| A Note from Not Home Alone |
| Some ways to help animals in need... | June 12, 2010 |
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 Greetings!
Two special events in June focus on helping animals that aren't as fortunate as those you love and care for. See the quick links to the right for more information on either.
Coming up on June 25 is Take Your Dog to Work Day - an annual event to celebrate the human-canine bond and to encourage adoption. I'm late with this one, but if you're a rider or a horse lover, check out the American Competitive Trail Horse Association. On June 13 their Ride for the Rescues is being held in locations all over the country. In 2009,ACTHA donated $100,000 to charities and non-profits. If you're associated with an equine rescue or non-profit organization,contact ACTHA anytime about hosting a fundraising ride.
And with only the cost of the time it takes to make a computer click,now through August 22 you can vote for your favorite shelter at the Animal Rescue Site's $100,000 All Star Challenge.
Finally, because training is one of the many ways we can improve the quality of the lives of the animals we love, I'm including some of my own musings about the subject...
With gratitude for all that you do to make the lives of animals better,
Christina |
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Contact Me | | PO Box 145
San Dimas, California 91773-0145
714-501-5330
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THOUGHTS ON TRAINING
1. Every interaction you have with your animal companion is training.
The way you live with your companions (animal or human) on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis forms the foundation of your relationship. Whatever formal training you do will be built on that foundation.
A prong collar on a dog or a tie-down on a horse just tells me that the human in the partnership isn't communicating with the other member of the partnership. Sometimes a mechanical restraint is required for safety - when the safety of yourself, of your pet, or of others is at risk and you know that you cannot otherwise assure that safety, use the mechanical device, but remember that it isn't an effective training tool. Test this by removing the prong collar or the tie-down or whatever. If the behavior you're trying to achieve by the use of a device disappears with its removal, has your companion learned anything from its use?
2. Carpe diem - seize the day. Our animal companions live in the moment.
"As our dogs remind us every day, now is always the best time to make things right." Suzanne Clothier
Made some mistakes? Who hasn't? I've learned more from my mistakes than from things I've done right. The learning from the mistake, not the making of the mistake, is the important part. Keep the lesson, let go of the rest - your animal companion already has.
3. Breathe - take two to three deep breaths (into your belly).
In any situation, if you start feeling tense, anxious, frustrated...stop and breathe. Before you start any formal training session, check your breathing. Are you ready? If not, stop and breathe.
Need some help learning to breathe deeply? Check out learning yoga, qi gong, or tai chi on TV, DVD, or in a class.
4. Animals feel our energy.
You're out walking your dog, you see another dog coming toward you, you begin to worry that your dog is going to go into attack mode. Your dog feels your anxiety like an electrical shock coming down the leash. Think of it from the dog's point of view - I see that dog coming toward us, my person gets tense and fearful, that dog must be dangerous to my person, I have to protect my person.
How to change your energy? Breathe (see #3). Change your thoughts (see #5). Change your posture - shoulders back, head up, back straight.
5. Sometimes it feels like our animal companions read our minds. Um...well...they do!
"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought." Peace Pilgrim
A rider heading for a jump fears that her horse is going to balk. Even if she turns the thought around and tries to make it a positive by thinking, "My horse is not going to balk," it doesn't help. What comes to your mind when I say, "Don't think of a purple cow"? The mind cannot conceive a negative. All her horse hears is "My horse is going to balk." A big difference from, "My horse is going to fly over that jump."
Visualize the outcome you want - whether it's clearing the jump or taking a peaceful walk - and hold that image in your mind.
This isn't magic. You still have guide your horse with your legs and hands and body, you still have to step out with a loose leash - you still have to communicate in a language your animal understands. But your thoughts pave the road. Make it as smooth as possible.
6. Take baby steps.
You see the end behavior you're hoping to achieve, but your animal companion lives in the moment (see #2) and sees what is happening now. Start with small successes and build on them.
Be patient. Try to remember the last time you learned something that was completely unfamiliar to you. No such memory? Learn a new language - to get a really good feel for what your pet is experiencing, pick a language with a different alphabet like Russian or Greek.
7. Always remember that the behavior you reward is the behavior you'll get.
Especially for dogs, any attention from you (even if you think it's negative) will feel like a reward.
8. Listen to your animal companion.
They don't speak English, but if we learn to pay attention, they'll tell us all about themselves, how they're feeling, what they're thinking - even what they think we're thinking.
Cesar or Victoria? Mallon or Logan? Parelli or Lyons? Clicker or TTouch? When choosing a training method, ask yourself how it works for you and how it works for your animal. Most important, be flexible. Listen to your heart. Listen to your gut. Listen to your animal. There are numerous humane and effective training methods. It's OK to mix and match.
Experience has taught me that a trained dog is a happy dog. He knows what to expect and feels secure and safe. Training is one of the many factors in your dog's life over which you have control. It can improve both the quality and the quantity of your pet's life. Behavioral problems are the #1 reason pets are left at shelters or abandoned. In an emergency, responding quickly and consistently to basic commands can save your pet's life.
But remember that every interaction you have with your companion is training. I had been formally training and showing dogs in obedience and conformation for years when Molly came along. Molly was a lady. When I gave her a "heel" command, she just looked insulted. She never needed to be "trained." She only needed to be asked politely. Not every training method will work with every animal. Listen to your pet. |
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