Being a Pack Leader

I have learned more training dogs than I have in my years of University. I have learned how to assert myself using voice and body language, and how to demand respect not only from dogs, but from people. In a sense, I have learned, and am still learning, how to be a pack leader.

There is one thing that doesn’t seem to change with almost every client I meet – none of them seem to understand how to be a pack leader. Most of them are afraid to try. Most don't want to be 'mean' to their dog. I spend almost every lesson repeating the same thing to them in different words to reinforce an idea that is foreign to them: you have to be a pack leader; your dog is NOT happy being allowed to do whatever it wants.

Dogs are pack animals by nature. They live with a leader they respect and follow. This leader rewards good behaviour and corrects bad behaviour. In this way, the leader controls the pack and the pack learns how to properly interact with each other. This interaction is through the use of tones in the dog's voice and a bite on the scruff of other dogs. This is how dogs communicate, and this is how the leader demands respect from its pack.

Prong collars are a human’s way of mimicking that bite. If used properly, the collar ‘bites’ the scruff of the neck and releases, imitating the pack leader. The problem is that they look like a medieval torture tool. Most people don’t understand that it is, in fact, less damaging than a choke chain, and more effective (in most cases) than purely positive training.

In the hopes of creating a quick, but well referenced fact sheet on prong collars, I stumbled on so many blogs and anti-Cesar Milan sites thatI was shocked at how ignorant many comments were. Most (take http://whitney05.hubpages.com/hub/Cesar-Millan-is-Bad as an example) spew out ‘facts’ with no references and condemn the use of prong collars and assertive leadership as ‘barbaric’ and ‘outdated’. I am tired of being referred to as abusive to animals.

I have put a prong collar on almost every dog I have trained. It has been successful with 100% of the dogs I have trained. Many of these dogs are aggressive and come from referrals from ‘positive-only’ trainers. Prong collars are not a temporary solution, as people call it, but a permanent solution. Once I have corrected a dog once or twice with this collar, the dog understands its place in the pack and no longer fights against me, meaning that I never have to use the collar. I am NOT dragging the dog around, as some blogs seem to suggest, nor am I creating a fearful dog. Dogs under my training respect me and listen to me because of the consistency and leadership I bring, not out of fear.

While purely positive training can teach a dog to do something, it is fairly ineffective at teaching a dog not to do something. A balanced approach is very important when training a dog – positive reinforcement for doing something right, and a correction for unwanted behaviour. This is the clearest way to communicate with your dog, since it does so in a way that he/she understands.

Dogs are wonderful companions and mine are truly my best friends, but I find our society has humanized them to the point of nonsensical. Dogs are beautiful creatures because they live in the present, however, this means that they do not reason in the same way as humans. By humanizing them and expecting them to understand our train of thought, we lose touch with the nature of dogs. Dogs lives in the present and want a leader to guide them. Not everyone is a natural leader, but everyone has the chance to become a leader with the proper tools. So please do your research carefully before deciding on your method of training, and ensure your research is from a reliable source. You will be surprised by what you learn.

Life Update

I almost posted something here today to try and shed some angry feelings away, but then I quickly reminded myself that this is posted to the world. Anything I put up here, anyone can access. And it’s not that I expect a world of people to be reading this blog (since I know there’s only a handful), but the potential for disaster is present anyway. Not only that, but why would I grace this wonderful website with negative feelings caused by one person? It’s just not worth the time.

Instead, I will put an update on life.



I haven’t been working on my High School. With a full time job, volunteering on the weekend, the Frodo course, and being in the ‘adult world’, I completely ran out of time. Something was going to give, and I didn’t want it to be my sanity. So that has been put on hold until my contract at the NAC is over in August.


I am loving my dog trainer course. I took it originally so that I would have an amazing thing to put on my CV for veterinary school, but now I am thinking that as long as it is fiscally possible, this is something I could do with my life. With the exception of ballroom dancing, I have never loved an activity so much. I can SEE myself doing this. I can imagine working day by day with dogs and teaching people.I think it is slightly ironic that I have a Masters degree and may spend my life teaching dogs, but I don’t think that is necessarily a ‘waste’ as some people seem to think. I will be doing something I love, even if it’s only part time. I will continue to learn, and I will have the time to do things for myself and those I love.


Life just keeps coming, and I know this is not nearly the end of it, but I am oddly comforted by the changes it is sending my way. I couldn’t predict that I would be here, not even if I tried, but I am happy that I am here. Here is good, and I look forward to seeing my next phase, because I’m sure I won’t be able to predict that either.

Moving Out

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been afraid of growing up.

Well, time passed.

I’m 24 and still living at home, and part of that is because I cling to the past and my childhood. I always saw moving out as the last step into adulthood. Sure, I moved to Rome and England, but with both I knew I would be coming home.

Then Yan and I decided to move out. I’m really excited to be moving forward, and also a little anxious to be leaving ‘it’ behind. My Mom is excited and keeps reminding me that it is the beginning of our life together. The more and more I think about it, the more I am ready to leave little Chandra. I’m excited to live with Yan and work on our own family. Starting with Frodo.

I mean, who wouldn’t look forward to living with Frodo? (sorry Yan! lol)

Science

A part of me is certainly terrified to enter into the world of science. I haven't done anything 'scientific' since 2004, and I avoid math like the plague. Partially because I found both Math and Science difficult in High School, particularly in comparison to the Arts. I think that's why my family was so surprised to hear that I wanted to go to veterinary school and that I signed up for my Grade 12 High School credits.

I started Grade 12 Biology today. The funny thing is I actually enjoy it! The learning curve isn't as steep as I expected, and I remembered a lot more about Biology than I was giving myself credit for. Granted, I have a lot of memorization to do for the final exam, but I am feeling a lot more confident about my ability to understand science.

Today I finished 2 out of 20 lessons for Grade 12 biology. I'm hoping to get it done before March pops up, and after today, I have no doubt that I can accomplish that!

Well science, I think you have found another follower.

Midlife Crisis

Although I learnt in my psychology class that there is 'no such thing' as a midlife crisis, I still feel there are many sets of mini crises that hit you along the road of life.

I know...who am I to be talking? I’m young.

But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t made tough decisions, fought through emotional turmoil, and hell, I survived the teenage years. It’s just dawning on me that life likes to hit you with some crisis every once in a while, keeping us all on our toes.

Most of my friends are highly educated and, like me, still lost. Many are fighting to find a job that doesn’t consist of selling coffee, or ‘add on sales’, and I’m in the search with them. It reminds me of being on an excavation – you sift through layers of crap and every once in a while find a gem. You hold the gem, analyze the gem, and sit there in reverence. Who did it belong to? What was it used for? How could I be the one to study it? And then someone comes along and takes the gem away, and you continue sifting.

Job searching is similar: you sift through the many placements that you either 1. Don’t qualify for, 2. Don’t fit your schedule, 3. Are not within your interests, and occasionally find a posting for a job that you can see yourself doing, and potentially enjoying. You hold onto that figurative gem, studying it, analyzing it. Who will get this job? What will they be doing? What is the office like? How could I be that lucky person? And after a couple of months, that position is filled, and the search continues.

Don’t get me wrong – I am very content right now. I have signed up for a Professional Dog Training course and my High School science and math credits. I feel like life is moving forward at a terrifying pace. I am scared of the high standards they hold to pass the dog training course, as well as my inability to do science and math, but I know if I work hard, I will get through it. Still, I am watching my friends search, and I am tired of getting snide remarks from people who don’t understand that ‘just getting a job’ isn’t as easy as it sounds. We are too qualified for retail, but under qualified for the government. Recessions hurt. Especially for young graduates. So please take a moment to think about that judgement you are making and remember the qualities of the person you are judging. In all likelihood, they are trying, and frustrated, and just need your support. It is anything but lazyness.

So I’ve resigned myself to the idea of going back to school. It’s going to be an interesting ride, and an intense competition and I look forward to it.

So take that life. I have jumped that hurdle, avoided the bullet, and crawled my way under your mini crisis! Your move.

Awesome 4

When you drive up to the "always red" set of lights, and for the first time you can remember, it is green. Go car go! Awesome.

Awesome 3

When something you were hoping for doesn't go as planned, but later in the day something even better happens. Thank you life! That's just awesome.

Museum of Classical Antiquities

I was asked to write a short (250 words) thing about how my time at the Museum of Classical Antiquities (I spent 3 years there!) made a difference in my life. The current TA for the museum is organizing a fair to promote the Museum to schools and the University of Ottawa itself. So I thought it would be nice to also promote it here, on my blog. Here's what I wrote:

(Audrey giving a tour)


The three years I spent at the Museum of Classical Antiquities at the University of Ottawa gave me unique experience in my undergraduate degree that is unparalleled in most universities. I was able to handle artefacts, give tours in both official languages to school groups, and work with professors in a one-on-one setting. This experience was noted by both my dig director in Rome (Darius Aria of the American Institute for Roman Culture, Villa Delle Vignacce excavation) and the faculty at Newcastle University where I completed my Masters in Greek and Roman Archaeology. I credit my time at the Museum for my acceptance into each program, as well as my scholarship in the United Kingdom. The Museum helped me see the past in a way that most students don’t get to experience in Canada. My understanding of ancient cultures, and social history changed while volunteering there, and the practical experience I gained was invaluable to my future education. The Museum of Classical Antiquities provides unique opportunities for all students, whether looking for practice in communications and management, or the chance to handle an object made during the time of great empires. I loved my time at the Museum of Classical Antiquities, and I hope that many more students will become involved to bring their passion for the past to the future.

Awesome 2

When you think you are out of money and find 10$ in a secret compartment of your wallet. Awesome

That's Just Awesome!

For Christmas my Mom got each of her kids a book. Shane got something complex, Lisa received something about someone famous, and I got "The Book of Awesome".

It is the perfect bus book because each story is a maximum of three pages long. The author, Neil Pasricha, decided to write a blog and post little things that make life awesome. Some examples: wearing underwear just out of the dryer, intergenerational dancing, seeing a cop on the side of the road and realizing you're going the speed limit anyway,and high fiving babies.

The book is silly and fun, and teaches the reader to see the simplistic in a new way. So I thought it would be fun to write tiny posts of things that are "awesome".

My post for today: Seeing a group of cops enjoying a donut at Tim Hortons. Awesome.

10 things

When I was a kid going through what I perceived as a ‘rough time’ in my life, I used to write a daily list. The requirements? The list had to be 10 items long and always positive. Usually the list was about 10 positive things that happened that day, or 10 positive things I saw, or 10 wonderful smiles and gestures from friends. It didn’t matter, as long as it was focused on that day. The wonderful thing about this habit, which I maintained daily for about 3-4 years, is it taught me to consistently think in a certain, positive manner, even when life seemed negative. Eventually, I didn't need to write these lists to think positively about my life. And this mindset has carried with me and flourished in a way that no psychiatrist could mimic in treatments.

I love everything about life, even the things that depress me, because in some way they make me a better person. They push me to a new goal, throw me in uncomfortable situations, teach me about people and cultures, and make great stories. That’s why I see every ‘misadventure’ as an adventure. You never know where life will take you. Some things are easier to see in a positive way than others, but that's what keeps it challenging and rewarding.

In honour of this habit I had as a kid, I decided to write a list of 10 things I’m thankful for this birthday. Funny how birthdays always make you look back, even when life hasn’t been lived yet.

So here goes!

10 Things I`m Thankful for on my 24th Birthday

1.A family that loves and supports me and is functional in its dysfunctional way
2.A relationship that will last a lifetime with the man I love, who would throw himself into a puddle if only to prevent me from getting wet. And who, only yesterday, put a tiny plastic sword that skewered a cherry in a drink inside my boot so I would have a `boot knife` to protect me. So silly.
3.Friends that I can rely on and love dearly. Especially those that make me feel better about myself after each hangout
4.An education of my own choosing and that I loved
5.An outlook on life that is positive
6.The means and ability to continuously learn
7.A positive self image
8.Good health (except the genetic disasters, of course!)
9.A safe, welcoming and friendly neighbourhood
10.To have been born in Canada without many needs

Who knows? Maybe I’ll make this a yearly birthday list :) .

HELLO 2011!!!!!!!!!

I have a philosophy about each year. Well, not really a philosophy so much as a belief. You see, I’m the kind of person who favours even numbers. I don’t know why. It’s the same tick that makes me take 2 of everything when eating a snack, or compulsively clean certain areas. The wonderful part about loving even numbers is I’m born in an odd year. So with odd years like 2011, I will be turning 24, an even number. This ensures that each year begins with promise. Each year is wonderful in its complete, even state.

I’m excited about 2011. I am anticipating a lot of changes in my life. Hopefully a job, although not necessarily a full time one. Maybe even school. I can’t wait to see where it takes me, but I’m also not in a rush to get there. I’m here to enjoy the ride. One minute at a time.

I’m so excited to share these minutes with my family, friends, and Yan. I am beginning this year on a happy high that I intend to keep throughout the year.

My resolutions?
1. Continue looking on the bright side of life
2. Look for the silver lining
3. HUG whenever possible
4. STOP CANCELLING ON VAL! That’s a biggy :P

A bit ambiguous, and perhaps ill defined, but I think this makes the best resolutions. Especially in a year that will see a lot of change. My resolutions will evolve with that change to take on new meaning throughout the year. This prevents me from breaking them, but also ensures that I gain new understanding with each step I take.

So... I’m excited, I’m bouncy and I’m ready to see where this year takes me! It can only be good, because each year gets better and better.

LOVE AND HUGS TO EVERYONE!