Linda Michaels - The Do No Harm Dog Training and Behavior Handbook: Featuring the Hierarchy of Dog Needs®

TheDo No HarmDog Training
and Behavior Handbook

Featuring the Hierarchy of Dog Needs

Linda Michaels

Trademark and Copyright Registrations

Do No Harm Dog Training

United States Patent and Trademark Office Reg. No. 6,028.191. Serial No. 88609718.

THE DO NO HARM DOG TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR HANDBOOK. Copyright2022

Linda Michaels

United States Copyright Office Registration Number TXu 2-305-346

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic, digital, or mechanical, or by any means including photocopying, recording, scanning, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission from the author/publisher except for brief quotations embodied in articles and critical reviews.

Hierarchy of Dog NeedsCopyright20152022 Linda Michaels

United States Patent and Trademark Office Reg. No. 5,280,114. Serial No. 87301109.

United States Copyright Office Registration Number VAu 1286094.

All rights reserved. Do not sell, license, modify, reproduce, publish, adapt, edit, or create derivative works. Use of the Hierarchy of Dog Needs for commercial purposes is prohibited without permission from the creator.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty

The author/publisher shall not be liable in the event of incidental or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of the instructions and suggestions contained in this book. The author will be held harmless from all liability and damages for any claim, loss, or injury which may occur or may be alleged to have occurred to any persons, animals, or property arising from or related to the suggestions in this publication. The author made every effort to provide information on dog health, care, and treatment that is authoritative, reliable, and practical. However, this handbook is not intended to replace diagnosis or treatment from a veterinarian or other qualified dog professional. Readers should always consult qualified behavior and healthcare providers for specific diagnosis and treatment. The advice and protocols contained herein may not be suitable for any individual dog. The author cannot guarantee any individual dogs ability to learn and/or understand training cues, cannot guarantee desensitization to fear or aggression triggers, or compliance on the part of the handler. A private behavioral consultation with a Do No Harm/Force Free consultant is recommended for dogs displaying aggression, separation anxiety, fearfulness, or other serious issues.

Front Cover: [cynoclub]/Adobe Stock

Back Cover: Linda Michaels with Ambassador Journey Wolfdog, Courtesy of Julie

All Other Images: Images /Adobe Stock

FIRST EDITION

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication data

Names: Michaels, Linda, author.

Title: The do no harm dog training and behavior handbook : featuring the hierarchy of dog needs / Linda Michaels, M.A., Psychology.

Description: Includes bibliographical references and index. | San Diego, CA: Do No Harm Dog Training, 2022.

Identifiers: LCCN: 2021922892 | ISBN: 978-1-7322537-0-4 (print) | 978-1-7322537-1-1 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH Dogs--Training. | Dogs--Psychology. | BISAC PETS / Dogs / Training

Classification: LCC QL785 .M53 2022 | DDC 636.7/08/3--dc23

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021922892

Publishing Company

Do No Harm Dog Training

About the Author

Linda Michaels, MA, Psychology, creator of the Hierarchy of Dog Needs is rated one of the top ten dog trainers in the United States by Top Ten Magazine and other acclaimed reviewers. Linda holds a masters degree in Experimental Psychology (with Honors) and conducted laboratory research in behavioral neurobiology, earning the merit-based University Scholar Award from the Psychology Department of San Diego State University. Her unique combination of scientific training and hands-on experience with dogs, wolfdogs, and foxes, creates a bridge between the worlds of research, dog trainers and pet parents, as demonstrated in her presentation at the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) inaugural summit: Understanding Research: Making the Case for Force-free Training (Michaels, 2015a).

Linda is a staunch advocate for force-free, dog-friendly dog training. She worked with some of the most difficult behavior cases at the progressive San Diego Humane Society and SPCA for five years. Before becoming a private practitioner and pioneer for positive force-free training and non-aversive collars, Linda was the behavioral consultant and lead trainer for an upscale pet store in Del Mar, California. She was the first professional behavioral advisor for the Wolf Education Project in Julian, California, and has helped train some of the famed Russian Belyaev foxes at the Judith A. Bassett Canid Education and Conservation Center in Santa Ysabel, California. Working with aggressive domesticated dogs and typically people-shy wolfdogs convinced Linda that using punitive behavior modification methods are outdated and counterproductive to treating aggression with potentially dangerous animals. Linda is an outspoken animal welfare advocate opposing dominance-based dog training methods and aversive training collars that have been shown to be principally ineffective, unsafe, and inhumane. Collar devices designed to cause pain and harsh training methods are often a cause, not a cure of aggression.

The carefully crafted Hierarchy of Dog Needs (HDN)Standards of Care and Best Force-free Practices, targeting wellness and force-free emotional and behavioral modification guidance, catapulted Linda into a leadership role in the dog training field. The HDN closes the door on the perceived need and advisability of using punitive or aversive methods to train our dogs, offering clear, easy-to-use, and Do No Harm/force-free guidance. The Hierarchy of Dog Needs has been translated into ten languages. Linda pioneered her emotional and behavioral modification Do No Harm practice onto social media platforms by grounding The Hierarchy of Dog Needs as the ethical and progressive standard in dog care and training.

Linda is a sought-after speaker, certified veterinary assistant and served as the flagship Southern California Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT) licensed behavior consultant. She is published in BARKS from the Guild, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) international trade magazine, and has authored numerous articles and behavior columns which are included in The Do No Harm Dog Trainingand Behavior Handbook. Linda appears as a featured expert on Huffington Post Live, Wolf Dog Radio (Michaels, 2015b), and as a special guest on the Pet Professional Guild World Services podcast. She served on the advisory board for the Art for Barks charity, in Rancho Santa Fe, California. As founder and head administrator of the wildly popular Do No Harm Dog Training social media group, force-free advocates from around the world gather to share resources, solve dog behavior problems, and promote animal welfare. She is an affiliate expert of the International School of Canine Psychology (ISCP). Linda is a certified fear, aggression, and reactivity consultant with FAR Beyond Dog Training, focusing on both the behavioral and psychological aspects of dog behavior that often mirror human psychological conditions, such as fear, separation/attachment disorders, and aggression. She is also a Pet Professional Guild Certified Professional Canine TrainerAccredited (PCT-A). Her private practice serves select clients in Southern California from La Jolla to Beverly Hills helping dogs learn, recover, and thrive.