Search Results

You and I will meet again, When we’re least expecting it, One day in some far off place, I will recognize your face, I won’t say goodbye my friend, For you and I will meet again. - Tom Petty An open letter to my dog’s new caretaker.  Not every relationship is forever. I’d like to introduce you to my dog Darwin.  He’s a great dog.  I just can’t keep him here.  I know you’ll do a better job of caring for him, and I know he’ll be happy with you. I really don’t want to say goodbye to him, but I guess I must.  As I said, I can’t keep him here. Before you take him, there are a few things I’d like you to know about my best friend.  I’ll never meet you before you take him, so I thought I’d write them out for you.  Please pay attention, these are important: 1) Never, ever, EVER leave him unleashed near any amount of water.  That goes for anything from the size of Lake Erie to that rut in the middle of your lawn that sometimes fills with water when it rains.  He will wallow in it like a pig. Actually, scratch what I just wrote.  Some of my favorites memories of Darwin are of him wallowing in the mud, with a silly smile on his face, tail wagging.  Enjoy those times, too.  If you can’t find the humor in those moments, you don’t deserve my dog. 2) Darwin’s not as fast as he used to be.  He doesn’t get up to greet me anymore when I come home from work.  He still wags his tail when he sees me, but he has an embarrassed look on his face.  One that says, “I love you, Lady, but I’m afraid I might need some help getting up to greet you properly”.  Don’t make him get up…if he’s comfortable, and you make him get up to greet you, you don’t deserve him.  I’d ask for him back, but as I said, I can’t keep him here. 3)  Darwin has a sneaky sense of smell (it’s one of the few senses that haven’t failed him).  He can’t hear me unless I’m close to him, but damn!  That dog can smell a pill in an entire jar of peanut butter.  Mercifully, you won’t have the same problems with needing to give him pills.  But I’m sure he’d still love the peanut butter. 4) Affection.  Darwin is part Lab, part Care Bear.  Make sure you let him know you love him.  His favorite spot is behind his left ear, but recently he loves having his sides scratched.  He’s too old to get at them himself – his legs are so arthritic now, he can only give those areas a perfunctory swipe before he gives up.  Help the old guy out won’t you? 5) Let him know I love him.  Tell him every day that I didn’t want to give him up.  That I fought tooth and nail for him.  That I fought long after I should have stopped.  Because he’s ready to go with you now.  I can see that.  Like I said, I can’t keep him here.  It isn’t right for me to keep him here.  I know he’ll be fine with you, but it’s so scary for me to watch him cross that bridge, knowing it only goes in one direction.  Just let him know that I’ll be there for him, and that he’s still my boy. Take care of him.  Tell him I love him.  But most importantly, tell him I’ll be coming for him when I can’t stay here anymore either.  You may have to care for him until I join him, but he’s always going to be my dog from the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. I lost my best friend, Darwin, in 2007, after ten years with him.  He was a rescue, roughly 1.5 years old when I adopted him, and I cherished every moment with him, even when marriage, babies and work made those moments not quite as frequent as they used to be.  It’s been over ten years since I lost him, and I still am amazed at how training a client’s Lab, who happens to look a bit like Darwin, will make me teary-eyed, or how hearing the song “Atomic Dog”, which all my friends dubbed “his” song, will make me long for a hike with D-Dog.  But above all, I’m grateful to have had him in my life. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

I recently had a client ask me how they would know when it’s time to help their dog Buddy cross the Rainbow Bridge.  As you know, I’m always preaching the PAW Method. The biggest part of that is Piloting. You are Buddy’s pilot to the very end. You will be strong and help Buddy when the time comes. He is relying on you to make a decision, but remember, he doesn’t need a perfect decision. He doesn’t expect you to be infallible. My boy Darwin circa 2005 So the answer is, there is no correct time. You are trying to balance your need for Buddy with Buddy’s quality of life. There is no precise moment when the scales tip, and suddenly Buddy’s life is too painful to justify not leading him to the Rainbow Bridge.Points to consider:-You may find that everyone feels free to tell you what to do, but the responsibility for this choice is yours. This can be more difficult when a couple disagrees, but it can still weigh heavily on a single person. -Your veterinarian is trained to save lives. That’s what they do, and that’s why you go to them. But all they can do is delay, not prevent. No veterinarian should make you feel guilty for choosing not to pursue treatment, even if you can afford it. -If your veterinarian is advising euthanasia and you’re reluctant, closely examine your own motives and see if they’re for your benefit or the dog’s. -People often say, “You’ll know when it’s time.” In many cases that’s true, but not always.  I say this from personal experience. -Choosing euthanasia is not “playing God” any more than providing medical treatment to save a life is. -Euthanasia ensures that you’ll be able to be with your dog at the moment he passes so he’s not alone. However, you don’t have to be there with him. If you feel you cannot remain calm, it’s sometimes best for your dog that you not be there.  It’s okay to say your goodbyes at home and have a someone who isn’t as emotionally distraught take Buddy for the final vet visit.  Remember, he’s going to mirror your emotions, and if you are having a hard time controlling your emotions in a scary place like the vet’s office, he’s going to feel that.  Don’t let anyone judge if you should or should not be present:  that’s up to you. -Most people believe it’s better to euthanize your dog a day too early rather than a day too late.I went through all of this with Darwin many years ago. I wish I could say something to make it all better, but the truth is, I can’t. If you are already at this stage where you are asking me when you know it’s time to put down a dog, it’s most likely that you are already there. You are only now trying to cope with the acceptance aspect. Don’t deny Buddy his right to a dignified ending. He’ll still be there for you until the day you are reunited at that Rainbow Bridge. So take a picture with him right now (you’ll want it later). Compare it with the pictures of him from a year ago, and you’ll see the difference. He may need your help. Give it to him that help. You know he would love you enough to do the same for you. That’s what dogs do…put their humans before their own needs. Now be a dog, and put his needs before yours. At that point, he will give you his final gift: his gratitude for being the best Pilot you could have been for him, and loving him when he was with you, and keeping him in your heart when he find that Rainbow Bridge. This is the last picture I have of Darwin (2009). We said goodbye a few days later. I still miss my boy to this day, and I am grateful that our bond was so strong that I still miss him, but I know I merely need to look into my heart to find him. And there he is, clear as day, with that silly grin on his face, the hopeful "do you have a treat" look in his eyes, and the smell of yesterday's romp in the lake still clinging to his fur. Yes, you're still a good dog, Darwin. Mom misses you and we will see each other again in time. Until then, you're safe in my heart. If tomorrow starts without me, and I’m not there to see, If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me; I wish so much you wouldn’t cry the way you did today, while thinking of the many things we didn’t get to say. I know how much you care for me, and how much I care for you, and each time that you think of me I know you’ll miss me too; But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand, that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand, and said my place was ready in heaven far above, and that I’d have to leave behind all those I dearly love. But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye, for all life, I’d always thought I didn’t want to die. I had so much to live for and so much yet to do. it seemed almost impossible that I was leaving you. I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had. If I could relive yesterday, I thought, just for a while, I’d say goodbye and hug you and maybe see you smile. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible. - Maya Angelou We all have prejudices and perceived stereotypes.  Those who claim they aren’t prejudice at all strike me as imbeciles, unwilling or incapable of introspection. Prejudice can take so many forms, the most obvious being in regards to race, gender or sexual orientation with humans, but there are so many different forms. I’m prejudice against the home made frosting you make.  I don’t even need to taste it to know my mom’s/grandma’s/great grandma’s cake frosting is the best. I think I can honestly say that I’m not prejudiced against people based upon their ethnicity (having so many different ethnic groups making up my DNA, it would be pretty hard for me to be prejudiced based upon a person’s ethnicity or religion). But I’ll admit that I’m prejudice against certain people in other capacities. I realize that the skewed beliefs I hold against these people are stupid and lacking merit, and I’m working hard to eradicate them, but sometime you’ve been “educated” too thoroughly to stop the knee-jerk reaction and let go of those ignorant beliefs, regardless of how hard you try to rid yourself of dysfunctional thinking.  But I realize I’m not perfect, and that my job is to try to do better every day, and to make sure my children aren’t poisoned by ignorant thinking. So far, so good. But as this is a blog devoted to dog training, dog life, and just the joy that is the canine world, I completely digress. So let’s talk about something we all tend to ignore:  stereotyping of breeds.  The obvious prejudicial stereotype would be pit bulls.  We’ve created entire sets of laws devoted to the prejudice of one little block-headed dog.  It perplexes me.  I hear the same tired adages from the same group of ignorant people:  pit bulls are dangerous. To which I reply, “No shit!” Of course they are dangers: they’re predators!  Every single dog I’ve ever worked with is potentially dangerous!  If it has teeth and can move faster than I can, it’s dangerous! Yes, even this little doll-faced munchkin can be dangerous. We tend to focus so much on which breeds are dangerous that we lose focus on which dogs are dangerous.  We banter around the term “breed” like it’s a make, model and year of a car. But a car is a machine.  A dog is not, and regardless of how carefully a dog is bred, there is still plenty of room for deviation within that breed.  But we are still fed the same bullshit that Golden Retrievers are the perfect family dogs, Chihuahuas are lap sharks, and Rotties require “special training/handlers”. We all know that’s just a bunch of Benedryl Cramplesnutch (side note: Buttercup Candysnack fans, click here.  You’re welcome.) I’ve worked with quite a few aggressive “family dogs”, and lost count of the Rotties who should be therapy dogs. By judging a dog based exclusively upon the breed, you are missing the potential of the dog.  Work with the dog, not the breed.  Focus on Fido, not the fact that he’s a rare Blue Ridged Appalachian Banjo Dog. They're bred to have a pretty mouth. Most times, when booking a session, I don’t even ask what breed of dog you have, because the operative word here is “dog”.  I want to meet Fifi, Ollie, Peaches and Brutus. And they are so much more than just a Chihuahua, Doodle, Spaniel and Shepherd.  They are individuals, not brands of merchandise. No matter who the dog is, I treat them as individuals, so it doesn't matter why they are hyper/aggressive/shy/friendly because the PAW Method of training focuses on training for each individual dog, rather than by breed or stereotype. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, there are a few breeds of dogs that I am prejudiced against.  Remember, I’m only human, and I’m working every day towards being better.  No, I’m not going to tell you which three breeds of dog I’m prejudiced against because prejudice is stupid. I know I’m being stupid by stereotyping, I accept it, and I refuse to spread stupidity around like a crop duster full of ignorance. And every single time I work with one of the three (rare) breeds that I’m prejudiced against, I’m reminded again how stupid and misguided my apprehensions were about the dog, and each time I have less and less prejudice against those three.  There used to be four breeds I was prejudiced against, but I finally learned better and accepted new information upon which to make my decisions.  Facts win (eventually). So I have an idea: rather than referring to purebred dogs as “breeds”, let’ refer to them as “families”.  Because there are a bit of similarities between families and we can acknowledge that.  But we always treat the individuals within the family as, well…individuals. It’s fair to say that a Weasley family member will probably have red hair. But you’re willing to accept deviations without a second thought. Because I’m 6″ tall, nobody is surprised when they meet my daughter, River, who at 12, is already 5’7″. Especially since my mother is a little tall, also, at 5’8″. Family tradition of tall women I guess. But with family, we allow for deviation from the norm.  My son is actually a little smaller than normal at 14.  And besides, “normal” is just a setting on a washing machine. That’s not to say that there aren’t certain concerns within a family that may need to be addressed.  Epilepsy seems to travel in my family, as well as asthma.  And we have a high number of ADHD and some autism swimming laps around the family gene pool. But I’m not automatically going to assume that any child born into my family will have ADHD. It’s a case-by-case basis. Similarly, learn about the medical conditions your dog may be prone to, but don’t automatically assume that your Mastiff will have cherry eye, or that your GSD will have bad hips. A lot of people are commenting about what breed of dog they’d like to get, and with very little deviation, they are picking out dogs based upon their experience with one single dog. “My best friend ‘adopted’ a *FloofaDoodle from a local breeder, and I just love that dog, so I’m going to go to a ‘breeder’ and get a FloofaDoodle, too!” *FloofaDoodle: any "designer dog" that contains poodle, including, but not limited to, Labradoodles, Bernedoodles, and Cockadoodles Problems: 1) Your friend did not ‘adopt’ a dog from a breeder.  Best case is they bought a dog from a backyard breeder.  Worse (and most likely), they are supporting puppy mill industry. 2) You can’t recreate the same exact puppy as your friend’s dog just because they’re the same breed!  They are individuals, not lines of code that can be rewritten to create a carbon copy of an original. Judging a dog by their breed first, you’re falling into the trap of prejudice.  Judge the dog by who they are.  Let your dog tell you whether or not they like to play fetch. If they are scared of other dogs, or if they actually prefer to be lazy rather than hyper. I’ve come to accept that my training sessions are so much more productive when I’m not battling against preconceived ideas of how a Pug should act, but focusing on Bailey, the individual dog in front of me. Learn about your dog and you’ll be well on your way to building a healthy partnership with Fido, Fifi, and Peaches.  Communicate and train with the dog you have, not the breed you bought.  Plenty of Labs hate water.  I’ve met some seriously lazy Border Collies.  And most "pit bulls" are more interested in belly rubs and treats than murdering anyone. So rather than looking at the breed of a dog, look at the individual dog. Just as each member of my family has their own distinct personalities, so do dogs, even if they are of the same breed. By allowing them to be individuals, judged exclusively for who they are, not what they are, you are setting the foundations of a bond based on understand and reason, rather than prejudice, fear, and unreasonable expectations. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.” ― Albert Einstein I feel as if I can legitimately call myself an animal advocate.   I’m not vegan – I have dog hair in every meal. #ShepherdLife But still, I will help an animal in need, and speak for those who have no voice.  Right now the focus for me is puppy mills, and their slimy colleagues, puppy mill brokers and puppy mill flippers. Puppy Mill Flipper (n): A person who knowingly goes into a puppy mill to purchase a  puppy with the intent of flipping the puppy for profit.  See also Tom Collins and Pick of the Litter. So recently I (kinda) met The Man.  Tom Collins.  He showed up to the council meeting on October 1 to defend his actions. To bring you up to date, there have been many grievances filed against Tom Collins and Pick of the Litter, which were eventually brought to my attention.  I wrote an open letter to Tom Collins, asking to hear Tom’s side of the tale (tail?) but I never heard back. So after doing some research, I held the first protest against his establishment at Southpark Mall in Strongsville, Ohio on January 2017 (to all 35 of you who stayed 2 hours outside protesting in 11 degree weather: thank you, and I’m so sorry!) I froze my tauntauns off!! We’ve had subsequent protests where we have fried in the heat, frozen again, and then finally had nice weather, but let me ask this:  who goes to these events, in this kind of weather, missing Game of Thrones, to protest a pet store? Dedicated animal lovers do.  It’s not fun for us.  It kinda sucks.  But we develop a solidarity. We know why we are here: for the animals.  So we suck it up.  Just as we did tonight (though I wizened up and moved the meeting to City Council…indoors!). #Solidarity. No, literally, we were frozen solid. #YetWePersisted So we took it to Strongsville City Council.  First, I would like to thank Council.  It seemed to me that they took our grievances quite seriously.  Strongsville Law Director, Neal M. Jamison addressed our concerns and made note that due to legislation HB60 (“Goddard’s Law”) passing back in 2016, City Council’s hands were tied with regard to regulating puppy mills and brokers, as governance had remanded to the state level.  He also made note that Tom Collins & Pick of the Litter had been visited by Animal Welfare over 20 times in the last year, yet has found no violations.  Well, things have changed since a year and a half ago. HB 506 passed this year, governing the regulations for how the dogs are to be treated. Cage Space: - Ceiling must be at least 6 inches higher than the dog’s head -Floor space should be length of dog, tip-to-tail,  plus 9 inches, squared, x 2.  We had Sheldon do the math for you. For dog below, that would be roughly 15.12 sq. feet of floor space.  Doesn’t look like he’s getting it. Exercise: Daily exercise of at least 30 minutes, given opportunity for mental stimulation and socialization, and run at full stride during daylight hours. I spoke with a former employee (Tom calls them “volunteers”) of Pick of the Litter, who, under condition of anonymity, stated: “Tom didn’t like the dogs to run around.  They were kept mostly in the cages at all times. He didn’t allow volunteers to take the dogs out to play.” Finally, and most importantly under Ohio’s new animal welfare law, H.B.506: -Prior to purchasing a dog, broker [Pick of the Litter/Tom Collins] MUST request breeder sign document stating compliance with standards of care established.  If breeder doesn’t supply documentation, broker shall not purchase dog. Documentation available for inspection during store hours. Effective immediately. There was absolutely no documentation available.  No standards of care, no inspection availability, regardless of which employee was asked. So let’s delve deeper. Rescue vs. Pet Store Tom Collins keeps stating that he “rescues” dogs. Let’s see what HB506 has to say about that (emphasis added): “Animal rescue for dogs” means an individual or organization recognized by the director of agriculture that keeps, houses, and maintains dogs and that is dedicated to the welfare, health, safety, and protection of dogs, provided that the individual or organization does not operate for profit, does not sell dogs for a profit, does not breed dogs, does not sell dogs to a dog broker or pet store, and does not purchase more than nine dogs in any given calendar year unless the dogs are purchased from a dog warden appointed under Chapter 955. of the Revised Code, a humane society, or another animal rescue for dogs. “Animal rescue for dogs” includes an individual or organization that offers spayed or neutered dogs for adoption and charges reasonable adoption fees to cover the costs of the individual or organization, including, but not limited to, costs related to spaying or neutering dogs. Average cost of a puppy is $1,000 at Pick of the Litter. Sorry, Tom.  Pick of the Litter is a pet store, not a rescue. “Pet store” means an individual retail store to which both of the following apply: the store sells dogs to the public; and with regard to the sale of a dog from the store, the sales person, the buyer of a dog, and the dog for sale are physically present during the sales transaction so that the buyer may personally observe the dog and help ensure its health prior to taking custody. Falsified medical records given by Pick of the Litter, as presented and taken into record during the Strongsville Council Meeting on October 1, 2018, show that the animals’ health conditions are not being observed and recorded, as required as a pet store. Dog Brokers Tom Collins claims he is not a dog broker: “Dog broker” means a person who buys, sells, or offers to sell dogs at wholesale for resale to another or who sells or gives one or more dogs to a pet store annually. If Tom is buying the dogs through various puppy mills (it’s okay, though, folks; he shops only at local puppy mills), that means Tom is the broker who is then selling as an entity, Pick of the Litter. Tom is the broker.  Pick of the Litter is the pet store. So how does HB506 apply to brokers? Sec. 956.03. (A)(9)(a) States that: A requirement that an in-state retailer of a puppy or adult dog provide to the purchaser the complete name, address, and telephone number of all high volume breeders, dog retailers brokers, and private owners that kept, housed, or maintained the puppy or adult dog prior to its coming into the possession of the retailer or proof that the puppy or adult dog was acquired through an animal rescue for dogs, animal shelter for dogs, or humane society, or a valid health certificate from the state of origin pertaining to the puppy or adult dog; I’m sorry, Tom.  You have yet to identify from whom you’ve purchased your dogs (aside from identifying them simply as “in-state breeders”). You mean like these? Nine of the worst puppy mills in the country are located less than a 45 minute drive away from Tom’s house. Section Sec. 956.041. (B) A dog broker or the owner or operator of a pet store that seeks to purchase a dog from an in-state high volume breeder or out-of-state dog breeder, prior to completing the transaction, shall request the breeder to sign a document prescribed and provided by the director of agriculture. The document shall state that the in-state high volume breeder or out-of-state dog breeder is in compliance with the standards of care established in rules adopted under section 956.03 and in section 956.031 of the Revised Code. The broker or owner or operator shall keep and maintain the signed document. If the in- state high volume breeder or out-of-state dog breeder does not provide the signed document, the broker or owner or operator shall not purchase the dog. The broker or owner or operator shall allow the director to inspect the signed document during normal business hours. With respect to a pet store, the requirements established under this section are in addition to the requirements established under section 956.20 of the Revised Code. (C) No dog broker or owner or operator of a pet store shall knowingly sell a dog unless the broker or owner or operator has obtained a signed document with respect to the dog as required under division (B) of this section. The director shall not assess a civil penalty under section 956.13 of the Revised Code against a dog broker or the owner or operator of a pet store for a violation of this division if the broker or owner or operator has obtained such a document with regard to the dog. Which is legal-speak for, “Where did you get your dogs from again, Tom?” So how do we solve this little problem?  A few ways. 1) Contact the Department of Agriculture. Like, now. Let them know that Pick of the Litter is non-compliant with regard to the information above.  Demand inspection. Send letters, emails, carrier pigeons or even owls! Whatever it takes: Office of Chief Legal Counsel 8995 E. Main Street Reynoldsburg,Ohio 43068 Phone: (614) 728-6430 Fax: (614) 995-4585 Email: legal@agri.ohio.gov 2) Contact Strongsville City Council, as well as the Mayor’s office.  Find out why they are allowing pet stores in their city, whom they know are breaking the law. The City of Strongsville Attn: City Council 16099 Foltz Parkway Strongsville, Ohio 44149 440 580 3100 Email(s) michael.daymut@strongsville.org, ann.roff@strongsville.org, kelly.kosek@strongsville.org, gordon.short@strongsville.org, jim.carbone@strongsville.org, matt.schonhut@strongsville.org city@strongsville.org 3) Contact Southpark Mall, in Strongsville and demand to know why they allow puppy mill brokers and pet stores selling puppy mill dogs to do business within their mall. Let them know publicly, via reviews, that we will not do business at establishments that allow for animal abuse. Southpark Mall c/o Starwood Retail Managers 500 SouthPark Center Strongsville, OH 44136 (440) 238-9199 4) Join us at our next protest.  You can find out when we are protesting next on the Darwin Dogs Facebook page. So in short, protests bring a lot of attention to situations like Tom Collins and Pick of the Litter, but at the end of the day, not all of us are willing/able/crazy enough to protest outside in all kinds of weather.  The way to shut these establishments down can be as simple as one phone call.  One email.  One review.  Let them know this won’t be tolerated anymore, and that we demand better. And we will fight for it. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

Never negotiate with kids. They don’t have life experience, and they don’t have repercussions for bad decisions; they still get fed and housed.  - Gene Simmons I never thought that I’d be using a Gene Simmons quote in my blogs, but there you go.  Sometimes life takes a funny turn, and his quote was perfect for what I wanted to tackle today:  this image that has been floating around The Internets. Wow.  Just wow.  I don’t even know where to start with this.  Ready for an unpopular, possibly offensive truth?  If your dog is making people uncomfortable, it's most likely because he is an asshole. There.  I said it. I guarantee a lot of other people were thinking it, and just never told you.  And even worse, you’re pretty much victim blaming.  So now that we have opened up that can of worms, let’s get down to business and de-asshole your dog. What’s making people uncomfortable about your dog?  Let’s break it down: Fido is in their personal space. I personally don’t want to be licked by either of them.  I love dogs.  Like, LOVE, dogs.  I don’t like drool. Or Gene Simmons, but here we are. Think about it.  How would you feel if a stranger came up to you and was completely in your personal space?  Uncomfortable, right?  Or what if I invited you to my house, let my kids climb all over you and trample you, but stated that if my kids were making you uncomfortable, I can lock you up in another room? (C’mon, they’re only trying to be friendly!)  Yet we accept that behavior from our dogs?  I guarantee that if your Fido tried that behavior with another dog, Fido would get corrected very quickly!  It’s about manners, and dogs have them the same way people do. Learn to expect good manners from your dog. Fido is guarding. I can’t tell you how many times a client calls me to their house to work with their aggressive dog, and when I arrive and ring their doorbell, they simple let their dog loose on me to snarl, bark, and lunge at me.  Their reasoning? “We wanted you to see what he does.” Oh, by all means, let me whip up an anti-aggression incantation.  That will solve the problem! I freaking know what Fido does…he’s aggressive towards strangers!  You told me on the phone! I know how to deal with a dog who is snarling at me, or giving me “fuck off” body language.  You stand perfectly still and let the dog thoroughly investigate you.  You do not move.  You do not make eye contact.  Even after decades of doing this, it’s still terrifying every time it happens to me (usually at least once a week).  I have resources, knowledge and experience.  What do your guests have? Fear and anxiety.  And you have a potential lawsuit coming your way when Fido finally snaps.  Just because he’s never bitten anyone before doesn’t mean he never will.  And no, the answer isn’t just to “just let Fido smell you, and then he’ll be fine.” Your dog is jumping/trampling your guests. And what do you do about it? “FIDO NO JUMPING! FIDO, NO!!! FIDO STOP OR I’LL SAY STOP AGAIN!!!!” Yeah, it’s not helping. Fido is still jumping. I work with quite a few “aggressive” dogs.  Usually at least one per week.  And you should see all the massive bruises and injuries I have…from “friendly” dogs jumping on me.  My legs look like I play professional soccer without shin guards.  I have scratches all over me (yes, even through denim jeans).  All because of Fido who “just wants to make friends”.  Sorry, but consent exists with dogs the same way it exists with humans.  Your dog is hurting me, and it’s not a game, nor is it cute. As I said, we need to un-asshole your dog. Let’s start with how you are perceiving your dog.  It has to do with your soft bigotry of low expectations. You expect so little from your dogs.  You claim that your dogs are your kids, yet you allow behaviors from your dog that you’d never tolerate from your children (I hope!).  The thing to remember is that it’s not about having perfectly well behaved kids/dogs; it’s about having a game plan for anything that happens.  Can you predict that your preschooler would suddenly start rifling through great aunt Bertha’s purse? No, that was unexpected. But what makes you a good parent is how you deal with the situation, or more importantly, if you deal with the situation. I firmly believe in treating everyone appropriately.  Dogs are great dogs…they just suck at being human.  Kids are great kids…they just suck at being adults.  It’s up to you to be the adult human in the situation and to Pilot them through whatever issues or questions they are currently embroiled in. So let’s get started. It starts with Piloting.  Piloting is answering your dog’s questions, and they have a lot of questions.  “Can I jump on you?”  “Can I eat that chocolate?” Wanna snuggle?” You answer each question according to how you feel.  My answers would be No, No and Yes respectively.  How do you give a negative?  Using simple body language outlined here.   No prong collar.  No shock collar. No need for a spray bottle full of vinegar(?!) (seriously, I’ve been hearing this a lot…stop it).  It’s a conversation.  Communicate, don’t dominate, or subjugate to alleviate… …sorry, that was a little INXS. And if you got that, you are now feeling old. Just remember, it’s a conversation.  Your dog isn’t bad, Fido just has questions.  So answer them! I’m going to give you a bonus hint:  I don’t ask my kids or my dogs if they want to do something.  I tell them, and then ask for questions. Example, if I want my kids to empty the dishwasher and re-load it. Me: River, would you please empty the dishwasher and then load it? vs. Me: River, I want you to please empty the dishwasher and then load the dirty dishes.  Do you have any questions? Do you see the difference?  If River does indeed have questions, (“Do I have to?”), I’m prepared with my answer.  I do not negotiate.  I will listen to hear reasoning why she shouldn’t have to (and sometimes she’s correct), but I do not make deals with her.  I do not lower my expectations unless new or different information is given. For example, if River says she doesn’t want to because she wants to play video games, oh well!  I want a pony and I don’t have a pony.  Now get in there and do the dishes.  But if she says she doesn’t want to because she’s trying to (legit) study for her test tomorrow, I may change my mind about her doing dishes, based upon the new information. How does this apply to your dog?  Suppose I show up to your house and Fido starts to jump on me.  It’s up to you to Pilot your dog, giving them a negative through Piloting. And they accept your answer, calming down.  Nice job! But what if later while I'm at your house, you see Fido start to jump on me again?  You start to give him another negative, but then I tell you that I started it because I wanted to wrestle with him.  What do you do?  Let it go?  Give a negative anyway? The answer is entirely up to you. If you decide you don’t want your dog getting riled, you give me a negative  If you are okay with us wrestling around, then by all means let it go.   You’re the Pilot; you are actively choosing to let a behavior continue, rather than not doing anything about it because you don’t know what to do.  Remember, it’s not about having the dog with the perfect manners all the time. That dog doesn’t exist.  But now you don’t have to tolerate those unsavory behaviors any longer. So congratulations, we’ve successfully de-assholed your dog!  And let’s face it, he probably wasn’t really an asshole to begin with.  He’s just a dog.  A wonderful, intelligent, perfect dog….who really sucked at being human. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

“For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk.” – Keep Talking/Pink Floyd Dog training:  it’s what everyone thinks they need when Fido is being a twerp.  Perhaps he’s pulling you on the leash.  Perhaps he’s destroying things when you’re gone.  Maybe he’s not so friendly to strangers, or maybe he’s just a terror in the house. Everyone immediately Googles “Dog Training” and searches all the dog training videos they can find on YouTube.  Obviously he’s acting that way because he needs to be trained. And that’s why you’re doomed to fail. Your dog doesn’t need to be trained. Let me explain. I recently had a training session with a lovely couple we’ll call Laura and John.  They had an adorable Floofadoodle (a Floofadoodle is any Poodle mix) puppy we’ll call Lucky.  Laura and John were extremely intelligent, and asked very good questions during our session.  They obviously wanted to make sure they started out right, and were wiling to put for a great amount of effort to be successful with Lucky. Upon meeting them, I noticed that John would frequently repeat what I’d said to Laura.  They both smiled at me and informed me that English wasn’t their first language.  “That’s okay”, I told them.  “It’s not Lucky’s first language, either.” Working with Lucky, Laura and John was a success.  We went over everything from housebreaking to leash walking (first successful walk since they had him!) to how to keep him from being bored.  Did I train Lucky?  No.  Did I train Laura and John?  Absolutely not.  We communicated. Training involves a specific scenario.  For example, if I teach a dog how to sit when I say “sit”, we’ve communicated together to help him understand what I was training him to do: sit.  We would not be successful without that communication.  End result is that when I say “sit”, he sits.  So think of training as doing tricks.  I can tell a dog to roll over, or to go to their crate; those are both tricks they were trained to do.  They were specific to a certain word, or a certain set of stimuli (for instance, Sparta has been trained to wait in her mudroom when our doorbell rings).  But there is no additional communication that is typically involved once the dog is trained to that specific behavior.  Which is where failure comes in. For example: *Doorbell rings* Sparta goes to her room, as she was trained to do.  But as she’s heading off to her room, the person starts to knock on the door as well.  I didn’t train Sparta what to do if someone knocks (which is a new set of stimuli), only what to do if someone rings the doorbell.  So now Sparta has a question, “Do I need to investigate the knock?”.  That question requires communication.  Piloting, as I refer to it.  I communicate to her that, no, she doesn’t need to investigate, and to go to her mudroom.  After one or two, “Are you sures” from Sparta, she complies.  This scenario would not be possible if it weren’t for communication. Learning to communicate with your dog, and viewing them as a fully-functioning, intelligent being rather than “just a dog” is integral to success with your dog.  Training is helpful.  For instance, when my kids, Eric and River, were first being “trained” to wash dishes after dinner, it went pretty quickly.  They understood they had to wash everything.  But communication was key when they asked me if they should wash my grandmother’s 100 year old cast iron skillet, affectionately named “Lilith”.  Lilith is temperamental, and the kids know she is special to me, (and pretty damn heavy!)  and therefore weren’t sure how to proceed.  Therefore we communicated (“No, I’ll wash her.”)  We deviated from our original training (“wash everything”).  Communication was integral to make that deviation from normal. Now, many years later, the kids are still doing dishes, and there aren’t many questions, but I had more information to give them one day after dinner.  I wanted them to learn how to take care of Lilith.  So I communicated with them how to wash and care for my beloved cast iron.  They have now been trained to care for her, and have updated their previous training, through communication, to include washing Lilith after she comes out to play. So essentially, training is for specific circumstances.  Communication is how you handle anything outside the norm, or outside your dog’s pay grade.  It’s also very important for when your dog has a case of the “are you sures”?, such as in this scenario: *Sparta sees clown across the street holding a balloon* Sparta:  Mom, is that a threat? Me (faking it): No Sparta:  Are you sure it’s not a threat? Me: It is not a threat. So we took an abnormal situation (fucking Pennywise!!!!!) and turned it into a normal situation through communication.  There is no training that ever could have taken place prior to this situation, as it is completely novel.  Communication is what you use when an entirely new set of stimuli has presented itself.  In this case, Pennywise the clown.  It’s also what you use when you’re still on the path to emptying your dog’s Piloting Piggy Bank, and perhaps haven’t been trained yet to go to their mudroom when the doorbell rings. I didn’t need to electrocute Sparta with a shock collar: that’s not communication.  Neither is a prong collar.  Each are designed to give pain, but not answer questions.  Lets throw the situation in a different way. What if you and your best friend were talking, having a pleasant conversation, and you asked them a question:  “Any plans for the weekend?” So they punch you in the face. Well that totally didn’t answer your question, but are definitely not asking them anymore questions.  But remember, questions are the important part of any relationship.  We want our dogs to ask us questions.  Because what is the definition of anxiety? anx·i·e·ty /aNGˈzīədē/ noun a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. How can you alleviate anxiety?  By answer your dog’s questions, and communicating with them! A client the other day told me that another dog trainer had informed them how best to work with separation anxiety:  Put a shock collar on the dog, and when he starts to whine in his crate, give him a shock. Your dog is anxious and scared and your  response was to cause him physical pain and discomfort?  Obviously your goal isn’t to help with his anxiety, it’s just to make him be quiet.  In which case, you can get the same result by duct taping his mouth shut. In this case, it was never about the comfort and best interest of the dog, it was about you not having to tolerate hearing his distress, rather than trying to alleviate it. Rather than communicating with your dog to help them past their separation anxiety, you’ve taken to abusing an already terrified dog.  Communication is the only thing that will get your dog past their fears.  Your dog is a sentient creature, not a machine, and definitely not a battery to be jump-started with electricity.  Stop it. I know the phrase  “dog training” is commonly bantered about when most people realize they need to communicate with their dogs.  I’m fine with that.  There is one phrase I hate, though:  obedience training. If you want something obedient, get a robot, not a dog. Obedience is what is expected by those who don’t have answers to tough questions.  Obedience means you don’t know how to communicate, or you don’t know the answers yourself.  Obedience implies stupidity from those expected to obey.  I don’t ever want my kids “obeying” me, nor do I want my dogs to obey. I want them to trust the answers I give them, not because they’re afraid of what I might do, or because I have silenced them through force or coercion, but rather I’ve silenced their anxieties through communicating answers to conquer their fears.  Their questions are important, and I will respect their questions with an answer. That quote at the beginning of this post? “For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk.” Most of us know it from Pink Floyd.  It’s actually taken from a Stephen Hawking quote: “For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn’t have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.” Make sure we keep talking. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

The beautiful thing about Darwin Dogs is the simplicity of our core philosophy, which is captured in our innovative Piloting, Activity and Work, or as we refer to it, the PAW Method.  The PAW Method centers around the belief that dogs are dogs, and that’s why we love them.  Treat humans like humans, expect cats to be catty, but the beauty of dogs is that they are dogs.  They are beautifully simplistic!  Not stupid, mind you, just simple.  Minimalists.  Beyond the necessities of life, they only require three things:  Piloting, Activity and Work. But where does the love and affection come in? Think of PAW as your job.   Love and affection is your paycheck.  You don’t get paid unless you do your job, but trust us, salary is wonderful.  So once you put in the Piloting, Activity and Work, you now have "money" to spend on love and affection. It's your Piloting Piggy Bank So what is PAW? PILOTING Let’s start at the beginning:  Piloting.  Imagine you are alone on an airplane, and there’s only one pilot. Suddenly the pilot becomes unconscious.  Who is going to fly the plane?! Obviously you are going to give it your best effort, but how do you feel?  Terrified? Nervous? Overstimulated and overwhelmed?  In short, not good.  You don’t understand this situation you’ve been thrust into, but the situation has been thrust onto you because there's nobody else to take control of the situation. That’s exactly how your dog feels.  Your dog is a dog, and most of their instincts are still set for survival in the wild.  Dogs and wolves are the same animal.  They can viably breed together.  A pack of dogs and a pack of wolves have the same social dynamics, rear their young the same, hunt the same..  A dog can even be integrated into a wolf pack.  A dog still has instincts that allow them to survive in the wild. Living in the wild is dangerous.  Not everyone survives, and it can be difficult, but the issues dogs and wolves face in the wild are pretty simple to understand: how to catch your prey, and how not to be prey. They are constantly on alert for anything that can injure them or kill them, as well as anything that can supplement their diet.  Pretty stressful, but they understand the rules of the game. Just like humans know how to survive in our society, dogs understand how to live within their natural surroundings. So what do we do? We stick them indoors, where we change all the rules.  First we mess with the natural order of light/dark by means of lamps and curtains.  Then we humans do some pretty crazy things, such as letting non-pack members (read: possible threats) into our houses without properly checking them out. (To you it’s your Aunt Sally, whom you haven’t seen in years.  To a dog, it’s “Not Pack”, and therefore a threat).   Furniture, strange smells, strange sounds – it all adds up to a pretty stressful environment for a dog.  Then to top it all off, we ask them to Pilot our human world.  We answer none of their questions, and believe me they have them. No wonder so many of our dogs have separation anxiety, fear aggression and many other issues! So, going back to that airplane that you are flying while the true pilot is unconscious: what would you do if the pilot regained consciousness? Maybe check him out, make sure he’s okay, and then jump out of that seat like it’s hot and let him fly the plane!  The sense of relief you would feel, not being in charge of the situation anymore!  Well, that’s exactly how our dogs feel when we finally start Piloting them. So how DO you Pilot a dog? Simple. Dogs ask questions all the time.  “Can I have that shoe?”  “Is that other dog a threat?”  “Can we play ball right now?”  Problem is, most humans never bother to answer a dog’s questions.  So Piloting a dog is merely giving your dog answers to the questions they ask.  To do that, you have to realize that dogs operate almost exclusively on body language. So the bad news is you have to learn a new language, but the good news is that dogs are binary creatures: they only ask yes/no questions.  Even easier: yes is the absence of no.  Those of you who have children understand this concept (“Well you never said I couldn't!”). So how do you answer a dog’s questions? Use your body language to answer these questions. If your dog is staring at a treat on the floor and then at you, he’s asking if he can have it. If you do not want your dog to have it, answer his question by walking in between him and the treat, facing him, with the treat behind you. Your dog's question is, "Can I have that?" Your answer is going to be "no" (remember, dogs are binary, and only accept "yes" and "no"). You can move into his personal space to back him off it a bit. Think of it as a game of hot/cold.  His question is, “Can I have that?”  The answer is “No”. You answer his question using that body language.  When he accepts the answer (looking at you, everything, or nothing, but definitely NOT looking at the treat), then you’re finished.  Remove your negative body language.  You may have to put the negative body language right back on him if he immediately tries to go for it, but that’s natural – it may take him a few times to accept that you are finally ready to fly this plane.  Remember, remaining calm is the key.  Anger should never be a part of this exercise. So again, Piloting is answering a dog’s questions. You would answer the question in the same way if he is asking if something is a threat (stand between your dog and the perceived threat, facing your dog, and simply back him off while standing up straight). Pretty easy, huh? The more you show your dog that you are capable of being in control and the Pilot, the more your dog will be able to relax and actually be a dog. He’ll look to you for guidance instead of feeling as though he needs to protect you and your family from every garbage can, dog and plastic bag in the neighborhood. ACTIVITY Activity is just the amount of exercise your dog gets.  Dogs, like wolves, need activity daily. Walking on a daily basis gives them their sense of roaming that they would get if they were in a wolf/dog pack. Each day a pack hikes miles to and from a hunt. Your pup has this same extinct. It’s important that they get Activity every day and probably more than you can even imagine that they can handle! Some ways to enhance your Activity time is to invest in a backpack for your pup. You can find them on Amazon and your local pet stores. Put small amount of weight in it (example: for a 60 lb pit bull, I would only put 1 cup of dried beans on each side of the backpack). Just bear in mind that you can always add weight; you can't un-damage a dog. Talk to your vet first if necessary. Make sure it’s something that won’t hurt them (no water bottles, please). You can use bags of coffee or even dried beans or rice. Although you’ll be going the same distance, it will feel a little longer to your pup which is always a good thing! Fetch, agility and playtime outside and at a dog park are great additional ways to get in activity. But the walk is so very important because it gives you an opportunity to work on your Piloting and it helps them with their roaming instinct, even if it is just in your neighborhood. WORK The third part of the PAW method is Work. Your pup needs mental Work daily. Think of it this way, if you drive the same route home every day it becomes monotonous and easy for you. However, if there is a ton of traffic on that same route, you’re a lot more tired when you get home because there was a lot more mental work that went into that drive home. Your pup needs to feel that mentally tired. Otherwise, they’re bored. Boredom leads to your dog figuring out their own ways keep themselves busy, which leads to your shoes getting new ventilation. An easy way to get some mental work in for your pup is to use an enrichment feeder, such as a Kong Wobbler, Omega Ball or Busy Buddy Twist N Feed for your dog’s mealtimes. These feeders make your dog think about how to get the food out as opposed to just waiting for you to poor it out of a bag, which is dull, boring and EASY. By making them think about how they will get their food, it adds some mental Work into their day, but doesn't add anytime to yours as you are going to feed them anyways.  Also, while getting the food out of an enrichment toy can be stressful, your dog will figure it out, and when they alleviate their own stress, they build confidence. Other things you can do for some mental work are scent detection, agility, teaching them a new trick, or even just rapid firing commands at them that they already know:  sit, down, up, roll-over, sit – all of these commands said quickly makes your dog focus intently on what you may have them do next. Each of these three parts of the PAW method are extremely important. It’s a tripod – remove a leg, and it all crumbles, so don’t “make do” with Piloting and Work, but skip the Activity.  Each component is integral. It takes commitment, but, it’s also a ton of fun. By giving your dog what they need (Piloting, Activity and Work) you will be getting exactly what you wanted: your best friend. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." - Yoda So many aspects of our lives seem to correspond with other parts of our lives, even though they may seem to have no connection, and have to relevancy to each other. This often happens in my own life. While this blog is devoted to working with dogs, and learning to communicate with them, there is plenty of overlap between working with dogs and working with people. I recently inherited quite a bit of items from my grandmother's and aunt's estates. Being a minimalist, I kept only what was dear to my heart, and have been finding homes for the rest. A woman, we'll call her Anne, recently inquired regarding an item I had placed on Facebook marketplace. We corresponded through messenger, and she asked for a date when she could pick up the item. I informed her that the next day, at any time, would be fine, except between 2:45 and 3:45, as I needed to pick up my spawn from school. She agreed to the timing. As I was driving to pick up my son at 3:00 that day, I received a nasty message from Anne asking where I was, as she had knocked at my door and nobody was home. I responded to her that I had sent in my previous message that I was unable during this time, but I could get back home in about 10 minutes. I sent her a pic of our conversation from the previous day. She sent me a series of awful messages: "Great, you sent it while I was driving. That was not nice. You said you would meet me between 2 and 3. I drive 45 miles and you are not here. I was in the hospital. Thanks bunches for wasting my time when I am sick." I reminded her that she was there outside of our agreed-to time, and that I would still be able to be there in ten minutes. She said she would wait. Believe me, it took all of my willpower not to call her out about her mistake then and there. She was costing me time, as I had just pulled up to the gas station, thinking I had plenty of time prior to our appointment. After all, I had the higher ground! While I chose to ignore her messages for the moment, I was ready to be chilly and full of righteous anger when I met her. She was wrong. And I had every right to be an imperious asshole about it. I was going to play my Trump card. Then I saw who was sitting in my driveway awaiting me. I saw she was indeed very sickly, and actually needed help into my house. She mentioned she doesn't drive very much, and was a little lost, her being from the East Side of Cleveland. I'm in the West Side. And as all Clevelanders know, you stay on your own side. Further, she was mumbling about how she had a low charge on her phone, her only navigational tool. In other words, she was overwhelmed and lashed out. She was afraid, sick, and overwhelmed, which made her aggressive. And I felt like an idiot. Isn't this what do for a living? Work with dogs who are so terrified and overwhelmed that they lash out and become aggressive? There is no difference between how an overwhelmed human acts and an overwhelmed dog: with aggression. I knew I could handle this if I choose to do what was right, rather than what was just. So I put on my big girl pants and sucked it up. And then I used the PAW Method on her. Yup. The same method I use on the dogs I train. The one or more of the core points of the PAW Method (Piloting, Activity, and Work) will get you past any situation with your dog. Sometimes your dog is bored, so you need to ratchet up the mental Work. Sometimes your dog is a Border Collie, so you are always looking for ways to incorporate more Activity. And sometimes your dog just needs some Piloting. Answers. Someone to fly the plane for them. So rather than choosing righteous anger, I chose to Pilot her. There are two very important steps you must always remember when Piloting: 1. Control yourself. All things considered, I did a rather good job of this already. I hadn't lost it on her via messenger, and I lost the attitude to see if I could fix the situation, rather than wallow in being right. I made sure my body language was calm, and relaxed. 2. Control the situation. Yeah, it may look like a shituation at the moment, so let's sort this out. You can not add stimulation to a situation to gain control of it, be it with dogs or humans. In other words, before me I had an aggressive, scared, sick woman who was lashing out at me. I could either escalate the situation by feeding negative energy to the shituation, or I could remove energy and stimulation. So I helped her into my house, and made her tea while she sat and recharged her phone. She was anxious, but was giddily excited when she saw my ducks on my back porch (long story there). So I got her some duck treats, and she had fun hand feeding my ducks (which they loved). We brought her cell phone charge up to 50%. She was calmer now, and thanked my son and me for taking care of her. We sent her on her way with both of us in a much happier state of mind than the situation would have seemed to allow. The same thing with your dog. If your dog is overwhelmed, reacting on a leash, barking at your door, or just giving off energy, don't add to that energy yourself. Remember, your dog isn't against you, they are for themselves. They are perceiving the situation in a much different way that you are, that's all. So slowly diffuse the situation you are in with your dog. If they are barking at the door, don't rush to open the door while trying to hold your dog back. Pilot them away from the door (learn how to do that here). If your dog is dragging you on a leash, don't just try to hold them back, Pilot them (for tips on Piloting on a leash, check this post out). If your dog is out of control, it's even more important that you stay in control. As I stated previously, I'm a minimalist. I only hold on to what I truly love, and what makes me happy or is effective in my life. Anger isn't one of them. And anger is like glitter: once you open the bottle, you never fully get rid of it. We do stupid things when we hang choose to act in anger. We act impulsively instead of with purpose. We don’t think through our actions and irreparably damage what could have been simply fixed. And anger is baggage anyway. Get rid of it. Anne and I both parted feeling good about our interaction, perhaps even better because of it, and that is a feeling I choose to hang on to. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

“The ego urges you to accomplish, while the soul merely asks you to enjoy the process.” — Doreen Virtue I got pulled over by the police yesterday.  I was going X amount of mph in a x mph zone.  I never speed, either!  First time in 20 years (maybe more) that I’ve gotten a ticket. So what happened? I didn’t follow my mandatory three steps for everything in the whole wide world. .Step 1 – Control Yourself I had a lot to do yesterday before my evening training session.  And to be honest, business has been booming.  It’s been difficult to keep up with everything sometimes.  I tried to squeeze in working on a blog post, straightening up my office, walking my dogs and returning phone calls all between sessions. I was like a cyclone of energy.  Meaning I was pretty keyed up by the time I had to leave.  I also meant that I didn’t keep track of time very well. Now, if you know me, I’m am punctual.  To a fault. Typically I arrive 10 minutes early to each session (to everything, really), and kill time on a side street until it’s actually your appointment time.  So running late is not something that is normal for me.  But I hadn’t controlled myself, and had whipped myself up into a frenzy. So from the beginning, I was destined to fail. Step 2 – Control the Situation I never add energy or stimuli to a situation until I have control of the current situation.  So what happened?  When I suddenly realized that I was going to be 10 minutes late, rather than controlling the situation by calling my client and letter her know, I was going to make up the time.  Problem was, she was pretty far, actually outside my normal travel area.  So there we go; doomed to fail.  Which I did. How does this apply to your dog?  Well, let’s start at the beginning.  Your dog does something you don’t like, say…barking, jumping, dragging you on a leash, etc.  For this instance, we’ll say the doorbell just rang.  That’s your dog’s cue. Control Yourself Fido goes nuts!  Barking, howling, jumping at the door.  It’s time for action.  But before you do anything, as yourself: are you angry?  Frantic? Yelling?  Then it’s not going to work.   Take a deep breath, organize yourself, and make sure you’ve got it together.  Remember, you can handle this.  Keep calm, and pull yourself together. Don’t forget to watch your body language, too!  Put on your Piloting uniform.  Stand up as straight as you can.  I always tell my clients, pretend you rubbed Viagra all over your body. Stand tall. Hands either beside you, in your pockets, or behind your back.  Don’t feel the need to get down to your dog’s level; aim your belly button either at them or directly over them. I call this stance your Piloting uniform. It’s the uniform you wear whenever you’re about to answer your dog’s questions, such as, “Can I bark at the door?” or “Can I jump all over our guest?”.  And do you know who wears this uniform best? Drag queens. Yes, you read that right. Perfect body language, as usual, from RuPaul.  She looks confident.  In control of herself.  She doesn’t look aggressive, but she looks as if she could handle just about any opposition without breaking a sweat. Is that what she (or any drag queen) looks like all the time?  Not necessarily, but it’s part of the job, so they put on their uniform. Their armor.  And they wear it proudly. Control the Situation Okay, you’ve released your inner drag queen.  You have your armor on, or your Piloting uniform, as I like to call it.  Now it’s time to control the situation.  Your dog is most likely misbehaving at the door already.  That’s fine.  You’re about to control that by claiming the door.  Simply walk up to the door, get between your dog and the door (stomach facing your dog still, RuPaul style) and back him off the door. Pretend you’re a snowplow and gently, but firmly, use your legs to plow him back from the door like he's snow. Now you’ve got a few feet to operate.  As soon as Fido is backed off the door, I want you to start backing up towards the door while pointing at him like your finger is a squirt gun and you’re going to shoot him between the eyes. Nail him to that spot with your eyes and your finger (just not IN his face) as you move towards the door. If Fido starts to move towards you, simply start over.  Snow plow him back, and then RuPaul him by pointing at him and nailing him to his spot with your finger and eyeballs. Each time you are doing this, you are giving him a negative.  His question is, “Do you need help at the door?”.  This is how you give a dog a negative.  It may take a few times, but as you do it, you’re getting more and more money from his Piloting Piggy Bank into yours, and whoever has the most money wins.  Only once you have enough money in your Piloting Piggy Bank will you be able to s-l-o-w-l-y open the door (keeping your back to your door and your front towards your dog as much as possible). Continue to control the situation.  If you lose control (your dog comes running up again), simply stop and reboot.  Do not add more stimuli if you lose control. In fact, remove stimuli. Close the door again if you need to.  Your guest would rather wait outside a few more moments rather than be mauled and jumped on when they come in. Once you let your guest in, you’re going to make a sandwich.  Your dog is bread, you’re guest is bread, and you’re the cheese.  Bread doesn’t touch bread.  You will be the cheese between them, answering your dog’s questions about your guest, even as your guest comes through your house and sit down on the couch. Remember, your navel points at what you are engaged with (your dog). Your backside faces what you are claiming (first the door, then your guest). Continue answering your dog’s questions using the same body language. Congratulations, you’ve just answered your door without all the drama.  And the best part is, each time it gets easier and easier! RuPaul would be proud. Remember, these two steps are integral for any time you are Piloting your dog.  Dogs don’t require training in these circumstances, they require answers.  Think of dog training as tricks. Or something one dog wouldn’t teach another to do.  We train dogs to sit (teaching them English), to come on command (English again).  We may train them to go outside to go to the bathroom, or even to walk on a leash.  Those are commands we give them.  Piloting is when you are answering a dog’s questions: Can I jump on you?  Can I steal food from the counter?  Can I bark? Usually I’m very good at Piloting myself, but like every other human, I’m not perfect.  Sometimes I flub things.  Hence my speeding ticket.  But here’s the interesting thing:  I know that speeding is not acceptable.  However, I hadn’t controlled myself nor the situation. In other words, I didn’t Pilot myself.  A cop actually had to do that.  Piloting is simply giving negatives and positives.  My question was, “Can I speed?”.  It was preempted by my lack of controlling myself and the situation.  Cop's answer: no. Funny thing is, after the ticket, I actually felt better.  Rebooted, if you will.  While I was waiting for my ticket, I texted my client and informed her of the delay.  She was very understanding. I was only 15 minutes late. Not the end of the world, but now I was rebooted.  Calmer, even. I realized that I was going about everything wrong.  My unwillingness to control myself and my situation had cost me both time and money.  That’s a negative. So I took a deep breath, pulled away with a fresh ticket in my hand, and calmly drove to my next session, singing along with Led Zeppelin and enjoying the ride rather than focusing on the destination. Once arriving, I rebooted again, taking a deep breath, focusing on how lucky I am to have such a wonderful career that I work with dogs all day!  And then proceeded to have a wonderful session with two amazing people and three incredible dogs. Thank you RuPaul. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

The beautiful thing about Darwin Dogs dog training is the simplicity of our core philosophy, which is captured in our innovative Piloting, Activity and Work, or as we refer to it, the PAW Method.  The PAW Method of dog training centers around the belief that dogs are dogs, and that’s why we love them.  Treat humans like humans, expect cats to be catty, but the beauty of dogs is that they are dogs.  Minimalists. But where does the love and affection come in? Think of love, companionship and affection as the reason you got a dog (honestly, the only reason why anyone should have a dog), just as the only you have a car is for transportation. The PAW method is your your responsibility as a dog owner. So what is The PAW Method? Blending Dog Training with Dog Behavior: Piloting Let’s start at the beginning:  Piloting.  Imagine you are on an airplane and there’s only one pilot. Suddenly the pilot becomes unconscious.  Who is going to fly the plane?!  Obviously you are going to give it your best effort, but how do you feel?  Terrified? Nervous? Overstimulated and overwhelmed?  In short, not good.  You don’t understand this situation you’ve been thrust into, but it’s a life/death situation! That’s exactly how your dog feels.  Your dog is a dog, and most of their instincts are still set for survival in the wild.  Dogs and wolves are the same animal.  They can viably breed together.  A pack of dogs and a pack of wolves have the same social dynamics, rear their young the same, hunt the same….there is nothing on the planet that humans are so compatible with.  A dog can even be integrated into a wolf pack.  A dog still has instincts that allow them to survive in the wild. Living in the wild is dangerous.  Not everyone survives, and it can be difficult, but the issues dogs and wolves face in the wild are pretty simple to understand: how to catch your prey, and how not to be prey. They are constantly on alert for anything that can injure them or kill them, as well as anything that can supplement their diet.  Pretty stressful, but they understand the rules of the game. So what do we do? We stick them indoors, where we change all the rules.  First we mess with the natural order of light/dark by means of lamps and curtains.  Then we humans do some pretty crazy things, such as letting non-pack members (read: possible threats) in our house without properly checking them out. (To you it’s your Aunt Sally, whom you haven’t seen in years.  To a dog, it’s “Not Pack”). Furniture, strange smells, strange sounds – it all adds up to a pretty stressful environment for a dog.  Then to top it all off, we ask them to Pilot our human world.  We answer none of their questions, and believe me they have them. No wonder so many of our dogs have separation anxiety, fear aggression and many other issues! So, going back to that airplane (that you are flying while the true pilot is unconscious)…what would you do if the pilot regained consciousness? Maybe check him out, make sure he’s okay, and then jump out of that seat like it’s hot and let him fly the plane!  The sense of relief you would feel, not being in charge of the situation anymore!  Well, that’s exactly how our dogs feel when we finally start Piloting them. So how DO you Pilot a dog? Simple. Dogs ask questions all the time.  “Can I have that shoe?”  “Is that other dog a threat?”  “Can we play ball right now?”  Problem is, most humans never bother to answer a dog’s questions.  So Piloting a dog is merely giving your dog answers to the questions they ask.  To do that, you have to realize that dogs operate almost exclusively on body language. So the bad news is you have to learn a new language, but the good news is that dogs are binary creatures: they only ask yes/no questions.  Even easier: yes is the absence of no.  Those of you who have children understand this concept (“Well you never said I couldn't!”). So it's not really about dog training. You don't train kids, you don't train dogs. What you're doing is answering your dog's questions enough times that they start to anticipate the answer you will give to each question. Learn more about it here. So how do you answer a dog’s questions? If your dog is staring at a treat on the floor and then at you, he’s asking if he can have it. If you do not want your dog to have it, answer his question by walking in between him and the treat, facing him, with the treat behind you. This means that you are “claiming” the treat. You can move into his personal space to back him off it a bit.  Once he’s engaged with you, nothing, or everything (in other words, looking everywhere but at the treat), remove your strong body language by walking to the side or away from him. This shows him that he is giving you the correct response: accepting that the treat is yours. If he looks at your treat again, simply use the body language again. Learn more about how to do it in this article. Think of it as a game of hot/cold.  His question is, “Can I have that?”  The answer is “No”. You answer his question using that body language.  When he accepts the answer (looking at you, everything, or nothing, but definitely NOT looking at the treat), then you’re finished.  Remove your negative body language.  You may have to put the negative body language right back on him if he immediately tries to go for it, but that’s natural – it may take him a few times to accept that you are finally ready to fly this plane.  Remember, remaining calm is the key.  Anger should never be a part of working with your dog's behaviors. So again, Piloting is answering a dog’s questions, which makes it so much more efficient than simple dog training. You have the ability quickly answer a dog's question about barking or begging at the table ("no") and then move on with your life, rather than setting up countless dog training sessions. You would answer the question in the same way if he is asking if something is a threat (stand between your dog and the perceived threat, facing your dog, and simply back him off while standing up straight). Pretty easy, huh? The more you show your dog behavior that you are capable of being in control and the Piloting, the more your dog will be able to relax and actually be a dog. Your dog's anxiety will lessen. He’ll look to you for guidance instead of feeling as though he needs to protect you and your family from every garbage can, dog and plastic bag in the neighborhood. Exercising Your Dog Easily: Activity Activity is just the amount of exercise your dog gets.  Dogs, like wolves, need activity daily. Walking on a daily basis gives them their sense of roaming that they would get if they were in a wolf/dog pack. Each day a pack hikes miles to and from a hunt. Your pup has this same extinct. It’s important that they get Activity every day and probably more than you can even imagine that they can handle! Some ways to enhance your Activity time is to invest in a backpack for your pup. You can find them on Amazon and your local pet stores. By adding a very small amount of weight to the backpack (I start a typical pitbull on 1 cup of dried beans or rice on each side), and having them wear it around the house as well as on walks, you are giving them more activity (talk to your vet first before starting this routine). My tiny papillion, Orion, only has 2 tablespoons of coffee in his backpack. Fetch, agility and playtime outside and at a dog park are great additional ways to get in activity. But the walk is so very important because it gives you an opportunity to work on your Piloting and it helps them with their roaming instinct, even if it is just in your neighborhood. Learn about how exercising your dog makes training your dog so much easier in this article. And for additional resources on how to wear out your dog, check out this article. Dog Mental Enrichment: WORK The third part of the PAW method is work. Your pup needs mental work daily. Think of it this way: if you drive the same route home every day it becomes monotonous and easy for you. However, if there is a ton of traffic on that same route, you’re a lot more tired when you get home because there was a lot more mental work that went into that drive home. Your pup needs to feel that mentally tired. Otherwise, they’re bored. Boredom leads to your dog figuring out their own ways keep themselves busy, which leads to your shoes getting new ventilation. An easy way to get some mental work in for your pup is to use an enrichment feeder, such as a Kong Wobbler, Omega Ball or Busy Buddy Twist N Feed for your dog’s mealtimes. These feeders make your dog think about how to get the food out as opposed to just waiting for you to poor it out of a bag, which is dull, boring and EASY. By making them think about how they will get their food, it adds some mental Work into their day, but doesn't add anytime to yours as you are going to feed them anyways.  Also, while getting the food out of an enrichment toy can be stressful, your dog will figure it out, and when they alleviate their own stress, they build confidence. Other things you can do for some mental work are playing “find it” games, teaching them a new trick, or even just rapid firing commands at them that they already know:  sit, down, up, roll-over, sit – all of these commands said quickly makes your dog focus intently on what you may have them do next. For more information on mental work, and easy ways to give your dog the enrichment they need, check out this link. Each of these three parts of the PAW method are extremely important. It’s a tripod – remove a leg, and it all crumbles, so don’t “make do” with Piloting and Work, but skip the Activity.  Each component is integral. It takes commitment, but, it’s also a ton of fun. By giving your dog what they need (Piloting, Activity and Work) you will be getting exactly what you wanted: your best friend. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

Companies should not have a singular view of profitability. There needs to be a balance between commerce and social responsibility… – Howard Schultz Hi Tom.  (You don’t mind if I call you “Tom”, right?).  I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced..  I’m Kerry Stack.  Dog lover, animal rescuer, Supernatural fan girl. A German Shepherd and Dean Winchester in a ’67 black Chevy Impala. It’s on my Christmas list every year. One thing you may not know about me is that I’m passionate about animal rights. You may be asking yourself what the purpose of this letter is.  Well, to put it bluntly, I’m truly hoping you can convince me that you are passionate about animal rights as well. I’m aware that you run “Pick of the Litter” pet store in South Park Mall in Strongsville, Ohio.  Let’s just say that the results of a  search for reviews of your establishment have been less than stellar.  Reports of sick animals.  Stories of puppies stuffed into fish tanks.  And of course, the allegations that your animals are coming from puppy mills.  Knowing how the internet can sometimes be more of a lynch mob than a school of thought and logic, I think it’s you deserve to get a fair shake, and have your say. So I ask you: Why the fish tanks? With pine chips? Yeah, I know puppies can be destructive little twerps sometimes.  As soon as you clean up a mess from them, they are off to make another.  And given your choice of (ahem) profession, I can see why you would need to keep them contained. In fish tanks? On pine chips? Yes that's two dogs crammed into a fishtank Where are these guys supposed to run?  Play?  Not inhale sawdust?  I understand that you are in the business of selling dogs for profit, but is the most profitable way to sell them is to stuff them in fish tanks?  I’m aware that other puppy mill brokers pet shops such as yours (ahem: Petland) need to keep track of their inventory puppies, and that it’s better than the wire cages that Petland utilizes….But that’s like saying the guy on the left is cuter. Inhaled and ingested wood chips, small, confining fish tanks for puppies?  Seriously, you can do better. And no, that's not a challenge. What are your responses to the allegations that your dogs lack fresh water and adequate health care? According to Lisa*, who purchased a pup, the puppies are unable to use the hamster water bottles placed in all the cages.  Luckily she is a veterinary technician, because her puppy almost died from lack of care given by Pick of the Litter: "I am a registered veterinary technician so I had fluids on hand I gave him. I just remember him being very lethargic and dehydrated. As soon as I gave him fluids and some food he perked up. And then I realized as I was trying to give him water in a bowl he was just putting his mouth in the bowl but he didn’t understand he had to lick. He loved licking my hands though so I started putting my hand in the bowl for him and that is the only way he would drink any water for over a week until he figured it out. So since I couldn’t be home 24/7 I would supplement him with the fluids. All you have to really do is go in there and look at the gums on the dogs and if they feel tacky or if you pull on there[sic] skin and it doesn’t go right back they are dehydrated. My dog had both of these signs." Unfortunately, this lack of concern does not sound like the actions of a person who has an animal’s best interests at heart.  There have been numerous stories of peoples’ contracts with your business being voided because they took their puppies to a vet other than your own personal vet. Consider the story of John & Cindy Yakim who purchased a puppy from Pick of the Litter in 2013: "I didn’t check the background of this pet store at all. First mistake.  Within the first 24 hours she was dying do [sic] to pneumonia. They told us at the store to bring her back and a portion of her purchase price could go towards another dog. Of course we didn’t do that and took her to our own vet. Some $4000.00 later she got well.  The store told us as soon as we took her to are own vet any contract was on null and void. I love my dog very much but feel I would rescue one from a shelter all though if I didn’t purchase her she would have been left for dead and no records would show how many puppies die in there[sic] care. I also feel she was not the breed that they told us she was. The callous nature of the sales and facility should have been my first deterrent.   The girl’s name was Diane and was dating the owner at the time. They wanted us to bring her in and they would take her to there [sic] vet. Never once did they give a name. She was close to dying at our vets and once they heard that the deal was off ( in there [sic] words). If any paperwork from our vet would help your cause I could get. We are not opposed of using our name. I have heard almost the same story regarding this store. I am personally sad they are still open." Who is this “personal vet”, and why are the the “health records” you provide from said vet  (according to at least 3 testimonials I’ve received so far) merely some scribbles on a note card, if they even exist at all? If your standards are high, then why would a second opinion from a new dog owner’s vet be of concern to you?  Are you unable to stand by your puppies’ health?  Because the list of illnesses and congenital defects found in the puppies you sell are staggering: - ear infections - giardia - patellar luxation (knee problems that require surgery) - parasites - heartworm - pneumonia …and the list goes on.  It would seem that any diseases that are common in puppy mills, your puppies seem to get.  Which brings me to my final question: Where do you get your puppies from? The answers I’m receiving from previous customers and even some of your own friends and acquaintances are truly disturbing. I interviewed Cathy*, a former friend of yours.  She had initially defended you (on the Darwin Dogs’ Facebook page) from the allegations made against you.  She soon realized the awful truth.  Here’s what she had to say only one day later: "I have known Tom for years. I believe he once had compassion and truly tried and wanted to help animals. Last night I argued with numerous people on sight defending him. Now I have never supported the aquarium “cages” it not healthy in my opinion. But long story short after defending the man I knew who truly had a heart of gold I reached out to a few people who have close contact with him. I myself haven’t seen him in at least 4-5 years. Today I was given confirmation he DOES in fact get his dogs from Puppy Mills. He has a broker who obtains them from the mills. He said everyone does it. He claims to have local breeders which is a blatant lie. Please understand that this was devastating news for me to hear. I trusted him, I believed in him and I defended him. But today my respect ended. Today I learned he has become a money hungry monster seeking fortune at the expense of these helpless defenseless dogs.  … So to get confirmation that Tom is in fact utilizing Mill Puppies to stock his store. It’s inexcusable! I am extremely sorry I defended him last night. I’m extremely sorry to now know he in fact is using Mills. Thank you for doing what you do. Awareness makes a difference!!! Like the awareness of a man I respected is now an enemy to me.  Again my apologies for my defending him. But the sources and information today come from people close to him that are well aware of his doings. I hope the protest is wonderful and raises questions for many and changes are made. Thank you." There’s a pretty slippery slope when it comes to selling animals.  For a lot of unwary and unsuspecting soon-to-be pet owners, it can be difficult to determine if a pet you’re considering purchasing is from a puppy mill or from a reputable breeder.  In short, some pretty damning evidence and testimony has been uncovered regarding your business practices and the inhumane treatment of your “stock”, or as we refer to them: pets, animals, living beings.  We await your response, Tom Collins.UPDATE - On January 2, 2017 we started receiving some messages from supporters of yours, including the following.  Please explain this, Tom. It’s okay, he’s “rescuing” them from puppy mills. And by “rescuing” he means “brokering”.  Thanks for the clarification, Lynnette! UPDATE:  Read about our most recent efforts to end puppy mills here, and help us be a voice for the helpless. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio