Dogs, Kids, and Learning: A Comparative Exploration

*  Please excuse the non-MLA citing of references. I have yet to edit them. 

While anthropomorphism can be a slippery slope to unrealistic comparisons between humans and animals, to deny the similarities between the ways in which dogs and children learn would be intellectually dishonest. And in doing so we would miss an opportunity to better understand the minds of two animals that have co-evolved alongside one another for the mutual benefit of both species over many thousands of years. Because dogs’ and humans’ respective evolutionary paths have become so inextricably intertwined, it makes sense that many of the mechanisms for learning in one would be reflected somehow in the other.

One of the most influential contributors to the modern school of “dog teaching” is Bonnie Bergin. Dr. Bergin is renowned for creating assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities and mobility issues. Not only was Bonnie ahead of her time in believing dogs could be trained to complete such complex tasks as opening doors and turning lights on and off; she saw in dogs the cognitive capacity to think and solve complex problems; to piece together information and truly learn. For a human child’s learning and behavior to be deeply influenced by an adult person’s thoughts, feelings and communicated sentiments makes sense. What researchers are discovering today is that dogs are influenced by their human trainers in the same way children are.    

In Bonnie Bergin’s book, Teach Your Dog To Read, Bonnie states “If she doesn’t catch on at first, never laugh at her or show disappointment. Frustration, anger and disappointment, just like praise, can serve as reinforcers” (Bergin, 2006). An encouraging attitude or spirit is key with regard to learning in both dogs and children. According to prominent voices in child learning and development, encouragement is a key concept in promoting and activating “psychological hardiness” in individuals (Griffith & Powers, 1984).

Because dogs and humans are both highly social animals, social learning theory applies to both species respectively. There is also research into the theory that social learning in domestic dogs has been heavily influenced by dogs’ co-evolution with humans. In other words, dogs learn from their own canine social groups as well as from their human group or “pack” members. Social learning can reduce the costs (e.g. time, effort, risk) involved in the acquisition of resources or new skills (Mersmann, Dorit et al., 2011). Furthermore, the capability to use information provided by others is a prerequisite for the evolution of culture (Mersmann, Dorit, et al., 2011). One context in which information is passed between members of a social group is play, and the benefits of play are very evident in the learning processes of both children and dogs. A study on children living in Mother Teresa’s Orphanage in Dehli, India, looked at the effects of daily playtime on orphans’ psychomotor and social development over a thirty day period, as compared to a group that received only the minimum of care as in feeding and bathing, but were denied social interaction. As hypothesized, the children who were able to play each day, even for a short time, became more active, responsive and independent (Taneja, et al., 2002).

Similar studies in shelter dogs show congruent results. Aimee Sadler is a veteran animal trainer who specializes in dogs’ behavioral problems. Aside from working with private clients, she helps shelters form playgroups as a way of socializing dogs, and ultimately making them more adoptable. Sadler states, “Play groups are a natural way for dogs to blow off steam and counteract the stresses of shelter life. Through group interactions, dogs teach each other how to behave, addressing such problems as resource guarding, dog-on-dog aggression, and on-leash reactivity” (Animal Sheltering, November/December 2011). The playgroups provide much needed and sorely lacking stimulation in the areas of physical exercise, mental engagement and stress relief. And perhaps most importantly, carefully structured playtime provides the foundation for social learning among dogs, many of whom have never been properly introduced or otherwise interacted with other dogs, which is a fundamental reason dogs end up in shelters to begin with. Furthermore, watching dogs play is a major learning opportunity for human caregivers, and seeing different dogs’ social skills and play styles helps them make better adoptive matches. In summary, giving kids and dogs a chance to thrive and learn from their peers in social situations is just as critical to health and well-being as is eating and sleeping.

Another intriguing area of study in a world evolving at warp speed is the application of technology to enhance learning processes, or enable entirely new ones. Children naturally explore and learn about their environments through inquiry, and computer technologies offer an accessible vehicle for extending the domain and range of this inquiry (Wang, et al., 2009). Researchers from Mount Saint Mary College and University of Virginia conducted experiments to look at early childhood education software and its effects on inquiry-based learning and complex problem solving. In essence, inquiry-based “teaching” is the allowance by teachers of their students to ask questions, encouragement to be inquisitive and explore the world around them, and learn how to ask even more complex questions. In controlled experiments like this one, technology was used to present problem contexts pertinent to the inquiry subject matter and guide learners into encountering complex domains that are productive for learning (Reiser, 2004).

Because we also live in a world where humans’ relationships with dogs are evolving at the “speed of life”, new technologies are emerging that will enhance those relationships. Not only are there whimsical smart phone apps that allow dogs and cats to take photos of themselves, but some highly innovative technologies are being designed with the goal of empowering assistance dogs to do their jobs more efficiently. One such project is discussed in research coming out of The Open University in London.

With the objective in mind of easing diabetic alert dogs’ stress when their human partners fall unconscious, an emerging field called Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI’s) aim is to design canine-friendly technological interfaces for working dogs. When training a dog to perform a command or set of commands, setting the dog up for success is critical to the dog’s ability to learn the task at hand and perform it effectively. It is unfair to set a dog up to fail, such as when we ask him to do something that he must face with an automatic disadvantage. One type of potentially stressful task that assistance dogs face is assisting their humans in using technologies that were not designed for them, but rather for humans. For example, mobility service dogs learn how to execute tasks such as opening doors, loading laundry machines and pressing elevators or button-operated doors. And they are often performing such tasks at a deficit because their own physical capabilities are very different from those of the human users for which the tools were intended (Robinson, et al., 2014). The research team from The Open University is working on building a prototype for an intelligent canine user alarm interface, which would not only alert outside sources for help in emergency situations, but also give feedback to the dog by interpreting sensory information or the dogs’ body language. The researchers concluded that an effective system will make it clear to the dog not only how he can interact with the system, but also when he has interacted with the system successfully (Robinson, et al., 2014).

The Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness (2008) reports innovative training utilizing an advanced GPS system through the collaboration between Leader Dogs for the Blind and a tech company called HumanWare. The device gives audible, step-by-step directions for a programmed route, and notifies the user of upcoming streets and landmarks (Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, November 2008).

Not only do proper social conditions and technology helps kids and dogs learn, exercise does a mind good as much as it does a body. From the crisis of inactivity that has befallen both children and pet dogs, comes research from the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois. Researchers there are looking at the positive effect aerobic exercise has on children’s learning and memory capabilities. Poor physical health in and of itself is bad. Worse still it represents a person’s health in its entirety. And according to this and other studies of its kind, poor physical health effects cognitive health negatively. In children, lower amounts of fitness have been related to decreased cognitive function for tasks requiring perception, memory, and cognitive control as well as lower academic achievement (Raine, LB, et al., 2013).  

While – to my knowledge – there are no studies at present to determine whether or not a dog’s physical fitness correlates with their cognitive function, it only makes sense to assume that it does. There is, however, plenty of anecdotal and some scientific evidence to suggest that exercise has a marked positive effect on dogs’ behavior; and that dogs who engage in physical activity regularly are less likely to be destructive and suffer from psychological and emotional barriers to well-being than more sedentary dogs. Experts at The Behavior Clinic at Cummings School of Medicine, Tufts University, advise that “A tired dog is a happy dog”, and suggests providing exercise and environmental enrichment to stimulate the dog both physically and mentally is critical to over all health and functionality. Aerobic exercise stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain, a neurotransmitter that helps to stabilize mood and produce feelings of contentment, which can help relax an otherwise anxious or aggressive dog (vet.tufts.edu, 2014). They also remind us that a fat dog is not a happy dog, but one whose health is at serious risk.

The further we travel in our co-evolutionary journey, the more dogs and humans learn about the world -- in our respective ways that are species-specific; and as a reflection of ourselves in one another. 

A Rebuttal to Cesar Millan's Critics

The more I absorb Cesar Millan’s teachings, the more shocked I am at the aggressive barrage of insults aimed at him at any given time. This is my response to the claim that Cesar Millan has “set dog training back 20 years”, as noted by Dr. Nicolas Dodman, Professor and Head, Section of Animal Behavior, Director of Behavior Clinic, Tufts University - Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Dodman’s credentials are impressive; there’s no denying that. In fact, most of the professionals with negative things to say about Cesar have multiple degrees of higher learning following their names. At first glance, this would seem to imply that Cesar might actually be doing something harmful in his work with dogs, considering that all these experts agree on as much. But after further investigating their claims, I’ve noted that these naysayers don’t simply disagree with Cesar’s methods. They attack him personally. One such character is Ian Dunbar, a positive-reinforcement based dog trainer who calls himself the Anti-Cesar Millan. There is also an entire Facebook page dedicated to Anti Cesar Millan “fans”.

Cesar’s critics claim this is because of their concern for dogs, but I’m not buying it. Disagreeing with someone’s training style is one thing. But when one feels the need to attack another’s character, there is a personal vendetta playing out. And really, this type of emotionally charged mud slinging does nothing to create a sensible argument for consideration. Notice that Cesar Millan does not have to drag others’ practices through the dirt in order to justify or promote his own. Cesar’s way stands on its own merit, and his positive influence on the world’s dogs and people speaks for itself.

I suspect that Cesar’s doubters are defensive, because despite the daunting nature of their educational credits and expertise – valid though they may be - I imagine they might lack the primal, intuitive connection with dogs that Cesar so naturally embodies. Because Cesar has manifested his incredible Life’s Work without the preordained authority granted by degrees of higher education, perhaps his success threatens Dr. Dunbar, and others like him, whose perceived self-importance and prestige may be based on their impressive titles. But then, all great revolutionaries are confronted with the backlash of bruised Egos. Such is why the oppositional movement attempting to discount Cesar’s methods as “inhumane” and “abusive” – though ludicrous - comes as no surprise.

Another example of a “refuted revolutionary” in the world of human-animal relationships, (and another great hero of mine), is Jane Goodall. Along with fellow famed primatologists, Dianne Fossey who studied gorillas, and Beruti Geldikas who studied orangutans, Jane was chosen for her mission in part because of her lack of a traditional education. At that time, animal behavior curriculum was based on the robotic “reward/punishment” system of B.F.Skinner, who believed that animals were not sentient, living beings, but lifeless machines that functioned solely on a black and white, cause and effect basis. Louis Leakey –the Father of Anthropology – specifically chose the three women because (a) They were female, and would thus bring a different, more organic and empathetic perception to the study of animal behavior, than what (for example) watching lab rats push levers for cocaine could offer; and (b) Because their minds had not yet been inundated with the accepted academic philosophy of the times, which left their minds open to learning about the animals’ natural state of being through untainted observation.

Given the freedom to connect with chimpanzees instinctually and spiritually, rather than methodologically, Jane Goodall shifted the whole world’s comprehension of what Great Apes actually are, and who we (human beings) are in their reflection. Just as Cesar does, Ms. Goodall faced violent opposition from people whose belief systems and schools of thought were threatened by her work, and its implications for the future of their field.

I believe what might truly upset Cesar’s critics is that his methods involve something more organic, intangible, and difficult to master than typical training methods. Cesar’s way involves leadership based on humility and hard-won confidence, rather than systematic control of an animal’s behavior through practicing quantifiable steps. Cesar’s way involves his unique life experience, his particular energetic aura, his ability to influence dogs’ behavior without the aid of food or conditioning, and the conscious practice of Instinctual Intelligence, which he has cultivated by tapping into his Inner Animal, using it as his primary form of education. To hone Cesar’s methods, one must learn precisely that which cannot be taught in a classroom. It is something that must be brought to life from within a person’s higher consciousness.

Cesar is spearheading an inevitable revolution. And the higher truth will overcome the weakening belief systems of the disappearing present. Eventually, the old ways will die out, just as useless appendages evolve out of a species over time. And as they do, the climate will turn from one of hostile opposition, to one that enables the Whisperer within us all to be recognized, and to thrive.

Shedding the Weight

The obesity crisis is a heavy burden for both human and canine populations to bear. Research into how best to tackle the problem is emerging from scientists in varying disciplines. Currently, the American Kennel Club's Canine Health Foundation is funding a study called The Reciprocal Impact of a Healthy and Active Lifestyle on the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Dogs and Their Owners: Physical Activity and Walking (PAW).

The study's abstract reads: While it is well established that an active lifestyle and healthy diet can control obesity, there is a paucity of research that has considered the full spectrum of human-dog interactions that contribute to the physical and mental health of a dog and its owner. It is likely that a dog's health, behavior, and overall well-being are affected by their owner's lifestyle, including their social interactions and activity level. Dr. Richards believes that in the absence of an active and interactive lifestyle, physical stress, psychological stress and behavior problems likely occur in dogs. Dr. Richards believes that this, in turn, contributes to the documented 47% of owners who report surrender of their dog to an animal shelter because of behavior problems. Dr. Richards will conduct a novel three-month dog walking intervention, with a follow-up at three months and six months post intervention. She believes that increased dog walking will improve the health, behavior, and psychological well-being of dogs and their owners. The results of this study would provide general recommendations for new dog owners, as well as contribute to the standard of care for dogs maintained in laboratories and shelters.

Dr. Richards, Ph.D., RN, is an assistant professor at Purdue School of Nursing. She and her team are part of a growing community of researchers looking at the mutual benefits of exercise shared between people and their dogs. The focal point of Dr. Richards’ work, is that while a person’s unhealthy lifestyle choices affects his or her dog negatively, one’s healthy lifestyle choices can also mean increased wellbeing for one’s pets. She seems to believe – and I couldn’t agree more -- that to combat obesity in both people and dogs, we must look only as far as the human-canine companion bond, and how to use it in turning a counterproductive feedback loop into a productive one.

Dr. Richards’ current study, The Reciprocal Impact of a Healthy and Active Lifestyle on the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Dogs and Their Owners, builds on her previous work, including the studies: Dog ownership and physical activity: a review of the evidence, and Development and psychometric testing of the Dogs And WalkinG Survey, which examines the use of an instrument to track “the individual and interpersonal correlates of dog walking”.

Dr. Richards’ research adds to the growing evidence that dogs – as exercise partners – provide the kind of emotional and social support that keeps people motivated in their practice of getting and staying fit. Other studies similar to hers are the PPET Study (People and Pets Exercising Together) out of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Institute in Chicago, where researchers charted the difference in weight loss over a year-long period between individuals exercising (walking) with a dog, versus those going it alone. And the Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound project, out of the Research Center on Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI), at the University of Missouri, Columbia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. In this program, overweight participants walk shelter dogs for the benefits that exercise provides for all. These studies’ common goal is to prove that there is great potential in the human-canine bond for enhanced quality of life, physical fitness, psychological, social and emotional health.

These articles will be of great use to me as I develop my Master's thesis project at Bergin University of Canine Studies (formerly the Assistance Dog Institute), which is to create a fitness-related assistance dog. Dr. Richards’ studies, and others like hers, are helping pave the way for my own unique contribution to the service dog world. And for this, I could not be more thrilled or grateful.

A New F.A.D. in Service Dog Training

My Letter of Intent for Bergin University's MS Program

Envision this. Bill, an American male in his early 40’s, has struggled with weight issues all his life. Bill is depressed and uses junk food as an emotional anesthetic. He gets up in the morning feeling dread, and comes home from work each night with fast food to the empty calories of Reality TV. Bill is crippled by a lack of motivation to do better for himself. His negative, sedentary lifestyle has become a disability with which he needs serious help.

Now, imagine this. Bill has decided to stop the downward spiral; he has qualified for a Fitness Assistance Dog through Frisky Fitness Assistance Dogs, Inc. Today is his first day of a two-week long Frisky Fitness Boot Camp. Here, he will be paired with a specially trained, athletically inclined service dog, whose job it is to help Bill get active, move forward, become balanced, and learn a healthier way of being.

The Fitness Assistance Dog’s training takes advantage of her boundless energy, her primal need to migrate, and her evolved instinct to connect with a human partner. Bill’s dog is trained to heel at varying speeds from walking to sprinting (without planting or pulling). She is trained to hike, climb, and run alongside rollerblades, a bike and a skateboard. To help with motivation, she is trained to fetch her leash, bring it to Bill and nudge him until he gets up and takes her for a walk. She behaves as a perfect unobtrusive helpmate around all manner of gym equipment. Not only is Bill’s dog trained to perform physical actions that motivate him and enable his physical activity. But in keeping with the curriculum from FF Boot Camp through a continuing online class, Bill feels a sense of community, and stays motivated as he works toward positive lifestyle and weight loss goals.

Bill is empowered by having confronted his lifelong battle with emotional eating. With this special dog by his side, Bill processes his feelings honestly and productively during long walks and runs. Bill now wakes up to the happy nudge of his dog, prodding him with the leash in her mouth saying Let’s go! There is life to be lived and we don’t want to miss a minute of it! Because of his early successes with weight loss during Boot Camp, Bill is now eating better and taking pride in his appearance. He is more confident, and so takes more risks in getting out and meeting people. He ends each day feeling proud of himself, and thankful for the exercise partner who never skips a day, and always helps Bill in his resolve to keep going.

To create this brand new type of assistance dog -- with the amazing Bonnie Bergin’s guidance – is going to be the opportunity of a lifetime and a dream come true. I will study part-time on the Bergin campus in Santa Rosa, while living and working on full-time experiential research in Bakersfield. My goal is to proactively address the health epidemic of obesity and all its manifestations within individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole. For these and countless other reasons, I cannot wait to begin my Master of Science program in Canine Life Sciences at Bergin University of Canine Studies. 

Dog Speed,

Liz R. Kover

Walking With Dogs is A Conversation...A Dance

Gena Moore asks, "Can you please give me some tips on leash walking more than one dog at a time? My two mutts gang up on me and traverse the path and act like they are completely deaf to my voice."

***

Dear Gena,

I find that walking multiple dogs is really not much different than walking one dog – as long as you’re walking efficiently, and with a vision of calm, cool control guiding you. I weigh 105 lbs, and can walk three Mastiffs and a lab (Baloo, Maggie, Hooch and Fred) holding a handful of leashes in one hand! This is obviously not a matter of physical strength, as those four dogs weigh as much as three of me! Rather, it is the result of intent and technique! Without the right mindset or methods, walking even one tiny dog can be a huge struggle.

You mention your dogs not listening to you. I believe this is because when communicating with dogs, silence speaks far louder than words. Especially while you are moving together - as in a walking scenario - the "conversation" becomes much more about your body language, and the way your energy courses through the leash from you into them, and the feedback of their energy back into you, than it is about talking. Dogs don't speak English. What they do supremely well, however, is communicate with humans on the common level called Animal. This is more a dance than an exchange of words. Abstract though it may be, try thinking about your walks this way. And let me know the change in perception translates into a change in both your and your dogs' behavior, and thus in the whole dynamic.

While a positive, can-do state of mind is the greatest asset you bring to a walk, leashes – and how you hold them – are equally important. You mentioned that your dogs “traverse the walking path”. Dogs should never have enough leash-length to allow them to maneuver this way. Each dog should have only enough line to keep them right next to you, with your arms hanging at your side. I don’t know if you’re using those (god-awful) retractable leashes, but if so, think about it purely in terms of physics: The shorter the leash, the less area the dog is able to cover, and thus the more control you have. If your dogs are wandering around at the end of a 20-foot line, they will think of you as nothing more than a physical restriction to going even further, rather than as a guiding partner in a bonding activity you are all sharing in as a cohesive pack.

I understand people’s desire to see their dogs have fun and enjoy their walks. However, allowing them to stop and sniff and pee every thirty seconds, and pull you wherever their nose takes them, is actually doing them a disservice, not a favor. It robs them of the awesome feeling that courses through an animal’s veins in that visceral zone people refer to as the runner’s high. This same feeling can be achieved while walking, too, as long as it is your intent to get. And to get there, you must keep yourself and your dogs focused, and moving together like the harmoniously-functioning parts of a lean, mean machine.

While I am a huge proponent of dogs having fun, enjoying life and running free, there are times and places appropriate for free play and roaming. But in my opinion, a daily walk on a predetermined trail or city sidewalk is not the time nor place. I feel the walk is a time for communicating with your dog, providing structure, and enabling their (and your) primal migratory instinct. When dogs walk in the wild, they travel with purpose. Moving in search of food, careful to use only the amount of energy they will be able to replace with their kill, they cannot afford to behave frivolously or wander off on their own. While daily walks should be enjoyable and relaxing for both human and dog, they also provide an opportunity for evolving in real time. Becoming more efficient biological beings. Even becoming of one, shared, interspecies mind. The act of walking a dog is simple. But what can potentially be gained from mindfully walking with one’s dogs…is profound.

Loving Fred: Reflections of a Service Dog Trainer

My job over the last year has been to train a Labrador puppy as a service dog for a child with autism. Having graduated with an A.S. in Assistance Dog Education from Bergin University of Canine Studies last spring, I was thrilled to be hired as a trainer right out of the gate by a wonderful organization called Good Dog Autism Companions. GDAC, a small non-profit based in San Diego, is run by a couple whose thirteen year old son has autism, and whose lives were transformed by a service dog named Orbit. Different in many ways than the larger assistance dog organizations like Guide Dogs for the Blind or Canine Companions for Independence, GDAC doesn't utilize puppy raisers that are different than the dogs' trainers. Instead, the trainers raise and train the pups from ten weeks old to approximately one year old. This means that Fred -- the little guy I named after Mr. Rogers, on whose birthday Fred's litter was born -- has been with me every single day since he was a tiny, chubby little butterball. He may as well be my first born for the love he evoked the moment I laid eyes on his pink, heart-shaped nose and soulful green-gray eyes.

Anyone who handles dogs that aren't their own -- such as pet sitters or boarders, rescue dog foster families, and service dog puppy raisers -- knows that there is a delicate dance involved in giving a dog 100% of your love while also maintaining a necessary amount of "emotional distance". But because I have confidence in my ability to let him go when the time comes, I believe that loving Fred truly, deeply and madly until the last minute I have with him is perfectly acceptable. In fact, I think that if I felt differently, I wouldn't be the person that I am, which means I wouldn't be the trainer that I am. And if I weren't the trainer that I am, Fred may not be the service dog he was born to be! And so it is as it should be. That being said, I can give this precious dog all my love for the time he and I have left together. And undoubtedly I will love him until the end of time and carry him with me in spirit always. But when the actual moment comes to hand him over to his future, I will have to suspend my feelings...and wait until I drive away to let the tears flow.

In order to facilitate the connection between Fred and his boy, an act of absolute detachment on my part will be key. It will have to happen literally the instant I hand over the leash. To even emote in Fred's general direction during that beginning stage of their partnership will interfere with Fred and Ben's crucial bonding process. So, even though I will undoubtedly feel like crumbling into a thousand pieces at that fated moment, I will simply have no other option but to keep it together.

Make no mistake, pain is not the only emotion I will feel during this time. In fact, even the pain is part of a much bigger and fuller picture; a direct reflection of the joy Fred has brought to my life; a measure of the bond that exists and will always exist between us. Furthermore, the beauty I will inevitably see -- and in fact have already witnessed -- in the relationship between Fred and Ben will transcend the pain, no matter how great. 

Only after I've completed my job and hit the road will I allow my emotions to surface. I have no doubt this will hurt so much as to take my breath away in moments. But knowing what magic awaits in Fred and Ben's now conjoined life will carry me through.

Though it is a somewhat taboo thing to share, I would be lying if I said that Fred hasn't acted as an emotional support dog for me during the year we've spent together. He has given me purpose and faith when those things could have otherwise vanished without a trace. He has reminded me to LIVE when depression threatened to keep me under the covers forever. Fred has been a vehicle through which to share with people the important work I am doing -- whether it be one-on-one, in a classroom full of kids, via a huge social media network of adoring Fred fans, or on stage holding a microphone! Fred has been my teacher and my mirror. He has shown me what I am capable of and also the places in me that still need work. He has forgiven my trespasses and stayed close to me when I could barely keep from pushing the whole world away. Fred is, simply put, a gift.

Helping bring Fred's potential as a service dog to fruition has brought my own potential as a trainer to fruition. Not to mention, Fred has acted as a therapeutic force for rescue dogs with severe fear and anxiety owed to the darkness of their pasts. Fred can get any dog to play with him. In fact he won't let up play-bowing until he has brought out the inner-puppy in every dog he meets. In fact, Fred brings out the best in everyone, human and canine alike. 

While it has never been Fred's job to enhance my life, or be of service to me, or assist me with the particular issues that can render me helpless some days...he has done all of these things. He has done them every single day, without question and without fail. Obviously Fred is destined to enhance not only Ben's life, but the whole world of which he is such a magical part. And it has been my honor to play the role I have in his life.

Dog Speed,

Liz

Zen & The Art of Walking the Dog

Part 1/

Fred and I are thoroughly enjoying a couple of days with a friend in San Diego following our time in Long Beach. As always, we are using our time together for two purposes: to work and to play. One of my all-around favorite activities is to walk/run with dogs at night. Not only is it freeing and fun, especially in a city that is new to both Fred and me; it also provides the context for important training and practice. 

Fred, at ten months old, is going through a challenging new phase where he gets overly excited and over-stimulated on walks. If another dog enters the scene, even as far as two or three blocks ahead of us, Fred starts yipping and barking and pulling on the leash. As so many of you understand, this kind of issue is very frustrating. It is especially so with regard to a service dog in training that has only a couple of months left in which to train. 

So. We use night runs -- past duck ponds with fountains in lively cities -- as a way (for both of us) to practice being CALM in high-stimulus environments.  It's a paradoxical practice in zen: We use what naturally gets us worked up as a means of relaxing. In the midst of heightened sound and smell and movement, we practice slowing down and taking deeper breaths. At the height of my desire to maintain control, I let go. Instead of trying to "make" Fred behave a certain way, I envision -- from a place of quiet resolve -- seeing it happen naturally. 

For all of our hard work and concentration in Long Beach, we're rewarding ourselves with some laid back rest time in San Diego. We will hit the road back to Tehachapi tomorrow.

Until then, Mutt Militia, Go With Dog!

-- Liz