Holistic Options • Bach Flower Essences

Benevolent Leaders employ multiple tactics in their campaigns to win converts. Benevolence begins with awareness. You can't be proactive in approach to things if you're not aware that they're there!

Holistic orientation is an important component in the human • dog relationship -- whatever the function of the dog. It is your role as the human who has brought the dog into your life [and presumably into your home].

Often I am asked about various modalities so I thought since I hadn't done so before, I'd write them here. I'll be covering a wide array but today I'll start with homeopathy and flower essences, specifically Bach Flower Essences.

Essentially if there is a conflict in a relationship, whether between a person and a pet or a parent and a child or a boss and an employee or a customer and a cashier or...you get the idea, conflict suggests imbalance. Imbalance affects your mood and affected moods can effect behavior and certain behaviors dogs do annoy us.

If our being annoyed causes more imbalance because of the stress the dog feels from being a source of disappointment, and dealing with your reactivity, the benefit of a remedy is to balance so stress is reduced and improved relations occur.

This is not like taking an aspirin to eliminate a headache but more like learning how to balance on a a see saw or balance board.Ask yourself what behavior your dog is projecting -- overly confident, very shy, territorial, fearful, possessive, restless, etc., -- and review the recommended essence and the goal for what your pet will tip over towards.

It's important to become more observant about the behaviors your trying to address so you can be more aware of even minute measures of change and to be flexible and patient in your approach. Don't define them as human emotions, just observe actual behaviors -- outward or inward ones.

I can tell you I use rescue remedy myself which is a combination of several essences you can read about on various sites including the ones included previously and here.

If you're anticipating stress (i.e., HOLIDAYS!!!!), Rescue Remedy will help you cope! And deliver a more patient you who can practice The Six Pillars of Dog Training Wisdom and become ever more so the Benevolent Leader.

More holistic thoughts coming soon.

Fall in Love All Over Again

Stunning fall weather of late must be the reward for us Clevelanders -- between the Cleveland Browns' depressing record coupled with fuzzy memories of a rather cool and vaguely dissatisfying summer, we are getting our just desserts. Before the inevitable wind blows all the color enriched flora into a decomposing swirl, baring the trees in preparation for, gasp, winter, I'm carving out time with the dogs enjoying crunch crunch walks. The panoply of colors sent my mind into a fantasy mindset the result of which is:

Savor the season

Warmer more typical Indian Summer sunshine during what appears to be peak week for the fall foliage of NE Ohio was welcomed today. It reminded me of the need to get out from under deadlines and dust bunnies and To Do Lists and take time to savor the season.

When you have a dog who is reliable off a leash, watching your dog(s) run amok among the crunching leaves, dance in the shadows and grin with canine delight is a visual reminder of how simple joy -- so easily lost in the adult world of looming bills, time lines and responsibilities -- can soothe the soul.

Take breaks, enjoy the season, and keep practicing basic cues -- touch (come), sit, down, stay, go -- and off leash wood walks (or beach or grassy knolls) can fix a lot of your boo boos too!

Positively Positivist AKA I'm with you Dr. Dunbar

The brain waves that are set to spinning in my head when I put words to paper or electronics in various forms -- blog versus articles versus tweaking drafts of my book-in-progress versus the voluminous emails I generate daily [not to mention the efforts of this middle aged multi tasking mom to twit, use facebook and explore other cutting edge cyberspace warrens vary in style but always stay true to my core sensibilities.

Most hours every day I am actively and passively engrossed in my vocation of sharing a knowledge base, methodology and useful tools with clients who engage my services. Whether private or group classes; companion or working dog -- the intention is to communicate the path towards benevolent leadership.

A person of authority is calm, consistent, firm, confident and compassionate. Professional assistance can quickly and very dramatically change dynamics by developing a proactive approach to the process as opposed to stuck patterns of reactivity.

If you are tentative, hesitant, punitive, or vacillating, these mixed messages create anxiety and you can no longer be trusted to lead. Authority is leadership, not force. Dogs want leadership; dogs naturally gravitate to leaders, even if their past included lots of ambivalence. Leaders can be adults and children; those who seem to know what they're doing. Dogs want someone to guide them while at the same time allow them to make mistakes and learn. A benevolent leader understands that ebb and flow and continues and shows patience and awareness while remaining mindful of safety -- safety of people, safety of other animals, safety of dog and safety of "stuff". Not all are natural born leaders, but motivated people can learn to be great dog owners.

We get bombarded through all forms of media about The Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan (as opposed to The Dog Whisperer Paul Owens). In each episode we see this disclaimer:

A dog training show on TV should scream TRY THIS AT HOME without fear that anyone or anything will get hurt. The positive trainers out there who are more well known than I (better marketing teams; usually no children underfoot!) need to take a stronger more active stance.

Last Sunday, Oct. 11, The Sunday New York Times had a cover article in the business section that inspired me to write an article for examiner.com. Please read it, comment on it, and take action.

I cannot believe how little my dog trainer peers have voiced complaint. How is it a top ranking and very benevolent and prolific guru, Dr. Ian Dunbar, can generate only one poorly worded paragraph on a whole realm of dog training? How is it that Millan charmed the reporter into dismissing positive training in one nonsensical sentence and then continue kvelling about his dominance / submission / exhaustion message being sent to dog owners around the world? I really want to know.

Picking Perfect Puppies

While it's usually summertime when I'm inundated with new puppy training, somehow the word is getting out that doing The 7 P's (proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance) is a great way to help individuals, couples or families acquire the right make and model of puppy to be the dog of their dreams, whatever their dreams may be. And so I'm being inundated with a flurry of pet and service dog candidates that are selected based on a fantasy wish list compiled by all family members to define the wants/needs based on lifestyle, environment, goals, experience, etc.

When an individual/couple or family already has a dog that might not be the right make and model, for whatever reason, and a decision is made that there needs to be a break-up, I help counsel them through that process. I believe taking the responsibility to find the right home for the dog is paramount to considering the right make and model for immediate or long term future considerations.

As rain falls today in a practically vertical fashion to more overtly remind us that summer is over and fall is truly here, taking new puppies out for potty breaks cheerfully is a daunting but necessary task! Just remember your umbrella, your cheerful mood, and contemplate an outdoor place that might offer a bit of shelter!

Happy Fall and a Little Parable

Today is the transition of seasons from summer to fall. I can feel and smell it in the air, hear the crunch crunch of dying leaves beneath my feet, and notice a different slanting of the sun. Neglected overripe tomatoes are literally exploding in my little garden, my kids' return to school seems in full adjust mode (not that all 3 are happy about it, but off they go, back they come, homework gets done, off they go again), and my animals spew extra layers of hair for me to meditatively sweep up.

A friend very recently sent me a wonderful video story about Chinese Giant Bamboo for the Jewish New Year (Happy 5770!). The parable of the video has resonated for me -- both personally and professionally -- and in such a deep and already positive way. Being a fan of metaphors, fables, parables, I felt it could be useful for those who, among other things, are trying to wrangle their dog or puppy into what they want them to be but lack the patience or reality base or honesty about how and how long and what is involved in accomplishing the goal.

And so I share The Story of The Chinese Bamboo in the hope that it can inspire you in all your journeys.

Wear Your Dog

I'm calling Fall "Take Your Hands Off The Leash and Wear Your Dog" season to emphasize the benefit of letting go of the belief that your hands on a leash is what is controlling the dog.

Ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly:

1. Does your dog react to distractions when on leash? Does Fido lunge at other dogs, chase speedy trucks, go all twisty ballistic at the sight of kids running amok!?

2. Does your dog not get to play with other dogs off leash because you fear death and destruction will ensue?

3. If your dog is allowed to play with other dogs off leash (and I hope your dog does!), does Fido romp and carouse and probably not even bark much and have so much fun?

If your answers are yes to 1, 2 or 3, you have to trust me when I tell you that the problems are created by failing to understand leash manners. If your words are saying one thing and your actions -- in this case hands on the leash -- are saying another, I assure you that the dog is responding and reacting to your behavior, not your words.

Try taking your hands OFF the leash, really letting go, and WEAR your dog. See how much things improve. If you need greater details on the process, let me know!