Victoria and a colleague, retired police lieutenant Jim
Crosby, are often brought in by police departments to help investigate severe maulings or human fatalities by a dog. “I help Jim physically evaluate dogs that have killed people as well as working through crime scene pictures or going to crime scenes to determine what happened. The work can be very distressing but it is needed in order to find out the truth of what happened and why. It also provides data that can be used to educate dog owners everywhere so these preventable tragedies never hap- pen again.”
Rhetorically, Victoria asks what kind of relationship
would we like to have with our dogs, then answers the ques- tion herself. “A true bond is built on trust, which can easily be destroyed when dominance techniques are used. Dogs are thinking, emotional beings with the ability to solve problems and make the right choices if we offer them the appropriate guidance. You have the power to enhance these abilities with humane teaching techniques, giving your dog the chance to be successful in a domestic world.”
“In reality, those who employ
forceful
methods...are behaving like socially inappropriate bullies,
compromising a dog's ability to learn.” –Victoria Stilwell
One concern Victoria has about dominance training is the
affect it is having on a new generation of dog owners, trainers, handlers and especially, children. “As a mother and a regular speaker in schools, I am acutely aware of how children are influenced by a respected adult,” said Victoria. In fact, accord- ing to noted clinical psychologist Dr. Paula Bloom, treating animals harshly in front of children can be very damaging and sets a terrible precedent. Victoria explained something she experienced firsthand at
a big dog event, attended by a large group of eager, dog-loving kids. “Toward the end of the day, a K9 police dog handler passed by us with her gorgeous German Shepherd dog. Naturally, we stopped to admire the dog as they walked by. As the dog put his head down to sniff the ground by his side, the handler gave a quick, forceful yank on the leash. But the scent the dog found proved too tempting, and again his head went to the ground for another sniff. This time the officer lifted the leash and jerked the dog so hard that all four paws came off the ground and he yelped in pain. The kids gasped in shock, and the officer angrily cursed the dog.” Never one to be mistaken for a quiet bystander, Victoria
approached the officer and asked her why she had yanked the dog so hard. “She didn’t take kindly to my question, demand- ing that I move out of her way. Instead, I stood my ground and calmly asked her what kind of example she thought she was setting for the children. She was unable to offer any kind of explanation for her behavior, and pushed passed me, shame- faced and angry. The children were appalled and visibly shaken by witnessing such mistreatment,” recalled Victoria.
www.TheNewBarker.com
( gContinued) Summer ~ 2013 THE NEW BARKER 75
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