Cat Scratching and Graduations

Very busy day. Worked with Comcast for their On Demand programming, which is quite extensive if haven't yet checked it out. They also have a Bay Area section, with adoptable animals at various shelters. We've been doing the adoptable animals shoots for over a year now, the problem is the lead time for the production is so long that most of the time the animals had already been adopted before the segments are even. We worked with Comcast on a different format and decided that Animal Care Tips would be a great feature for us, with relevant information. For cats we focused on teaching a cat to scratch appropriately, and the benefits of interactive play with your cats. The cats were amazing during the production. We worked in the front condo in our adoption center called "Owley and Mugsy's Manor". The residents today were four black cats and one black and white cat. The natural light was great, and the cats were stars. I set up a cardboard scratching post and cats jumped right onto it and began scratching. They joyfully pranced and played around me, when I was speaking to the camera.

Tonight was also our Academy for Dog Trainer's Graduation ceremony. I had the privilege of speaking, on behalf of the organization. The students come from all the over the country, sometimes the globe, because they want to make a better world for dogs. The program is six weeks long and is fairly intense with regards to the quantity of lectures, project work, class preparations and audits, client counseling and oh yeah teach 3 dogs each 10 new skills. I've seen the impact these trainers have on our shelter dogs. For two weeks each of these dogs that had been given up on by another (most likely because of their behavior) are loved, adored and taught their doggie manners. Before The SF/SPCA made a commitment to a scientific based dog training philosophy, there was no consistency and little training given to staff and volunteers who handled the dogs. Each time a dog met a new person, you could see the dogs a little scared, a little confused. Now when a new volunteer or a staff `walks into the condo, with their bait bag and leash, the dogs are overjoyed and know their going to have a great experience.

I've also seen a transformation occur in the community. Everywhere in the Bay Area, you see people walking their dogs on head collars and anti-pull harnesses. Less and less chokes and prong collars. In thinking about great ideas that spread, I think that humane and positive reinforcement dog training is a terrific example. As we learn more and more about animal behavior, brain chemistry and evolutionary development, well-educated dog trainers have been able apply these theories and practices to dog training with remarkable success (like the introduction of clicker training.) But the most important concept that I've taken from this revolution, is that you don't have to hurt or scare your dog in order to have a polite and respectful animal. Women are constantly being fed that we have to be more assertive and be the alpha dog, otherwise we are somehow failing the dog. Through their excellent education and client counseling skills, these Academy trainers make a better world for dogs, and in doing so I also believe they are making a better world for us people too. `