Mentor Maxx Dog Academy

Absolutely Not! I am a big fan of reward based training methods! One of my mentors is Victoria Stilwell, best known for her role as the star of Animal Planet’s hit TV series It’s Me or the Dog. Victoria is one of the very few “TV personality trainers” that I would recommend watching because she understands how dogs learn according to the latest scientific research and shares her passion for positive (dog-friendly) training methods on her show and in her books. Victoria recently wrote a great article on her blog site on the topic of why positive training is not bribery. To best explain, I am re-posting her blog post here. I have included a link directly to her site and encourage you to read more of Victoria’s blog topics as well. Positively Victoria Stilwell Blog “Many who discount the power of positive training often frown upon the use of food in training and claim that it is tantamount to bribery.  Having heard this argument from traditional trainers ad nauseum, I have finally determined that it is usually motivated by one of two things (or maybe both): 1.   A desire to have the dog ‘work’ for his food simply because it’s what we want, and given that we’re smarter, stronger and in charge, that should be enough, or 2.   An unnecessary and unfounded fear that once the food stops flowing, the unwanted behaviors will return. As for the first point, there’s not much we can do with someone who feels the need to dominate such an eager-to-please species, so we’ll leave that one for their human psychologists.  And while the second point above is a more understandable concern, this frequently-repeated myth not only completely disregards the scientific fact that food literally alters an animal’s brain chemistry, but also suggests a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the basic scientific principles of how reward-based training (conditioning) works. To truly comprehend why food is so powerful, you must first understand the influence it has on the dog’s brain. Food has the power to not only enhance a dog’s ability to learn but … Continue reading →

The last week of December found me with a touch of the blues and exhausted. I longed to just get away for a few days to clear my head, rest and renew my spirit. Just days away from the New Year, I decided to do something I had never done before… a getaway for the weekend by myself. Well, let me re-phrase that – a getaway with only one companion, my precious Lucy. Lucy knows only pure joy. We often say that her eyes are so bright and clear that she sees Jesus face to face every day and therefore it is impossible for her to have anything else in her being except pure joy. In fact, the name Lucy means “light” – her AKC registered name is Lawson’s Diamond Girl because she is a bright shining star. What a blessing she is! Lucy teaches me so much about the important things in life… like loyalty, devotion, happiness, laughing, being free, dancing, love and faithfulness. Although she cannot speak to me in words, she most assuredly speaks to me loudly with her faithful devotion and her exuberant love of life. She wholeheartedly embraces life to it’s fullest. I strive to be more like Lucy. It made perfect sense that Lucy would be my partner for the “Great Getaway Adventure”. Our destination.. Nevada City, CA!  A short drive up the hill from home and one of my most favorite places on earth. My husband, Howie and I often go there for short day trips because it is close and is absolutely charming and lovely. It is our tradition, (if we don’t have the dogs with us), to eat lunch at South Pine Cafe. They have a very unique menu and everything on it is amazing! There are many dog-friendly restaurants in Nevada City as well. One of my favorites is New Moon Cafe. On our adventure weekend, Lucy and I went to California Organics, equally delicious and dog-friendly. Our adventure began on Friday, December 30th with the beautiful drive up the hill just before sundown. We arrived at the Nevada City Inn … Continue reading →

What can one person do to make a difference in this world? This is what I wondered today as I walked the dogs at the Placer SPCA.  I love my volunteer position as dog walker. Most days,  I keep my heart girded up with courage and strength so that I can focus on pouring out love and joy to their precious souls. Today was not one of those days. Today, my heart was extra sensitive to the sadness and fear I heard in their cries. I looked in the eyes of each dog waiting in their kennel for someone to come walk them. All of them, at the very least, are sad. Many of them have an empty look in their eyes – broken in spirit. I pondered the heartbreaking realities of their suffering and felt ashamed to be a part of the human species that created it. I thought about how the homeless pet problem is mountain-sized. The magnitude of how many dogs and cats thrown away each day as if they are garbage is overwhelming. This enormous problems is like a Giant that cannot be defeated. I said to myself, “Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to just walk away from this? What can I do against this Giant? It’s too big and besides that, it hurts too much to look at it.” My efforts seem insignificant – so, why not walk away? Out of sight, out of mind… Driving home I thought of Wanda, a 3 year old Pit Bull mix who loves to snuggle. Every time I take her into the play area, she jumps up on the bench waiting for me to sit with her for snuggle time. Sweet Tyson, a 9 year old Boxer mix with kind eyes and a big smile. My heart hurts especially for the older dogs; their chances of adoption are diminished by their age. I thought of all the great dogs waiting patiently to be loved and given a home. Yes, I see their sadness and despair – and yet when they see me or one of the other … Continue reading →

Well, here it is! My very first blog post ever! For so many months now, I have had thoughts swarming around in my mind that have been stuck unable to get into written form until now. It is my hope that this blog will be a source of not only everything dog related but an encouragement to all who are pursuing Big Dreams. I have been on the path to become a professional dog trainer for while now. It is as if I have been called to this by God for my entire life, but have only recently awakened to it. Maybe it is one of my life’s ultimate callings, maybe it is my calling for this particular season – regardless of that, it is something that for some reason, I have boldness and determination to pursue more than anything I can remember pursuing in my entire life. It has become more to me than just a dog training business… It’s about standing in the gap as an ambassador for dogs and giving their people tools and education that will ensure fulfilling and loving relationships. I could go on and on about this as my passion and intensity of this is HUGE.  I want to encourage everyone who ever had a dream to pursue that thing which has a hold on your heart! A couple of months ago, a dear friend of mine (one of my Champions) invited me to join a group that was a study of a book called “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson. The story  touched my heart deeply and could not have been more timely! The following is my adaptation of this book as it relates to my story: Not long ago and not far away, a Nobody named Ordinary lived in the Land of Familiar…. For the most part, Ordinary was happy and knew she was blessed in so many ways. The Dream Giver had fulfilled many dreams in her life and she was content. One day, Ordinary noticed a small, nagging feeling that something big was missing – or maybe the feeling was … Continue reading →