Every so often, we forge an impact. We connect. We make a difference in the life of another person — or animal.
Firefighters do it. Soldiers do it. Doctors do it.
Writers do it. Filmmakers do it. Musicians do it.
On December 12, 2008, postman Robert Sweeney did it, in the course of delivering the mail to those homes on his route in Sacramento, Calif. Without pause, he acted in service of another. He breathed life into a lifeless infant.
A couple of weeks later, teacher Millie Happoldt did it. She breathed life into her two 6th-grade classrooms.
And because of that, many of her students have now done it, as well.
Millie is a dog-training client of mine, who teaches at Antelope Crossing Middle School in Antelope, Calif., and at Creekview Ranch Middle School in Roseville, Calif. She had the idea to use dogs, dog training and my career as a dog trainer as a way to get her 11- and 12-year-old students thinking about their passion and beyond themselves.
On Millie's invitation, I showed up for class a couple of weeks ago with her dog, Parker, a 1-year-old male lab, and my dog Idol, a 9-year-old German shepherd. As a group we discussed what obedience means; the positive impact of love, praise and affection versus the negative impact of fear and intimidation; and the potential that unfolds when you marry your passion and your profession.
Before leaving, I gave each kid a copy of my "Woof" video on dogs and dog training. Millie asked that they watch it and make note of what they learned both from the video and the discussion. As a result, I received some of the best reader mail of my life— "A dog can be friendly and mean at the same time."
— "Never yell at a dog when he does something wrong.
It'll make the dog scared."
— "We learned the 'P' and '9' collar trick." (Drawings included.)
— "Never leave a dog and a baby alone together."
— "A dog will be shy or back away if hit or yelled at."
— "When you give your dog a command, you do it softly, but loud."
And one little girl, after watching "Woof," recognized that her neighbors needed guidance on the proper way to train their dog and brought the video over for them to watch!
Once a person, big or small, understands the role humans play in dog training, they inevitably come to understand the positive effect they can have on the life of an animal. After that it's just a quick leap to comprehending the vast impact one person can make in their neighborhood, their community, their town, their country, their world.
Dog training can be a wonderful career. For me, there could be no other. But whether or not these kids grow up to become dog trainers isn't the point. The advice I gave Millie's students is the advice I give my own child, my friends, my clients and anyone who asks: Take your passion and make it your profession. In doing so, you are guaranteed to make a difference.
Teachers do it. Dog trainers do it. Neighbors do it. Kids do it. And dogs do it, too. We all possess the power to impact our world.
Woof!
A Testimonial for Uncle Matty by Millie
Millie was lucky enough recently to have Uncle Matty make a house call for her two dogs, Parker, a yellow lab, and Baily, a golden retriever. When asked how quickly she saw results in her dogs with Uncle Matty, Millie's reply was "Instantly"! Millie saw Uncle Matty's "magical" canine connection first hand when he recently paid a visit to her and helped train "her" and her dogs with her doggy issues, using his "Love, Praise and Affection" training.
Andrea Todd Writes About Local Dog Whisperer, Uncle Matty
Our area’s very own dog whisperer solves pet problems by seeing things from a canine pawspective. And he can teach you to do the same. Yes, he’s been called a dog whisperer (“woof whisperer,” actually, by the Boston Herald). But this dog whisperer doesn’t actually whisper; he communicates with his pupils in his trademark “dogeese”: baby talk delivered at high pitch.In fact, Placerville resident Matthew Margolis, known professionally as Uncle Matty, has very little in common with Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer—that celebrity liaison between Oprah Winfrey and her issue-ridden pack of canine conundrums. Read more on Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis, by Andrea Todd.
The Question of a Second Dog
A woman called me last week and said, "I have an 8-year-old dog, and I think he's lonely. Don't you think he needs a friend?"
That depends.
If a person is feeling lonely, the holiday season is likely to exacerbate it. But your dog doesn't know Christmas or New Year's from the middle of August. For the most part, dogs don't get lonely, people do.
Read between the lines: Her dog is getting older, and she's anticipating the pain she'll inevitably feel when he passes. It isn't uncommon for people to get a second dog to ease that sadness. And isn't necessarily a bad idea. Necessarily. Read more on Dogs, Cats, and Other People by Matthew Margolis.
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