that in the long-term, the work the surgeon had done would fail. I would have to be very, very careful to make this surgery worthwhile.

I don’t know if it was the trauma of surgery, the haze of medication, or the reality of what lay ahead that hit me hardest, but as I settled in for recovery at home, I began to feel sorry for myself. My family would suffer, my business would fall into ruin, laundry and dust and cobwebs would lay waste to the house, and I would languish in bored immobility on the couch. Not how I envisioned End of Year 2008. Alex remained steadfast in his calm optimism. Friends rallied round to cheer me. But I was inconsolable. This was the worst thing that could have happened.

“Remember Dixie?” my friend Sharon began her daily check-in. It was Saturday afternoon, and Sharon had just finished mowing her fields to prepare for agility classes the next day. I thought back a couple of weeks to the Paws in the Park event Sharon and I had worked together. I had struggled in my pre-op brace to teach a tricks workshop, and Dixie had enrolled in Sharon’s Agility Test Drive class. As the class name implies, Dixie and her handler were trying out agility for the first time – a brave, brave feat for a three-legged dog and her guy. “She can do most anything any other dog can do,” he had assured us as he signed Dixie up; true enough. Dixie confidently launched herself from obstacle to obstacle, finding none a barrier to her enthusiasm. After the Test Drive, Dixie’s guy signed her up for the real thing.

“She’s doing so great! I think she weaves better than any of the other dogs in class.” I smiled as I listened to Sharon. She is so into her clients and their dogs. “I’m learning so much, working with her,” she finished. “I wish I could have been there to see her,” I answered; but I could see Dixie, in my mind: all glistening eyes and golden fur, eclipsing the sun as she dashed through the fields, oblivious to any impediment. She was a three-legged dog, and she was happy.

All through that day and the following night, this perfect picture of an imperfect dog content with life’s offerings soaked into me, salving my aching spirit, cooling the fevered worry I’d let swell up inside my mind and paralyze me. Dixie took life’s challenges in stride – albeit with an irregular, unorthodox kind of gait. And the obstacles I face are no more than the occasional jump or tunnel or teeter-totter life throws at one to check one’s balance and nerve. If Dixie can do it, surely for a few months, I can too. I close my eyes and see her, the beautiful, flawed body vibrating with canine delight as she runs her course. I will run my course, too. I only hope I can meet each hurdle with the same joy and grace as my three-legged friend.

With thanks to Sharon and Dixie.

Sounds of Silence - A Review Of "Through a Dog’s Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion"

2008-07-05T12:57:00.006-05:00

Londoners don’t seem to notice the noise. On the streets and on the trains, even in their own comfortable homes, the natives seemed to have an uncanny ability to ignore that which was so apparent to me: the constant, living roar of the city. The sounds of people; the sounds of automobiles; trains barreling on clattering tracks; cell phones, pagers, and electronic apparatus jangling in an off-kilter cadence; and even the lush beauty of Kew, that 350-acre natural temple, pierced at intervals by Heathrow’s traffic soaring overhead. I couldn’t tune it out. My tired brain struggled to register and record each reverberation. Soon, even the natural soundscape seemed deafening to me. I began to wonder if, by osmosis, I had borrowed from my four-legged companions their super-sensitive canine hearing. But then I noticed that London’s furry citizens seemed immune to the din, too. Or were they?

“Sound is a nutrient,” claim authors Joshua Leeds and Susan Wagner in their book Through a Dog’s Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion. “We can either charge or discharge the nervous system by the sounds we take in through both air and bone conduction (p. 23).” An interesting concept set down in an equally interesting, if brief, book. My week in London afforded me ample reading time as I traveled from sight to sight within the conduit of cacophony that is London’s Underground. I finished my reading quickly and, overwhelmed by the city’s voice as I was, found within the pages resonance to the depths of my soul. But then a whispering more reverberant than the constant squeal and clamor of rush-hour traffic began to build within me. Where were the numbers? Could science back up the book’s assertions? Could sound have as strong an impact on our lives and those of our canine companions as the authors allege?

Leeds is a psychoacoustician, a scientist who studies the human perception of sound. He is also a music producer and works with such alternative-medicine gurus as Dr. Andrew Weil and Louise Hay. Wagner, aside from possessing a name which evokes thoughts of Valkyries striding the heavens more than dogs snoozing peacefully in the sun, holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and is an adjunct assistant professor at the Ohio State University Veterinary College. Their credentials seem sound, if you’ll excuse my use of the word. Their work is based on well-known research by Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a French otolaryngologist, who pioneered a sound-based alternative-medicine approach for treating various ailments that later became known as The Mozart Effect. But controversy abounds. Little independent research undergirds Tomatis’ lifework. And though a public eager for solace has at times embraced psychoacoustics, and now its non-human equivalent bioacoustics, the scientific community remains largely mute.

There is dissonance even within the book itself. On page 22, Leeds and Wagner state, “Studies have shown that many common human behavioral and psychological issues may have an auditory component: attention and focus issues, anxiety, depression, and sensory integration challenges, for example. Is it possible these issues also apply to our dogs?” A mere two pages later, however, they admit, “There is no such thing as a sound-related illness in people.” Still, they say, studies have “found that the anxiety produced by a perceived loss of control over personal environments, including noise, caused over-stressed bodies to become fertile ground for disease (p. 24).” So which is it? Is excess sound harmful to one’s mind and body or not? And can the proper use of sound truly nourish the body and help one to heal?

Certainly my dogs and I are affected by sound. Thunderstorms, sirens, and fireworks are as apt to set our heartbeats to flamenco rhythms as soft rain and birdsong induce legato sighs which harmonize with the wind. We are not alone. The world is full of music of sorts, and we are audience to and part of the symphony. Archeologists have even become interested in the use of sound in ancient cultures, and no longer relegate to warehouses the broken, silent instruments of gourd, reed, and clay they excavate with the past. From 15,000-year-old Ukrainian drums – perhaps used by humans to communicate with our newly adopted canine brothers? – to Roman war-trumpets and Aztec “Whistles of Death”, to the musical ideals of the Enlightenment and beyond, sound, whether natural or created, has clearly always been important to humanity. But do we choose to dance to its rhythms – or to those of a different drummer – or does it drive us in a steady tattoo unto death? Unfortunately Through a Dog’s Ear does little to calm the savage beast of debate.

Though touched by the emotionally-charged anecdotes Leeds and Wagner offered up in Through a Dog’s Ear, I was disappointed by the lack of hard facts presented in its 156 pages and on the corresponding website. And after a thorough internet search, I remain disappointed. In fact, I found many more emotional offerings purporting to lend scientific validity to Tomatis and his academic descendants – albeit mostly housed on sites selling goods and services related to said science. But I also found reports of well-conducted studies showing no effect whatever of The Mozart Effect on human or animal behavior.

Still, I am intrigued. Even in the relative quiet of my Kansas home, I find myself straining to hear the book’s message above my mind’s steady clamoring for scientific proof. I want to believe – I just don’t know that I can based on the information presented to date. Through a Dog’s Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion is published by Sounds True, Inc., and the authors’ premise that “many anxiety behaviors common in both the American people and their dogs may be the result of cumulative sensory overload, starting with the sound environments in which they live (p. 5)” does indeed sound true – but is it?

Sex and the City Dog

2008-06-22T15:48:00.006-05:00

Like the hit television series (now a hit-and-miss feature film), I’ve pulled a bait-and-switch; because this is not a story about sex. It’s not a clever parody about Carrie Brad-paw, Fur-anda Hobbes, Charlotte Yorkie, and Samantha Bones. Rather, it is, like its namesake, a story about individuals seeking companionship with others. This is the story of your dog.

“Despite the fact that there are over eight million people on the island of Manhattan, there are times you still feel shipwrecked and alone.” Carrie, “Baby, Talk is Cheap”

There are over 53 million dogs living in American homes, and yet most dogs in this country are lonely. How do I know? I’m a dog trainer. I see them: dogs with separation anxiety and destructive tendencies; dogs who bark incessantly and will do anything they must to escape their “loving” homes; dogs so desperate to meet another living soul with whom they can connect that they jump and pull on leash and even turn their frustration into aggression for lack of a better choice. How can this happen when there are dogs in one out of every three homes?

“He’s just not that into you.” Berger, “Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little”

The answer is deceptively simple: lifestyle. Americans are isolationists. Self-sufficient, independent, and not a little vain, we go about our oh-so-busy lives, forgetting that we are not truly on our own. It’s easy to be so short-sighted. With automated-this and computerized-that, it is possible to go through an entire day without any real-live contact. But while this lifestyle may be convenient, it is far from healthy, for us or our dogs. We’re losing our social skills. From dogs who bowl over unwitting guests to lonely people who tell their life stories to disinterested strangers on the bus, we desperately seek that which we lack: connections with those others who walk their equally isolated paths mere inches from our own.

“She can reach me, but I can’t EVER get her.” Mr. Big, “Belles of the Balls”

In fact, we’ve become quite mercenary in our dealings with our fellow travelers. E-mail, voice-mail, and caller-ID make it possible to screen out and categorize our social exchanges so that they are most convenient for us and others be damned. No one may need us until we say they may. And we can so easily choose to interact with only those who behave as we desire. Scheduled and pigeon-holed, we live our lives to the tune of so many alarms and buzzers which indicate when it is time to move on to the next event, regardless of the natural rhythms our dogs dance beside us. “I’m sorry, Spot – Madam cannot see you now. Please lie on that blanket until your appointed time. Will you have a bone while you wait?”

“I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love.” Carrie, “An American Girl in Paris (part deux)”

In the end, two-legged or four-, we all want the same thing. That is, after all, why most of us bring companion animals into our lives in the first place: the need for companionship; the need for “unconditional love”. For this is something we could definitely learn from our dogs – not so much that we should continue to love someone no matter the pain they visit upon us, but that love, connection, companionship are worthy of the effort it takes to achieve them; that they are worthy of hope, even at the risk of loneliness, even in the face of pain. And that great, gaping hole inside of each of us, whether human or canine, that makes us feel as though we must latch on, act out, and misbehave in search of fulfillment – that hole can be filled, if only we will recognize the real need in ourselves and in each other.

“That's the thing about needs. Sometimes when you get them met, you don't need them anymore.” Carrie, “The Good Fight”

That’s how it is with our dogs: when we allow ourselves to slow to their canine cadence all our shared desperation goes away. Rather than needing one another, we have one another. Because, in reality, ridiculous, inconvenient, and consuming though it is, we can’t live without each other: over 300 million humans – and our 53 million canine companions too – live on this tiny island called America. And despite the fact that we have automated and computerized our existence for ease-of-use, sometimes life is still just hard. For all our proud independence, still we seek friendship.

"And finally, the most important... rule, no matter who broke your heart, or how long it takes to heal, you'll never get through it without your friends." Carrie, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"