Tess of Helena - Training People: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Human

How to Bring Out the Best
in Your Human

FROM FOOD AND GROOMING TO SERVICE AND SUPPORT5The Definitive Guide for Dogs

by Tess of Helena, C.T.H.

Text copyright 2007 by BRIAN KAHN

Photographs 2007 by GRETCHEN LEMAISTRE

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN: 978-1-4521-2691-3

Designed by JAY PETER SALVAS

This book was typeset in Adobe Caslon 10/14, Gotham 6.5/10, and Bauer Bodoni

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

No humans were harmed in the making of this book.

Writing a book is never easy, even for a dog. Without early mentoring in the training of humans by Sophie of Helena , I would not have pursued this profession, or refined the techniques discussed in this book. Sophie was a magnificent example of the Labrador retrievers versatility, a pioneer in cross-species training, and truly exceptional in teaching people to assist her in the hunt. We spent many happy hours in the field together, only occasionally distracted by miscues from our human trainees.

I also wish to thank Brian Kahn , one of my humans. The demands of my training business often diverted me from work on the book. Brians assistance in manuscript preparation was extremely helpful, and it is only a slight exaggeration to say that I could not have done it without him.

My thanks to Sandra Dal Poggetto and Dylan Kahn , who did a fine job of assuring that I was provided with excellent meals, daily exercise, and chauffeur services during my work on the manuscript.

To Kona of Santa Rosa and her humans, Kim and Clay Clement , my appreciation. Your encouragement kept me focused on the task.

I wish to thank Fred Hill , my literary agent. Fred frankly admitted that he had never before represented a canine author, yet he did admirably on my behalf. In our one or two disagreements about negotiations, a mere growl was sufficient to bring him quickly into line.

My appreciation also to Micaela Heekin , my editor at Chronicle Books; Gretchen LeMaistre , our photographer; Jay Peter Salvas , book designer; Yolanda Accinelli , production coordinator; and Brianna Smith , who facilitated important copyedit matters. All recognized the importance of this book and brought their exceptional talents to the task. Clearly, their dogs have trained them well.

Tess

Helena, Montana

Many dogs find the idea of owning and training human beings intimidating. And the plain fact is that for some dogs, owning people is not worth the trouble. After all, people are a completely different species, with poorly developed senses of smell, hearing, and sight; idiosyncratic thought processes; inefficient communication techniques; and erratic temperaments. Each of these can be troublesome, and in combination they are often mystifying, even aggravating. Still, despite their limitations, people often make charming, loyal, and rewarding companions. And although we canines are generally above such commercial considerations, the fact is that most humans are willing, even eager, to work long hours outside the home den to obtain the financial resources needed to support us in appropriate style and comfort.

This book will show you how to get the most out of owning people. There is no better place to start than with the fundamentals. Effective people ownership and training is made immeasurably easier and more enjoyable by keeping in mind two elementary truths: People love dogs. They live to please us.

but the truth is, given the short time typically available to make the choice, it is always something of a gamble. While the specific conditions under which you make the selection varykennel, pet store, magazine ad, Internet, etc.the basic selection criteria are the same. (Having said that, I for one would never select a person without inspecting him or her firsthand.)

As your potential people approach to display themselves, watch carefully. Are they alert? Do they appear intelligent, interested? Do they seem lazy? Humans who demonstrate sloth tend to resist vigorous physical activity, and thus are harder to train to assist you in your daily exercise.

Another important indicator is personal dress, particularly as it relates to your breed. For example, if you are of long-haired stock, prone to shedding, it is good to avoid selecting a human who dresses with excessive neatness. Such people are prone to irritability when required to do the sort of household chores you need and expect.