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| Helen Avery with Brian |
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HELEN AVERY
"Helen Avery has a natural gift for working with dogs." - Lee Charles Kelley
Helen's Story
I started working with rescue dogs at the beginning of 2008, fostering for Posh Pets Rescue in New York. I'm a sucker for rescues, having had one as a child growing up in England. Initially I had no intention of "working" with the dogs; I simply wanted to help save them from being euthanised and offer them playtime, exercise, treats, and lots of love on their path to becoming adopted. That was wishful thinking! (To continue reading, please scroll down...)
The dogs I fostered had a whole range of behavioural issues: aggression towards people, towards other dogs, even towards trucks, cyclists, and skateboarders! Not to mention the more common problems that most dog owners encounter like chewing furniture, pulling on a leash, lack of toilet training, and chasing squirrels! Being calm and patient with these dogs went a long way, but if they were going to have a better chance of being adopted, it was clear to me that they would need some more specific training. But which method to choose?
In late 2008 I took Peanut - a nervous but energetic dog I was fostering - to a see Lee Charles Kelley at a book signing at Whiskers Holistic Pet Store. Lee explained to me the theory and philosophy behind Natural Dog Training, and described some of the methods he employs. He even gave me some specific exercises to help Peanut.
What he said resonated with me far more than the more familiar treat-based or "pack leader" training theories had. Rescue dogs often refuse food, which can make treat-based training impossible. And as for dominance training, how do leash corrections and shouting "No!" help dogs who are already fearful? (And who wants to shout at a dog anyway, especially those who have suffered so much?) And to top it all off, the exercises Lee gave me made a huge difference in Peanut. She became a happy, confident, well-behaved dog (now living happily in Brooklyn). I was hooked!
Since February of 2009 I've had the fortune to study with Lee and have seen over again how these techniques have worked to help the dogs I've fostered during that time. I've also been privileged to sit in on quite a number of training sessions that Lee has had with his clients, and have seen firsthand, over and over, the remarkable results his methods get. Dogs who chased trucks, stopped. Dogs who chased squirrels, stopped. But they didn't just stop their “bad” behaviors. Instead they learned how to channel their energy into walking next to me on the leash, or learned how to have fun and play with other dogs, or learned how to play fetch, or enjoy the thrill of winning at tug. In other words, their old, negative behaviors were always replaced with positive ones. Plus dogs who had housebreaking problems stopped peeing on my couch! I cannot recommend Natural Dog Training enough. And if you are reading this, I hope you're beginning to see why!
Besides working with dogs, I am a full-time journalist and a very part-time photographer.
Here's a link to my blog, East Ninth Street.
If you would like to talk more, please e-mail me. Helen.Avery@gmail.com.
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