[bksvol-discuss] Fw: [ReadingClub4TheBlind] For pet trainer to the stars, short leash is not the answer

  • From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:28:27 -0400

I saw this book, thought someone might be interested in scanning.
Amber
<ReadingClub4TheBlind@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 12:48 PM
Subject: [ReadingClub4TheBlind] For pet trainer to the stars, short leash is not the answer


For pet trainer to the stars, short leash is not the answer

Dog trainer Tamar Geller says her horrific childhood helped her understand
"what it means for a pet to be misunderstood, to be used as a scapegoat in
the
family dynamic."

FOR A GOOD DOG, MEET BASIC NEEDS

Problem behavior in dogs results when any one of these seven basic needs is
unmet, Tamar Geller says:

A sense of security: Dogs need a steady routine and owners they can count on
for love and safety.

Companionship: Dogs are pack animals. They need attention and interaction
with humans.

Understanding the hierarchy: They need to know their owner is the leader.
When two or more dogs are in the home, owners should let them work out the
rest
of the hierarchy.

Surprises and excitement: Bored dogs find ways to entertain themselves by
digging, chewing and barking. Treats, walks and visits to the dog park
motivate
good behavior.

Food and exercise: In addition to a balanced diet, dogs need exercise to
allow them to burn off energy. Usually the younger the dog, the more
exercise is
needed.

Mental stimulation: Dogs love to learn and enjoy playtraining sessions.

Love and connection: There should be a solid bond between dog and owner.

Tamar Geller, a former Israeli intelligence officer who became a dog trainer
to the stars, says the most important thing animal lovers can do for their
dogs is to "empower them."

Geller, who calls herself a "life coach for dogs," offers her philosophy and specific tips for pet owners in her just-published book, The Loved Dog: The Playful, Non-aggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior (Simon Spotlight
Entertainment, $24.95).

"I'm completely against the notion of having your dog be submissive to you," she says. "There's a difference between submissive and well mannered. I want
them to be empowered and well mannered."

In her book, Geller, 42, describes her childhood as brutal. She says her
mother, who is now dead, was an "emotional monster." Her father, who was
often
away, did not protect her, she says. "I never felt that I was loved or that
I belonged in my family," she writes.

It was this horrific background that gave her a special affinity for
animals, she says, and an ability to see things from their point of view.
I know what it means for a pet to be misunderstood, to be used as a
scapegoat in the family dynamic. I know what it is to live in quiet
desperation, to
live in uncertainty, where you don't know if you're going to have a home,
whether your parent is going to hug you or smack you for the same behavior.

"When I wrote this book, I did not write it as someone who understands dog
behavior," she says. "I wrote it as someone who has been there."

Boasting a client list that includes celeb pet owners Oprah Winfrey, on
whose TV show she appeared Wednesday, Ben Affleck, Olivia Newton-John, Eric
Idle,
Nicollette Sheridan and Goldie Hawn, Geller has been training dogs in Los
Angeles for 19 years. She founded The Loved Dog Center, a dog day care in
West
Los Angeles, in 1996, and also does in-home training.

Her career path sounds like something out of a film script. She became
interested in canine behavior while an intelligence officer in the Israel
Defense
Forces, which she joined at 18. There, she witnessed military dog-training
methods, which she says included prong collars, choke chains, hitting,
pushing
and bullying.

After her service, she spent a year backpacking through Southeast Asia;
then, before returning to Israel, she made what was to have been a short
stop in
Los Angeles. She saw a billboard advertising a Pink Floyd concert and
decided to stay for a few weeks to catch the show. During that time, she
contacted
local dog trainers to learn American training methods and went along on
house calls as an observer.

"We went to a home where they had a cocker spaniel who kept stealing socks," she says. Geller was able to change the dog's sock-thieving ways by teaching
him to fetch and play hide-and-seek.

The dog's owner was saxophonist Kenny G.

"It was a minute before he became big," Geller says. He and his wife
recommended Geller to their friends in the entertainment community, and her
star-studded
client list grew.

She advocates a kind, gentle approach to communication with canines. "You
don't have to be a dictator," she says. "There are two kinds of leaders, the
Saddam
Hussein type or the Gandhi type. Both types, people listen to. What kind of
dog parent do you want to be?"

The most important thing dogs have to teach humans, she says, is "to love
without holding back, to love as if you've never gotten hurt. A dog is the
incarnation
of love."




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