Is behaviour caused by thinking?
I would like to inspire people to start asking questions and to not follow the status quo without a single thought. Questions are the answers. There is usually a lot more to discover when you start asking them.
3 things I learnt from petsitting
1. Improved observational skills and noticing pets body language
2. Understand and relate to the challenges pet families have
3. Let the dog be dog and love him the way he is. (Same thing goes with cats too)
Good enough concept
Nancy Tucker with her "The Good Enough Dog" is my great inspiration. Sometimes dogs can just be good enough as they are. And it’s their owners who decide what is enough for them. We can waste our time and energy in trying to make things perfect. Instead, we can get creative to enjoy the moment just as much as our dogs do.
Least intrusive most positive
I stand for the least intrusive, most positive ethos in animal training promoted by dr. Susan Friedman and will continue to learn and improve the methods I use.
Animal training as a way of improving lives
Animal training can be a way of improving lives of everyone involved. It's not always easy and not everybody sees it in that way but when you take your time to learn, it can be an incredibly fulfilling job for anyone who loves animals.
Consequences drive behaviour (videos)
While on Peggy Hogan’s clinic with amazing, educated horses she reminded me of a very important distinction. It’s not what we do that makes the behaviour happen. Consequences drive behaviour.
Letting myself learn
It's ok to have a feeling of not being good enough. Let it be, accept it and most importantly LET IT GO. Find something positive in your life, something that you are grateful for like a dog wagging his tail or asking to be petted. And then you can see the previous situation in a different light. Expecting too much from myself isn't fair. Letting myself learn will be.
Our role in training animals
Training animals is far bigger term than many people think. It’s about empowering them and giving them a choice. It’s more like educating them. The question is, will we make that effort to educate ourselves? And it's not about judging one another and fighting with each other on who is right. As long as we continue to educate ourselves and let others do the same, we can massively improve the welfare of all the animals we interact with.
10 things I learnt at CHATTCon in Seattle
My trip to Seattle in July showed me that people’s kindness is extraordinary! By reaching out to people online I had the opportunity to learn from them and with them! Speakers gave me many ideas on how to improve my training skills and ultimately help more people and animals under their care. Here are some key points I learnt.
Many times we don’t even bother trying to learn a new skill. We convince ourselves that it’s not for us. When what we could do is to find the first successive approximation and start learning through a fun and successful process.