Adventure Cat Amelia Learns That Nature Makes The Best Tunnels {52 Snapshots of Life Week 31}8/5/2015
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Please forgive the roughness (otherwise known as bad) about this poem. This ode was written in retrospective tears upon returning home from my last camping trip. The first trip I have taken in over seven years from which "The Palace" did not return with me. I considered revising this poem to make it more of a formula ode but decided to publish it in it's raw, exhausted from the camping trip, weary with memories, form.
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Typist: Bethany
In every dog training class or workshop I have been in, at some point all of the participants end up in a conversation about the ways we wish to be be better as trainers. Since we are all in the workshop or class to improve our positive reinforcement training skills, it makes sense to chat about working towards being better trainers but many of these discussions turn into complaining. One person will share how a certain lack of knowledge ruined a certain cue in a dog and state that for the next dog it will be different. Another person will tell a story about how a training mistake embarrassed them in competition. Eventually, everyone within ears reach is beating themselves up about their total and complete lack of training skills and knowledge. I have done it. I still do. And I don't need a crowd of other trainers to get started on the massive list of ways I can improve my positive reinforcement pet training skills. Yet when I was recently lamenting the bettering myself as a trainer list, Leo stated from his near-by play tree "I love you." Genius! How can I best improve as a trainer? By loving what a great trainer I already am.
Happiness
Everywhere we go, I am barraged by compliments about my well cared for, well trained and happy pets. So even though I am not the best trainer that I think I can be, others notice and comment on what they see as my successes. I think I need to more often take some time to do the same, learning from the good example of my happy and content pets.
I am certainly not saying I don't want to improve as a trainer. I devour books and articles, sign up for every workshop and class I can, and I never plan to stop learning about positive reinforcement training. I think part of being a positive reinforcement trainer is the desire to be a better trainer and to do better for our pets. What I have discovered, though, is that while I want to be a better trainer, I don't need to be a better trainer. I am perfect just the way I am.
How are you a better trainer?
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Cascadian Nomads
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