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Ice-cream Dixie.

Then there was the ice-cream cone discovery.

I’ve mentioned it on my web page a few times about how Dixie my mini-Dachshund put her little butt on the drive way and raised her body straight up to enjoy her side of my ice-cream cone.  I thought I had discovered the meaning to life and the secret to training animals.  "Ice-cream" method of training went on for years.

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Disney lunch box and my destiny.

It was second grade. My cousin and I had accidentally switched lunch boxes on the way to school. They were the same model with a rounded top. The design was a little yellow school bus with Disney characters looking out the windows. We both got out of class to switch.

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Alone, in the hallway as we traded, I told my Annette that some day, I would have a real school bus and drive around with it full of animals.

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Don't ask me how that prediction came true. Self-fulling prophecy, one mindedness? Pure passion? Destiny? I don't know but today, I have 4 dogs and a cat. We travel around in our little yellow bus helping dogs stay out of shelters... and we are very happy.

 

Sending Lucy Lu, to a trainer.

I’ve forgotten the reason why, but as a young adult, I decided to send my dog Lucy to a dog trainer.  It was a two week or so training situation where she stayed at the training facility.

I was to pick her up along with all the other dog owners who were full of anticipation to see what their dogs had learned.

 

I arrived first and when I saw my sweet Lucy she was clearly stressed.  She was panting, stepping back, her breathing was rapid and her eye shifting.  I became panicked.  “What’s is wrong with my dog?  Why is so she stressed?”, I demanded.

 

Their response was:

 

“Training is stressful”. 

 

I was outraged that my sweet, kind, loving dog was in such distress and it took a bit for them to convince me to get in line with others who had arrived and continue “hand-off” to complete the program.

 

Lucy did do everything they “taught” her to do, stay, sit, down, heel by my left side on a loose leash.  Still, she was stressed the whole time.  I very reluctantly paid the hundreds of dollars fee and took my Lucy home.

 

Lucy did always walk by my side on a loose leash, never pulling.  Lucy was always stressed on walks and her demeanor changed to a stressed state when I ask her to do the commands she was taught.  She never seemed to actually enjoy outings on leash and panted the entire time during walks.  Point is, the trainer used pain to train my dog.

 

I never sent another dog away to training, always used my “ice-cream” method as I had since Dixie and all of my other Dogs.  I did spend a great deal of time thinking there must be a better way to train dogs for people who needed a little help.  A nice way where dogs had fun and were not stressed.  By the way, “ice-cream method” was just the label. Dogs like food and using their own dog food worked just fine.

 

Quitting my real job

Years later I did save enough money to quit my engineering CADD management / process improvement / computer programming career. 

 

I learned a lot during these 20 years. The greatest skill I obtained was hundreds of ways to explain new complex technical information to long-time engineers. It helps me be patient and understanding with clients who are uncomfortable with dog training because they see no need for it or think it's too harsh on the dogs. My training is fun for humans and dogs.

 

I went to school to become a real professional dog trainer. 

I have trained dogs for people in their home and my own home.  I use "stress free", love, respect, treats, communication, understanding, step-by-step learning, brain building, clear communication and give the dogs ample time to figure out the best solution to the problems I design for them. 

 

The answer to the problems just happens to be what I want the dogs to do.  Dogs can learn and be happy at the same time.

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A truism - Animals think

My chosen career may not save the world, but to me, it's important and it keeps a lot of dogs out of shelters.  Plus it helps humans communicate a little more effective with the dogs they live with.  It might even help humans be more comfortable with the thought or in my world, "the reality" that animals, think, feel, have friends and meaningful lives, just like the rest of us.

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I know "you", most likely already know how much individuality and personality animals have.  Lets just call it a truism, that is, something so self evident, it's hardly worth mentioning.  So lets accept it and get on with helping your animals figure out how to live with us in peace and harmony.