Dog Educated Class Graduates
The Academy for Dog Trainers declared June as “Heroes Month,” inviting graduates and students to recognize those individuals who have “taught us, helped us, and inspired us!” There is no shortage of well-known figures who have had a positive impact on my professional journey; but after mulling it over, I realized the people who most fill that role can be found in my own community.
We formed Dog Educated to provide training and behavior support in such a way that graduates will complete their experience feeling good not only about their dogs; but as importantly, good about themselves. Our trainers and assistants embody that mission in every interaction they navigate with our clients. With a warm smile and friendly tone, they gently support our clients in reaching their training goals. At Dog Educated, our class attendees and private consult clients won’t find the blame and shame approach still so common in the dog training profession. Our trainers and assistants have the same affinity for human beings as they have for dogs. They like people, and it’s truly inspiring the way they work with everyone.
They point out to our clients what they are doing well. They model, coach, and encourage them through the training in a way that is conducive to both learning and enjoyment of the process. They help alleviate frustration and celebrate every win. And as our clients are walking their dogs to the car, after the doors have closed and those clients are out of earshot, they talk about how well everyone did. “Wow! Did you see how great little Roscoe did with the stay distractions this week? They got to full walk-arounds and were so proud of him! They were amazing!” “Manny’s family made him homemade treats for tonight! How awesome is that?” Rather than a cursory scan and punish, they find the positives – the reinforceable bits – and this impacts the overall culture of the workplace. In a world that seems increasingly judgmental and negative, here they are routinely in mindful practice of humanity. That’s some hero level stuff!
Clients Corrine and Moose working together in class.
Our community extends to the veterinary professionals who care enough about the welfare of their patients to gain Fear-Free certification, and who partner with us in that and so many other efforts. The veterinary profession is overburdened in countless ways, and yet they show up for their patients day after day, and we are in awe of them. Doing our work without those relationships would be extremely difficult. They help. They inspire.
Our community extends to the non-profit organizations we work with who provide outreach to under-served communities and maintain a strong commitment to humanely handling and training the dogs in their care. They are leaders in our community for getting good information and resources to the dog-owning public, unpaid volunteers doing good works in a difficult, unregulated climate.
And at the very heart of our community are our clients. Dog owners come to us with various histories and different exposure to information about dog training and behavior. Social media is flooded with misinformation and false claims about what drives behavior in dogs and the best ways to train them, creating unrealistic expectations about what dogs can or should do. The dog training industry is completely unregulated with no consumer protection, and countless dogs are injured physically and psychologically as a result. What a difficult task it is for dog guardians to figure it all out.
We give them the current, valid information that is based in known principles of animal learning, and they run with it. I can say without hesitation that the best part of my job is when I look around the room during a training class and see people working cooperatively with their dogs: the owner smiling proudly at the face of the relaxed pup with the soft eyes and tongue lolling out the side of her happy face. They are a team. They are enjoying that time together. It’s so beautiful.
Isabelle and Delly enjoy time working together.
The owners who get so excited when their dogs perform a skill – who “throw a party” by laughing and doing a little dance and giving their dogs an extra treat or snuggle.
The owners of leash-frustrated dogs who might need a little more space and perhaps a visual barrier to keep them focused and successful: watching them extend understanding to their dogs and knowing they are doing the best they can in an environment full of distractions, not losing their temper or giving in to understandable frustration. These compassionate people who meet their dogs right where they are without judgement aimed at a dog for just being a dog. The classmates that extend understanding and patience to them! We see and appreciate them.
Class clients take a break from training to snuggle with their dog, Rose.
And perhaps most heroic of all are the private training clients who have been to multiple trainers and tried every poorly prescribed method and spent considerable time and money only to see their dogs’ behaviors worsen. Those who are now at the end of their ropes with dogs that struggle badly with crippling fear and anxiety; and yet they were still willing to try again. Their dedication to the management and training plan. Their patience and sacrifice. The way they embrace every gain. The way they work at the pace of their dogs with empathy and grace. I hope they know that we see in them the courage and hope the world needs more of. We see the love and the effort, and so do their dogs. Heroes, every last one of them.
I don’t have to look beyond my own community that I live and work in to find the heroes. I am surrounded by them. I learn from them. I am helped by them. I am absolutely inspired by them. And for that, I’m grateful.
