Maureen Ross

Maureen Ross, MA, BS, NCC, CPDT-KA, LTE: I am proud of the initiative / resilience I had, as an older adult, who went back to school for academic experiences. I enjoy learning. My life experience is of equal value - evolving into what has become educationally and relationally enriching!

I have worked in corporate, attained degrees, but connecting with dogs and their people have changed my life. As founder of Dog Talk LLC, a training sanctuary and New England Pet Partners, Inc. 501c.3, we are enhancing well-being and education with pet assisted therapy (Community Pet Partner #46489).

Awareness Centered Training - ACT (Awareness, Balance, Relationship, Education, Well-Being) is a B.R.E.W.

for joyful, easy, training that is easily integrated into daily living and learning with dogs. The skills and variety of ways to teach our dogs, helps to create happy, healthy, confident dogs!

Dogs have changed my life! Whatever your reason is for sharing your life with dogs, please do so with compassion, kindness and skill that is weaved into your and your pup/dog's individual lifestyle. Just because marketing, trainers, Vets, friends or family members say, "this is the way", listen to your gut and heart. If it doesn't feel right - trust your intuition and your dog's instincts.

Awareness Centered Training, ACT is educationally enriching, fun and as much for the dog parent as the dog. Foundational training for family dogs and/or potential therapy dogs begins with getting to know your dog, preparation and planning. Basic manners, well-being, socialization, safety management and gentle desensitization to sights, sounds and smells, using life rewards (food, toys, play, games, attention) makes training easy.

Also, the author of Canine Training and Survival Guide, Train Your Dog, Change Your Life, and contributing author of Children, Dogs and Education with a great group of educators, I offer a treasure trove of articles on behavior, relationships with dogs (dog talk media / the learning zone at my website).

I believe we need to trust our instincts just as dogs rely on theirs while questioning our ingrained habits, particularly when living and learning with a different species. Approaches that do not work are not about the dog. It's about re-thinking our approach.

Dogs keep us grounded in the present moment where they learn through association, repetition and practice. Considering well-being, whether for dogs or humans, genetics may load the gun, environment may pull the trigger, but we can make informed choices about lifestyle for ourselves and our pets.

Sensory overload affects us and our dogs. Learning when to turn the noise off, be present, breathe, and be aware that dogs learn better when we are calm, is the hallmark of an educationally enriching relationship with our dogs and others.

We can calm the chaos and teach our puppies/dogs simply by integrating life rewards, empathy, understanding, friendship and love, into daily living and learning, using naturally motivating needs and wants like eating, playing, touching!

In a dance with the dog, embracing a sense of humor and curiosity, strive to learn something new every day.

Something not quite right? STOP and SWITCH to a different approach. Breathing in nose-to-navel. Enjoy the Journey!