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Showing posts from August, 2017

Learn More Dog Training workshop

  L earn More Dog Training Workshops present:   Animal Training Communication and Problem Solving A short workshop on ethical communication with animals given by author Gabby Harris of uShaka Sea World.     Date:  Saturday 2 September 2017 Time: 10h00 - 15h00 Cost: R150 (includes light lunch, tea & coffee) Venue: 207 Market Street, Fairland About Gabby Gabby's passion is ethical communication with animals. She has been working professionally with animals since 1990 and is currently in charge of behaviour management and welfare at uShaka Sea World. She also worked for Horse Gentlers International in part time, working with the police horses. Gabby has consulted for zoos and aquariums around the world on behaviour management, and in the last few years this has extended to the domestic animal market - dogs and horses. Gabby's book "Touching Animal Souls - life lessons from the Animal world" is available on Amazon and her second book, "Animal Grace" which is

Crazy arrogance

Dogs are wise.  They have nothing to prove.  This is Freya.  She is grey in her face.  She does not dye out the grey.  She has no need to impress anyone.  She does not step on people to prove a point. She does not shout to be heard.  She is always up for a cuddle, and I cannot do anything but smile when she does her little hop and bark to get my attention.  She has the world all worked out, and she never set out to do that.  She just goes with the flow. Me on the other hand - not so much... I have had to learn that in order to create common ground, where I can be heard, and where I can hear, I need to be quiet.  Listen, and watch to see when the most effective time is for me to speak.  I have also had to learn that while what I have to say is very important to me - it is not so important to others.    My greatest commitment is to ethical communication in relationship with animals.  It is more important than proving anything to deaf ears.  With this in mind,  I have a

Negative Reinforcement can be Positive Reinforcement

It is all about control and choice.  Imagine the feeling when we are asked to do something.  Perhaps wash a load of dishes for a family member.  We comply, with some feeling.  Avoiding the argument if we say no.  And perhaps with the hope for a free moment where there are no expectations for our services to that family member.  We wash.  In the washing, we are 'doing'.  The moment the washing is done, we sit down, feel the load of the work done, sigh and in that moment, we are 'being'.  So.  The argument has been avoided.  The training theory calls this - negative reinforcement.  However, there is something more fundamental going on.  In our sitting and relaxing, we have our choice and control back.  Being victim to the expectations of that family member are a thing of the past.  We are the master of the sit and sigh once more.  In achieving choice and control, we have been afforded something.  In training theory, when we receive something, it is positive.