Cleveland's Source for Dog Training News and Information
News Notes
Rally Obedience Show-n-Go (Lakewood)
Participants and observers welcome -- this Saturday, January 24th at 1:30 p.m.
RSVP Ginger Alpine or call 216-221-DOGS
Agility Classes Return (Lakewood)
Agility returns to NCD Monday nights at 6 p.m. starting February 2nd. Sign up online!
Mention this notice for a 15% discount off your class!
Pet First Aid (Lakewood)
Get Red Cross certified in pet first aid / CPR Sunday, February 29th at 10 a.m. Sign up online!
New CGC / Therapy Dog Class (Richmond Heights)
CGC / Therapy Dog Class starts Tuesday, February 17th at 8 p.m. Sign up online!
Mention this notice for a 15% discount off your class.
More Upper Level Classes (Brunswick)
Family Dog Extra, Tricks and Fun and CGC / Therapy Dog Classes are being offered in February and March.
Positive Thinking -- Positive Training
By
Michael Baugh, CPDT
You know the look they give you. They cock their head and flash those weary eyes. It’s as if they are saying, “For God’s sake human what are you thinking?” My dog, Juno, includes a little sigh for added effect.
If you ask me our dogs are on to the right question. What we think and how we perceive our world has a huge impact on how we feel and how we humans behave day in and day out. Psychiatrist, Aaron Beck writes about cognition and its impact on depression, relationship problems and other psychosocial maladies. For Beck and other cognitive behavior therapists the trick to feeling and living better begins with changing the way we think.
So, let’s think about our dogs for a minute. Better yet, let’s think about how we think about our dogs. Take a moment just to let some random thoughts run through your head. Cognitive therapists call these “automatic thoughts.” They’re the things we think about without really thinking. As a trainer I get to hear a whole bunch of people’s automatic thoughts about their dogs. Most of them aren’t too upbeat. “He’s stubborn.” “She’s too distracted by other dogs.” “He’s aggressive.” “She’s shy.” “He won’t do that.” “She doesn’t like treats.” And then there’s my all time favorite, “He’s just being dominant.” Add to the list if you’d like. We could fill the page.
Negative thinking is like poison. This is particularly true in dog training. Our thoughts and beliefs serve as filters for all that we observe and experience. They directly and immediately influence our feelings and actions. Psychologist, Albert Ellis described the process using a simple A-B-C model. “A” is the activating event. “B” is our belief or cognition about the event. And “C” is the consequence of that belief or cognition. This is often a secondary cognition that is even more rigid and irrational than the first followed by a feeling and a behavior. Here’s an example. A) Activating event: dog jumps on a visitor. B) Belief: Owner thinks or says “My dog is too hyper.” C) Consequence: Owner thinks or says “See, my dog never listens to me.” The owner may also feel helpless or ashamed and fail to take any productive action.
Now let’s look at the exact same scenario again. The only thing we will change this time is B) The owner’s belief about the situation. Watch how that affects the outcome. A) Activating event: Dog jumps on visitor. B) Belief: Owner understands and verbalizes “My dog is behaving normally and he has often been reinforced for jumping.” That instantly impacts C) Consequence. Since the owner’s belief is rational and benign the consequence is likely to be even more rational and benign thinking. Plus, the owner is likely to take sensible action to fix the problem instead of getting stuck in a mire of negative thoughts and feelings.
The point here is that dog training really does start in our head. Yes, it involves timing, eye-hand coordination, knowledge and skill. But you can throw all that stuff out the window if you’re not in the right frame of mind. It’s time to weed out some of that negative thinking.
- Step One: Be aware of your own negative automatic thoughts. Some of them are just plain obvious. If you’re mumbling “stupid dog,” then you can pretty much chalk that up as a negative thought. But others might be a bit more subtle. Here’s my favorite way to identify a negative thought in dog training. Ask yourself, “Does this belief or way of thinking help me train my dog or does it just upset me and leave me confused? If it’s the latter then discard the thought. It’s negative and therefore useless to you.
- Step Two: Think happy thoughts. It worked for Tinker Bell and Peter Pan. No, I’m not kidding! Think happy thoughts and imagine where you can go with your dog. I suggest you start by speaking well of your dog. When you get a chance tell someone how smart your dog is or what a fast learner she is. Then take it a step further by telling your dog how wonderful you think she is. Maybe she’ll understand you. Maybe she won’t. But by verbalizing positive thinking you will automatically begin to think more productively about your dog and training.
- Step Three: Visualize. You already do this everyday. You might map out directions in your mind before you get behind the wheel of your car. Golfers imagine sinking a putt before they actually hit the ball. We say things in our head before we speak them aloud. So why not visualize training your dog. Picture a nice crisp sit. See your dog heeling beside you. Imagine her greeting a guest politely without jumping. If you’re seeing good behavior in your mind’s eye then you are crowding out negative thinking. You’re already on your way to better results.
- Step Four: Build on success. Make positive thinking a way of life just as you have with positive training. The fewer negative beliefs there are getting in the way the more you will succeed. The more you succeed the more confident and positive your thinking will become. You can see how this quickly snowballs into ultimate success.
None of us got a dog so that we could think poorly of him. None of us wants a ho-hum relationship with our dog. And certainly none of us wants to fail at training our dogs. So, by all means, let’s get rid of anything that gets in the way of what you really want – a powerful and satisfying bond with the animal you love.
Think well. Feel good. Act it out.
She’s doing it again. Juno is looking up at me with that look. “For God’s sake human what are you thinking?” What am I thinking?
You are a precious gift, Juno. You’re the smartest most intuitive dog I’ve ever met. I’m the luckiest man in the world just because I share my life with you.
People in the News
Susanna
Hamm earns CPDT
Congratulations to Susanna Hamm, CPDT (right). She just earned her Certified Pet Dog Trainer title from the Council for the Certification of Pet Dog Trainers. She is now North Coast Dogs 3rd CPDT.
Jonathan Corrigan graduates from Academy
Jonathan Corrigan (left) earned his counseling certificate from the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers. He is the 6th North Coast Dogs team member to achieve this distinction.
Power of Touch Workshop
Susanna Hamm, CPDT is presenting a one-day workshop on Canine Massage called "The Power of Touch," Saturday, March 27th from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at our Lakewood Learning Center.
This is a great opportunity for learning how focused touch, human centering and canine massage can influence and improve your dog's behavior.
$60. RSVP Jonathan Corrigan or call 216-221-3647.
This workshop is approved for 3 1/2 hours of continuing education units by the Council for the Certification of Pet Dog Trainers.
Emily Weiss Workshop
North
Coast Dogs is honored to welcome animal behaviorist Emily Weiss, Ph.D. to
our Lakewood Learning Center for a two-day workshop April 25th and 26th.
Dr. Weiss is best known for her work with shelter dogs. She'll be presenting her temperament test, "SAFER" and her unique plan for matching dogs with potential adopters called "Matchmaker."
This will be an excellent workshop for animal care professionals and enthusiastic dog lovers alike.
Emily Weiss, Ph.D. comes to us through a partnership with the Cleveland APL and a grant from the ASPCA. CEUs applied for.
Visit us in Columbus
North Coast Dogs booth at OVMA
North Coast Dogs will have a booth at the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association trade show in Columbus, OH February 26th through the 29th.
We look forward to seeing our friends from the local veterinary community there. Stop by to chat and enjoy a click and treat from us!
Event Calendar
Notes in blue are Lakewood Classeslasses
Notes in Green are Brunswick Classes
Notes in Red are Richmond Heights Classes
| February 2004 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 6P Agility 8P Family Puppy
|
3 6P LG Dog Park 6P LG Dog Park
|
4
|
5 6P Family Dog |
6 |
7 1030A Focus
|
8
|
9 730P SM Dog Park |
10 Noon LG Dog Park 6P Family Puppy 6P Family Dog |
11 6P SM Dog Park
|
12 730P Rally Drop-in 8P Family Puppy
|
13
|
14 Noon Family Dog 5P Tricks and Fun |
15 4P CGC / Therapy Dog |
16 6P Family Dog 730P Family Dog Extra |
17 730P Family Dog Extra 8P CGC / Therapy Dog
|
18 630P Tricks and Fun
|
19 Noon SM Dog Park 630P LG Dog Park 730P Rally Drop-in
|
20
|
21
|
22 230P LG Dog Park
|
23
|
24 |
25 |
26 630P Family Dog Class 730P Rally Drop-in
|
27 6P Family Dog Class
|
28 9A Family Puppy Class 330P Rally-O Class
|
29 10A PET FIRST AID / CPR 230P SM Dog Park |
|
|
|
|||
View printable version of this calendar.
Sign up for a class online.
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Gift Certificates
Don't forget that gift certificates are always available for our classes, in-home behavior modification and products. They are the perfect gift for any occasion. Please contact Jonathan Corrigan to purchase one today!
Feedback
Thanks to all of you who've offered your comments both complimentary and constructive. Your feedback helps us improve our service. In fact, many of our new upcoming classes and events come from our clients' suggestions!