Nicole Wilde

As a trainer, I’ve received calls like this more than once: “Buddy’s a great dog, he’s sweet, he loves people, and he likes most other dogs. He even plays with them at the park. But there’s this one neighborhood dog he just doesn’t like. Can you help?”

Sure, that one dog can present a problem if the dogs have to pass each other every day on walks or if, for example, the dogs are in the same group class. And yes, a trainer can help the owner to manage the situation so the dogs can co-exist. But the deeper issue is the belief so many people hold that their dogs must like every dog they meet. Do you like every person you meet? I doubt it, and I doubt there’s a person on the planet who does.

We have become a culture where low intelligence and shock value rules (think reality shows, dumb and dumber films), and judging others has become a spectator sport. Popular shows like American Idol ferret out real talent, yet there’s an awful lot of nastiness along the way. Let's face it, mean sells. Many internet sites have become festering forums of negativity where those who post their opinions would never dare say those things face to face to the person they’re maligning.

So in this Twitter, Youtube, let’s-all-share-our-every-thought era, I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise that so many people jumped on the Obamas when they dared to purchase a dog from—gasp! A breeder! In this article-- http://www.prweb.com/releases/stop_animal_cruelty/puppy_mill/prweb244369...

As they used to say on the Monty Python show, “And now for something completely different.” I normally blog about training and behavior issues, as I’ve been a dog trainer/behavior specialist for many years. But I have also been something else for many years, something that until recently I didn’t talk about much – I am a healer.

I have done hands-on energy healing with my dogs intuitively since I was a kid, though I couldn’t have put into words at the time exactly what I was doing. Also, back then hands-on type healing modalities like Reiki and Healing Touch weren’t as widely accepted. Back then, people tended to look at you strangely if you laid your hands on a dog and he quickly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep! But things change, and more and more owners who are looking for natural, holistic ways to help their dogs are embracing “alternative healing” methods, including energy work.

“You must be the alpha dog in your pack.” “If you’re not the alpha, your dog will try to take over that role.” You’ve heard these phrases before. “Alpha” is commonly understood to mean the top dog; the head honcho; the big cheese. But where did the term come from, and is it still applicable today?