6 minute read
Getting Long-Term Results
by JBMC Media
GETTING LONG-TERM RESULTS Patience, consistency are key to making training stick
In the world of dog training, when using humane, science-based training to produce long term results, there are no shortcuts. This is where the art of patience comes into play. Every dog is unique, and every situation is different, so we must keep that in mind when first meeting and working with them. For example, if we meet a dog who is fearful of new people and the only progress we make in our first session is the dog eating food on the ground 10 feet away from us, that is okay. In fact, we should only work as his/her pace and celebrate the bravery that dog has shown. One mantra I find myself using time and time again is, “progress not perfection.”
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The other crucial aspect of working with dogs is practicing consistency. Being consistent means practicing in the exact same way, no matter the people or circumstances. Say a dog is struggling with greeting family members by jumping on them. Mom handles the situation appropriately by turning and removing attention until the dog has all four paws on the ground or, even better, is sitting. But what happens if Dad loves to rub his face and pet his body when he jumps up exuberantly. This is not a consistent practice; in fact, the dog is getting mixed signals from his family. It is not the dog’s fault for jumping; this misbehavior is due to the family’s lack of consistency.
If I could give pet owners or aspiring dog trainers any advice, it would be that dog training comes down to practicing patience and consistency. Utilizing positive reinforcement and ending short training sessions on good successful reps will set you and your dog up for success. Lastly, if you and/or your dog ever feel stressed when training, take a breath, take a break, pet them, and tell them how much you love them. After all, if the training is not fun for both parties, then what’s the point?
ONE AREA WOMAN FINDS HER CANINE FRIEND—AND LOVE— ACROSS THE POND.
By Jeana Durst
Sometimes we don’t just care for animals—they actually care for us. Birmingham native Sharon Evans knows this firsthand. In 2014, she had moved to the coast of Mississippi for work during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was there that she met Nicholas Pitt, an England native living in the Bahamas, through the introduction of mutual friends. They immediately felt a special connection, and in December of 2015, Nicholas moved to Mississippi to be near Sharon.
About two weeks after he moved, he went to the doctor thinking he had a bad cold when they did a CT scan and he found out he had cancer. Shortly thereafter, he went back home to Bath, England. In February of 2016, Sharon joined him for a few weeks on a vacation trip. It was then that this newly formed couple found out that he had stage four lung cancer, and, sadly, that he had only about a year to live.
At that point, as they were trying to “swallow the news,” Sharon had to fly back to the States to try to resume her life the best she could. By the end of March, Nicholas asked her to if she would consider coming to join him in England for the last year of his life. “I said ‘you know what, I’ll be happy to.’”
Soon she moved over, but only two weeks after she got there, he had an episode of illness that worsened, and he died the very next day. He had family that lived there, and the rent for the flat was paid for six months, so Sharon stayed. “His sister said, ‘you know, why don’t you get a dog and stay for a while?’”
And she also made another important suggestion, urging Sharon to get a dog to keep her company. “We found a breeder on the coast of England in Cardiff, and I found my forever friend in a red cockapoo named Brindley,” she says, adding, that the name is actually Nicholas’s middle name.
It wasn’t long before Sharon and Brindley went everywhere together, touring around. “I even bought a baby carrier for the pup, and we would walk for miles.” This gave Sharon something else to focus on besides her grief. During the sad times, Brindley would comfort her. “She understood, I guess, because we are so in sync and so in tune. She helped me get through that. It’s like having a child, you have to be strong and take care of that little individual,” Sharon says. In a new place after the love of her life had just passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, this was invaluable. “She saved my life,” Sharon says.
After six months was up, Brindley got a passport and became Sharon’s emotional support dog and flew back all the way home from England to the U.S. on her lap. When I asked Sharon about the impact of the whole experience, she says it really taught her that life is so short and we have one chance for happiness. “No regrets, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve got Brindley and believe everything happens for a reason.”
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FIGHTING TO KEEP ANIMAL CRUELTY BILLS OUT OF THE STATE’S LEGISLATURE
By Lauren H. Dowdle
Animal rights activist groups and animal lovers alike should pay attention to the state’s upcoming legislation session, says Mindy Gilbert, the Alabama senior state director for the Humane Society of the United States. When the 2021 session resumes in February, Gilbert expects to see the introduction of a bill similar to the controversial Senate Bill 196 (SB 196), which was on the floor last year. “It would have repealed local ordinances protecting animals and removed municipality to enact others,” Gilbert says.
SB 196 would have legalized several forms of animal enterprises with cruel practices—such as puppy mills, dog fighting, traveling circuses, and roadside zoos. The proposed bill would have also transferred the jurisdiction over existing animal protection laws from local authorities to the
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This bill and other similar ones have been brought to the legislation by an Ohio-based chain of retail pet stores that sells dogs from puppy mills, Gilbert says. “Pet owners who believe animals should be treated humanely should be very concerned about this bill,” Gilbert says. “If they see an animal being cruelly mistreated and call for it to receive immediate help, enactment of a bill like this would prevent that.”
Beyond possible bills, educating consumers that a pet store purchase of a purebred dog likely means the dog came from a puppy mill is also important, she says. “Bringing consumer awareness to the issue is essential in ending mass commercial breeding of companion
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animals in deplorable conditions,” she says.
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