Guest post by Amber Kingsley, pet writer, to accompany her great infographic on modern dog training
By Amber Kingsley, pet writer. Hosted by Laure-Anne Visele, May 2015
Amber’s dog training infographic caught my attention, so I asked if she would share it with my readers, and write a little article to go with it. Enjoy!
About Canis bonus: certified dog trainer in The Hague
Canis bonus: Laure-Anne Visele
My name is Laure-Anne and I can help with your dog’s behaviour questions if you live in The Hague or region.
I am a dog behaviour therapist for Canis bonus, and Head Trainer at OhMyDog! dog training school.
I graduated in Zoology and certified as a dog training instructor. I also have a Postgraduate in applied animal behaviour (completed Magna cum laude).
In short, I am The Hague’s dog nerd. If you want dog-friendly and evidence-based tips, I am your girl. If you live close to The Hague and have a question about your dog’s behaviour, tell me about the problem here.
About the author: pet writer Amber Kingsley
Amber has donated countless hours to supporting her local shelter Karma Rescue within operations and outreach. She attends regular seminars, including Dr. Ian Dunbar, and 50 Shades of Bark in Burbank. She has spent most of her animal research in food-related subjects of health and training, and has tried numerous methods of training with local Southern California trainers.
Amber is a BFA graduate of a liberal arts university. She majored in art history and is now traveling as much as possible, working as a freelance writer. She has a Yorkie puppy named Charles (“Charlie”) Xavier.
Amber introduces her dog training infographic
With the advent of the internet, social media and YouTube, we’ve all seen our fair share of cats playing the piano and dogs riding skateboards, but even those viral videos didn’t propel those animals to the status of being a household name. Dogs like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin had a notoriety matched by few other canines throughout history.
Other dogs gained national and even worldwide recognition for living in the White House, think of Bo Obama for example. There was also Rex Reagan, Millie Bush and Buddy Clinton, who ironically didn’t get along with Bill and Hillary’s cat Socks, and they were kept in separate quarters. As presidential pets go, none received the same fame as Fala Roosevelt.
Campaigning for presidency in 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave his famous “Fala Speech,” responding to critics claiming his dog was costing taxpayers money. FDR stated, “I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself, but I think I have the right to resent, to object, to libelous statements about my dog!” FDR had the last laugh since they are both immortalized in a statue in Washington D.C., Fala, a cute little Scottish Terrier, is the only presidential dog to be given this honor.
LAIKA THE SPACEDOG
Many have heard of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik, but few remember Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Russia, who was trained to be the first animal to orbit the earth in 1957. No provisions were made for the safe return of this heroic astronaut, and the Soviets reported the dog was euthanized painlessly a week after take-off. The truth didn’t surface until 2002, when it was revealed that Laika had actually died just a few short hours after launch from being overheated.
SINBAD THE SAILOR
Sinbad, a mixed breed puppy, was meant to be a gift for the Chief Boatswain’s girlfriend, but her apartment didn’t allow pets, so the dog enlisted into the Coast Guard instead. Putting his pawprint on the appropriate enlistment paperwork, Sinbad was given his service identification number and even his own uniform. He joined the crew of the Campbell cutter in 1938 and faithfully served for eleven years, most notably during WWII, where he was a battle veteran and received the following commendations:
- American Defense Service Medal
- European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal
THE SAR DOGS OF 9/11
Within minutes of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center buildings on September 11, 2001, thousands of first responders and over 350 SAR (Search and Rescue) dogs were on scene. These highly trained dogs worked grueling sixteen-hour days with their handlers in a relentless search for survivors.
In a moving tribute on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, Animal Planet honored these heros by stating, “It became evident that the dogs were nearly as distraught as the human rescuers when there were so few survivors to be found. For the human rescue workers, the lack of survivors made the attacks feel ever more horrific and tragic. For the dogs trained to find survivors, though, it felt like a personal failure.”
These brave canine warriors have shown us that successfully trained dogs can hold down a number of different careers, service animals, sheep herders, security and police dogs are all good examples. Even playful, family pets need discipline in order to be happy and healthy. The following infographic points out the best training tips for using positive reinforcement through rewards and praise.
