Book Clip #2

So, like I said, I'm writing a book. I've made a lot of progress lately, filling in gaps and holes where there should be storyline, etching and weaving words into some semblance of a plot. I am teaching myself to write in chunks, little sections at a time, and then eventually pull them together. Here's one more clip, and then I will got back to writing other things for a while. Again, my work is (c) me, as per ownership laws, and again, it is completely unedited, without even a read-through of some of it, so forgive me.

Oh yeah, and I haven't decided what to name my protagonist, so she's currently named Marisol, which is a name that kind of has a history in my social life in college. Hopefully I will think of another name eventually. So here's about 1/2 of a chapter, much later in the book than my last snippet, and in a chapter narrated by Ezra, the main male character, who is a manipulator of the elements, a Mage.

Ezra

6. Ellington

We walked through the gates of Langstroth just as the sun was sinking in the sky. The town was beautiful and tiny; small, square homes lined the few streets, and most homes had a small garden beside them, where crops were flourishing. Every few hundred feet, signs were posted stating various Trigona discipline statements, inspiring to the people of the town, no doubt. It was obviously a town of Warriors – everyone was lean and muscular, taller by many inches than Marisol but similar in their builds.

Every man I walked past had the same perfect posture, and the town was almost silent. Some young people were milling about the roads and the yards, most silent and slow, some tending to the crops in the yard. On almost every front stoop, a grown man sat, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed. As we walked past, their eyes opened, each pair of eyes then locking on our group. Some looked frightened, others concerned. None were friendly.

Strategically I suppose, Marisol let go of our hands and stepped quickly about three paces ahead of us. She held her posture rigid, and her steps became fluid, so that there was no motion up and down of her head as she walked – she moved only forward.

At the sight of Marisol, many of the men smiled, finally dropping their protective facades; some stood, watching carefully, and some even waved to her. When they waved, Marisol smiled gently back at them, turning her head left and right systematically to meet each set of eyes in greeting.

She was a sight to behold, really, and I felt very inadequate behind her, and most of all, very clumsy. Her walking was like a dance, like liquid water flowing. Her hands were perfectly by her sides, her hands still. Her boots were silent on the brick walkway, and her body was so still as it moved that her hair did not even rustle with her footfalls. Trevor and I made so much noise with our feet hitting the ground and our bags rustling it was almost embarrassing. I attempted to mimic Marisol’s silence, and found that with concentration, my footfalls at least were a bit softer, and I blended in better to this silent world.

We passed a discipline sign then, and Marisol stopped, bowing her head at the words. The sign read, “With training comes the will to attempt the unknown. With attempt comes perseverance. Persevere always, and you shall never fail to reach perfection.”

Marisol turned toward us, looking at the two of us in turn. “This is one of Ellington’s teachings. It is important, always, he says, to attempt, at the very least. Never be afraid to attempt each challenge, strive for excellence and try your hardest. With attempting comes the will to continue, to persevere, to strive for that perfection which we all must strive for. Sometimes he interchanged the word ‘Success’ for perfection,” she added. She was speaking in barely more than a whisper, and it was loud and echoing on these silent streets. “This will be what he is likely to tell us. Attempt the goal, no matter the cost, and perhaps, with perseverance, we may succeed.”

She turned away from us after this speech, and continued to walk. We passed the edge of the streets, and approached a building that looked very much like the houses we had passed earlier, only twice the size. A sign in front of the building read simply, “Academy,” and the symbols of the Trigona Arts – stylized hands drawn with bold curving lines – were drawn around the edge of the doors. A tiny sign on the edge of the doorframe read “Master Ellington, First degree, Highest Honors, Most Revered.” It was almost lost among the signs reading the other instructor’s names, but none of the other signs had the same status represented. He was obviously a humble man.

Marisol took a deep breath and it quavered, the only indication I had ever seen up until now of any nervousness. She was nervous to be home, I assumed. I laid a hand on her shoulder, and she surprised me by grabbing it with her hands, pressing the back of my fingers to her cheek. Then she let the hand go, and dropped her hands to her sides.

“Master Ellington?” She called in barely more than a whisper, opening the door.

We walked behind her. Other instructors stepped out of the closed doors along the long corridor, their hand reaching out and brushing Marisol in a strange greeting as we walked. She held her hands low to her sides, palms forward, and met these brushing hands with her own. They all bowed their heads to us, and it was humbling – their silence, and their apparent reverence for this tiny, radiant girl.

She approached a turn in the corridor slowly, her methodical steps faltering once as she walked, and then she quickly inhaled and reestablished her rigidity. “Master, it is Marisol. Are you here?” She said softly. “I bring two guests,” she said suddenly, as if this were vital. “Two guests accompany me, Master, those are the steps you hear. My party,” she said, so softly I could hardly hear the words.

Finally, a voice came from behind the farther door. “You know better than to bring guests and not to announce them right away,” said a friendly voice. “Are you trying to kill your old Master with fear?”

The door opened, and a tall, fragile old man walked forward. His eyes were completely white with blindness, but without that indicator one would never know by his steady steps and perfect balance that there was anything different about him at all. He was tall, lean, rigid, as he walked forward purposefully, and his hands fluttered as he approached.

Most noticeable was the air around him, which crackled and snapped in the same was as Marisol’s. Her aura had been quiet during this journey, but here in Master Ellington’s presence is sparkled and cracked like hot oil, and her face went from it’s usual steady expression into a huge smile of delight. Ellington reached her, his crackling aura blending with hers into a sound as loud as fireworks in my head, and his hand flew up to embrace her face. He leaned down, placing his forehead against hers intimately, and his eyes shut at the same time as hers did.

The crackling stopped with a deafening silence for an instant, and then restarted as their eyes opened again.

“My child, introduce your Master to your party,” he said, but he turned away from us, leading us quickly through the open door ahead and shutting it tightly, engaging several locks before settling. “Such a small party,” he murmured.

He simply stood in the center of the small parlor, and Marisol stood beside him. There were chairs, but they seemed formalities, for they did not seem awkward simply standing there – it seemed very natural.

Marisol stepped forward to him, taking his hands gently. He allowed her to lead him to us. She placed a hand on mine. “Ezra Collette. My primary party, and a Mage in class.”

“A mage?” Were the only words Ellington spoke, as he brushed his hard fingers over my hand once, then dropped his hand back into Marisol’s.

She laid her hand on Trevor’s saying, “Trevor Guar. A scientist, and our secondary party,” she said. Ellington looked up, as though meeting Trevor’s eyes.

“A scientist, a mage, and a Warrior?” He said simply. “My child, you have much to tell me,” he said softly, placing a hand again on Marisol’s face, his fingers brushing over her cheekbone gently.

It was little wonder Marisol touched us all without thought. Ellington’s hands fluttered over her face and hands and shoulders and back as though it were as commonplace as eye contact. It was clear that with his firm hands he studied her posture, her positioning, her breathing, and her emotions. His hands could likely see what my eyes could only begin to notice, I realized, and I wondered if Marisol’s hands, when she touched us, saw things the same way as her elder Master’s did. It was little wonder she was able to fight with her eyes closed – she had been taught by a Master who had no use for sight.

The vision of the two of them together made me feel as though I was interrupting a family function. It was clear that even in the few days they were apart, much was missed, and their brief reunion cracked the air around them with joy. It was fascinating to watch, and I was in awe of their easy relationship.

Ellington was a surprise. I expected a firm and silent Warrior, imposing and terrifying. While he was certainly built as a fighter, his mannerisms indicated his old age, and he was polite, kind, and more talkative than I expected.

Marisol sat on a large chair, meeting my eyes and indicating the space beside her. I sat willingly, allowing her buzzing aura to wash over me as I sat. Trevor filled a seat beside us, a small single chair, and his face was eager as he waited for Ellington to speak. Marisol told Ellington everything about our assignment without hesitation – the morning of that day, when we had been given numbers, our standing before the Apidictor, his words and orders, and even our feelings on the matter. She left nothing out, including the impending slaughter of innocents, and clearly trusted Ellington with every detail. I felt I could trust him, as well, but perhaps that was because of the acute similarities between him and Marisol, who I trusted completely.

Book preview!!

So, I'm writing a novel. It's sci-fi-ish but kind of more just fiction set in the future. There are a lot of magical elements, but nothing crazy.
Anyway I've decided to hold my self accountable for writing by occasionally posting (raw, un-edited) snippets here on my blog, so that the internet world who follows this blog (aka NO ONE) can read them.

p.s. details like "angles" and physical formations are important to the plot as a whole, not fluff, so bear that in mind with the UBER levels of detail. This is the FIRST chapter, and I need my protagonist's stuffy uniformed appearance to be contrasted later in the book with her simplicity, so I wrote a lot of character detail. Forgive me!

*deep breath*
 here goes!

1. Stillness

He stood at the edge of the tiny town, his dark, bare feet in the grass, which was sticky with spilled blood. He knew it was foolish to stand, to be seen, but he felt as though someone should witness this, the end of the world. Around him, smelling salty and musty in the end-summer heat, lay his people, thousands of them. All brandishing any weapon they could find, none were a match for the mysterious creatures who came from below to annihilate them all. There was not a sound, not from any direction. The silence was terrifying.

In the distance, he saw a sparkle of light, as though it were shining off a crystal – the gossamer, wax-paper wings of the beast, beating so fast they were barely visible, save a glint in the sunshine. Suddenly, the beast turned, and sounding a shriek that pierced through the silence, it flew with blinding speed toward where he stood.

He braced himself, taking a deep breath, trying to picture his life as it might have been had he lived past the age of eleven. He felt at peace with his short time on Earth, and shut his eyes.

Seconds passed, then perhaps a minute. The pain never came, and he felt a breeze on his face – the scent of the beasts had disappeared.

            My eyes opened. I walked briskly down the long transport road, toward the center of the Village. It had been almost six years since I had traveled to Brodick, and then I had been just a child, thirteen years old with almost no training. As the transport whipped around a perfect 120° angle, I held my breath, focusing my strength into my feet so as not to topple by the rush of the elaborate conveyor system we used to get around under the Dome.

            Absently, my eyes glanced outward, through the glass wall of the Dome, into the abyss behind the walls. A terrifying sight seemed to glare back at me – the desolation, boiling springs and cracked ground, utter nothingness. I flexed my fingers as I focused carefully away from the scene, so utterly forsaken. Another whip around a corner, and I was heading straight for the center of the Village. Brodick was ahead of me, getting larger swiftly at the speed I was traveling. As the high towers of the modern-day castle stood before me, I felt myself take in a sharp breath, uncontrollably. Fear laced with shock, I suppose, at the grim things I could remember about my last trek to Brodick, the day my mother was taken from me.

            Today was my day of Assignment. I had been training as a Warrior since that day six years ago, and I felt that the secrets I now held were sure to impress the Apidictor, the man who determined each young person’s fate among the Village. Much like the fabled Wizard of Oz, the Apidictor was an ancient man, old well beyond what was naturally possible, and it was his job to delegate and make law. He had supposedly created the Dome when the world ended outside of it, and it was he who kept us safe.

            He was also known to be irrational, overbearing, and very secretive.

            I couldn’t help it – I was terrified.

            I approached the Guards of Brodick, a hundred or so huge men and women, brandishing blades and modern weapons. Everyone hoped to be appointed a Guard, but I knew my peculiarly small size – I was barely five foot five, tiny compared to the average height of around five foot ten – would bar me from this particular Assignment. I bowed my head slowly, and then lifted my chin proudly, as was a respected stance among the Guard. They were notorious for being cruel, and it was rumored that those who looked too meek would be picked off without a second though. My size notwithstanding, I was far from meek.

            My eyes focused around me for the first time that day. I noticed every few feet on the Transporter someone around my age stood – men, women, all dressed in their finest outfits according to their preferred classes, going to face the Apidictor.

I looked down at myself, suddenly nervous that I had forgotten some trinket or bauble with my elaborate Warrior outfit. Carefully checking, I smoothed my hands over the short, pure white sleeves; heavy linen scratched against my fingers. My hands grazed the straps of the brown leather sheath, which held my curved blade, a modern-day dress sword. My two other blades were nestled in the belt around my waist, tucked neatly into sheaths, unnecessary as the first. My hidden dagger was neatly in my brown boots, which were buttoned just below my knees.  Down the entire left side of my body was a long black strip of linen, draped over my shoulder, which held each award and bauble achieved in training. I was of the highest class achievable in Warrior, the equivalent to an ancient Shodan in martial arts - the Martial Arts I perfected, from old Kung Fu to our modern Trigona. My tiny hands were clad in their brown gloves, the fingers worn and cut off from my years wearing them. My very long, stick straight black hair, such a contrast to my snowy-white skin, was pulled away from my face into a hundred thin braids, which took my dear partner hours to complete. I had been lucky, I remembered with a smile. My partner Ariana only required her hair to be pulled into a ponytail. My braids were a mark of my high level of service to the people of the Village. It seemed like I had everything necessary for our dress uniforms, and I relaxed.

Of course, it was behind my bright green eyes I held my greatest weapon, one I hadn’t quite figured out how to control as easily as the formations and movements of the Warrior techniques. It was this weapon that I would keep secret, even from the Apidictor, and this didn’t worry me – I wasn’t sure the secret was of any value at all.

Today's Lesson: Patience

Sometimes in life, and also in dog training, you just have to sit back and be patient. Results cannot happen overnight, they cannot come to you in an instant. There are occasions where waiting for gratification is well worth it.

When training a dog, it takes many days or weeks of patience. Some times the behaviors may even get worse before they get better. So keep with it!

Similarly in life, we've all struggled and hoped and attempted. There is one of those cheesy school posters on the wall of the High School where I work that reads: "It's not failure, it's just 10,000 times of not getting it right." Cliche as this is, it seems like good advice. Life is not perfect and easy, it takes practice and patience. I'm 26 years old as of a week ago, and I learn every day that things simply do not happen quickly. We must practice and wait, attempt and wait, hope and wait, and eventually something will be right -- or it won't be right, and we will be forced to try a different path in order to find an eventual end.

Whether writing a novel, training a dog, teaching a class, looking for friends, or searching for love, it is a dance of back and forth, one step at a time, waiting.

Don't give up! The result will come!

New season, new things

Today I remembered I had a blog, and am going to try to keep up with it.
Things I missed posting:

I am currently training 2 dogs, one pitbull mix with serious aggression toward animals and pre-cursors to aggression toward people, and one pitbull mix puppy who is sweet and hyper. Love them both! My goal is more productive walks and obedience with the puppy... the adult is going to be more of a project.

I am well into my new job as a high school teacher, teaching Biology to 100 freshman every day. It's a blast, and I couldn't be happier.

I just celebrated my one year marriage anniversary to my wonderful husband Matt, and my birthday is tomorrow!

My sister is having a baby, due in late December/ early January. It's a girl... I am more excited than you can imagine.

And finally, it is AUTUMN! My very favorite season, and my busiest time of year. Next week I am holding a Halloween party at my house and I am pumped! I love Halloween!

New dog update to follow.

Something to remember about Dog Training...

I am currently a freelance dog trainer for a few clients, and am building my client list slowly but surely.

I think what is important to remember from any professional you ask to help you with your dogs is that trainers are not miracle workers. I can handle almost any problem thrown my way, but when it comes down to it, that's useless. YOU have to handle it. I have a degree in animal behavior and over 4 years experience changing behavior... of course I can do it! The point of training should be the transfer of control from the trainer to the owner.

I always give "homework" to my clients, and in fact even put in my contract that the owner is responsible for behavior change in the dog. Things like obedience commands, guest training, socialization and problem behavior need to be practiced in small chunks again and again and again until the dog responds the way you'd like the very first time you give a command. The only way to change behavior is with the right schedule of reinforcement and with constant and consistent practice of the correct behavior.

Next time you get homework from a dog trainer, do it! You'll be shocked at how much change you see in only a small amount of time, and soon you'll be the expert!

Tweet!

Today the rain is falling in sheets and lightning is literally hitting our building.
I love the rain almost as much as I love a sunny fall morning.

Have a great day everyone! (aka me, since no one else reads this)

So, you want a dog?

You want something that will take endless struggle, countless tears and screams, and some if not all of your free time. You want something that will be with you as you go through various stages of life; that you can't get rid of even if you can't afford it, don't want it right now, don't feel like getting out of bed today. You want something that will make messes, wreck your favorite things sometimes, and be a constant presence. 

You also want something that will love you unconditionally. That will blindly follow your steps and be eager to please you. Something that will be your warm blanket, your exercise, your energy, and your heart. Something loyal, forgiving, and kind, that will keep all of your secrets and be a source of pride.

You want a dog.

I have a few recommendations, for everyone in every walk of life with any type of dog experience. First, sit down with your family or those who live with you. Ask them questions like, "How much free time do we have a day?", "Who likes to get up early?", and "What if ______ (fill in the blank with the person's favorite shoes, video games, clothing) got absolutely destroyed?" Like the answers? Go to step 2. Don't? Consider weaning the family into something they have to take care of. This is no joke: get a houseplant or a very small animal, like a fish or a mouse. What opened my eyes and my husband's eyes to the extent of pet care? A Winter White Dwarf hamster. Those things are adorable and live in a contained space, but if you want them to live a full, happy life and not die in a week and not stink up your house, they mean 3-4 cage cleanings a week, a full scrub-down every 2 weeks, fresh food and water at the same time every day, supplies, furniture to put the tank or cage on, careful considerations like the fact that on a 95 degree Jersey summer, the A/C has to be left on all day so the little guy doesn't fry.. the list goes on and on. It will open your eyes to what it takes to have a happy, healthy pet.

On to Step 2. The cost of owning a dog, as averaged by peteducation.com, can be between $12,000 and $38,000 over a 14 year lifespan. That's a few years in a house you own, a year or two at a local university, or a car or two, depending on the model. Remember the more you spend in the beginning, including spending the time to educate yourself and your family about dogs and the best options for you, will save you in the long run. A well bred, well researched dog from a reputable breeder (more on this in a minute) will lead to a cheaper dog in the long run. An adopted adult dog with manners and a kind disposition may take more time to acclimate to your home in the beginning, but will be easier and cheaper in the long run. Whereas a $500 bargain pup from the local pet store or an online breeder who breeds for CASH and not for health, may cost you thousands in food, vet bills, and training, not to mention heartache if the ill-bred dog gets hip displaysia, is allergic to your house, or is terribly under-socialized. Think about this carefully before you get a dog.

Step 2, continued.... Breeders, pet stores, and shelters/rescues. 
Let's start with Shelters and Rescues. You know what you're getting in a shelter or rescue, because the organizations don't WANT you to have any surprises. If the dog hates kids, you'll know. If they're shy around food, you'll know. If a rescued dog has bad hips or cancer, you'll know. And if the dog is perfect for you and was simply discarded by another family, you'll know. Knowing what you're getting into is crucial. Please consider adopting, and remember most rescues are breed-specific, which means you'll be getting that purebred Dalmatian you dream about, without the cost of a breeder or the horror of a pet store.

Breeders are another option. Breeders are more expensive in the beginning, but a good breeder will value their dogs and their reputation enough to ensure you're getting a great dog. A good breeder is one you might have "heard about" in your calling of other breeders. They might not answer the phone or your emails right away because they're so busy with their dogs - or maybe they will, and their answers will be to the point, sometimes a little harsh. They'll ask you as many if not more questions than you ask them. Questions like, who's your vet, what's your job like, where do you live, do you have a fence, do you have references? They'll happily allow you to come see their ENTIRE facility, including where the adult dogs live, where the puppies live, where they play and sleep and eat. They won't breed their females (called bitches) more than once a year. Maybe twice. They will never, ever ask you to meet them or pick up your dog in a neutral location. If you're getting a puppy shipped from another state, they will want to accompany their dog on the flight, and will go the extra mile. They'll have a health guarantee, a registry and pedigree for your specific dog, perhaps some show wins and championships, and will offer to take back a puppy at any time, even in 5 or 10 years, rather than letting it go to a rescue or shelter or be euthanized. Does your breeder sound like this? Yes? You've found a good one, and should be willing to pay the money required to buy your dog from this breeder. If some of these things are missing, particularly if you are not permitted to see and interact with the parents and siblings of the dog you're about to buy, hang up the phone, run away.

Now, sometimes big male dogs won't be playful or cuddly. Male dogs are interested in breeding and showing. And sometimes breeding females are also show dogs, so they're disciplined and not always friendly. But they were trained and allowed to be that way. They should still be alert and friendly, not scared of people, and you shouldn't be scared of them. They should be social and clean and kept in the home or in a well built kennel you wouldn't mind crawling into. Most importantly are the other puppies. They should be social, active, happy, and beautiful. There might be one or two that are slightly bigger or more reserved, these would be excellent show dogs. If you want a pet, get the sweet pup who climbs in your lap, looks you in the eyes, and follows you around. Good luck!

As for pet stores: We've all heard horror stories. Puppy mills are very prevalent. If the "breeder" tag on a pet store tag says a central or midwestern state, or a farm, I pretty much guarantee a puppy mill dog. Not because it's the midwest, but  because they have the space to run these operations. Trust me, there are puppy mills in every state, probably in every county of every state. Pet stores always get their dogs from puppy mills. If they say they don't, they're lying. If they say they don't, ask for the name, address, and phone number of the "breeder" and call to set up a visit. If the pet store says no or the people you call say no, run away. The difference between mills and breeders are the intent of the owner. Breeders want amazing specimens of the breed. They want well bred, well mannered dogs, and value their dogs above all things. They don't over breed or over sell, and if they can't sell all their dogs, they'd rather keep them then sell them to the wrong people.
Puppy mills want as many puppies as possible. They will breed their females as many times as they will have puppies. They will keep as many dogs as possible for breeding, and sell every puppy, even those with serious health problems. The ones they can't keep, they'll drown or kill. Puppy mills don't care about the dogs, and they certainly don't care about you. They only care about money. They want a huge number of dogs so that they can profit. Please don't buy from pet stores.
Also, you have to turn off your emotions at pet stores. Yes, the dogs are cute and sad. But you're not saving a dog buying from a pet store... you're helping a puppy mill. Don't even go in. Save thousands of puppy lives.

I'm tired and sad from writing about puppy mills... off I go!
xo
lauren

What is Reinforcement? What is Punishment?

There is SERIOUS confusion about these two words: reinforcement, and punishment. Everyone wants to reinforce everything, and people are very hesitant to be comfortable with the word punishment. But here's the deal. Let's change the words to "Increase" and "Decrease." And let's change the words positive and negative to the words "Add" and "Take away" while we're at it.

So here's the science, and then I'll give some examples. Positive reinforcement means adding something to increase the likelihood a behavior will occur in the future, while negative reinforcement means taking something away which will increase the likelihood a behavior will occur in the future. Notice the word negative in there? In the new words I'm suggesting, Positive reinforcement is "Adding to Increase" and negative reinforcement is "taking away to increase." See? Makes way more sense that way.

Examples. Well, Positive reinforcement (or, +R, to make my typing life easier) is an easy one. Rufus the dog is running around. I give the discriminative stimulus (or, the thing I WANT to control the behavior, shorthand as the sD): "Sit!" Rufus sits. I give him a treat. By treating directly after the behavior we are increasing the likelihood that the dog will sit again in the presence of the word sit. Got it?

Now for -R. Rufus has the urge to use the bathroom. He is circling and sniffing and whining at me. I direct his head to ring a bell tied to the doorknob, open the door, and we go out and he goes to the bathroom and feels better. After practicing this a few times, he needs to go. He rings the bell, I open it the door, and out we go. Confusing? The first thing in the chain of command is Rufus' urge to use the bathroom. Much like taking ibuprofen for a headache, Rufus wants to do something to end his urge. The sD is the bell. He learns that by ringing the bell, he is TAKING AWAY the urge to go to the bathroom. So he rings the bell, the urge to eliminate goes away (because he in fact gets to eliminate) and thus the likelihood that the bell will be rung increases. -R is the most difficult of the four options to understand, and actually not utilized much to change behavior. But if that makes at least a little sense, we'll move on.

Time for punishment. It's the same thing as R, only reversed. We want to Add something to decrease a behavior (+P), or take away something to decrease a behavior (-P). 

+P: Sally the dog is chewing on the table. We have tried many methods to get her to stop, but introducing reinforcement when she is NOT chewing (my first choice) is not successful. Sally's owner Mary sprays "bitter apple" spray on the table leg. Sally hates the taste and stops chewing. So, we've added bitter apple, and decreased chewing. Adding to decrease behavior.

-P: Sally the dog is at it again. Now she's growling in the presence of her food. We've tried hand feeding, and some other positive methods, but now we need to do something more drastic. We are intrinsically reinforcing the growling by allowing her to eat while growling, so that has to stop. This example will show how -P and +R often work as partners.
Sally growls. We are sure she will not bite, so there is no danger and no need for protective gloves or body blocking. We never want to jump in to growling if it turns into aggression without proper precautions, but we also do not want growling that is not YET aggression to continue.

First, we're going to wait for her to growl. Sounds crazy, I know, but we want the behavior we want to change to be really clear to Sally. As soon as Sally growls, we take away her bowl. She stops growling (in fact she might even whimper or try to chase the food.) This is the -P part of it. We are removing the food to decrease growling. Now of course we want to teach Sally what she SHOULD be doing. When she is quietly sitting, we reintroduce the food and perhaps praise or pat Sally as she eats quietly. This is the +R. We add food so that the quiet behavior is more likely to occur again in the future. We repeat these actions again and again until Sally can eat an entire meal without growling.

Make sense? If not, ask questions, and check out more examples (Google it!). I will be using terms like +/- R and +/-P as I write about behavior and training, so refer back here to get a clear idea of the examples used.

One more post to come, about owning a dog.

First post!

Today, I decided I need a hobby.

I am always thinking about dog training and animal behavior, since I am a behaviorist and have a local dog training business on the side of being a full time teacher.

So I've decided to start this online resource for dog training and behavior, as well as a peek into my life.

So hello, and welcome!

As it says in the about me on the left, I am a behaviorist (with a degree and experience to prove it), animal lover, and I am absolutely devoted to all things natural. I also want everyone to have a dog in their life that they can live with. So besides the basics, please comment or email me regarding your dog issues, and I'll try and solve them.

xo
Lauren