While at the airport after a visit with my dad and sibs in Acapulco, I spotted a dangerous zone as I left the security area… the duty free emporium! I don’t know about you, but I hate traveling and all the hassles associated with it these days, so I need to do whatever I can to make the experience a bit more pleasant. I had three hrs. to kill so what better way to spend it than having a mini make-over at the cosmetic counter?
I inquire about a BB cream – supposedly it evens skin tone with the added bonus of containing a sunscreen, my kind of thing: being ready in five minutes tops!
The only guy selling makeup began by applying the creamy concoction with a brush in tidy circular motions… I am captivated.
Not only is the application relaxing but also clearly the results are much better than with my approach of applying with fingers. As he is making an excellent job of selling me the BB cream AND the brush I flash to thinking about the importance of using just the right tool for the job.
In the world of dog training there are so many products out there that either really make a difference in resolving a problem and making our lives a tad easier and some that in reality are just cute and not really needed in achieving loftier goals. Yes indeed the pet industry keeps growing and growing. It is actually a multi-billion (with a “b” as in boy) industry!
So here are my criteria in selecting or endorsing pet related products:
up and oh so sad. What we do to our best friend in the name of training and living happily ever after.
But wait! If you feel just like me, here is an approach that I am sure you will approve of. Its acronym in the industry is L.I.M.A. and it stands for: Least Invasive Method Available.
I try and keep this standard when I choose anything for my dogs or my client’s dogs. Not only does L.I.M.A. support my application of the science of animal learning and behavior, but it forces me to go beyond. It is a moral choice. One that in my opinion we must make every day with every single purchase, with every technique used and in devising goals for our pets.
L.I.M.A works also because it questions our appetite for controlling our pets – to make them less of dogs and more crutches for our emotional needs of companionship. So I choose (and I hope here to inspire a few brave souls) to honor my dog’s dog-like behavior; because after all it is only fair and kind but also because of how much fun they are with their doggy antics!
In reaching my goals with my dogs, I choose to pay close attention to reinforcing heavily on the behaviors that I like and that I want to see more often. Because as the laws of learning tell us: whatever behavior you reinforce… you will see more of since the behavior will increase.
When it comes to equipment and tools (harnesses, nail files and clippers, brushes, etc.) I try to introduce it in such a way that my dogs learn to at least tolerate it and at best not mind the procedure or having to wear it.
Perhaps I ended buying the make-up brush because not only was it a better tool for applying the BB cream but because when it was used on me it felt “good” and that is exactly how I want my dogs to feel when I choose to impose something on them.
I inquire about a BB cream – supposedly it evens skin tone with the added bonus of containing a sunscreen, my kind of thing: being ready in five minutes tops!
The only guy selling makeup began by applying the creamy concoction with a brush in tidy circular motions… I am captivated.
Not only is the application relaxing but also clearly the results are much better than with my approach of applying with fingers. As he is making an excellent job of selling me the BB cream AND the brush I flash to thinking about the importance of using just the right tool for the job.
In the world of dog training there are so many products out there that either really make a difference in resolving a problem and making our lives a tad easier and some that in reality are just cute and not really needed in achieving loftier goals. Yes indeed the pet industry keeps growing and growing. It is actually a multi-billion (with a “b” as in boy) industry!
So here are my criteria in selecting or endorsing pet related products:
- Is the product really delivering what it claims to do? Will the dog really stop pulling with the harness? Teeth will be tartar free? Dog will eat slower out of bowl? - You get the idea.
- Is the application or use of the tool humane? Because after all we MUST consider not only the benefits for the human but what effect does it have in the well being of the dog? For example: I have seen anti-pull harnesses (for the person’s benefit) that are so poorly designed or at least poorly fitted that you see the poor dog walking with a buckle just behind their elbow- causing irritation with every step. I have also adjusted many head-halters that are either too loose to be effective and even comfortable or way too tight. The list goes on….
up and oh so sad. What we do to our best friend in the name of training and living happily ever after.
But wait! If you feel just like me, here is an approach that I am sure you will approve of. Its acronym in the industry is L.I.M.A. and it stands for: Least Invasive Method Available.
I try and keep this standard when I choose anything for my dogs or my client’s dogs. Not only does L.I.M.A. support my application of the science of animal learning and behavior, but it forces me to go beyond. It is a moral choice. One that in my opinion we must make every day with every single purchase, with every technique used and in devising goals for our pets.
L.I.M.A works also because it questions our appetite for controlling our pets – to make them less of dogs and more crutches for our emotional needs of companionship. So I choose (and I hope here to inspire a few brave souls) to honor my dog’s dog-like behavior; because after all it is only fair and kind but also because of how much fun they are with their doggy antics!
In reaching my goals with my dogs, I choose to pay close attention to reinforcing heavily on the behaviors that I like and that I want to see more often. Because as the laws of learning tell us: whatever behavior you reinforce… you will see more of since the behavior will increase.
When it comes to equipment and tools (harnesses, nail files and clippers, brushes, etc.) I try to introduce it in such a way that my dogs learn to at least tolerate it and at best not mind the procedure or having to wear it.
Perhaps I ended buying the make-up brush because not only was it a better tool for applying the BB cream but because when it was used on me it felt “good” and that is exactly how I want my dogs to feel when I choose to impose something on them.
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