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Susan
Sharpe has always loved animals. She has also trained animals for
over 20 years. When traditional training using choker chains and
punishment did not work with one of her dogs, she began researching
and studying alternative training methods.
When applying what she had learned,
Susan discovered that rewarding desired behaviors created an animal
would offer more and more behaviors to choose from. This is in opposition to traditional training
which teaches
an animal to stop offering behaviors due to being corrected for
offering an unwanted one. The traditionally trained animal will
learn to stay where he does not anticipate a correction rather
than to risk a correction for the offering of a wrong behavior.
Susan
observed in this day and age of "quick fixes" product
marketing campaigns lead us to believe we can fix a behavior problem with a
press of a button. No need to be a responsible dog owner/guardian
by putting our trash or valued items behind closed doors. Simply
press a button and have your puppy or dog stop the behavior you no
longer want. Sounds simple enough, but the sad part is these
marketing campaigns may be teaching people that training animals
is nothing more than physical punishment
There may
be more to it than that! What actually may be happening from
the jerk, poke and shock training methods are the animals
instinctual survival responses may be shutting down, one calming
signal at a time. As an animal is corrected for offering a calming
signal (what we may interpret as a unwanted behavior), he learns
the calming signal didn't work, so he offers another one,
continuing to "move up the ladder" to the next or
another calming
signal. Far too often the animal's signal is ignored or
even worse, corrected for it.
This
pattern can continue to escalate, maybe a growl again with
punishment as the result. Perhaps a snap resulting in more
punishment and eventually all he has left to do is bite!
Susan
believes people need to be educated concerning animal development
and behavior. Thereby being better able to choose a training
program they will feel comfortable using.
Animals
have 3 choices for avoiding confrontations. One is Flight, the
animal flees the situation, but the majority of animals can't do
this because they are restrained. The second choice is Fight, this
happens when all calming signals have failed to get him out of the
situation and for survival reasons he fights. The third is to Freeze,
when the animal appears to freeze in fear and acts as if he is
trying to endure and hold this Freeze position long enough for the
fear and/or corrections to cease.
A pet
store displayed a banner that showed an 8 to 12 week old puppy
chewing on a shoe. The ad offered to end this unwanted destructive
chewing by selling the owner an electric shock collar. The marketing implied
see puppy chew (or any other unwanted behavior) and press a button
to fix the problem.
What may
have happened:
According to puppy development a puppy will go through 2 fear
periods before he reaches his first 11 to 12 months of life, each
fear period lasting up to 3 weeks. If a puppy is frightened and
unable to leave what is scaring or hurting him, during one of
these fear periods, he could become neurotic and ruined with what
he associated the fear and/or pain to.
Will the
puppy ever chew on a shoe again? Probably, because people, absent
the proper training, will
likely not possess the degree of timing needed to apply punishment.
The
combination of Susan's experiences and her search to aid in the
improved treatment of animals has driven her to create the Anxiety
Wrap. A wonderful creation that has modified some behavior issues
alone and also is being used with success as a wonderful training
tool. To aid in the alternative training methods that includes the
body, mind and spirit of the animal to learn what we deem as
appropriate behavior.
Susan is
the only Certified Tellington Touch practitioner in the state of
Indiana and compliments the Tellington Touch with Acupressure and
Massage.
Susan has
also successfully completed Purdue's Principles & Techniques
of Behavior Modification course, which deals with canine
development, social structure and prevention of behavior problems
including aggression.
Susan is
a member in good standing with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and has completed
Bob & Marian Bailey's beginners and advanced clicker training
workshop. She served several years as a volunteer board member
with the Huntington County Humane Society. Before leaving the traditional world of training Susan
trained military style in areas, which included obedience, article
search, obstacle course, tracking, drug detection and personal
protection.
Susan has
attended numerous workshops, seminars and clinics taught by but
not limited to the following:
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Karen Pryor,
former trainer of Sea World & author
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Deborah Jones,
Ph.D., behaviorist & author
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Rocky Boatman,
ex-military trainer & consultant for the secret service K9
division (prior to converting to alternative training)
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Terry Ryan,
behaviorist & author
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Turid Rugaas,
Norway's leading behaviorist & rehabilitator of damaged
dogs
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