Awareness Centered Training - ACT

Dogs are not my whole world; they help make my world whole. Living and learning with dogs has changed my life. – Maureen Ross, MA Welcome to Awareness Centered Training – ACT released in 10/2012. ACT is an educational dog book that brings peace of mind and choice! Society has evolved. We are even more passionate about our dogs. With that comes a huge billion dollar target market on training, toys, nutrition and everything we must have for a healthy, happy and confidently trained dog. The sensory overload can be overwhelming, not just for us, but our dog's well-being! Imagine creating a joyful and confident relationship with your dog, while reducing sensory overload! Imagine your dog eagerly offering you behaviors with a wagging tail. Imagine joyful, easy training that can be integrated into daily living and learning with dogs! Nice vision isn’t it, ah-ha. Shaping our dog’s natural behaviors is as easy as 1, 2, 3, A.B.C., eating, playing, loving and learning and without a specific timeline. It does not require fancy or expensive equipment or memorizing technical terms, but choice. You decid when is enough, enough and what your unique dog needs to be truly happy. Making choices, taking responsibility for our choices, making a communicate to change when necessary, and discovering new ways to communicate with our dogs and others ijs a gift that extends to all areas of life. My first book, Canine Training and Survival Guide, was printed and sold in a loose-leaf binder over 20 years ago. I have been involved with pet assisted therapy for that long, so why not integrate the socialization and manners (SAM) that therapy dogs need into training classes for all dogs. It simply makes sense. It's in ACT! In 2001, me and co-author, Gary Ross' published Train Your Dog, Change Your Life, described as “a delightful, sensitive, loving book about relationships with dogs.” – Dr. Jane Goodall, Animal Behaviorist, Author, and Founder of Jane Goodall Institute. Dr. Ian Dunbar wrote the foreword for TYDCYL, complimenting us with a "unique way of training people along with the dogs." Awareness Centered Training - ACT (2012) is wisdom filled, not just mine, but dogs and their people. ACT goes beyond the positive. ACT is about awareness, education, relationship and well being - not just for our dogs, for us as a team (family). Did I mention breathing, teaching relaxation, choice and fun? Dogs are as individual as we are. ACT covers canine body language and observation, skills we can use everywhere. It covers two-way communication and prevention joyful easy training that can be integrated into daily living and learning. Does your dog have balls? Balancing energy is key to preventing and resolving many behavior issues. Did you know that dogs reflect our behaviors - like living in a house of mirrors? This does not make us good or bad dog parents, if we are aware of what needs to change and make the change! Imagine creating a joyful and confident relationship with your dog, while reducing sensory overload, and increasing well-being! Imagine your dog eagerly offering you behaviors with a wagging tail - never fear. Living and learning with dogs makes us better humans. Before you can change your dogs’ behavior, you have to change your own! Breathing in deeply, nose to navel, Enjoy the Journey.