Kyle GeitnerI was raised with cats.
I didn’t grow up with dogs, but rather caught most of my pets during my childhood; turtles, tadpoles, crawdads, fish, bugs, etc. My entire life I have had a fascination with and compassion for animals, but did not find my truest companion until 2008 when I adopted my first dog, Tweak. Be it a lack of knowledge or a gluttony for punishment, I chose her, half border collie and half austrailian shepherd, to be my foray into the canine world. At that point, I knew nothing. |
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Not long after I adopted Tweak, I got a job at Good Hands Veterinary Clinic in Athens, GA as a kennel assistant. I was aiming to go to Veterinary School, but found something I hadn’t expected.
In my time at the hospital, I found that I had a knack for handling the troubled or untouchable dogs. In a short time, I had developed a rapport with many dogs that had previously been deemed too dangerous to deal with.
My approach was simple, trust the dog and they will trust you.
In my time at the hospital, I found that I had a knack for handling the troubled or untouchable dogs. In a short time, I had developed a rapport with many dogs that had previously been deemed too dangerous to deal with.
My approach was simple, trust the dog and they will trust you.
Over time I had amassed a clientele of many different dogs with different needs, but my goal was always the same:
- Create a partnership with the dog that resulted in their working to fulfillment
- Find the peace and trust needed to grow and prosper with their owner
The more I worked with dogs, the more I played with them. Games, it seemed, were the key to unlocking a dog’s potential. So many owners spend their lives living above their dogs rather than spending time on their level, interacting and relating to them on an even playing field.
We all know that the dominance theory has been widely debunked, but where do we go from there? The answer is simple; we get on the floor and play. We create a desire in our pets to work with us, not for us. We acknowledge and utilize the fact that for thousands of years we have bred dogs for specific purposes and abandon the idea of forcing our dogs to do our bidding.
I have trained dogs for ten years under two basic principles;
I am excited to employ these principles in the education of all of those involved with the Human Animal Bond Trust.
We all know that the dominance theory has been widely debunked, but where do we go from there? The answer is simple; we get on the floor and play. We create a desire in our pets to work with us, not for us. We acknowledge and utilize the fact that for thousands of years we have bred dogs for specific purposes and abandon the idea of forcing our dogs to do our bidding.
I have trained dogs for ten years under two basic principles;
- It is easier to train a dog how to do something right than stop them from doing something wrong
- The best way to teach your dog is to have fun with them
I am excited to employ these principles in the education of all of those involved with the Human Animal Bond Trust.
