Puffy Kitty Lips :)

Harvey is an unusually smart cat.  He often watches me train my Beagle, Oliver, and will do exactly whatever I am training Oliver to do.  For instance, I was working on one jump work with Oliver.  This is something that I've never done with Harvey.  Harvey sat and watch me shaping Oliver to jump.  After about a minute or so, Oliver stopped and starred at me.  He seemed to be stuck.  Harvey came over took them jump, looked at Oliver, and walked off.  It was as if he was saying "This is what you do to get the click, silly".  

It had been a long time since my last training session with Harv.  Finally, Harvey and I got back into training.  After watching me train Oliver for the last few months, I'm sure he was more than happy to get to work.  But this time, I noticed something.  I could actually tell that he was happy by his physical appearance.  Before, I would just be able to tell that he was happy because he would join me.  But this time, he fanned out his whiskers and appeared to puff out his tiny kitty lips where his whiskers are too.  This is something I've never seen him do in everyday life.  His whole face lit up like he was in heaven!  That is exactly what I want to see when we dance!  So, now, I have a physical sign to let me know he is having a great time... puffy kitty lips!  Maybe that is his way of smiling? 

Wolves and Dogs

Often in dog training, you hear about the wolf packs.  People seem to think that wolves and dogs are incredibly similar and they wrap their training theories around this idea.  While wolves are dogs' direct ancestors, they were their ancestors thousands of years ago.  Dogs have been domesticated specifically to live with and work alongside the humans.  Many times, a dog will seek their beloved human's assistance to solve a problem.  This is not something a wolf does.  In fact, if a wolf pup isn't taken from its mother within a few days to live with people, it becomes very wary of humans.  Even then, they can still be wary of humans. 

The brain in a dog has a function of living with and cooperating with humans.  It's an advanced social understanding of another being.  Studies have shown that dogs understand human gestures such as pointing and they also look at human facial expressions.  Wolves on the other hand are using their brains to survive.  Their instinct is to always be alert for danger.  They do not generally cooperate with other species.  This is quite a difference.  Dogs work with us, play with us, protect us, and love us like no other animal seems to be able to do the same way.  (My cats love me and I love them to pieces.  But that working partnership is just not the same with them.  As one scientist, Mr. Miklosi, mentioned, cats hunt for us or themselves; we do not hunt with the cats as partners.)

All this evidence shows that dominance theory style of dog training actually has no scientific basis because dogs are not wolves.  Science has proven that dogs are very different that wolves.  But even if one is insistent that they are the same, it's still not a valid type of training style.  Yes, wolves live in packs.  Yes, wolves have a type of hierarchy within their packs.  But the idea of the dominant wolf or "pack leader" as well as hierarchy has been misunderstood by many.  A wolf hierarchy is simply a group of wolves, each with a different role.  Just as a human family, each role is important.  The human mother may work to provide for the family.  The father may take care of the house and caretaking of the children.  The older children may help with the chores to clean the house.  The youngest are the babies who need to be cared.  Eventually, the oldest child may take over caring for the family.  This is a hierarchy.  But we would never call the mother in this situation dominant or the pack leader.  (Of course, wolves are very different than humans and I do not ever want to compare them to humans.  My only intention is to give an example to explain wolves.)  Essentially, the hierarchy is just a structure of who has what role.  The wolf family leader's role is to keep the family prospering.  Their goal isn't to dominate everyone.  They simply want to reproduce and take care of their families.  The wolf packs are very family oriented as most animals are. 

So, this does not go along with the idea that your dog is always out to dominate you or that you should use punishment against your dog.  Dominance is just not the proper way to train dogs.  Not only are the dogs completely different from wolves in how their brain processes things but wolves also don't go around dominating every family member in their pack.  Instead of using this style of training, why not use training methods that really let the dog flourish?  Using a positive training method that incorporates that working partnership, the cooperation that dogs love, makes much more sense.  Dogs want to work alongside humans.  It's important to be a supportive, caring leader who understands the dogs instead of being the "pack leader".  This working relationship is what the dog was breed for thousands of years ago.

Changes in Focus

Within the last three or so years, I have focused on stress in animals, mainly dogs. Because of the stressful situations that I myself was encountering, I realized how important dealing with stress really is. Not only does stress cause mental concerns, it also causes many physical health issues. Some Asian theories that deal with energy healing by using the body's meridians (energy paths and points used in acupuncture and acupressure) state that a disease is just a symptom of a block in energy or life. Stress is believed to be a major component of these blocks. But whether one believes in certain Asian healing theories or not, it's hard to dispute that stress causes blocks in life. It's common for people to stop doing hobbies, interacting socially, or even not carrying out responsibilities do to stress. The same applies to animals. I've spent much time reading, researching, observing, and experiencing stress. I've learned tons and have created an outline of notes for a possible future seminar or book about stress. But lately, my focus has changed. My husband has shown me that I often need to lighten up a lot more. I tend to be a very happy, lighthearted person but stress often weighs me down. I let it get to me instead of enjoying life. This is something I've been trying to work on for myself. I also recently came across a study by Jaak Panksepp dealing with rats. Panksepp has found that rats love to play, bounce, and wrestle with each other. They exhibit behavior very close to the way puppies and kittens like to play. During play, the rats vocalize in high pitch noises, some of which are not audible to human ears. Using equipment for detecting bat noises, scientists have been able to pick up different vocalizations in rats. But rats who play and vocalize are more fun than impressive. So what's so intriguing about Panksepp's rats that would interest a dog trainer? With Panksepp's studies and equipment, he has been able to prove that rats laugh... or as scientists prefer to say, the rats exhibit behavior and vocalizations that appear to be like laughing. This laughing has been picked up on the equipment that detects high-pitched inaudible noises. The rats also love to be tickled. Panksepp takes that rats and tickles them along their sides and belly. The rats respond by high pitched noises or laughing. Then the rat bounces around trying to get the human to tickle them more, just as the rats do when they want another rat to keep playing with them. It's such an enjoyable study that I didn't want to stop reading about it! But again, what do laughing rats have to do with dogs? The thought that animals are capable of laughing is something that I've always believed. Animals can smile and laugh with their eyes and sometimes even by grinning like humans. I often say that Oliver is smiling or even that the cats are smiling. Happiness is not just a human emotion. It's something that all animals share in my opinion. With the lesson from my husband and the fun, intriguing study of Panksepp, my focus in dog training has switched. Instead of trying my hardest to keep the stress level low for my dogs during training and daily life, I want to focus on happiness and laughter. Even if dogs do not have a vocal laughter, they certainly do laugh in my opinion. Oliver does understand laughing so I would imagine that he often has those same knee slapping moments as humans. It is just that dogs and other animals have a different way to express such laughter and happiness. For the next few years of my life, I will be taking a chapter out of the rats' book. Search for laughter and happiness to enhance your life and those around you. This lesson proves that each one of God's creatures has something to teach, as long as we are willing to listen. :)

Rest In Awareness

A few years ago, I had a foot injury that has been ongoing since.  I've had tons of ups and downs during this time but one thing has always stayed the same: pain.  I am constantly in pain.  It never goes away.  I've learned a lot about dealing and living with it.  Recently, I started looking into different ways to help with pain.  Acupuncture has been an interestingly painful/relieving path that I am exploring.  The gentleman who does my acupuncture has recommended mindful meditation for pain relief.  It's a very intriguing concept.  The theory is that meditation can help you deal with your pain and in a lot of cases, relieve it.

Within the mindful meditation tool box for pain relief, there is a concept called "rest in awareness".  Basically, we naturally try to block pain by not dealing with it or thinking about it.  This happens whether it is physical or emotional.  The thought behind it is that if you are aware of the pain instead of ignoring it that you can better deal with it and maybe even elevate it a bit.  But, you need to do this without dwelling on it.  It is kind of like a positive acceptance.  It makes perfect sense but as most things are, it's hard to practice.  You fall into a zone of letting the pain have a negative effect on everything you do.  Even simple things like taking a shower can be hard.  The worst is not being able to do things that you truly love because of it.  You slowly start to block out other things which can lead to more problems like reactive depression.  Been there done that.

So why write about pain and management on a training blog?  Because oddly, it relates.  The rest in awareness concept can be applied to how we deal with our dogs.  Often, our dogs that we are blessed with have their own troubles to deal with whether it be fear, reactivity, health issues, or whatever else gets thrown their way.  Sometimes, we are too focused on the task at hand, competition, or what other people say, that we get frustrated or stuck with their issues.  Sometimes we even deny that they have an issue or do nothing to address it.  We don't stop and rest with them in awareness.  We don't become aware of who they are or what they are going through.  It starts to become all about what we think they need or what we want.  But if we stop ourselves for a moment and relax with them, it opens the doors to learning.  Instead of worrying about the next task or goal, why don't we take a moment to be with them?  Sit with them, relax with them, and see who they really are.

This is one thing that I did with Oliver before I was emotionally ready to train him.  We would go on walks together, hang out together, and just be together.  We were able to connect on a deep level and learn about each other.  With my other dogs, I did not do this, especially with Harley.  I didn't become aware of who he was or what issues he was going through.  I always intended the best for him but it never really ended up that way until the end of his time with me.  Being more aware of him would have helped us grow as a team and as partners.

Once we become aware of our dog's true issues, we can better help them work through them.  We can also accept the issues and see the dog in a more positive light.  Of course, how one goes about doing this depends on the animal and person.  With Harvey, he loves to be next to me as I relax.  With Oliver, he likes to be outside with me as we watch the world go by.  Dewey tends to like random moments of "Dewey time" which includes rolling on my shoes or sticking his nose in my face.  It's all about relaxing with them and accepting them for who they are... and sometimes having a bit of fun with it too!  I find that making positive quiet time for each one of them is really beneficial whether it's actual meditation or just relaxation.

Being aware can also translate to training.  If I am aware of what my dog is doing or going through, I can better listen to him.  Therefore, I can better adjust my training to meet his needs.  Also, if someone suggests something that isn't suitable for my dog, I can recognize it and move on.  I've noticed that the more Oliver and I play with resting/relaxation at home, our training improves.  Our bond runs deeper which helps me in recognizing what he needs and he also seems to understand me better.  This is really a concept that I would like to leap into for my own physical issues.  I also am going to explore it in-depth with animals.  It certainly will be an interesting journey!

A New Addition

I just realized that it has been almost a year since I wrote anything on this blog. So many things have happened. Last year around this time, my first boy, Harley passed away at age 7 from an aggressive cancer. Losing a beloved partner is always hard, as most know. Sometimes it seems like it is even worse when you lose them at a young age. But in February of this year, I found a little Beagle who was up for adoption. His name was Buddy and for some reason, he stood out among some other dogs up for adoption. I went to look at a number of dogs and saw Buddy last. He was sweet and soft but not very interested in me. Later, I found out that this was because he had eaten a fake plant in the foster home he was staying at. The lady who was fostering him said that he was great with her cats and even would sleep with their pet rabbit. I decided to adopt him since he seemed to be a good fit for apartment life and my husband who hasn't had a dog in a long time. I was so excited that I bought a bowl, toy, leash, and collar before ever knowing that the adoption paperwork had been approved.

The woman from the rescue brought him to my apartment. The cats were not too sure about him but he did not chase them or interfere with them in anyway. The first night, he slept with me in bed, right by my side. During the day, he would cuddle with me on the couch and he loved being outside to take walks. Those first few days were perfect. It was the easiest introduction I've had with a dog or cat for that matter. I decided to change his name to Oliver because Oliver means affectionate. On March 5th, my husband came to the states to finally stay with me. Oliver was perfect again with the change. Ever since, he has been the perfect addition to our home. He is leading me down a new path of understanding and learning. Each day, I learn more from him. He has such a sweet and goofy personality that continues to shine each day. The cats now love him. Oliver often gets attacked by Harvey who thinks that the dog should play with him. We now say that Oliver is Harvey's dog!

Normally, I would have jumped to train such a dog! However, after months of having him, I've just started seriously training him. When we first got him, I found it hard to do so after Harley had passed. I was emotionally stuck and couldn't even attempt training another dog. I slowly got around to training every now and then but never was enthusiastic about it. I had a hard time finding a training center in the area that was reasonably priced. I had an even harder time trying to find a place that uses positive reinforcement. So, our days were filled with walks and car trips. Finally, I got involved with some dog groups on a website that helped me get excited about dog stuff again. I found a website for a training center that offers classes not far from our apartment. I signed up for a class and things are starting to pick up again. I'm much happier and Oliver is always excited to go to class! We are having a blast. I can't wait to see what path Oliver leads me down!

Feline Freestyle Take One

Recently, I dusted off my "inner freestyle" with Harvey and Dewey.  I have done canine musical freestyle with my border collie, Liam and my late mutt, Harley.  I found that it is something that is fun and I can easily do at home with enough space.  I decided to try it out with the cats.  Both Harvey and Dewey seem to be sensitive to noise.  I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way.  I mean that they are responsive to noises and music even on a subtle level.

As a kitten, Harvey would come to me when I sang amazing grace.  Some nights I would sing it to him while laying in bed.  He would come to me and promptly lay on my neck.  I'm not sure if he liked the noise and vibration of my throat or if he was trying to choke me so I would stop singing.  Either way, it showed that he had some sort of feeling/thought about the sound.  They also run to my cell phone when it rings.  They especially like the classical music ring tone.  This behavior comes in handy when I've misplaced my phone and someone is calling me.  I just need to follow the cats!

The biggest thing that made me start thinking about how the cats responded to music happened when I was judging a freestyle video competition.  As I sat at a computer desk watching the videos, Harvey would come up to be with me.  Some songs, he would fall asleep during.  Other songs he would get up and leave.  He wouldn't come back until they were over.  Then, for a few of the routines, he actually sat and watched.  This surprised me because it showed that he liked or disliked different songs.  After that, I started thinking about how animals other than dogs respond to music.

Harvey during freestyle judging

All these events lead up to my decision to train them in freestyle.  I will be taking an online class on heeling to music with them in a few weeks.  I liked the idea of the class because it provides structure.  Because we need to train heeling for the class, I have wanted to work with them more in that area.  I was going to do that tonight but after talking with a friend, I decided to play around with what music they liked.  I picked a handful of pieces and made a short video of us moving to each song.  The result was... interesting.

Dewey was up first.  He tends to think more during training.  I honestly think he had no idea what was going on.  He would follow me and then stop and look around as if to say "Huh?  I don't get it.".  The one video that we took had an interesting part to it though.  He jumped at my hand three times and it kind of matches the music.  I don't know whether it was a coincidence or not but it is interesting none the less.  Here is that video:

Harvey was next.  He was astonishing.  I will let the video speak for itself.

It was so much fun!  I really had a good time with him.  I'm interested to see where we go from here!

The Perfect Example

Again, the priest at my church has made the tiny gears in my brain start to work.  It is a hard task but he seems to get them moving each time I attend Mass which is a miracle in and of itself.  This time, it is about the examples that God gives us to learn from and follow.  During the Mass on All Saints Day, the priest was talking about how the Saints are examples for us.  He discussed the many qualities that we should learn from and follow.  I started to think about different examples God gives us to follow.

Some of these examples are easy to see.  There are parents who show unconditional love to their children and will do anything to help them without being asked.  Friends who show how to help others and being understanding.  Siblings who live honest lives, the way you strive for.  (All these examples include listening to one talk on and on because the only conversations that you normally have are with co-workers about work or with cats.)  Instructors who inspire you by pushing the limits and helping you along the way.  Strangers who show love and kindness when they are unexpected.  Leaders who not only lead but teach others to do the same.  There are so many different examples out there to follow.  Each one is special in and of itself.  Everyone has their own sins and issues that they deal with daily.  However, each of the examples I have listed are of people I know who inspire me and provide me with good examples.

Some of the examples God gives us are ones that we wouldn't think of.  As I was considering all the people in my life who are good examples, a dog popped into my mind.  He is a border collie named Dean Dog.  I started thinking about how he is an example too.  He shows us something that we should all learn from and try to do ourselves.  He likes dog sports, swimming, playing ball, the beach, butter, etc, etc.  But the one thing I think he likes the most is being with someone.  He is a true companion in that way.  He strives to be close to the people he loves and who love him.  After being gone for 1 1/2 to 2 years, I saw Dean again in his home.  We had our normal greeting of rolling around on the floor together filled with kisses and funny noises.  He laid happily next to me with a content look on his face all evening.  He seemed to want to just be with me.  He is the same way with his partner (owner just doesn't seem to fit).  Wherever she goes, he wants to follow.  They do fun things together but I truly believe that he just wants to be with her.

I feel like as a Christian, I should have that same innocent desire as Dean does.  I should strive to be closer to God.  Everything else in life is wonderful and fun, but what is the most important thing?  God's love is the most amazing, unconditional love.  Shouldn't we too want to be close to the One who gives us that great love?  Shouldn't we spend time with God just as we do with the people and creatures we love?  Dean's desire is a pure and simple lesson.  God gives us comfort and peace. We should have that need to run to Him and stay with Him just like the example Dean shows us.  We should do everything to get closer to Him in our relationship.  It truly shows that God gives us examples in all shapes, sizes, and colors, even blue.

God's Teachers

One thing that I've learned from training dogs and working with animals in general is that animals are amazing teachers.  I used to joke that Harley, my first dog I trained, taught me how to speak.  I was incredibly shy as a teenager and I was thrown into a beginner basic obedience class with a 6 month old puppy.  I had planned to take an advanced obedience class and stop there unless I could get into an off-leash class.  After Harley and I had finished the basic class, we asked to be put into the advanced class but there wasn't any room.  We were suggested to take a Rally Obedience class instead.  I started to really love training and we kept taking classes after classes.  I began to feel more confident and my self esteem finally reached a normal point.  I often wonder what would have happened if there was space in that advanced obedience class.  Would we have went on to other classes anyway?  Or would we have stopped because we had completed our goal?  

Either way, Harley had helped me gain so much that I was missing.  As the years went by, I started competing in different events.  He helped give me the confidence to go up in front of people in competing and other endeavors.  As a 10th grader in high school, I had to take a class on public speaking.  I was still shy but did every single speech on something to do with dogs.  By the end of class, I was considered one of the better public speakers even though I was also thought of as the crazy dog girl.  During my high school years, he also was my partner in a regional contest with FFA  (an organization to help teach high school kids about agriculture and animals as well as providing constructive activities and contests for them to be involved in) where myself and two other people presented a lecture on animal first aid.  Each time I was in front of people with him, I was just experiencing something with my best friend.

Eventually, I wanted another dog.  Liam came into my life in December of 2007.  Again, he has provided me with knowledge that I could never learn from any human.  He helped me in finding a love for animal behavior.  His issues were extreme but we worked through them.  As we did, I became more and more familiar with a training theory that has shaped my ideas and beliefs on interacting with animals as a whole.  I had to listen to him and was not able to use any punishment/corrective based training with him.  He did not trust people at first and I could have easily lost that trust if I had used corrections.  I remember when my friend was showing me a shaping exercise.  He wouldn't even look her in the eye.  Now, he has worked very hard and gives me the most beautiful eye contact.  I will always treasure the moments when he looks me straight in the eyes with a look full of affection and trust.

Both Liam and Harley have taught me valuable lessons.  I could go on and on about what I've learned.  Everything from training methods to experiencing energy to self-confidence to respect would be included in that list.  I lost Harley not too long ago.  Even through his passing, I have learned so much.  I continue to learn from his life.  I've made a lot of mistakes but my dogs have helped me learn from them.

I have even learned from animals who are not my own.  Stray cats and some chickens in Italy helped me stay sane when I wasn't able to live among animals as I wanted.  Birillo, an Italian mutt, helped share a bond with me that I will never forget.  He helped me through a time in which I had become deeply depressed from missing my own dogs.  My friend's dogs have comforted me when I've needed it most.  They also have provided me with great teachings.  One of my best friends will always be a little lab mix.  She will forever be in my heart.  She helped me learn how to handle a dog in agility and provided me with a strong and powerful relationship like no other.  Just like with my own dogs, when I worked with her, the world would disappeared.  My best agility run is still a CPE jumpers run that her and I ran together.  I will always consider animals a wonderful blessing in my life, especially such special animals that I have had the pleasure to know.

They have also given me support in a way that I could never have expected.  My cats have provided me with companionship during a very lonely time in my life.  They show me love and affection while also giving me some good laughs daily.  Liam has accompanied me on some hard journeys.  He even came with me and sat next to me as I awaited my fiance' to get off his flight.  He calmed me in that moment while the plane was delayed.  Harley had always been sensitive towards emotions and feelings.  He was very good at understanding.  I hadn't realized this until the end of his life.  Near the end, he had to have surgery.  I sat in my parent's living room with him while I was talking to my fiance' on the phone.  I was on the couch as he laid on his dog bed on the floor.  I started crying as I told my fiance' about the surgery.  Harley stood up, came over to the couch, jumped up next to me even though he was full of stitches and gave me his paw as he licked my face.  I gave him a big hug and cried even more.  He stayed with me until I stopped crying.  Then he went back to his bed and laid down to rest. 

I truly believe that God gave us animals to learn from.  All we need to do is listen.  I believe that they are God's teachers.  They provide us with love and support when we are in need.  Some credit the animals themselves saying that they teach us and even talk to us beyond the grave.  But I cannot help but give credit to God.  He has blessed me with these animals and has given me the opportunity to learn from them.  Any inspiration I get from them comes from God.  I believe that He uses them to help us and to teach us.  I do thank the animals that have helped me.  But the true credit goes to the Lord who has made it possible for me to experience what animals have to offer.

My friend and I often speak of a sign we saw that read "You get the dog you deserve".  Both of us disagree with this saying.  There are a few reasons I disagree with this.  One is from an instructor standpoint.  It can make a student feel very negative.  But my main reason is that I don't know how I could ever deserve such a wonderful gift.  I did nothing special to deserve such an amazing relationship with the animals who have blessed my life.  Yes, some moments were very difficult.  It was hard to deal with a very reactive border collie when I had no clue what I was doing.  But that border collie never gave up.  He pushed forward and helped me do the same.  It was hard as a shy girl to take Harley to training classes.  But he pushed me to do so.  It has also been hard to accept some of my mistakes.  I didn't always listen to the dogs the way I should have.  But the same dogs who I didn't listen to, helped me learn from those mistakes.  

I don't feel like I've deserved any of the gifts that God has given me.  I wish I could go on TV as if I had won a Grammy and thank each and every one of the animals who I have been blessed with knowing.   But I certainly should credit God first for such wonderful relationships and teachings.  He has used animals as well as my beloved family to help me grow in a way that I could have never imagined.  Without Him, I wouldn't have had such a wonderful opportunity.

Serving God through Helping Animals

Ever since I was little, I've wanted a career in which I could serve God.  I thought to do this, I would have to get a job with a church or in the medical field to save lives.  But I've always been drawn to working with animals.  It is something that I am extremely passionate about.  But I thought for the longest time that this would not be serving God.  I wouldn't be working in a church.  I wouldn't be teaching the faith to others, would I?

Recently, while attending church, a Bible verse was read mentioned humans being in charge of animals.  I thought, if we are in charge of animals, isn't taking care of animals serving the Lord?  I began pondering this in the last weeks.  After talking with a good friend on the topic, she mentioned stewardship.  As per Webster's dictionary, stewardship is the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.  God put the animals that He has made in our care.  So, I realized that being a steward of animals is actually serving the Lord.

As I slowly come to the end of one career, I look forward to another with animals.  I am planning to go after a degree in animal behavior as well as animal care and management.  I am excited that I can serve God and do something that I am passionate about at the same time.  He has given me a love for animals and I am very blessed that I am able to use that passion to serve Him.  Like many other Christians, I have grown up being taught that I should live for God.  My day to day actions should be for Him and not myself or worldly things.  I should love and serve God always and not only when it is convenient for me to do so.  I am blessed that I can serve the Lord 360 through a career with animals as well as in daily life.  It is truly a blessing.

Right now, while I type, there is a hurricane coming up the coast and causing flooding in my area.  Yesterday, I prepared for the storm by taking care of my cats first.  I bought extra food for them, extra litter, water, prepared a safe place for them, and prepared for the possibility of evacuating with them.  I felt good about all of this because I realized that I am taking care of God's creatures.  He put me in charge as their steward and I am happy to take on the responsibilities that come with it.  I'm enjoying the new chapter that God has set out for me.  I'm excited to experience the new mindset that He has shown me.  And I'm maybe even more excited that with God, I can help give my beloved animals a good, enjoyable life.

Trainer Mentality

This is something that is so often discussed and debated:  Which mentality (training theory) is the best one to use when training and living with dogs or animals in general?  There are different theories out there.  Some range from the handler or owner being the alpha pack leader to not having animals at all.  I'm finding that my mentality is a little odd to most people and it is sometimes hard to find people who think the same.  I feel as if the animal should be listened to and given a fair say.  I feel like a good leader is one who cares about the ones under his or her care.  This includes listening to their needs.  Now, what I am about to say may be very unpopular.  But as a woman of faith, I feel like God is loving and understanding to us as humans.  Shouldn't we treat all beings with the same respect?  God listens to us when we call for his help.  He understands our needs.  So, why not do the same for animals?  There is no need for me to yell at my dog.  There is no need for me to correct my dog for not doing what he or she is "suppose" to do.  I need to stop and find out why they aren't doing what I ask.  There is no reason for me to be quick to correct but slow to listen.  Granted, sometimes the dog just doesn't perform the cue because they just don't.  But there are other times when the dog doesn't perform the cue because of something in the environment, stress, etc.  I'm going to do my best to find out why the dog isn't performing the cue instead of correcting.

In Church about a week ago, the Bible verse read mentioned humans were in charge of animals.  I feel as if God would want us to show kindness, love and understanding towards them just as he does us.  This is a big part of my mentality on training and interacting with animals.  If God is understanding towards our needs, if he listens to what we have to say, why shouldn't I do the same for animals?  This means that I don't use punishment or corrections in any way.  I actually find them unnecessary.  It's not my job to scare an animal or punish it.  It's useless stress on me and the animal.  I find it to be a very rewarding experience to train in this manner.

Along the same lines, there is something about being a cat owner that everyone deals with: the cats jumping up on the table and kitchen counters.  Every cat owner I know hates this.  There are many ways that people come up with to prevent it:  spraying the cats with water, yelling, etc.  But yet the cats are home all day and can easily get on the counters/table when the owners are not around (unless locked in a room or out of the kitchen).  I find this to be extra stress for me and the cats.  So, they are allowed.  I've taught them a cue for "off" and it works quite well.  I wipe down the counters on a regular basis, especially before I cook.  It's only ended in one "bad" act on my cat's part.  One time, Harvey jumped up on the kitchen table and stuck his head right into my sister's cereal bowl in one graceful motion.  Luckily, she was done with it.  (It was actually quite amusing)  It's not something well accepted but it works for me.  I can live happily with my critters and I enjoy their "help" when I am doing work at the kitchen table.

Introduction and Training Sessions

Everything about this blog, including the blog itself, is an experiment.  It's my first blog and may be my only one depending on how this goes!  I will be posting about my training experiences with two silician cats.  I have trained dogs for a number of years but never any other animal.

Just as a background about the cats, I was in Italy for 1 1/2 years.  Two young kittens were found by a friend.  They were stuck on a flightline with jets, helicopters, and noisy equipment.  And of course, I ended up with them.  A great friend used to tell me that even though I said I only wanted dogs, if a cat needed a home, it would end up with me.  Well, she was right.  The small balls of fur grew up into lean, slender young cats.  They have lived in multiple houses and had an airplane ride to America with my italian sweetheart.  They are approximately one year old now and are still as lively as ever.  Because I live in an apartment now, I can not have dogs, only the two cats.  As Liam, my border collie, is enjoying time with his "pappy" (my father), I am stuck without a dog of my own to train.  It's something I dread and dealt with for too long.  So, I decided to train the kittens... it will be an adventure for sure.

The first two training sessions I had with them were just to load the clicker.  The first night, Dewey seemed to think the floor was magically giving him treats.  My thought was "Oh, goodness!  What am I doing?"  But I enjoyed watching his amusement.  Harvey was next.  He seemed to realize that the clicker had some significant role in what we were doing.  But he didn't quite get it.  He is a very busy and excitable cat so his focus isn't the greatest.

The next training session I had with them was again, loading the clicker.  This time, Dewey caught me by surprise.  He got the idea that the click meant a treat.  Everytime he looked away or sniffed something and I clicked, he would turn back to me expecting a treat.  I was very impressed.  He had understood in just two short sessions which were less than five minutes each.

Today, I decided to train them again.  First up was Dewey as always.  He very quietly waited as I broke treats up in my hand.  Then we played loading the clicker for about 10 clicks.  After that, I decided to play around a little with him.  I worked on getting him into heel position about 4-5 times.  My goal for this exercise was to get them familiar in being on my left side.  Then, I decided to have Dewey target a toy.  I'm not sure how I decided this or why I even picked the toy up off the ground.  It is a small chicken that is no bigger than a half dollar.  I showed the chicken to Dewey and he leaned over to sniff it.  Click/Treat.  Again, I showed the toy to Dewey, he leaned towards it.  Click/treat.  It was interesting to see him work through the process.  His brain was obviously trying to figure out what made that weird click noise happen.  He started to look at the toy.  Then he would lean towards it slightly but stop to think.  Then he would touch it with his nose.  He did this beautifully a few times.

I then decided to use my hand instead of the toy.   Again, he would stop and think before he touched my hand with his nose.  We did about 5 repetitions of that and stopped.  He did an awesome job.  I was very surprised at how quickly he picked up on things.  I was also very surprised that he was actually thinking through the process.

Harvey was next.  I brought him out and he immediately tried stealing my bag of treats.  He was excited and definitely not focused.  We did the same thing I did with Dewey.  First, loading the clicker.  It went well although I can't tell if he understands that the click means a treat yet.  Then we practiced getting him into heel position about 4 times.  Yeah, he didn't get it.  Instead of getting into heel, he would come up on my left and start rubbing on my leg or hand while I was trying to give him a treat.  It was funny though.

Finally, we did the targeting exercise.  He wasn't very focused but did lean towards the toy and softly touch it with his nose.  Each of them would either barely touch it or just put their nose very close to it.  I accepted either.  The fact that they were targeting it at all impressed me.  Then, I moved to my hand.  He would sniff at it a few times.  We stopped after three.  He doesn't concentrate on me while training so my sessions with him are shorter than with Dewey.

It is a very interesting experience.  I am really enjoyed working with them.  The one thing that I've noticed that I didn't expect at all is the speed at which Dewey learns and understands.  I think Harvey would be very fast too if he was more focused.  I would like to work on some focus exercises with him once he gets the idea of training with me, probably in a few days.  It will be so cool to see how he reacts to focus exercises that I use for dogs!