dog whispering and taco bell

My friend who is in organizational development and always has a keen eye on the bigger picture often says "the world doesn't need another Taco Bell". Who wants that anyway? Or for that matter another Cheesecake Factory or another Bed Bath and Beyond. Does the world need more dog trainers? Well, surely the demand may be at an all time high, but how do you know if your "professional" trainer is of the Taco Bell or the Morton's variety? In this New York Times article, they explore the trend of dog trainers popping up like fast food restaurants. Some trainers with years of experience and apprenticing, and others pay 30K, have three weeks of training and are in business. Interesting stuff...

NY Times article by Anna Jane Grossman:

A Chorus of Dog Whisperers

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/fashion/27DOGS.html

touched moved inspired

Tater has been busy trimming the house plants, keeping Molly the Plot Hound busy, while Sweets has been perfecting her winter napping under the covers. The dogs keep a smile on my face- inevitably squeaking a toy while I'm on the phone, snoring on the couch or racing in circles with sticks as long as pole vaults in their mouths. They are prana, energy and are full of life on every level. I was catching up with a friend this past week, in the time that had passed, her grandmother had died. The funny thing was, she was hardly sad, but beamed about it.
"It was unexpected"
"I'm so sorry to hear that, " (the usual, same stuff that we all say), "was it a relief?"
"Well, she wasn't eating...the MRI showed a large mass...and she said, 'I want to go home'" 

So they took her home.

Then she said, "I want you to throw a party"

They did.

That Saturday relatives and friends came to toast and celebrate. She told what family member to bake or make. She instructed who she wanted to speak (well, she wasn't that uptight, but she made a few requests). It was a late night, laughter and tears and lots of conversation

 

"After the funeral, have people back to the house for sandwiches, that way they'll get a bite to eat, but won't stay late," she told them.

Three days later she died. No pain, no suffering, utterly peaceful. And, they did make sandwiches, and they did stay late. Toasting and still celebrating the grandma, mother, sister and friend that they loved.  

 

i'm back!

Ov vey, I've been out of touch with my imaginary blog readin' community, well, hey, who knows who's reading this.
Life is interesting, perhaps what I've been reading about the Tao is starting to seem more real then ever before.
In a nutshell, when your heart is aligned with your actions, things just happen. My evidence? My colleague, Liz and I submitted a proposal to speak at the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) Expo last fall....and our proposal was accepted!!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWW! It's a total and complete honor, and in the wake of that news my creative juices have a' started flowing. It's what the say "being called into action", it's just amazing and we're so excited. Whoo! And the dogs are great!
I've started doing training sessions with them mid-day. We run across the tundra to the barn and have fun- jumps, tunnel, beginning weave poles, and they love it. I never thought of dog training as a stress reliever, because I suppose I always think it's stressful for people on the other end, but even 3 minutes messing around has been a lot of fun. I remember when Debbie Winkler suggested that I train my ferret to do something. Once I started working with her, something shifted, so I do think that working WITH your animal really does strengthen the bond. All is well, the dogs are wearing their fleeces, running among the snow flakes and cuddling under the blankies (with mom of course).
Be well!