FALL 2006 - International Association of Canine Professionals

IACP
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANINE PROFESSIONALS
Photo by Marc Goldberg
Safe Hands Journal
Volume 7
Issue 3
Autumn 2006
SAFEHANDS IS THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE
Newsletter Staff
Editor
Assistant Editors
Marc Goldberg
Vivian Bregman
Martin Deeley
Publisher
Martin Deeley
The editors reserve the right to refuse any advertising or any article
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The International Association of Canine Professionals Journal
Safehands is intended as an education and communication vehicle for fostering learning, cooperation, exchange of information,
and networking across the canine professions. Safehands is published quarterly. The IACP does not assume any legal responsibilities for published articles. The views expressed are those of
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IACP,
its officers or editorial staff.
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Copyright 2006 IACP. All Rights Reserved. No items may be reprinted
without the written permission of the IACP and authors. Members
should mail requests to the journal Editor. Original letters/articles may
be submitted to the Editor for consideration. Email submissions to
Marc Goldberg at CanineShrink@aol.com.
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IACP Membership/Journal Information
International Association of Canine Professionals
P.O. Box 56016
Monteverde, FL 34756-0156
(877) THE-IACP or (407) 469-2008; Fax (407) 469-7127
www.dogpro.org
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Available to non-members $30.00; or included free with membership
Officers
President/Executive Director
Martin Deeley
Vice President
Cyndy Douan
Secretary/Treasurer
Pat Trichter
Directors
George Cockrell, Martin Deeley, Cyndy Douan, Marc Goldberg,
Robin MacFarlane, Pat Trichter, Bob Jervis, Babette Haggerty,
Chad Mackin.
IACP Hall of Fame
Fran Kinn, Vicki Hearne, Carol Lea Benjamin, Winifred Gibson
Strickland, Lois Meistrell, Edi Munneke, Weatherwax brothers,
Dr. Ian Dunbar, Arthur “Captain” Haggerty, Jack & Wendy Volhard, Bill Koehler, Captain Max Emil Frederick V. Stephanitz
Honorary Members
Brian Kilcommons, Bash Dibra, Gary Wilkes, Cesar Millan,
Ilusion Millan
International Association
of Canine Professionals
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
The International Association of Canine Professionals is an
organization established to maintain the highest standards of
professional and business practice among canine professionals.
Its aim is to provide support and representation for all professional occupations involved with any aspect of canine management, health, training and husbandry.
The International Association of Canine Professionals’ commitment is to develop professional recognition, communication, education, understanding and cooperation across the wide diversity
of canine expertise and knowledge.
For Those Dedicated to
the Well Being of Dogs
How to Join IACP
PROFESSIONAL MEMBER – At least five years experience as
a canine professional. Can vote on IACP issues and use IACP
name and logo on business materials.
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canine professional but practicing as a professional. Can use the
IACP name and logo on business materials. May not vote.
AFFILIATE MEMBER – An active interest in a career as a canine professional but lacking the experience to be an Associate or
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International Association of Canine Professionals
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(877) THE-IACP or (407) 469-2008; Fax (407) 469-7127
Email: IACP@mindspring.com
www.dogpro.org
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IN THIS ISSUE
IACP: Follow the Leader.................................Martin Deeley .......................................................4
Behind the Scenes, Part I.................................Jill Morstad ...........................................................6
Remembering Captain Haggerty....................Laurie Fass ..........................................................11
The Contrary Dog Trainer...............................Dick Russell .......................................................13
Everything Starts With Nutrition, Part II.....Wendy Volhard ....................................................16
CPAC: Legislative Help for Canine Professionals........................... ..........................................19
IACP’s BSL Position Statement ..................................................................................................19
Bully No More...................................................Chad Mackin ......................................................20
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800-487-9867
From the President
IACP: Follow the Leader
by Martin Deeley
So much has been happening over the past three
months, with the Association growing from strength to
strength, both in numbers and visibility. Head Office is
now continually receiving telephone calls and e-mails
from the public regarding
dog related issues. A number
of these being initiated
through the strength of our
relationship with Cesar Millan and the Dog Psychology
Center. This has certainly
brought new and exciting
business opportunities to a
number of our members.
With this occurring it is important to remind ourselves
that although we are dog professionals we also have to be
able to attract the potential
clients through the information and presentation we provide on our web sites, in our
fliers, and especially over the
telephone. First impressions
and clarity of information is
essential and I would encourage all of you to not only look at the information you
provide but also to ask a third party to give you their impressions. Sometimes we live with the information so
long we do not recognize its weaknesses. The IACP is
working hard to bring clients to the ‘doors’ of our members because we know we can produce the results they
seek – help the public open the doors with good clear information on you and your services.
professionals we have a role to play in furthering this education and fostering responsibility plus common sense
regarding dog ownership. This role is not only with the
public but with those who govern our cities, states and
country. If only we could
convince dog owners to start
training their dogs and educating themselves on dog
ownership as they obtain a
puppy or even better, before
they get one. The IACP has
now produced with the advice of its BSL Committee a
position statement on BSL.
We hope that this will help
others understand where we
stand and encourage them to
come to us for advice and
support to reduce the incidents of dog aggression.
Elections time has come
around once more and two
positions are open on the
IACP Board of Directors, to
be voted for by the membership. Leaving the Board upon completion of his term of
office is George Cockrell. George has been a mover and
shaker from the very beginning and much of what IACP
does today especially regarding networking has been
George’s brain child. Robin McFarlane will also not be
seeking a further term on the Board. Robin has been on
the Board from the beginning and played a vital role in
building the annual conference to the success it is today.
In addition she has served as Secretary to the Board
where her expertise and counsel has been invaluable. On
behalf of the Association I wish to take this opportunity
publicly to thank them for their hard work and sacrifice
to the endeavors of the IACP. We are today what they
have helped us become. Now we seek new Directors
with the motivation, enthusiasm and dedication to grow
us further and continue making us the Association that
everyone follows.
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) continues to be at
the forefront of dog news. Recently in my own state of
Florida two people were killed by dogs. In both cases,
their own dogs. One of the dogs concerned was a Boxer,
and the second although it was Presa Canario was described as a breed similar to a Pit Bull. The ignorance of
the press compounds the problem. We can understand the
fear that is generated in the public, and the reactions of
the politicians, however the answer should not lie in condemning specific breeds or ‘looks’ but should be in education, training and responsible ownership. As
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Behind the Scenes with
The Dog Whisperer, Part I
by Jill Morstad
Conventional wisdom has it that we’re all just six
degrees of separation from one another, but conventional wisdom doesn’t take into account the shared
interests, talents and preoccupations that can transform six degrees into one.
sages with Lesha Eggers, who provides detailed directions to the farm, and again expresses her nervous anticipation about the opportunity to be a part of
Dog Whisperer, and her curiosity about what Cesar
Millan will do for Mollie.
Not long after returning home from the IACP conference in March, I received an e-mail from IACP
member Bob Maida reminding me that that the Dog
Whisperer show was looking for work in Nebraska,
and asking could I help? Knowing that NOBODY
ever really comes to Nebraska, except on their way
through to some other place, I said ‘sure’. A few
hours went by and then the phone rang: MPH Entertainment popped up on my caller ID.
July 14, 8:00 p.m. The camera is packed, the cell
phone charged and the van is gassed up. Time for
bed.
July 15, 4:00 a.m. Alarm goes off. In an hour I’m
showered and dressed – pouring coffee and out the
door into the early morning darkness. It is still cool
enough to be comfortable in the van without air conditioning, but I know that’s temporary. Lock in my
favorite station on the Sirius satellite radio and settle
in for the two and a half-hour drive to Hebron, the
Thayer County seat and just twenty miles from the
Kansas state line.
A couple of California phone conversations later,
I was calling some of my own clients to see if
they’d like to audition for Dog Whisperer...ultimately, we submitted five tapes representing five
different stories about dogs and families, stories that
(arguably) couldn’t be told in east Los Angeles, or at
least not in the same way they’re told here. And then
I promptly forgot about them, as the travelers on I80 continued to go whizzing by not even stopping
for gas on their way to someplace else.
July 15, 7:15 a.m. Lesha’s directions are perfect,
and I turn off Hwy 81 at Hebron and head west. Just
a few minutes later I’m pulling into the Eggers’
driveway and Grandpa Walt waves me over into a
parking place near the back step. DW photographer
Chris and his assistant are already on site and beginning to unload equipment. Good thing, because
Mark Eggers is ready to get Mollie out to move
some cattle and so the crew scurries to get set up for
the shot.
So I was surprised and delighted to learn that one
of those clients had been selected for next year’s
show — and they very graciously invited me to be
‘on location, behind the scenes’ for a mid-July taping. I was looking forward to seeing how it all happens, and to watch Cesar work with Mollie the
one-eyed, pick-up truck-tire-biting Blue Heeler pup
and her owner Mark Eggers, a third generation Nebraska farmer. It would be an exciting day...and a
hot one. The weather service was predicting 103 degrees for the eastern part of the state on the afternoon of July 15.
By 7:30 a.m. the motorhome arrives with the rest
of the Dog Whisperer team, including series director
and coordinating producers SueAnn and Christina.
Also descending from the motorhome is the sound
producer, another director of photography and the
location manager, a fellow they all call Rojo. Rojo
knows the drill and the schedule. He drives the motorhome and just about anything else he’s called on
to do. We chat as he looks around the Eggers’ farm,
then makes a broad gesture to the north, up Hwy 81
July 14, 2:00 p.m. I trade e-mail and phone mes-
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that brought us to Hebron. He’s originally from
South Dakota, he says. Me, too. It’s a small world.
July 15, 7:45 a.m. Introductions all around and
now the producer is ready to start collecting the bits
and pieces of film and story that will establish Mollie’s role on the farm, the family’s history of dogs
and livestock, and what life is like in this part of the
rural Midwest. She wants to begin by interviewing
Lesha Eggers, and selects a spot next to a large
metal outbuilding – the grass is still wet with dew
and a spiderweb sparkles in the morning sun.
moved and adjusted, lighting assessed and all the
while, the Eggers’ politely field many questions
about their history on the farm, the day-to-day operations, numbers of livestock and other crops. A
newspaper reporter arrives from nearby Deshler
(pop. 817), and as she asks questions for her news
story, the conversations grow lively as the locals explain to visitors what life is like in Thayer County.
Mollie trots around from person to person, then
heads into the large metal building that houses the
combine: the perfect place for an interview with
Mark himself.
July 15, 8:15 a.m. There is a good bit of down
time between activities, as the producers work down
their list of the interviews, farm shots and other images that will help tell Mollie’s story. Clearly, they
are accustomed to working together across a range
of circumstances, and they finish each others’
thoughts or anticipate a directive. Cameras are
Mr. Eggers has never actually seen the show —
his daughter Lesha was a student in one of the
courses for whom I guest-lecture over at the university, and she brought her Yorkie through two of my
puppy classes in Lincoln. She was thrilled when I
called her to see if Cesar might be of help with Mollie, and although her father had never seen so much
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out, the farm, the work and the Eggers family. His
challenge: to keep Mollie out from under Mark’s
pick-up.
as a single episode of Dog Whisperer, Dad went
along with us — perhaps because that’s the sort of
thing that Dads will do for daughters.
Mark Eggers drives out to the family farm each
morning from his home in nearby Ruskin. Mollie is
the ‘hired hand’. She helps with the cattle, announces the arrival of strangers, and she’s good
company.
But Mollie’s innate talents and courage for moving ornery cattle also takes another form – she
chases and bites the truck tires whenever Mark
leaves the farm without her. As a younger pup, her
teeth were twice caught in the tire treads, and one
instance required veterinary attention. As she got
older, she got bolder and more determined and her
third attack on the tires cost her an eye.
Mark Eggers descends the combine.
Mark and Lesha both regard Mollie as a valued
asset to the farm, and important and necessary to the
work done there. They would like Cesar’s help to
discourage Mollie from going after the car tires, and
to maintain her as a balanced and respectful member
of the family pack. They are well-aware that if Mollie doesn’t learn to leave the truck tires alone, her
failure to do so may well cost her her life.
Soon, it’s 9:30 a.m. and the summer sun is high
when a non-descript taupe sedan pulls on to the
property. Cesar is driving, and with him are his wife
Ilusion and their seven year old son, Calvin. They
pour out of the car, along with traveling companions
Daddy and Coco, a pit bull and a Chihuahua respectively, two dogs who would be instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen the television show.
Another round of introductions and soon Cesar is
walking around, familiarizing himself with the lay-
But first things first – the interview. SueAnn,
Bryan, Chris and Milo set up a small ‘set’ inside one
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of the barns, where it takes a few minutes to get the
light and the sound just right.
Ultimately he catches several grasshoppers in the
long grass and weeds on either side of the path, and
a little frog, too.
Meanwhile, Calvin Millan gets busy exploring.
His older brother Andre has stayed behind in Hebron to do some school work with the teacher who’s
Over in the barn, Cesar’s interview with the Eggers doesn’t take long. He has quickly understood
their problems, and their concerns and he shares
their appreciation for a good dog with a good job to
do. Mollie is getting plenty of exercise behind the
cows, and she has shown herself to be a dog of discipline and focus. Moreover, the Eggers respect her
for exactly what she is: a working farm dog. This
time, Cesar will not have to remind anyone that
dogs are not children, nor that dogs need exercise,
and work to do. There is plenty of hard physical
work to be done on the farm, and Mollie’s good
physical condition suggests that she’s been doing
her share.
With the groundwork laid and the backstories
safely in the camera, it’s time to get to work.
Mollie relaxing in the shade before her television
debut.
traveled with the family all summer, but Calvin
wanted to see the farm. So off we go. But the trip
out back to visit the baby pigs takes longer than expected, because Calvin is determined to catch a
grasshopper.
Calvin Millan and his grasshopper.
Jill Morstad PhD is an adjunct professor at Union
College and owner of Prairie Skies: Dog Training
for Open Spaces. She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The third season of Dog Whisperer premiers Monday, Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel.
iacp
Preparing for a sound check.
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telling me not to hold the leash with my left hand facing upwards
or “I would sprain my wrist”, two days later I sprained my wrist.
The lesson on how to handle the leash “so you won’t get bitten”
proved invaluable over the years, and it was Captain Haggerty that
saved my skin with that lesson many a time. While in the training
program, I asked him to tell me how I was doing. His response to
a young woman who spent most of her time in her head gave me
food for thought for some time afterwards. His answer was simply
“You need to learn how to come in for the rebound”.
The Captain had a funny way of being both in your face while
at the same time letting you hang yourself by making your own
mistakes. He was never at a loss for an answer to a question, or
lacking in enthusiasm to discuss any dog related topic. I remember, years ago seeing a piece on the TV news about Captain Haggerty. One might expect some dignified account of this learned
gentleman, but no, it was Captain Haggerty in a toga being, of all
things a dancing Buddha. That is what he was, an eccentric combining his next adventure (like being a zombie in an Italian movie)
and being a veritable genius.
I have always credited the Captain with being my teacher and
have proudly included him in any promo material I have ever
made. He is currently referenced on the WTIC Talk Radio web
site in my bio. It was through the years that I became more and
more aware of just how fortunate I was to have had the opportunity to study with this man. I am thankful that I took the time
about ten years ago to call him to reminisce, and share my gratitude and appreciation. His knowledge continues to filter down exponentially. Thank you Captain Haggerty. --by Laurie Fass.
iacp
Remembering Captain Haggerty
It was the summer of 1975 when I made the life altering decision to drop out of college and take a professional dog-training
program in Wallkill New York with Captain Haggerty. It was
there that I spent the next six weeks living over a dog kennel in a
makeshift apartment dormitory set aside for just this purpose. I
was drawn to this place based on reading an article in the New
Yorker magazine reviewing dog training schools. Captain Haggerty’s was listed, and among his many credentials was that he
was the teacher mentor of Matthew Margolis.
Margolis’s book (co authored by Modecai Seigal), Good Dog
Bad Dog was immensely popular and one of the very few books at
that time that addressed pet dogs as opposed to AKC obedience
competition format. This book has been reprinted many times and
is still available. This was a book that couldn’t have been written,
if not for the knowledge of Captain Haggerty.
I don’t even know where to begin to describe the knowledge
he passed along to me. He had a way of being both subtle and
abruptly blunt. Watching him in action was something I was not
prepared for. Coming from a family that valued academics and intellectual achievement, learning the value of physical harmony
and connection was one of the many gifts that Captain Haggerty
gave me.
I will never forget the demonstration he gave with a completely untrained Doberman, handling it to make it “look like it
was trained”. He was a very big man who moved with the grace of
a dancer and the precision of a sharp shooter. I remember him
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The Contrary Dog Trainer
Let them eat cauliflower
by Dick Russell
“To train a dog, you have to be as smart as the
dog.” Lewis Epps
about to fall apart, but hasn’t quite. Aaaaeeee, as the
Cajuns say. It’ll make you want to slap yo mamma.
Cauliflower is an absolutely wonderful vegetable,
both in the garden and on the table. Those of you who
buy your groceries at the supermarket probably know
just the white colored variety. But us dig in the dirt
types get to enjoy it in several
pastels - lime-green, peach and
orange as well.
Cauliflower is also a good tool to use if you want to
teach your dog to go lie down in a corner instead of
drooling on your plate while you’re eating dinner.
Lying in the corner is incompatible with drooling on
your plate. Teaching and
using incompatible behaviors is what this discourse is
about.
As most Americans cook it,
cauliflower should never be part
of a meal. Steamed - on it’s own cauliflower has all the taste of
wrapping paper. Sorry, because I
know most folks eat this way, but
food that tastes like an L.L. Bean
catalog ain’t worth the effort it
takes to fork it to your mouth.
And the other way cauliflower is
cooked is even worse. It’s lethal.
I’m thinking about slathered with
melted cheese or drowned in butter. Butter broadens your belly.
Cheese chokes your arteries. Both
guarantee a sooner rather than
later cruise down the River Styx.
The theory behind the use
of incompatible behaviors and, I guess, the justification
for their use - is that an animal cannot, at the same
time, be doing a thing that
we approve of and a thing
that drives us out of our
minds. He can’t, at the same
time, be doing something
that rates attaboys and
something that’s going to
cause us to have to tear out
our hair. The theory says
that he’ll always choose the
easy way out.
But as my darling housekeeper, Miss Nancy, dishes
it up, cauliflower tickles the palate, firms the belly,
scrubs out the plaque and will let all of you to reach
my venerable age with a big old happy smile on your
face. A few dead-ripe tomatoes hot from the sun and
not more than ten minutes from the garden, a handful
of basil leaves, just a few snippets from the tarragon
bush, a quick grind of black pepper, a quick grind of
black pepper, a quick grind of black pepper (that ain’t
a typo. Lot’s of black pepper.) and a pinch of sugar.
And it all slow simmered until the cauliflower is just
The problem with the theory is that it doesn’t always work. If it did, our prisons wouldn’t be full, our
marriages wouldn’t be falling apart, our mama’s
would have never learned what switches were for and
the public wouldn’t have to be spending their hard
earned money procuring the services of professional
puppy tamers.
That the theory doesn’t usually work is not the fault
of the theory. The problem lies in how we try to apply
it. And how is that? Without understanding what we
are doing. And despite the fact that we get paid to
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work with dogs, quite often without understanding
how dogs operate. Your dog, my dog, your client’s
dog, really doesn’t care whether she ever pleases us.
This flies in the face of the warm, cuddly image by
which dogs have portrayed themselves over the eons,
but it’s a fact.The only creature a dog really wants to
satisfy is herself. If in the process of satisfying herself, she happenstance pleases us, she’s cool with it.
But she, not we, was the priority.
And finally, in the moment, every creature will
choose to do what gives him the best reward, or if the
rewards are of equal value, the one which requires the
least effort. Now you’re as smart as a dog. Now you
can train a dog. Now you can make teaching incompatible behaviors work.
How does a dog learn to beg at the table? Some
dummy - at my house, it’s me - sitting at the table
gives her a morsel. Since we are living in the moment,
thus it will do no harm, first thing you know, I’ve
given her another. Annie likes Cauliflower a la Miss
Nancy as much as I do. Have another, Pup.
Dogs - in fact, all creatures - are motivated by pleasure. We all want to be happier, more comfortable, be
having more fun than than we were just seconds ago.
When do we want to be happier? Right now. We all
live in the moment.
I have sown the seeds of aggravation.
Dinner before going to class is Miss Nancy’s String
Beans. It’s the same recipe as for cauliflower except
that you replace the cauliflower with string beans and
everything else with garlic. A bean for me, a bean for
Annie.
“Uh, Mr. Writer,” one of you is about to scream,
“you said, ‘we. Humans do not live just in the moment. Humans can envision and plan for and live in
the future. It’s the difference between us and the lesser
animals.”
The weed is pushing through the rich earth. I realize it. Next day’s lunch is roasted eggplant. Pick them
before they are three inches long, before the bitterness
begins to creep in. Slice them lengthwise, anoint them
with olive oil and roast. Any fool can make this wonderful dish. The secret is in the tiny fruits. I eat them
all. Annie is disappointed, but I can’t let a problem get
out of control.
Baloney. It’s a con game dreamed up by parents and
preachers and teachers, employers and clicker trainers
- all the folks who can’t or won’t deliver what they
are promising - so they put you off with be good now,
do as you are told and you’ll eventually get your just
reward - more privileges, life everlasting or a room
full of virgins (depending on your take on things), a
good job, a better job, a much stronger thumb.
I didn’t eat right before going to class. Class though
was wonderful. All my classes are wonderful. This
group is extraordinarily wonderful. After class, I down
a gallon of celabratory Guinness. Back home, I’m
hungry. I’m also slightly mellow. I share a quick snack
with Annie, because she asked. I’ve now taught her
that persistence pays dividends. This lesson, dogs
learn much quicker than, say, hitting the contact zone
off the A- Frame. This lesson, they never forget. I now
have a dog who will beg at my table from this time
forward, ‘til death do us part.
What we do get is no fun, no fun, and still more no
fun (I’m still thinking, black pepper), stress, ulcers,
heart attacks and cruises on the Styx. There ain’t a
nickel’s worth of difference between you and a dog
or that mouse that’s sneaking past a sleeping cat. We
live in the moment. All of us. It’s all we have. It’s the
only happiness there will ever be.
Accept it. Wallow in it. Feel the freedom and joy of
NOW.
“The moment,” though, must come. That’s what
parents, preachers, teachers, employers and many dog
trainers overlook. Without the moment we become
bratty teenagers, back sliding sinners, unreliable job
jumpers, e-collar trainers and our clients give up and
haul the dog to the pound. Without the moment, nothing good happens.
Were it just Annie and myself hanging out at home
together, I could live with her begging. But occasionally, there is the sloe-eyed, nubile wench I’ve conned
into coming over for a home cooked, candlelit dinner.
A begging dog drooling into her plate doesn’t do
much to put her into a romantic mood. So, having created the problem, I now have to fix it. Stopping Annie
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from begging is out of the question. I’ve taught her
that begging for as long as it takes pays off. What I
have to do is teach her a different and easier way to
beg.
joyed, as all meals should be. A lesson completed.
Next meal is a repeat. But the meal after is just a
tad different. Annie gets her first curd as I finish my
last. Wait a bit is the message. Patience. The moment
will arrive. I don’t feed her the next time I eat. The
meal after, though, Annie gets a curd tossed to her as
I sit down. And she learns to persist. And persist she
will as long as there is the occasional pay off. And we
did it without me having to hammer on my friend.
Lying quietly in the corner while I’m eating is incompatible with drooling in my plate. Begging while
lying in the corner is easier than bouncing up and
down at the table. Being fed Nancy’s cauliflower cum
tomato is more pleasurable than anything else man or
beast will ever experience. I have Nancy cook a large
pot of it.
As long as you remember the three things that you
must know to be as smart as a dog, as long as you insure that the moment does come, you can use the
teaching of performing incompatible behaviors as an
alternative to frustration.
I fill my plate. I put it on the table. I pour a glass of
Pinot Grigio. Annie is bouncing. Annie is drooling. I
spear a curd with my fork. I walk Annie to the corner.
I ask her to lie down I give her the curd. I ask her to
stay. I sit at the table, spear another curd and toss it to
her. I repeat stay. I eat some of the Miss Nancy’s cooking myself. I swirl the glass, stick my nose in to enjoy
the wine’s volatile bouquet and pitch Annie another
curd. I don’t have to repeat, “stay.” Annie is a border
collie. She learns quick. I sip the wine. I eat the cauliflower. I pitch Annie the occasional curd. A meal en-
Try it. It’s about as nice as eating Miss Nancy’s
cooking.
Dick Russell writes a regular column for the SafeHands Journal. He operates the modestly named
Dog Obedience With Dick Russell in Greenwell
Springs, LA. Dick’s wide ranging interests include
growing organic food.
iacp
15
Everything Starts With Nutrition
Part II
by Wendy Volhard
Digestion - adequate or not?
A study at a Veterinary School in
Sweden to determine how long it
takes to put a dog
safely under anesthesia after he has
eaten, revealed the
enzymes take a long time to travel through the blood
stream into the stomach, hence the long digestion time. A
raw food diet provides the enzymes necessary for its own
digestion, and travels through the stomach into the small
intestine all ready to provide energy to the puppy. Continuously robbing enzymes from vital glands and organs is
debilitating to the system, and the dog prematurely ages,
thus reducing life span.
Life Span
A dog’s normal life span is anywhere from 16-20 years
of age, depending upon the breed. Few dogs today live
that long, notwithstanding vaccinations and all the other
advances in veterinary medicine. I firmly believe a contributing factor to shorter life spans is poor nutrition.
Diet Choices
Below I list four options for you to think about when
feeding your puppy. If you wish to use a good grade commercial food, I list my recommendations below. All of
following:
Dogs fed dry kibble took 15-16 hours for the food to
pass through their stomachs.
Dogs fed semi moist food or canned food, took only 89 hours for the food to clear the stomach.
Dogs fed a natural diet of raw foods only took 4 1/2
hours for the food to clear the stomach.
An enlightening study, since it proves the statement earlier, that our dogs are wolves inside their bodies. Wolves
never had the luxury of making fires and cooking their
meat. They had to eat on the run and quickly, often competing with pack mates for the tasty morsels. While they
ate the meat, their first “pickings” of a carcass were the intestines, the organs and then the meat, and lastly the bones.
They had to be able to break down food quickly, and utilize the energy it gave them, since they often would cover
over 50 miles of territory a day. Looking at this and rereading the time for digestion above, it is not surprising,
that kibbled dog food fed alone, while being a convenience, is not necessarily the best way to feed a dog.
If you choose this convenience, then you have to add
back those ingredients lost by cooking, plus provide some
fresh raw food, for the stomach to work correctly.
The importance of Enzymes
Enzymes are what make a body work well. The body
makes some on its own, but many come from what your
dog eats. Enzymes are only contained in live food - not
food that has been cooked. The reason why dry kibbled
food or canned food stays in the stomach so long is that
there are not enough enzymes in the stomach to break the
food down. The stomach sends a message to the brain begging for help! The brain responds by sending messages to
vital organs and glands in the body to send some of their
enzymes into the stomach, so the cooked food can be
processed. This process is called “enzyme robbing” and it
happens when only cooked food is fed to your puppy. The
16
these diets have been long term clinically tested by me, and
will work for you and your puppy. You’ll find the right
one that fits your level of comfort and you will know that
your puppy’s health and longevity are protected.
Feeding Option 1
Feed the following twice a day. Quantities listed are
for a 50lb dog, and amounts need to be adjusted to the
weight of your dog.
1 ½ cups of Performance Food
2 teaspoons “Endurance”
½ cup of water
Mix and serve.
“Endurance is a dehydrated complete food supplement
made from natural, raw ingredients, which is added to each
meal. It replaces all the nutrients that are lost in the cooking process. After one month of using Endurance, cut the
amount in half. When the dog is exposed to stress – anything from training, showing, going on vacation, having
vaccines or being left in a kennel, double the amount again.
Make sure to reduce the amount when your dog gets home.
Feeding Option 2
Feed the following twice a day. Quantities listed are
for a 50lb dog, and amounts need to be adjusted to the
weight of your dog.
1 1/2 cups Performance food
1/4 tsp. Vitamin C
1 vitamin B-complex tablet
1/8th tsp. Vitamin/mineral mix
1/4 cup of beef (hamburger, 80/20% meat/fat ratio) or,
2/3 meat and 1/3rd liver for a total of 1/4 cup. You can
also use chicken and chicken liver instead of beef.
2 Tbsp. Fresh vegetables
2Tbsp. Fresh or dried fruit
To the morning meal, every other day, add a 5-minute
boiled egg, complete with shell.
Once a week substitute cottage cheese or fish for the
meat.
Once a week use Yogurt with live cultures instead of
meat.
If you notice undigested vegetables in your dog’s stool,
par boil them before using. This will help your dog break
them down and utilize them more easily.
This option adds raw and natural foods back into your
dog’s diet and aids in the digestion of cooked, kibbled
foods.
Treats
Try carrot sticks, dried liver, broccoli , parsnips, lettuce,
bananas, prunes, cucumbers or any fruit or vegetable in
season. Stay away from the commercial treats, like highly
colored biscuits, or raw-hide chew toys.
Treats put inside one of the many varieties of Kong toys,
can keep your puppy happy for a long time, which is helpful when he is left alone.
Feeding Option 3
If you want to feed a totally natural diet, but don’t have
the time to make your own, there is now an alternative. The
Natural Diet Foundation is a food that is dehydrated rather
that heat processed. Also, it is a food that uses the principles of food-combining. The pup is fed a cereal meal in the
morning, to which you add water to reconstitute it, some
yogurt and a small amount of vegetables. In the evening,
you add some fresh raw meat or chicken.
Food combining is a concept that allows the dog to break
down it’s food more efficiently, since different types of
foods are separated. Less enzymes are needed to break
down two food groups than three food groups. The strain
on the digestive system is less, making it healthier and
more efficient. Available from the company listed below,
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the directions come with the package. This food takes little preparation and provides the puppy/dog with a strong
immune system.
Feeding Option 4
Making your own dog food from scratch. For the majority of pet owners, making their own dog food is an unrealistic option. Still, you would be surprised how many
people do it. For details, see the book listed below.
How many times a day do I feed my puppy?
Until a puppy gets his second teeth - anywhere from 46 months, depending upon the breed - he should be fed four
times a day and double the amount he would eat as an
adult. 8 a.m.,12 noon, 4p.m. and 8p.m. are the usual times,
but you can change those to reflect your own schedule.
After the second teeth are in, most pups will not be hungry
at lunch-time and that meal can be dropped. Around 7
months or so, the pup’s food can be made into two meals
- one in the morning, and one in the evening. This is the
best way to feed a dog. Feeding once a day is not recommended, as the amount of food is too much for the digestive system to handle all at once and utilization is less
efficient.
Conclusion
Good luck with your new puppy - it’s up to you now
what to do. Remember he is a tiny baby and reliant upon
your good decisions. This bundle of joy can be with you for
another 15 years or so - everything you do correctly now,
is like buying insurance. It will pay off!
I recommend the following products:
Endurance, Dry dog food, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-complex, plus Vit/Min mix, called Recover for puppies, and
Wellness for Adults.
The home made diet is called NDF (Natural Diet Foundation).
PHD Products 1 800 743-1502 www.phdproducts.com
For more information, see “The Holistic Guide For A
Healthy Dog” (2nd Ed.) Volhard/Brown DVM (Howell
Book House, 2000).
Wendy Volhard will speak on nutrition and behavior
at the 2007 IACP Conference. She became interested in
canine nutrition in 1973, when her Landseer Newfoundland “Heidi”, at the age of six, was diagnosed with degenerative kidney disease and was given six months to
live. With the help of “The Complete Herbal Book For
The Dog” by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Wendy began
making her own dog food. Heidi thrived on her new diet
and lived to be 12. Since then, Wendy has become one of
the leading authorities on canine nutrition. She is consulted by dog owners the world over, breeders and veterinarians, and conducts nutrition seminars. She has
lectured and written extensively about the connection between nutrition and behavior, health, performance and
longevity. Wendy and her husband Jack Volhard were iniacp
ducted into the IACP Hall of Fame in 2006.
18
CPAC...Legislative Help
&
IACP Announces BSL Position
CPAC: Legislative help for dog pros
The IACP BSL Position Statement
We’ve all known it was coming for years. Dog trainers and
dog groomers have long suspected that eventually the government would try to license their professions. Most aren’t even
opposed to the concept of licensing, it’s the fear that when
government gets involved in most anything, things get out of
hand. What would licensing legislation look like and what
would we do to make sure it doesn’t put us out of business in
the process?
Well…. the time has come. Two years ago New Jersey introduced a bill to license dog trainers. Last year California,
Pennsylvania, and this year New York introduced bills to license dog groomers. These bills would have put many completely out of business and would have had a serious negative
impact on most others. Luckily, so far none of them have been
passed. But we can’t count on luck alone to protect our businesses and professions. It’s fully expected that at least the
Pennsylvania and New York groomer licensing bills will be
back for the 2007 state legislative sessions. In all likelihood,
there will be even more in 2007.
Other professions, like veterinarians, doctors, etc., have organizations that represent their interests when government introduces legislation that could interfere with their ability to
conduct business, remain profitable, and compete in the marketplace. While there are a number of excellent professional
organizations for both dog groomers and dog trainers, there
has never been one with the focus, expertise, and determination to represent the dog training and dog grooming professions effectively and efficiently at the various levels of
government. Until now!
The Canine Political Action Corps, Inc., (CPAC), is a
501(c)6 nonprofit organization that has been formed for exactly that purpose. CPAC has a very narrow and very specific
purpose. The sole mission is to monitor government activity
relating to the professions of dog training and dog grooming in
order to influence any legislation as early in the process as possible, defeat harmful legislation, and encourage legislation
beneficial to the professions.
State and local governments are expected to be busy with licensing and other legislation directly affecting trainers and
groomers for many years to come. It’s time we do something
about it. What can you do? Join the Pac…. CPAC! Memberships start at only $50. Sponsorships start at only $250. You
can get more information at www.CaninePAC.org, or call toll
free at 866-465-CPAC.
We’re very proud to say that IACP stepped up to the plate as
CPAC’s first Platinum Sponsor. We appreciate IACP’s foresight and dedication to the canine professions it represents.
iacp
The International Association of Canine Professionals strongly
opposes legislation which discriminates against dogs and their
owners by labeling certain dogs as “dangerous” or “vicious” based
on breed or phenotype. Breed-specific legislation does not protect
communities nor create a more responsible dog owner. Instead it
negatively affects many law abiding dog owners and dogs within
the targeted breeds.
Breed or breed type is only one factor which determines an individual dog’s temperament. Many other factors also influence behavior. In the case of aggressive acts by dogs, factors may include,
but are not limited to: genetic predisposition; irresponsible handling; lack of animal management; general care; proper socialization and training; poor housing conditions; physical ailment, and
lack of education and supervision.
A common and serious error in the ‘assumption of risk by
breed’ is the inability to identify individual dogs by breed, according to an established breed standard or breed type. Purebred dogs
which are registered with national clubs may or may not fit the
ideal standard for their breed. As dogs are further distanced from
the “ideal” standard by phenotype, especially in mixed breeds, it
may become all but impossible for accurate identification.
The vast majority of dogs typically affected by breed-specific
legislation are not “dangerous” by any standard. Their physical
appearance alone cannot be used as an indicator of an aggressive
nature. Breed-specific legislation creates an undue burden on responsible owners of targeted breeds - dogs which are most often
not dangerous to their communities.
Enforcing breed-specific laws is extremely difficult. It requires
funding which would otherwise be available for the enforcement
of more effective laws which target truly dangerous dogs on an individual basis. It is also costly to the court system.
Limiting the risk of dog bites should be the legal responsibility
of the dog owner. The IACP believes in the importance of educating owners in the proper selection, care, socialization and training
of dogs. We also recognize the importance of teaching the general
public, and especially children, in bite prevention skills and techniques.
The IACP supports the creation and enforcement of laws which
protect responsible dog owners while at the same time promote
the safety of all. We support laws which penalize irresponsible
dog owners on an individual basis. Current animal control laws
should be enforced. In many communities, laws allow officials to
confiscate the individual dog who has proven dangerous. This,
along with the education we advocate, will help the public not to
simply feel safer, but actually to be safer. A very small minority
of dogs pose any signficant threat to humans. Dog ownership, on
the whole, improves quality of life for countless families. iacp
19
Bully No More
by Chad Mackin
Recently, a new wave of dominance based
training ideas has sprung up. Perhaps it is not so
much a new wave as it is resurgence. I hear it
from other trainers and also from clients. “Dominance is the root of most problems in the relationship.” As a professional dog trainer I hear more
and more people expressing the need to be more
dominant in their relationships with their dog.
These sentiments are often followed by a list of
the dominance exercises they have been doing, or
have been told to do, things like always eating before the dog, or always going through doors first,
or rolling the dog over. These conversations are
always difficult for me. They are difficult because what my client is coming to me with is
often a homogenous mixture of truth, half-truth,
and all natural bovine processed fertilizer. It is
my job to separate the three parts and create for
them a coherent picture of their dog, of their relationship with the dog, and realistic ways to deal
with whatever problems exist in the relationship.
The very first thing I do is I change the language. I do not talk about “dominance”. The
very word tends to create an adversarial mindset.
It fills the head with images of conflict, often violent conflict, and a contest of wills. Once the images of control for control’s sake enter the picture,
they skew the training regimen. So I guide my
clients towards language that more accurately reflects the dog’s needs, I talk about leadership. I
remind them that good leaders are not bullies.
Good leaders are confident and straightforward,
but they are not rude and are rarely pushy, they
don’t have to be. Good leaders understand that
respect must be earned; it cannot be “taken” nor
demanded. I often tell students “Give me a big
enough stick and a cold enough heart and I can
make any creature fear me, but I cannot force any
creature to like, trust, or respect me. The best I
can do is to create a climate that is conducive to
those things. I can behave in a trustworthy, likable and respectable way.” I can force a dog to
follow me physically, but I can’t force a dog to invest himself into a relationship with me. I cannot
force pack drive. I can physically dominate any
dog through force and cunning, but that will make
me a bully, not a leader. The way dominance theory is commonly presented creates problems. Too
many people believe they must “take” what can
only be received if given freely. They are trying
to bully their dogs into respecting them and that
will render mediocre training at best. So I change
the language to more clearly describe the problem
and the solution.
The next problem that has to be tackled is that
of so-called dominance or alphabetizing exercises.
These are those little exercises that make up so
much of the printed material on dog training; the
little things that are supposed to teach the dog that
you are the boss. They are, again equal parts truth,
half-truth and compost.
There was a recent discussion on the safehands
email list about dominance exercises. The question was (I believe) “What three dominance exercises are your favorites?” or something along
those lines. I started to write a response, but it
would’ve either been too wordy or too abrupt so I
decided to shelve it for the time. My initial answer was “Being a leader is my only alphabetizing
exercise… period”. But that answer really should
have a little more substance.
Years ago I had a client with a cute little Ori-pei
who had decided she was the boss and was absolutely unwilling to relinquish control to her
capricious, wishy-washy, timid owner. As I explained to the client that her puppy had serious
dominance issues, she looked at me with growing
incredulity. Finally, overwhelmed by exasperation, she interrupted me “But she lets me take her
food away! So she knows I’m boss right!” The
last part of the statement was spoken with a gutwrenching sort of desperation that revealed how
much she had invested in achieving this feat and
how much of her hope was founded on it.
To be honest this question stopped me dead in
my tracks, obviously she wasn’t right, but this
was the sort of thing I had been preaching. I had
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carved out a pretty good living for myself, not to
mention a sterling reputation, teaching people to
express their dominance by doing alphabetizing
exercises. Controlling food, taking food, not allowing the dog to growl when food is present and
those sorts of things were all things I would suggest. And this was the first time that the insanity
of that approach showed itself. I struggled for a
few moments for a way to reconcile what I had
been telling people, with the report I was getting
from this person and I failed miserably. I could
only conclude one of two things. Either the
woman was lying about her dog letting her take
the food, or I was wrong about many things. I
settled upon the latter, there was some piece of the
puzzle that was missing. I went looking for it
and found it very quickly. In fact it was glaringly
obvious. The woman was trying to establish a
dominant role in the relationship via one exercise
done twice daily. That is worse than insane, it is
idiotic and there is no excuse for grown-ups to believe such nonsense. The dog walked all over her
all day long, and she believed, and was encouraged to believe by so-called experts, that if she
could only get the dog to put up with her shenanigans at meal times, she would magically become
the leader. This was, and is, utter and complete
nonsense. There is no exercise, or series of exercises that are going to gain your dog’s respect.
This is an unavoidable fact. That left me with another problem, one whose answer was not quite so
obvious. The problem was that until this particular dog, these alphabetizing exercises had been
producing respectable, occasionally miraculous
results. I had to figure out what was happening.
The solution was found in the realization that I
have taken a very narrow view of a very complex
relationship. The issue was never dominance per
se, but relationship. Dominance is only one factor
of that relationship, and what I had been doing,
beyond these alphabetizing exercises, was addressing the relationship as a whole. I hadn’t
been aware of what I was doing, but I had developed an approach to dominance control that created a system of communication, established rules
of interaction, improved the consistency of my
clients and thereby improved the consistency of
the dog. In other words, what I had looked at as
showing the dog who was boss, was far more subtle and complex. I was literally giving the dog
peace of mind by making his world more predictable. I gave the dog the ability to know with a
new degree of certainty how their behavior was
21
going to affect their environment. It was nothing
less than giving them the gift of self-determination. The world became a less scary place. They
no longer had to wonder what would happen if
they did ‘X’, the consequence was predicable and
dependable. Mountains of stress fell off these
dogs as they became their own creatures.
These things I did while I was fixing my gaze
only on the need to be dominant. Once I recognized that dominance was such a small part of the
equation, I started making subtle changes to my
program that focused more on giving the dog consistency than on jockeying for control, and the result was better, faster, and more complete
solutions to behavioral problems.
Once I get my clients thinking of themselves as
leaders, I will still encourage leadership exercises,
but truthfully, these are, I think, more for them
than for the dogs. These exercises get them in the
habit of behaving like leaders and help them learn
what leadership looks and feels like. The benefit
for the dog is a by-product of this. If the owner
doesn’t think of himself as a leader neither will
the dog.
The next misconception sprouting from dominance theory is the belief that most dogs are
rebels waiting for their chance to overthrow the
current regime. This just isn’t true. Most dogs
are more than happy to let the better leader lead.
They don’t want to be in control, they just want to
get through the day with as little conflict as possible. So if there is no strong leader to keep the
peace, they will step up to do so, whether they
want to or not. Once shown that their services as
leader are no longer needed, most dogs will readily and quickly give up their leadership position.
However, if a dog has been dealing with inconsistent owners for a long time, he may need some
convincing that they are really taking the position
for good. Most dogs who live with poor leaders
find from time to time their owners will try to take
a strong stand on an issue, as in the previously
mentioned case of the woman who could take her
dog’s food away. Consequently, when their owners initially try to be strong about things, it they
are understandably skeptical about the sincerity of
the attempt. These dogs will not abdicate right
away they will test a bit. But this isn’t because
they want to hold onto the position; it is simply
that they don’t trust their owners to stick to their
guns on the leadership thing.
However, a good many professionals and ama-
teurs alike mistake this to be stubbornness, or resistance to authority. No doubt there are a few
dogs who want to be leader and are willing to
fight long and hard for the privilege but they are
few and far between. By and large if a dog sees
you as a competent and ready leader he will
gladly let you lead.
This mistaken ideas that dogs want to be the
leader has a tendency to turn every unobeyed
command into an act of sedition. It creates a borderline paranoiac atmosphere in which the owners
are always looking for signs that the big coup is
imminent. This puts an obvious strain on the relationship and inhibits the development of a true
partnership. Ironically, the mistaken belief that
the dog is trying to usurp the leader, damages the
relationship and can actually erode the dog’s trust
in the leader creating the tension the owner was
seeking to avoid.
The final, and perhaps most difficult misconception about dominance in dogs is the refusal of
otherwise reasonable people to allow their dog to
set boundaries and express concern. I want say at
the outset, lest I be misunderstood “I do not believe it to be acceptable for a dog to snap, growl,
show teeth, or in any other way menace a human
being.” (This obviously excludes legitimate protection scenarios). However, the above behaviors
are normal modes of canine communication.
They exist in all dog relationships and will exist
unless they are removed from their vocabulary
through training. Moreover, they are not violent
behaviors, they are not intended to harm or injure,
rather they are means of communication.
I regularly run large field socialization classes
wherein dogs of all sizes and ages are let loose to
run amongst themselves with almost no human interference. If anyone wants to learn how wrong
the accepted models of dog dominance are, they
need only watch a few of these classes with an
open and critical mind. Submissive dogs snap at
dominant dogs all the time, and the dominant
dogs do not seem to take this as a threat to their
leadership, nor do they take it as behavior that
needs to be corrected. What they do, is respect
the boundaries set by the submissive dog and
change their behavior. They either leave, or they
refine their approach. It is not submission. It is
respect. Of course there are exceptions, bullies do
exist in the dog world (usually this is the result of
their own poor social skills and they tend to get
better with regular socialization) but they are a
definite minority, and as such they are the worst
22
type of dog for us to emulate. Watching socialization, it is easy to see how much stress those bullies cause in the other dogs, they are avoided
whenever possible and tolerated when necessary,
but no dogs ever seek the bully out as a companion. It just doesn’t happen. And yet, so many
people who misunderstand the nature of dominance try to behave like these canine thugs, imposing their will with absolutely no concern for
the dog’s comfort or concerns. They are modeling
their behavior after the least effective canine negotiators.
Watching a real leader of dogs work will reveal
a very different picture than the one presented in
most dominance based training methodologies. A
true leader is not violent or physically forceful unless all else has failed and the matter is worth
fighting over. If a lesser dog is ready to defend a
low-grade resource with violence, a true leader
will typically let him have his way. Some things
are not worth fighting over, and besides, a good
leader knows when to reward his crew.
It is no so much that dominance theory is
wrong, it is just that too many of us give it too
much priority. We think about it a whole lot more
than the dogs do. In the process, we who seek to
be “balanced trainers”, often bring the training
picture completely off balance, by placing more
emphasis on dominance, than on other more central relationship issues, such as trust and clear
communication. Too often we seek not to lead,
but to compel. No doubt this often produces results. However, the larger picture suffers. A
trained dog cannot be described merely by what
actions the dog will or will not perform. Obedience is about the dog’s approach to relationship,
the dog’s willingness to work for and with us.
Good training engages the dog on a level the compulsion and bribery cannot touch. It begins with
us approaching the dog with respect for his dogness, and inviting him into a bigger world, a
world with more meaning or perhaps more importantly, more meaningful interaction.
It is not really more work to do it this way, but
psychologically it requires a shift in focus from
the narrow confines of dominance and into the
broader world of relationship. But it is worth the
journey, not only for us, but for the dogs as well.
I have never looked back.
Chad Mackin is an IACP Director and head
trainer at A+ Dog Obedience in Webster, TX. iacp
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