Are you smarter today than you were yesterday?
When I was 13, my mother put me and my sister in a four-seat airplane and flew us out of Columbus, Ohio, to be taken care of by total strangers. I was on my own, a very raw experience that I was willing to do because school was tough and it wasn’t getting any easier. And, though I was on my own, I was surrounded by manipulating people who convinced me that I would be able to “save the planet” if I stayed with them. Life would never be the same.
I have had many life experiences, good and bad. I have survived and endured a lot and, like many pet owners who feel relief from just the simple touch of an animal, I find it healing to contrast human interactions with what rescue dogs go through. They, too, get swooped away from their mothers and put into whatever circumstances they’re presented. Some end up getting mass-produced by a “backyard breeder” making a profit off of their existence — kind of like a cult harnessing the children of families who are down and out. Some puppies never make it due to lack of medical help, being thrown out of a car or into a dumpster or, even worse, being tortured and used as food — yet another way human beings make money. It’s absolutely disgusting in every way you look at it.
So, where do we go from here? How do we help our dogs to build confidence, learn more and help humankind, just as we would want for every person?
Just because a human or dog has had to endure abuse, it does not make them any less. In fact, the more you are able to help yourself and others, the more valuable you are to society. So begin with the decision to be smarter than you were the day before. Read a book, watch a video, focus on you and your dog’s brain. I am currently in the process of writing a book on this entire topic, including what I have gone through in life.
I like to think of myself as helping to save the planet by making dogs and people their best, smarter and more aware. I provide dog obedience classes for basic and intermediate training of all breeds, usually starting on the first weekend of every month. My classes are small, so you get a more personable experience, and they last 30 minutes, so you don’t have to drag yourself and your dog through an hour of a monotonous speech and unfulfilling curriculum like other classes being offered. If you would like some help, please call me at (818) 559-5482 or visit my website, GoodDogK9Training.com.