Speak Dog

My husband and I discussed how to best try to explain how influential a dog owner's emotions, body language and attitude are, when working with your four-legged friend.
After receiving this great article below (don't know yet who wrote it), I decided not to re-invent the wheel.

"Dogs live in the moment, not in the past. It is human nature to reflect on our past, but we have to be careful not to get bogged down by previous failures or negative experiences. As hinted, allowing ourselves to be hindered by past failures can only impede future growth and progress.
Also, this calm and assertive leadership role plays a part in how we handle our money, clients, business partners, and more … it doesn’t necessarily have to be restricted just to dogs.

Remaining calm or cool under pressure makes it easier to look at things from a more rational or objective viewpoint. On the other hand, becoming overly anxious or worried can lead to irrational decisions (whether it’s with money, business policies, etc.) – emotions cloud clear thinking.

Remaining calm is not enough. We must also intend things to happen. This demands that we take action, so an assertive role must be coupled with the calm energy. Notice that this is not calm-passive energy or calm-aggressive energy. Being passive implies taking a more uninvolved, unresisting, or unassertive role … very little action, if any. Being aggressive, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of being passive … this can imply being overly forceful, intrusive, threatening, and even warlike (think “road rage” or “Gaza strip”). While aggressiveness may appear to have its advantages, it often creates tension.

Assertiveness is the fine balance between passiveness and aggressiveness. The Oxford English Dictionary equates assertiveness with confidence and forcefulness, two fine qualities for a pack leader. Be confident in your vision, and follow through with forceful action to make that vision become a reality. By coupling this assertiveness with calm energy, this creates a powerful combination that can yield desirable results."

"Sierra a.k.a. Killer"

When I went to the shelter earlier this week, I couldn't believe my eyes. There in this smallish kennel, I barely could spot my future foster dog. She weighs 2.6 lbs. at 4-years-old!!!!
The most amazing part to me was that she came from a puppy mill. Obviously, she must have had at least a couple of litters. I can't even imagine what size the puppies were.
Unfortunately, after only having her for a couple of days, I already had to go to the vet with her. As I'm writing this blog, she is getting her leg bandaged. In her spunkyness she fractured (hairline) her front leg.
A PHOTO WILL FOLLOW.