Readings, Holistic Wellness Sessions & Personal Consultations at Journey Books
Russell Louie will offer Aromatherapy consultations and Tao Te Ching
readings at Journey Books on Saturday, January 22 from 10 am - 7 pm by
appointment. Discover which therapeutic essential oils can best help you
with your physical, emotional or spiritual situation. Sample over 100
oils from Nature's
medicine kit.
Tao Te Ching readings help in
understanding how ancient wisdom can provide solutions for
unsolvable personal transitions and business situations, as well as the
guidance to manifest your dream business, career or life. Appointments
are 20 minutes for $20 or 10% off if paid by January 15th.
Appointments: Call Journey Books at 303-239-8773 Location: Journey Books & Gifts and Metaphysical Center 1050
South Wadsworth, NE corner Mississippi and Wadsworth, Lakewood, CO
Holistic Health for Pets Fair
Margaret Auld-Louie will be offering mini massages at the Journey Books
Holistic Health for Pets Fair on Sunday, January 23, noon - 5:00 pm by
appointment. Choose from 10, 20 or 30 minute sessions for $10, $20 or
$30 each. 50% of proceeds will be donated to the
Misha May Foundation.
Russell Louie will offer a free presentation on Holistic Supplements for
Animals at 2:00 pm.
Meet Boxers from Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue and play
some of their fun games. At 12:15, watch a free Clicker Training
Demonstration by Lorraine May of A Dog's Choice Holistic Training, LLC.
Free clickers will be given out to the first 10 arrivals.
Massage Appointments: Call Journey Books at 303-239-8773 Location: Journey Books & Gifts and Metaphysical Center 1050
South Wadsworth, NE corner Mississippi and Wadsworth, Lakewood, CO
The manufacturer's suggested retail price for
BioSuperfood and BioPreparation has dropped significantly as of December
1st and we are happy to pass these savings on to you. BioPreparation for
pets formula F2+ has been reduced by $16
to $23 and formula F3+ has been reduced by $20
to $39. BioSuperfood for people formula F2 has been
reduced by $20 to $49 and formula F3 is
reduced by $40 to $99.
To order online, click here or call us at
(303) 271-1649 (Denver area) or toll-free at (866) 305-2306.
Excerpted from an article by Lorraine May, MA
Owner of A Dog's Choice Holistic Training, LLC
Founder and Director of
The Misha May
Foundation, a non profit mixed breed dog rescue
(303) 239-0382 or
info@mishamayfoundation.org
Training opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. There is no one method that
is right for every dog. However, to some extent or another, they all boil down
to two basic philosophies.
One philosophy, "Positive Reinforcement", relies upon instruction, rewards,
feedback, consistency and the learning process. People and dogs tend to look
like they are enjoying themselves. The emphasis is on a relationship that is
mutually respectful and beneficial, with the person being in charge for the good
of both.
The second type of training relies upon "Methods that Lack Respect". It includes
aspects of the disrespectful, harsh or violent. It depends on who is doing the
training, the level of difficulty and the individual dog's makeup as to how much
the training will reflect the use of these types of tactics. What I am trying to
make clear is that even a small amount of the disrespectful, harsh or violent
places the training in this camp. Why? Because a decision was made to allow
"the
ends to justify the means". Even if it is not in the dog's best interest, the
trainer chooses to use some level of force, some type of annoying vibratory or
painful shock collar, or some frightening noise. Even if the dog might be
adversely affected, the trainer has gone to a more intrusive and invasive level
of intervention than is actually necessary, because it gets him quicker results.
The emphasis is usually on performance and results, with little to no tolerance
for error. There is not as much concern for the cost to the dog or the human/canine relationship.
In this second type of training, people tend to look like they are in charge, or
frustrated because they are not. Dogs vary from being shut down to out of
control. One dog I met in a park, who was wearing a vibratory collar, was
cringing slightly, probably anticipating the next "neck buzz". Her owner didn't
notice; she was too busy defending her use of the collar for
"getting her dog's
attention". How sad. How uncreative. This is my idea of disrespectful. It may
not kill the dog, but what is the dog learning about her world? Will this dog
want to be around the person buzzing her neck? Maybe, maybe not. Personally, I
am not going to take that chance. And, by the way, this was a sweet calm shelter
dog with an unknown history, so it was a greater risk, since no one could be
sure of her reaction, nor was anyone monitoring it closely.
I can think of 100 better ways to get my dog's attention rather than to put a device
around his neck, such as calling his name, kibble, training him to
watch me, yummy sausage treats, chicken, clapping my hands, ice cream, making kissy noises,
his favorite toy, etc.
You will often see elements of both kinds of training used together by one
trainer. You need to look at the overall philosophy and determine if each of the
methods was appropriate. Even the most positive of trainers will use an
intervention such as a squirt bottle to deter nipping or jumping up. But it is
crucial to know when to revert to an intervention such as this and when to stick
with patience and consistent rewards. Remember, training is communication, and
you always want to ask yourself, "what is my dog learning about the world"?
Be patient with the positive.
The first time I worked with a woman and her big, beautiful, rescue dog, I
could see that they adored each other. Through our work, the dog had begun to
trust her even more, and she was becoming adept at communicating with the dog.
Her friends, however, thought the progress she was making was too slow. They
encouraged her to see a better trainer than I. By the time she returned to me
she was yelling "sit", "down" and "stay", and the dog was looking a little
uncertain. I asked her why she was yelling at her dog. She replied that the
other "better" trainer told her she needed to be the boss. She almost cried as
she watched me use body language and whispers to invite her dog to perform those
same behaviors. She didn't want to yell; she saw that she could demonstrate
being in charge in a kinder, quieter way.
Good training is communication. Do you respond better if someone communicates
with you through yelling and intimidation all the time? Neither do dogs. At the
very least, they will tune you out. If they feel threatened, they may resort to
stronger behavior. Reserve the loud voice and the big
"NO" for when you really
need it.
Let's look at some characteristics of each philosophical camp of training:
Positively Reinforced Methods
communication based
respectfully cooperative
the end doesn't justify the means
strengthens your relationship
builds feelings of trust and safety
fun and enjoyable, games and exercises
dog is learning and making choices
creates a bright, independent, calmer dog
doesn't create stress-related
problems
This type of training primarily utilizes treats, clicker, praise, hand signals,
tone of voice, petting, play time, toys, attention, and time together as
feedback for correct responses or acceptable behavior. The dog is consistently
rewarded for what is appropriate. Mistakes are seen as taking risks in the
process of learning. "Is this what you want? No? How about that?" The dog learns
happily and voluntarily.
Feedback for incorrect responses includes: saying "uh-oh" which communicates
to try again,
turning away which says "I give you nothing when you do that", or teaching an
opposite behavior. For example, if your dog jumps up on the kitchen counter, you
teach her to do a down stay in the kitchen instead. Why does this work? Because
in a down stay she can expect something good, like your attention or a
treat. Competent trainers are in the background. Their dogs are responding to whispers,
slight hand movements, body language and relational expectations. They are calm,
and always tracking the dog for signs of stress. The work is always executed in
the best interest of the dog, and the human/canine relationship.
Methods Lacking Respect
may use punishment, force or coercion
disrespectful, harsh or violent
not necessarily in the dog's best interest
can damage your relationship
can create additional behavior problems
can cause a dog to become aggressive or fearful
focus is on performance
the end product justifies any means
works only on dogs who allow it
The methods contained in this group tend to place importance on performance
rather than relationship. There is an expectation that dogs should always do
what we want regardless of their needs or instinctive behaviors. And, if they
don't want to, we can force them to, through hurting them, scaring them and
more. Inappropriate behaviors and incorrect responses are 'corrected' with
anything from a leash correction using a choke collar to electric shock, or
worse.
Almost no trainer is going to admit to being harsh or violent. And some others
are completely unaware of how disrespectful they are. You must be the final
judge on what is acceptable to you on behalf of your dog. Many trainers simply
don't want to change their methods because it suits them fine to do things the
way they have always done them, regardless of the impact. It is not supposed to
suit them--it is supposed to suit the individual dog! Trainers may be actively
deceptive about, uncaring toward, or just plain ignorant of, the damage they are
doing. You must stand between your dog and any trainer that appears to be
disrespectful, harsh or violent.
Trainers will rationalize the use of these methods by saying they work, they
stop bad behaviors. What they are not so willing to talk about are their
failures, because of the side effects that this training can cause. Many dogs
become more aggressive, or extremely fearful, no longer able to be with their
families.
The saddest part is that the dogs are generally blamed. What they were guilty of
most of the time was trusting us to keep them safe. If they fight back, they run
the risk of being dismissed as beyond hope and summarily euthanized as a
dangerous or potentially dangerous dog.
This training only works on dogs who submit and allow it. They learn that their
lives are controlled by collars that shock them for doing something wrong, or
vibrate when their attention is needed. Why wouldn't you just use a dog's
natural desire for attention to get their attention, and then build upon that?
Dog trainers train this way because they can. They use force against our
sweetest buddies in the name of training. Do you think the trainers of large
dangerous animals like killer whales use these methods and risk being killed
themselves? Absolutely not. They are more respectful, hopefully not just because
their lives depend upon it.
Editor's note: We are fortunate to live in a time now when so many positive
trainers and books/videos on positive training are available to us. These
methods enable us to mold our dog's behavior so they can live harmoniously with
humans, without damaging our relationship with our dog. When I was a child,
choke collars and force-based methods were the only thing available. When I
tried to train dogs with those methods, it was no fun and it didn't even work.
With positive training methods, not only do they work better but it's fun for
both us and the dog! If everyone gave positive training methods a try with their
dog, there would be fewer dogs surrendered to shelters because of behavior
problems.
Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog
by Pat Miller
Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
Edition: 2004 Paperback, 262 pages
ISBN: 1929242158
If you want to know how to live harmoniously with your dog, buy this book.
This is not just a training book--this book goes far beyond how to teach your dog
basic commands, such as sit, stay, down, etc. This book teaches you why dogs do
what they do and how to manage their behavior so that you can prevent them from
doing the wrong thing and encourage them to do the right thing. The author, Pat
Miller, is a leader in the field of positive training and president of the
Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She writes a monthly column for The Whole
Dog Journal.
The book covers behavior and training concepts, puppy training and
housetraining, basic training concepts, preventing and resolving problem
behaviors and some additional related topics. Pat explains how to live with your
dog harmoniously on a day-to-day basis, so that you are incorporating positive
training methods into your daily life with your dog. It's not just something you
do in a training class. This is emphasized by a chapter on "Living With Humans
101: The Top 10 Things Every Dog Should Know" which includes:
How to Live and Play with Humans
How to Accept Intimate Contact From Family, Friends and Relative
Strangers
How to Share
When and Where to Go Potty
How to Be Alone
When and Where to Use Teeth
How to Come When Called
How to do an Emergency WHOA!
How to Walk Politely on a Leash
How to Play and Live With Other Dogs
Throughout the book, Pat explains why dogs do what they do so we can better
understand them and work with them to change problem behaviors. For instance,
she explains why dogs chew things, bark and guard their resources, and how to
redirect and deal with these behaviors in more appropriate ways. She explains
how to get cats and dogs to live together safely as well as kids and dogs
(especially babies).
She also makes clear how the force-based training methods can damage our
relationship with our dog, giving an example from her own life. Before she
learned about positive training, she took her dog to obedience classes to
prepare for competitions where the dogs had to retrieve different types of dumb
bells. The accepted training method at that time was to fold the dog's ear over
a choke chain and pinch, causing pain, which made the dog's mouth open, and then
pop the dumb bell in their mouth. Her dog was OK until they got to metal dumb
bells, which many dogs don't like. The trainer told her to "pinch harder...make
her do it". So she followed the directions, thinking the trainer knew best.
Every time she brought out those dumb bells, she reports "the light faded from
her [the dog's] eyes and she gave me pleading looks, begging me not to make her
do them. I persisted -- until one day when I brought out the articles and Josie
hid under the deck and wouldn't come out. Finally, I realized how wrong the ear
pinch was. I put away the articles and never brought them out again. If training
meant destroying the relationship I had built with my dog then I was no longer
interested."
Fortunately for us, Pat Miller later discovered positive training methods and
is now one of the top trainers in the country. The book also includes thoughtful
chapters on other topics that concern dog owners such as spaying/neutering, how
often to vaccinate, holistic care, what type of collar to use, the use of head
halters and anti-pull harnesses, doggie daycare and euthanasia. If you can buy
only one book on dog training, this is the one to buy!
Nothing on this website has been evaluated by the FDA. This information
is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please
see a qualified healthcare practitioner for any disease or illness.
Editor's note: We are fortunate to live in a time now when so many positive
trainers and books/videos on positive training are available to us. These
methods enable us to mold our dog's behavior so they can live harmoniously with
humans, without damaging our relationship with our dog. When I was a child,
choke collars and force-based methods were the only thing available. When I
tried to train dogs with those methods, it was no fun and it didn't even work.
With positive training methods, not only do they work better but it's fun for
both us and the dog! If everyone gave positive training methods a try with their
dog, there would be fewer dogs surrendered to shelters because of behavior
problems.