What's Your Dog Training Story? I'm excited to hear from Chirag Patel, Debby McMullen, Laurie Williams, Jordan Shelley, and Michael Shikashio in this vulnerable, open-forum conversation. Like many dog professionals, they have all used aversive tools in the past and now train using positive reinforcement and an empowered approach instead. Change is hard, and it's not linear. It takes time to see how ideas fit in with what we already know of the world. One of my missions is to help the culture shift toward being-centered care for dogs, where they are respected as individuals. I am still learning; this is a journey that I continue to find further steps to go on. Having been on this road for over 2 decades, I know that I am imperfect and I am more patient with people not having the exact same beliefs as me. We are all coming with different data, different worldviews. At the same time, I believe it's urgent that all professional dog trainers and behaviorists become fluent in the tools and mindsets that build relationship and let go of punishment-based techniques and aversive tools. Even 'positive dog trainers' can shift their mindset more toward empowerment. We are always learning. I decided to bring this group of trainers/behaviorists together because they have bravely shifted their training style toward collaboration instead of punishment, and that's not a simple thing for a professional to do. It takes a lot of courage. And it also feels so good to shift (eventually). Not everyone is able to face the grief and hard truths that come up when it becomes clear that empowerment-based dog training works. When we really realize that it is effective and preferable, we also understand that we have done things in the name of training that were not necessary; we've done harm. But these well-known trainers have done the reckoning it takes to learn. If you still use prong collars, slip/choke chains, electronic collars, alpha rolls, dominance, tsssst noises, 'taps,' or even head collars, my goal is for this to be a safe space for you to be curious about what's possible, without fear that we will try to get you to feel shame. We do the best we can with the information we have. If you already consider yourself a positive or empowerment-based trainer, or a dog coach or mediator, this class will be helpful for you too, to see ways to invite someone to learn in a way that can be received - and what ways are likely to just build resistance. And perhaps you'll find that you also have some room to shift to a more collaborative way of helping dogs and people live in community together. I'm still learning on that, too! Join us on Wednesday the 20th of September at 10 am Pacific. This will also be recorded for later viewing.

Sponsor:Empowered Animals LLC
Speaker(s):Chirag Patel, Debby McMullen, Grisha Stewart, Laurie WilliamsJordan Shelley, Michael Shikashio,

Contact: Grisha Stewart
 Email: info@grishastewart.com
 Phone: 350-571-86000
 Web: https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/shift