When not working with clients, The Practical Sort has been out and about meeting the most fascinating people. When I come across women-owned businesses whose services simplify our lives, they will be featured in "Practical Perspectives/Simple Solutions." Feel free to drop me a note at sherri@thepracticalsort.com to let me know if you find this series helpful. Let's see who is on deck this month.
A new puppy is an exciting holiday gift for your family. They’re oh so cute, fun and lovable. But then the unexpected happens. Loud incessant barking, scratching on doors and furniture, chewing on paperwork. Does your pet want to attract your attention? Are you distracted from your work when your pet misbehaves? Are you parenting a wily toddler once again? If this happens, don’t second guess your gift. Instead consult the Pawsitive Companion.
Dawn Jansen aka The Pawsitive Companion has a charming smile and gentle manner that adroitly soothes the savage beast. And, I’m not exaggerating. Her tenderness in harmony with a behavioral technique known as the Tellington TTouch® Method trains pets, mainly dogs to overcome pesky, irritating behaviors.
You might be wondering why an organizer is profiling an animal behaviorist? Practically speaking, how organized can you be when trouble abounds? Believe me I know. Years ago our cat had chronic urinary problems. Pain was associated with his litter box so he preferred to relieve himself on soft surfaces namely carpets or blankets. If I didn’t know where he was or what he was up to between litter box visits, I was frequently distracted until we replaced all carpets with hardwood and kept bedroom doors closed until he passed away. Now, I am constantly in search of ways to help my clients simplify their lives for more enjoyment and productivity.
When humans are stressed, animals sense the stressed-out vibe, and acting out in undesirable ways often results. The converse is true, when our pets’ behavior is distressing, our levels of frustration, anxiousness, irritability rise, and the stress hormone cortisol increases and a host of emotional and health issues ensue. Then our moods sour even further. Vicious cycle for certain. Why not nip the snarls, bites, pounces, chomps, and howls in a loving way so you can enjoy pet ownership and also accomplish what needs to be done without unwanted distractions?
Watch Dawn and I chat as we explore ways to change undesired animal behaviors gently and effectively. Notice Tucker’s peaceful, relaxed state.
Unlike some behavior modification programs that rely on punishing the animals, The Tellington TTouch® is as calming as Dawn’s voice and mannerisms. So much so, that I immediately feel at peace in her presence. Not long ago at a community meeting, she demonstrated the method using circular touches on stuffed animals. Frankly, for me it was hypnotic.
The Practical Sort (PS):
Dawn, welcome and thank you for agreeing to participating in this blog interview. It’s evident that you’re an animal lover, and I can imagine that animals in return respond well to you. Have you always been enamored with animals?
Dawn Jansen (DJ): Yes, since I was a child, I have loved animals. Growing up, we had dogs, cats, and bunnies. But I am mostly a dog person. At one point, we owned a grumpy old toy poodle named, Petit Pierre. He growled at all of my family members except my dad and I. At some level there was a different connection between us. Perhaps it was a trust.
PS: What was your career progression, and what led you to launching the Pawsitive Companion? Having a love for animals is a far cry from entrepreneurship. How did you make this transition?
DJ: I had adopted a 4-year old Doberman Pinscher named Chris. Although he was a large 90 lb. dog, he was not comfortable around other dogs. He would hide behind me if we passed another dog while on a walk, and get a bit snarly if another dog got too close. I wanted to help him be more comfortable, but knew that traditional dog training wasn’t the answer. Someone suggested that I look into TTouch®, which I had never heard of. I did some research, found a weekend workshop in Portland, attended with Chris and was amazed at the difference I saw in him in just two days. He was more relaxed and comfortable around the other dogs in the room, and I wanted to learn more. I enrolled in the Practitioner Training Program which involved 6 one-week trainings, and completing many case studies. I graduated as a Practitioner 1 in 2003. I opened my business, The Pawsitive Companion, shortly after that, conducting short workshops and seeing private clients on a part-time basis while still working full time as a Human Resources (HR) Professional. My background in HR has proven very beneficial for working with the humans who bring their dogs to me. I was promoted to a Senior TTouch Practitioner in 2013, and an Advanced Practitioner in 2017. I retired from my HR job in 2014 and have been focusing on growing The Pawsitive Companion since then.
PS: Why do you focus mainly on dogs? Do other animals respond to the methodology as well as dogs? Or are owners less likely to reach out for behavior assistance for non-canines?
DJ: Yes, the TTouch® method works on anything with a nervous system, including humans. I prefer working with dogs as I seem to have a stronger connection with them and understand them better. And I am slightly allergic to cats and can’t spend much time around them.
PS: What drew you to the Tellington TTouch® Method over other behavior modification programs? Did you try others?
DJ: I didn’t really try other behavior modification programs. I was familiar with basic obedience training methods, but based on that knowledge I wasn’t drawn to become dog trainer. My first Doberman, Jake, pulled on the leash and actually pulled me down a few times. And he was a barker. I didn’t enjoy walking him, and neighbors were complaining about his barking. When I asked someone at the pet store for advice, they told me to use a shock collar for the barking and a prong collar for the pulling. Not knowing any better, I took their advice. While both devices worked, I knew they were aversive techniques – Jake quit barking because he didn’t want to be shocked, and quit pulling because he didn’t want the prongs pinching his neck. I hated using them because I knew they hurt him, and I wanted to build a relationship of trust, not fear with my dog. Unfortunately Jake passed away before I discovered the Tellington TTouch® Method. It is a positive, fear-free, force-free training method that helps people build a relationship of mutual trust with their dogs. The dogs learn appropriate behaviors and choose those behaviors because they love and trust their human, not because they are afraid of the consequences.
PS: The shock and prong collars sound inhumane. I bet you were relieved and excited to discover TTouch. It seems more aligned to your personality. Can you boil down the essence of the technique?
DJ: The goal is to help dogs gain confidence by improving their body awareness, balance and posture. A confident dog is a calm, comfortable dog. In a nutshell: there are 4 components to the technique:
1 – The TTouches: I use a light pressure touch to help the dog settle down and become calmer. These touches are much lighter than a massage touch – I am focusing on calming the nervous system rather than on relaxing muscles. These touches can move an animal from operating from their sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) into their parasympathetic nervous system so they can learn new behaviors and responses to fear triggers.
2 – The Equipment/tools: I use body wraps and/or thundershirts to again provide a light pressure on the nervous system, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. The wraps can provide a calming effect, and can also bring physical awareness to a dog who may have some physical challenges which could affect posture and balance. I also use harnesses to which I can connect a leash to both the front and back. A collar with a leash attached can actually raise a dogs arousal – the pressure on the neck impacts their ability to breathe, and can cause damage to their trachea, esophagus, thyroid, spine, etc. A harness with the leash connected front and back can help a dog experience balance and improve their posture, which improves confidence.
3 – Movement: I use a course composed of numerous elements (labyrinth, cones, different surfaces and elevations, etc.) and walk the dogs through the course mindfully and with purpose. This helps with their proprioception, balance, posture, focus and confidence.
4 – The TTouch® Philosophy: Each dog is an individual. There is no “cookie-cutter” approach to dealing with a dog’s behavior. I pay close attention to how each dog responds to what I am doing, and adjust my approach based on the dog’s response. I ask myself, “what does this dog need to be more calm, confident and comfortable living in our world?”
PS: What is proprioception? I’m not familiar with that term.
DJ: Proprioception is one’s awareness or perception of the position and movement of their body. For example, in order to walk, you must be aware of how you are standing, where and how you are placing each foot, what is happening to your balance, etc. That is proprioception.
PS: How many sessions before you begin seeing results or does it vary by the intensity and or length of time that the undesired behavior has been manifesting?
DJ: The number of sessions depends on what the behavior is, how long the dog has been exhibiting the behavior and how committed the people are to doing the homework that I assign. Sometimes 1 session is enough but it is a process and usually takes at least 3 sessions or more.
PS: Your explanation sounds very similar to my experiences with my clients. Transformation takes time and commitment regardless of the species, and the longer and deeper the behavior is entrenched, the more time it takes to adjust to a new paradigm. Please describe what a typical session is like? Do you have an intake process? Are there some animals that you will not accept into the program?
DJ: Every session is different depending on the dog and the behavior concern. I do have a history form that I ask all clients to complete to give me a good sense of their concern and their goal. Safety is my #1 priority so I determine whether to work with an animal based on the safety of all involved. For example, if someone has a dog who is reactive to people, and the person is unable to contain their dog, it would likely not be a safe environment for me to try to help the dog.
PS: How do you initially approach an animal? I imagine you do so with care as the animal is likely coming from a place of fear and/or anxiety.
DJ: Generally, I don’t give much attention to the dog when I first arrive. I will acknowledge the dog through a glance, but will focus my attention on the people. I let the dog approach me when it is ready, and begin my interactions in short intervals, always letting the dog move away if it needs to.
PS: Very wise. Have you ever had a circumstance where you were eager to work with the animal, but not the human?
DJ: I am always happy to work with people who want to improve their dog’s life in a positive, fear-free, force-free way. Most people who contact me are looking to do just that.
PS: If you suspect that human conduct is causing or complicating the animal’s response do you work with the human on modifying their behaviors? Are they typically receptive?
DJ: I do sometimes observe that the human’s actions can be contributing to the dog’s behavior or anxiety. In those cases I do bring this to the human’s attention and make suggestions on how they might change their behavior to help the dog become more confident. For example, if a person has a dog that has been reactive (lunging, barking, etc.) toward other dogs while on leash, the person has likely developed a habit of tightening their grip and shortening the leash, bracing and holding their breath whenever they see another dog, even if their dog hasn’t spotted the other dog yet. But, their dog notices the human tensing up, tightening the leash, etc. and immediately goes on alert, looking for whatever caused their human to tense up. And they become concerned because their human is concerned. In this case I will talk with the person about working to develop a new habit of exhaling, relaxing and imagining their dog calmly walking past the other dog. Once they are aware, people typically understand how their behavior is contributing to the dog’s behavior and work to change it.
PS: You’re an unintentional human behaviorist too. Tell us about some of your achievement stories.
DJ: I have had many successes working with people and their dogs. One that really stands out is a woman who adopted an adult standard poodle. The poodle had lived with two of its siblings, and they were all adopted to different homes. This poodle was very shut down. She wouldn’t play, didn’t interact much with the family, and would only eat by herself in the bedroom. She had also recently had a very frightening experience. She was startled while on a walk, and bolted, yanking the plastic flexi-leash handle from her person’s hand which then noisily dragged on the ground, “chasing” her down the street. She was quite traumatized by the experience. During the first session, I didn’t touch her. They had a large stuffed toy poodle, on which I showed the people how to do some touches and they did touches on the dog. They were good about working with the dog in between sessions so that at the second session I was able to touch her a bit. I also put a harness and leash on her and walked her mindfully around the house. By the third session, the dog came to the door to greet me and her people reported that she was a different dog. She had begun playing with toys, was eating in the kitchen and was interacting with them like a happy, confident dog. She approached me for the touches, and nudged me for more. Her people were eager to get her started in agility or nose work to continue building her confidence. It was a beautiful transformation.
PS: That must be so gratifying for you and the pet owners. Furthermore, emotionally and physically this metamorphosis is so much healthier for the animals and the relationship with their owners. Less stress all around. Neighbors likely experience relief too. Are there any significant lessons you have learned?
DJ: When dogs “misbehave”, they are trying to communicate something to us in the best way they can. They aren’t being bad dogs, or trying to be “alpha”, or stubborn, or whatever other interpretation one may put on the behavior. They are simply being dogs and haven’t yet been taught more appropriate behaviors to use in stressful situations. I have learned that if we pay attention to our dogs, try to understand and respond to what they are telling us, we can develop a very trusting relationship with them and they will do what we ask because they love and trust us, not because they are afraid of us. We are so lucky to be able to have dogs, and other animals, share our lives with us!
Thank you so much to Dawn for sharing her passion with The Practical Sort and you. If your furry friend can use a gentle nudge to alleviate distracting behavior issues, contact The Pawsitive Companion. And if it’s time to focus on your home to relieve that stress, contact ThePracticalSort.com to schedule a free, no obligation chat.
Dawn Jansen
pawsitivecompanion.com
dawn@pawsitivecompanion.com
