Get Help With Your Doggie Mistakes – Learn How to Have a Happy, Healthy Dog Class Series
This book is a companion to a series of classes. You can register now by going to http://
www.valheart.com/happydog.html
Preview the classes for free by listening to The Real Dr Doolittle Show With Val Heart, now available on iTunes and on Val’s Blog http://www.valheart.com/blog
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DeDication:
To all the wonderful dog teachers that have blessed my life and taught me so much, including Fritz, Rodie, Charlie, Snowbal , Razor Rocket, Shazaam and Einstein.
acknowleDgments:
Without the assistance, support and encouragement of these amazing people, this book would not have been possible. So I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Charlene Doyle, Jan Rasmusen, Dr. Laura Cioppa, Marcy Cassius, Dr. Ernesto Fernandez, Tom Watts, Dona Kerr, and, of course, my wonderful parents.
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contents
Foreword by Jan Rasmusen ................................................................................. 2
Letter from Val .................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5
Mistake #1: Getting the Wrong Dog for Your Lifestyle ............................................8
Mistake #2: Being Unprepared to Provide Proper Balanced Socialization
Opportunities for Your Dog ....................................................................................... 11
Mistake #3: Failing to Teach Your Dog How to Behave ............................................14
Mistake #4: Being Inconsistent with Rules and Rewards ...........................................19
Mistake #5: Mistaking Dog Dominance Games for Affection ................................ 22
Mistake #6: Failing to Create a Healthy, Non-Toxic, Stress-Free Environment.......... 26
Mistake #7: Feeding Low-Quality, Toxic Commercial Foods and Treats .................. 30
Mistake #8: Offering Affection Without Your Dog Earning It ............................... 35
Mistake #9: Failing to Take a Proactive Role in Your Dog’s Life ............................. 37
Mistake #10: Defending the Underdogs by Treating Them Equal y ........................ 39
Mistake #11: Failing to Learn How to Communicate With Dogs ........................... 41
Mistake #12: Ignoring Your Dog When They Tell You Something’s Wrong ............ 44
Conclusion. ......................................................................................................... 47
Is Your Dog Unhappy or Unhealthy? Get Help Now. ............................................ 51
Resources ........................................................................................................... 53
Get Help With Your Doggie Mistakes .................................................................................. 53
Barometers of our Souls! Exploring the Human Animal BodyMind Connection! ................... 53
Vet Secrets Revealed - Learn How to Examine, Diagnose and Treat Your Pet at Home .......... 54
Veterinary Secrets Revealed At-Home Exam DVD Video ....................................................... 55
Veterinary Secrets Revealed Pet CPR Instructional DVD Video .............................................. 55
Ultimate Canine Health Formula .......................................................................................... 55
The Real Dr Doolittle Show with Val Heart ........................................................................... 56
The Val Heart Method™ of Learning Animal Communication .............................................. 57
About Val Heart .................................................................................................. 64
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ForeworD by Jan rasmusen
Hi. I'm Jan Rasmusen, author, writer, blogger and impassioned dog care advocate.
Several years ago, things were different. To me, dog care meant needles and can openers and control-freak dog trainers … and not a whole lot more.
You see, back then, I learned dog care from television commercials, “popular” trainers and corporate veterinarians. My two beloved Maltese, Chiclet and Jiggy, ate a top brand of “natural” pet food. (No dreaded “people food” for them!) Too afraid not to comply with every one of my vet’s friendly reminders, my dogs were “up-to-date” on their shots and always protected with monthly heartworm and flea meds. Not for one moment did I suspect that my good intentions were actually shortening my dogs' lives.
I awoke to the truth when Jiggy contracted a life-threatening autoimmune liver disease.
Two years of research into his il ness, and dog care in general, made me realize that I’d been duped. Dog care had become a $45 bil ion business, with $12 bil ion of that for vet care. Profits had trumped care.
Worst of al , fear permeated everything: fear of disease, fear of parasites, fear of my dog embarrassing me in public because of poor behavior, fear of doing anything wrong.
Now five years into daily research and interviews, I make decisions from knowledge, not fear. I know that Val Heart feels the same way. We are fel ow crusaders for smart training and informed health care. We are for prevention, not intervention.
Val and I have taught each other a lot. I’m sure she’ll teach you a lot as wel .
Jan Rasmusen
Author, Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care
WINNER, Ben Franklin Award for the Best Health Book of any kind
WINNER, USABookNews Award for the Best Pet Health Book
Finalist, Dog Writers Association Best Care and Health Book,Recommended by The Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, A nimal Wel ness Magazine, the Animal Protection Institute and countless veterinarians
www.Dogs4Dogs.com and www.Truth4Dogs.com
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Dear Fellow Dog Lover,
So how do you know if you have an unhappy dog? Often it’s just a feeling, but most of the time, they demonstrate it in no uncertain terms. They tear things up, they bark constantly and won’t shut up, they run away, they don’t listen to you or they become a Velcro dog who won’t leave your side. They often act aggressively toward other people and dogs or they may be extremely shy, nervous nel ies. They exhibit obsessive compulsive disorders, or they just wind up getting sick.
Dogs do feel pain, sadness, anger and grief, they reason and think, and make decisions which make sense from their viewpoint. They will also display nervous anxiety and stress symptoms when something isn’t right in their world. And they do everything they can to tell you about it.
This book is not about how to train your dog... It’s about the Guiding Principles that will help you learn how to raise and teach your dog to be the Perfect Dog. It points out how you can avoid making many of the Mistakes that might ruin your relationship with your canine friend. If you catch yourself before making these Mistakes, you can make the difference between enjoying a long happy, healthy life with your dog … or not.
Because when your dog is healthy and happy, you’re happy, right?
Once you understand their perspective, their viewpoint and what real y makes them happy, then everything else gets so much easier. I want you to have the best dog in the world, not a trouble maker or someone you dread being with or have come to regret having in your life and home. In fact, when we become better dog owners and trainers, we become better humans!
The stories you will read about are all true stories. They are situations that I have worked with and I’m sure you can relate to. Only the names have been changed to protect their privacy.
Since 1993, I have managed a successful practice working with thousands of animals, their owners, trainers and veterinarians from all over the nation, helping them accomplish their goals in animal health issues, personality problems, performance, training and behavior modification.
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In addition to private sessions, I teach a variety of fun, information packed Classes designed to help you better understand yourself and your animal friends, communicate more easily and clearly, get help resolving issues, learn exercises you can practice with your animal friends, and deepen your connection and love for each other.
If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. I love to help people with their dogs, so if you feel you could use some assistance, please contact me.
I wish you and your Family Pack health, joy, laughter and wel ness, Val Heart, MBA, PaCBP
Expert Animal Communicator, Behaviorist, Master Healer & Author Working with chronic pain, illness, trauma, training, behavior, euthanasia...
Specializing in performance horses: dressage, show jumping, reining, cutting…
Free Expert Animal Communication eTips, Newsletter & Consulting Information: www.valheart.com
World’s 1st Complete Beginning Animal Communication Home Study Course:
hwww.valheart.com/teleclasses/step_2_beginning_workshop.html
The Real Dr Doolittle Show available now on iTunes. Subscribe: animaltalk.mypodcastworld.com
Connect with Val on Facebook! www.facebook.com/people/ValHeart.AnimalTalk Animal News Blog: www.valheart.com/blog
Free Articles: www.valheart.com/Articles.html
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introDuction
Dogs live long lives, and most folks intend to give their dogs a forever home. After al , our pets are like our children! But the fact is that mil ions of dogs are adopted or purchased every year, and about 40% of them wind up at shelters, dumped, given away (again), abandoned to the streets, or are euthanized. Through no fault of their own, they simply weren’t the right fit with their human or were misunderstood! People don’t mean for things to go wrong with their dogs. All dog lovers feel the same way about this. But things do go wrong, all the time.
I’d like to start out by tel ing you a few stories.
Suzie Q, a Chihuahua, would often take off barking and racing after whatever caught her attention, never knowing that if she ran into the nearby street or actual y tackled that big mean dog or snake, that she could be kil ed. And when she was caught up in the excitement of the chase, she never even acknowledged her terrified human, Anne, desperately running after her, screaming, “Stop! Come Back!!” Suzie Q came close to dying many times, and Anne couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t come to her when there was danger!
Baby Blue, a blue heeler mixed breed, was rescued off the street. She wound up living with a couple who were having a real y tough time. Sarah said she found herself hiding in her room, away from her dog, often in tears because the dog was terrorizing her.
Baby Blue had taken control of the house! Adam told me he dreaded coming home at all and often would drive around after work for quite a while until he felt strong enough to enter the house.
Baby Blue was so frustrated with her humans that she didn’t know what to do. She craved their company and tried to show them how happy she was to see them all the time, but all they did was retreat from her, run away, or go hide in rooms she couldn’t get to. She was miserable and didn’t know what to do, and she spent most of her time all alone. She was a very intel igent and caring dog so she also was aware that her humans were unhappy. What a dilemma!
A miniature schnauzer named Houdini had severe anxiety during thunderstorms and, more importantly, a serious biting problem. From a young age she snapped at strangers.
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Her owners, Tom and Clara, worried about her attacking and hurting someone. They questioned whether they still wanted to keep her or if they should put her down. This was very distressing because they were extremely attached to her and felt she was part of their family.
Walking with Houdini had become a nightmare. They were to the point that they dreaded taking her out at al ! If she saw another person or dog, she’d go nuts, and Tom and Clara were terrified she’d get in a bad fight. They just didn’t know what to do.
I once worked with a chow dog named Sam who had become frightened and nervous all the time and refused to drink out of his water dish. He would only drink water from the bubbling fountain in the back yard, and only then if he was told to do so. He was having kidney problems and had recently undergone surgery to save his life. If he didn’t start drinking enough water, he would surely die. His owners and veterinarian felt helpless.
Chelsea brought her old dog, Zoe, to me afraid that it was time to euthanize her.
Zoe was struggling to get around, having trouble eating, was lethargic and seemed depressed. Was it time to let her go? Chelsea just wasn’t sure and didn’t want to put her down unless Zoe felt she was ready to go.
Another client, Barbara, contacted me crying as she said, “My Great Pyrenees dog, Beau, just attacked my friend! He wouldn’t stop when I shouted at him; he just barreled in and bit at her! Now I am terrified that I’ll have to put him down! Why is he doing this? Doesn’t Beau know he’s not supposed to do that?”
Jane decided to rescue a young stray pit bull she named Happy. The barely one-year-old dog was frightened easily, growled at people, had no social skil s, and had obviously been abused by someone. Happy was an accident primed and waiting for the right incident to trigger her defensive instincts! Jane had some smal er dogs. She didn’t understand how to train Happy or to deal with her issues but still wanted to give her a safe, loving home.
With all the frightening media exposure against pit bul s, Jane spent a lot of time worrying about what could happen. Trying to reassure herself and the dog, Jane asked Happy repeatedly if she was okay? Was she nervous? Was she scared? Was she going to attack somebody?
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Their walks quickly became nightmares as Happy pul ed and lunged on her leash, basical y ignoring her human friend. Jane became obsessed with wondering if Happy was a good dog or, because of her breeding, she would turn out to be a bad dog who would have to be put down after she went on the kind of rampage others of her kind had become known for.
So what’s real y going on when our dogs behave like this? What are they thinking? Do they understand the consequences of their actions? Do they want to die? Are they just trying to make our lives miserable? Or are we just making some of the classic and often deadly and tragic Mistakes people make with their dogs?
And that’s what we’re here to talk about today! How you can turn al that around by learning how to recognize and avoid making these serious Mistakes with your dog. This book wil help you avoid some of the most common fundamental Mistakes and pitfal s that can ruin your relationship with your dog friends. If you catch them in time, it can make the difference between enjoying a long, happy, healthy life with your dog or not.
Remember that our dogs (like our children!) are greatly affected by us, their caregivers.
What we do, say, think, decide and feel can rock their world – or anchor it! The better balanced you are, the less stressed they will be. The more informed we are and better prepared to include dogs in our lives, the happier we all are.
This book is designed to:
• Prepare you consciously to be your dog’s best friend and a better caretaker
• Teach you how to be more open to and consider your dog’s viewpoints
• Explore different ways of looking at problems and their resolutions
• Help assure you and your dog have a good life together
One more thing before we start. Please remember that every dog is a unique individual.
That means that your job is to do some research, try different things, and do ‘due diligence’ with the ideas I will present to you until you find what works best for you and your dog! Okay, let’s go right into it. We have a lot to cover and your dog is wanting us to hurry up..
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mistake #1: getting the wrong Dog For your liFestyle
The first and easiest way to avoid this major Mistake is to get the right dog, right off the bat! Please avoid impulse shopping for your new dog partner. You don’t want just any dog that catches your eye or that has a cute face or that reminds you of a dog you used to have.
You real y want a dog that is the perfect fit for your family
and your lifestyle. If you get the wrong dog, you will wind
up in a difficult, frustrating existence, and you’re going to doom your pet to being unhappy, misunderstood, and
worse, you could even put them at risk losing their home
and even their life.
Now remember, you wouldn’t take a new job without an interview, and you certainly wouldn’t marry someone without getting to know them. In the same respect, you shouldn’t bring a dog into your home without interviewing your prospective dog companion.
Determine in advance:
♥ What lifestyle you actually live
♥ How much time you are willing and able to dedicate to your new companion
♥ How much training and skill you currently have and whether you need to learn more for the breed you are considering
Also,
♥ Do some research and talk with people who own the breeds you are interested in
♥ If you decide on a dog of mixed breeding, remember that each of the breeds in their makeup contributes to their personality and potential challenges.
Write a ‘job description’ for the dog you’d like to have. Decide what you real y want from a dog and do your best to match a dog to your wants. Then spend some quality time with a prospective dog before you bring it home. Paying close attention
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to what the ‘job description’ consists of and whether the prospective dog has what it takes to be successful in that job can make the difference between being reasonably sure that dog is a good match for you in the long term or not.
For instance:
• Herding dogs aren’t a good match for city dwellers who tend to be couch potatoes. They have unique personalities, drives, needs and instincts that must be satisfied in order for them to feel happy.
• Just like not all humans are cut out to be Olympic athletes, not all dogs have the ability, interest or the conformation to do agility, showing or obedience sports. Other dogs won’t be really happy unless they are performing.
• High energy dogs, like Chinese Cresteds, don’t fit too well with people who like a peaceful and quiet existence.
• Bulldogs are not a good match for athletic types who want their dogs to exercise with them.
• People who really don’t like to do a lot of training probably aren’t going to do well with German Shepherds, larger dogs or other working breeds.
Please don’t buy your dog or puppy from a puppy mil , pet store or a breeder who you have not thoroughly checked out. Puppy mil s are set up to produce the maximum number of dogs as quickly as possible without regard to genetics, health or environment. Puppies or dogs who come from mil s or unscrupulous breeders are often sick and suffer serious genetic flaws. And, because they have not been properly handled or socialized, and their mothers are often unable to take good care of their babies, they usual y have short lives with many behavior chal enges.
Go to www.stoppuppymills.org to learn more.
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sPaying anD neutering:
What about spaying and neutering? Dogs who are
Dogs need to
not being bred truly do need to have this done.
have their growth plates
ful y developed before this
Hormonal rushes and instincts are difficult to
surgery. It’s up to the dog,
manage and encourage bad habits like territorial
not the calendar. Watch
marking and roaming. It also exposes them to
your dog for signs of mature
unnecessary risks like cancer, urinary tract issues
sexual expression before you
and pyometra (a disease of the uterus most
make your decision. If you
commonly seen in dogs; similar to appendicitis in
spay or neuter too early, you
humans). Dogs that dart out the door and wander
can cause a lot of damage
later in life, including hip
are often unaltered and are simply fol owing their
problems and dysplasia.
hormones and reproductive drives.
I recommend that dogs be altered between 6
and 12 months – but not sooner. The body has to develop to a certain point before having this major surgery or it simply doesn’t develop properly.
Altering after they are grown can certainly be done. Just remember that it can take as long as a year or more for the testosterone levels to go down for a male (or estrogen levels for a female), and that during that time, they are still feeling the effects of it and still smel ing like an intact animal to other dogs.
If you wind up with or already own a problem dog whose personality doesn’t match with yours, there’s still hope. Animal Communication can help dramatical y to identify and resolve the real issues. And, Dr Jean Hofve and Jackson Galaxy created a line of products designed to help balance personality problems. They call them Spirit Essences (similar to Bach Flower Essences).
Many of my clients have tried it and they have real y helped. Remember though that nothing can change your dog’s basic nature and instinct completely so do your best not to make the Mistake of getting the wrong dog. It’s also important for you to take the product yourself –
after al , theirs isn’t the only personality that could be imbalanced, right? Spirit Essences can help you and your dog both be more balanced emotional y, so go check it out, okay?
www.spiritessences.com
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mistake #2: being unPrePareD to ProviDe ProPer balanceD
socialization oPPortunities For your Dog
Let’s move right on to the next Mistake. So many dog owners miss this step. I spend the majority of my time trying to resolve the Mistakes made with improper socialization, and it can be one of the most difficult problems to resolve. The Mistake is being completely unprepared to provide proper socialization for our dogs.
Dogs crave good parental guidance. And if you take a puppy away from their parents, then you are now their parent and must provide proper guidance in order for your dog to be balanced, healthy and happy.
Some people forget that dogs don’t come already
trained. They think they should already know
how to behave in all situations and somehow
become the perfect pet as they get older. We’re
expecting that perfect, wel -mannered, easy
going, affectionate dog to suddenly appear when
they’re one year old, but they’re not perfect yet.
So we wait until the dog is two years old. Hmmm,
not quite there yet. Maybe at three years?
You know, after the dog is about five years old, people start thinking, “Hmmm. When are they supposed to grow up? When are they going to mature? Aren’t they supposed to grow out of those behaviors and become the wonderful dog that we thought they were going to be or become more like the other dog we had? We’ve been putting up with these problems all this time, and they’ve still not figured it out.” Instead, maybe we need to figure it out, right?
Puppies aren’t born knowing how to be the perfect domesticated dog in your household. Learning how to be appropriate in all situations, what good manners are, what’s wanted or needed from it – that is the hal mark of good training and proper socialization from calm, stable assertive family members and pack Leaders.
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Taking on a puppy means that you’re taking on the role of that dog’s parents with all the responsibilities of teaching that baby all the rules in a way that it can understand.
There is a critical development stage in every puppy’s life – between 2 and 6 months old – when certain lessons can be most easily be learned.
Confusing social encounters, bewilderment, pain, miscommunication, danger - both emotional and physical – and other negative experiences that occur during this time will scar them for life, and you’ll be dealing with those issues for the rest of your lives, I promise you.
You must provide safety and protection
for that puppy. You have to teach them
Taking on a puppy
how to play. You have to teach them
means that you’re taking on
how to interact with other dogs and how
the role of that dog’s parents
to get along with other species like cats
with all the responsibilities of
and birds – and even human children!
teaching that baby all the rules in
You have to teach them how to respect
a way that it can understand.
authority and fol ow guidance (their
mothers can do a lot of this if you leave
the puppy with them long enough).
Final y you have to come up with and prepare lesson plans (like their canine pack members would) that are appropriate to their age, paying careful attention to help the puppy feel safe and protected, how to create and enhance that puppy’s feelings of self-confidence, and how to create trust in authority figures that’s going to foster a wil ingness to fol ow guidance. If you do your job properly, training will never be a problem, and you will have a dog friend who is a joy for everyone to be around.
You have to learn how to communicate in a way that includes body language, telepathy, emotion, scent, cues and signals from a dog’s viewpoint.
Did you know that exuberance in a dog doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy? It means they are excited and their nervous system is hyper-stimulated. Their sympathetic nervous system is on high alert, very similar to when they are in danger, are anxious or afraid.
If you don’t properly prepare your puppy through training and other careful socialization or al ow too intense, unsafe confrontations with other beings or put them into
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situations before you’ve prepared them, before you’ve created self-confidence and an understanding in them of what the appropriate behavior is, then you’re going to set your puppy up to have a very difficult life, whether they stay with you or move on to someone else.
I want to talk about coddling for a minute. Often we get into trouble with this and it’s such an honest Mistake. When our children or friends are scared, it is very helpful to be comforted by someone. When we offer what we think of as comfort or reassurance to our dogs when they are scared, confused or not sure what to do in a new situation, they see it entirely differently.
They think we are rewarding their fearful behavior! That means that they are doing the right thing – that acting afraid, worried, aggressive, or nervous is, in fact, the proper way to behave in this situation. Plus, it gets them lots of attention for behaving this way.
We keep thinking they’l recover themselves and be confident again when we keep showing them that there is something to be frightened about! And that they are right to be wary, cautious and afraid. Then we wonder why they are always so afraid of that thing.
Please do not coddle or try to comfort your dog. They need you, their calm, assertive Leader, to tell them what to do and how to feel about it. If you continue to radiate anything other than calmness, peace and clarity, then they will be unable to get over their traumatic experience because you won’t let them.
By now it should be clear that puppies and human babies don’t real y go well together.
I know, it seems so cute to see them playing together but the fact is that puppies need to feel safe and stable in order to socialize well and learn the rules. Human babies can be very unpredictable, to say the least, and can often unintentional y hurt the pup until they learn how to treat dogs properly. So by al means, include dogs in your baby’s life – just be sure that your puppy gets their needs met too.
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mistake #3: Failing to teach your Dog how to behave
What every dog needs to know is how we want them to behave in different situations.
If we don’t give them clear guidance and preparation, then how do they know what is expected of them?
Our dogs learn very quickly what they can get away with and what they can’t. They’re very smart. Just asking someone else, a friend or a professional, to train them rarely works in the long run. In fact, I don’t think it ever works in the long run unless we are the ones being trained. It’s actual y not our dogs who need training – it’s us!
They take their cues from you (or their primary
person) and then try to figure things out as best
they can – from a canine viewpoint, based on
their breeding, instinct, experience and levels of
experience.
Many dog owners feel their animal is so out of
control that they hire a professional to help them.
And their dogs probably did pretty well with that
trainer. But then when they got them back home,
they quickly reverted back to their bad manners.
What’s cute and adorable behavior in a puppy isn’t so cute or adorable when they weigh more than you do or when they’re more powerful or faster than you are. And it’s especial y not cute when they’re out of control so badly that they are dangerous to themselves or others or they’re being rude or embarrassing.
I know you’ve probably heard the phrase “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Wel , that’s wrong. Of course you can teach an old dog new tricks! It’s just harder when they’re older, partly because you’ve invested so much of your time and energy into teaching all the old tricks! All you have to do to teach new tricks is toss out the old tricks you don’t want to reward anymore, get clear in your mind what you do want, then consistently reward that!
The happiest dogs I’ve ever met are those that have the most training. They know exactly what they’re supposed to be doing, they trust their Leaders, they know their job
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and they take pleasure in doing it wel . They know for a fact that they’ll be rewarded appropriately.
Our dogs perform best and feel happiest with people who are clear and consistent, who know how to recognize them appropriately, and when and how to reward them.
Behavior that persists does so because it is being rewarded in some way. When we are a bit slow in the way that we recognize and reward actions, we actual y end up rewarding the very thing that we dislike and sometimes ignore the very behavior that we love and want to encourage. So we’re giving all the wrong signals at the wrong times – that’s very confusing to our doggies.
Be certain that you’re acknowledging and rewarding what you do want in a timely manner and that you’re clearly discouraging what you don’t want. The wonderful thing is that when we become good trainers and teachers for our dog friends, we’re actual y teaching and training ourselves to achieve results with clarity and with good focus.
Our dogs often have us very well trained. How often do you respond in certain ways when your dog does certain things? I promise you they spend a lot of time thinking about how to get what they want from us. When they fiddle with their food bowl, don’t we get the message that they’re hungry? When they scratch or whine at the door, don’t we go let them out? What other ways have they got you well trained?
Do you want something from your dog or is your dog annoying you in some way or misbehaving? Ask your dog nicely – once – for what you want them to do or stop doing. Then, if they don’t listen to you, fol ow it up with a hiss, the classic ‘ugly, low, voice growl’, or a sudden movement tel ing them you are very clear in your intent and won’t tolerate disrespect. Please don’t keep asking, begging or pleading with them. If you do, you teach them they can safely ignore your wishes.
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If you are having trouble training your dog or aren’t sure how to get started, I highly recommend taking a class from a real y good instructor. But don’t stop there. The more you know, the easier it gets.
There are some real y great resources out there, including my favorite book on dogs and dog training cal ed Bones Would Rain From the Sky by Suzanne Clothier. Another good positive and practical guide is The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Mil er and Jean Donaldson.
Clicker training is a fun way to encourage your dog to basical y teach themselves!!
Check out Karen Pryor’s book, Don’t Shoot The Dog – it is a lot of fun for both you and your dog.
I once taught my horse to fetch using clicker
training! The great thing was that he truly loved
playing the game with me. Because I tend to be
There are
clumsy and often drop things, I wanted him to
many lifetime rewards
be able to pick them up and give them to me
when we live our lives this
without my having to dismount to get them
way – and it’s not just for
myself. It’s not always easy or even safe to
our dogs – but for all our
relationships.
dismount your horse when you’re in the field
or arena or on a trail. Once I’d gone back and
picked up whatever I dropped, then I had to try
to figure out a way to remount!
So I taught him to distinguish what object I wanted, to pick it up with his teeth, hold it or carry it for me, and then offer it to me – whether I was on his back or on the ground.
He loved learning this game! And what a joy it was for him to be able to do that for me. He was so very clever.
I also like Carol Lea Benjamin’s book, Dog Training in 10 Minutes a Day. She helps you understand that every time you are interacting with your dog, you are training them by what you ask of them, what you reward and what you discourage. Be sure you are giving all the right signals.
Training doesn’t have to take hours to do. Done properly, you can easily teach your dog what he or she needs to know in only 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
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While we are talking about books, there are some other real y great resources out there. Here are a few more to consider:
• Smarter Than You Think, by Paul Loeb and Suzanne Hlavacek
• The Dog Who Loved Too Much, by Dr. Nicholas Dodman
• Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting
Common Dog Problems, by Cesar Milan and Melissa Jo Peltier
Just remember that your dog is responding to you, given how you are interacting with them, what cues and signals you give them, your energy state, and on what you choose to reward. Don’t expect someone else to do the work for you.
Dog training like the Pros: easy & eFFective PuPPy training tiPs...
If your Dog or Puppy is driving you crazy with its excessive barking, whining or chewing, or if your dog is too aggressive and bites or growls at your visitors, you need an immediate remedy. Dogs have their own set of behavioral problems. Lack of proper training methods may badly affect your dog’s behavior and turn your beloved pet into a disobedient, aggressive or unruly dog. As a dog owner you should be aware of these problems and train your dog accordingly. Subscribe to the Free Training Course from trainpetdog.com and learn how you can easily turn your unruly and disobedient Dog into a loving friendly companion. Sign up at www.trainpetdog.com/h/valheart
Do you know about the Whole Dog Journal? The writers offer a Monthly Guide to Natural Dog Care and Training. They don’t take any advertising, and each issue is jam packed with great information, both from a holistic and traditional point of view. Check it out!
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/
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Many people turn to a professional animal communicator to help discover and resolve problems with their dog friends. Because this is such an unusual profession, I want to help you get started right with my Free Report cal ed The
10 Most Important Things You Must Know Before Hiring an Animal
Communicator.
You dogs have secret lives, thoughts, feelings and wisdom. Animal communicators are trained to be able to hear them, understand them, and communicate with them so they share their innermost thoughts.
But before you go any further, you need to know some critically important points to consider. This Free Report is designed to teach you:
• What telepathic animal communication is and how it works
• When to be skeptical
• When to use the services of an animal communicator
• What to look for when you interview prospective animal communicators
• How to select a good animal communicator
• What to expect from your session
• Lost and Missing Animals
• And much more….
Just go here to get your Free Report now:
http://budurl.com/ReadBeforeHiringAC
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mistake #4: being inconsistent with rules anD rewarDs
Being inconsistent with household rules and what we reward makes things so much more difficult for us and our dogs. Almost nothing can be more confusing or damaging to our dog friends than simply being inconsistent!
How can they trust us if they real y never know what’s wanted or expected of them or what will be rewarded or punished? Often we ourselves train our dogs to be persistent in demanding what they want because we’ve taught them that if they just keep asking, we’ll give in.
How will they feel comfortable and safe in their pack? How do they know what their job is? And believe me, all dogs need jobs that are aligned with their purpose, talents and skil s. That way they are useful, important
members of their pack.
Our dog’s first most important need is to
feel safe. Your job as their pack Leader is
to create a safe and stable family group
by providing discipline. Discipline tel s your
dog what the rules are and what their job
is. That al ows them to focus on fitting
into their family.
If your children don’t know the household rules and have no boundaries or limitations, they can get into trouble real y quickly! They become a nuisance and a danger to themselves and others, and most people don’t enjoy being around them. Plus, they wind up feeling lost and unhappy. The same is true of our dogs.
Just as we do, they real y need clarity in their lives and clear boundaries, and if we create an environment with clarity, it fosters stability and trust as well as respect. We’ve already talked about why that’s important.
Our dog friends learn very quickly. They learn who they have to listen to and who they don’t , they know who’s a “softie” and who is always going to relent or bend the rules if they just keep asking. So if we keep giving in, we actual y teach them persistence!
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They get very good at persistence because if they keep asking for something and they’re rewarded by getting what they want, then they know that we’re going to cave at some point if they just keep it up!
They also know when we’re not clear and they
real y don’t like it because it puzzles them.
Nothing can
Being unclear and wishy-washy regarding
be more confusing
our intentions is very dangerous in the dog
or damaging to our dog
kingdom. You need to decide up front what
friends than inconsistent
rules are appropriate and necessary for the
rules and rewards.
harmony necessary in your household and
your relationship. You want to discuss how
to teach those relationships and rules so that they’re clear to your dog. It can be very helpful to enlist the assistance of an animal communicator and/or a dog trainer. Then you want to make sure that everybody in your household, or whoever is around your dog, understands what the rules are and agrees to uphold them consistently.
So the question becomes: is there something out of balance here? Any time you have the feeling that something is wrong or not working the way you’d hoped, you need to reevaluate your rules and what actions you’re rewarding.
One of my clients had a male beagle who control ed every aspect of his household and his human. He created a dangerous situation with visitors because he was uncontrol able, and no one liked him except his human. And she was constantly making excuses for him. He was demanding, fussy, irritable, and he dragged her around on walks going where ever he wanted to go, when he wanted to go. He often would pull her so hard she would fall down! He howled incessantly and wouldn’t shut up. He was awful!
And you know what? He was simply doing what his human friend had taught him to do. My client felt that because she loved him so much, she should al ow and encourage him to just “be himself.” She felt more comfortable when somebody was there to tell her what to do, so her dog was happy to help her out. She was facing a serious issue within herself about this, where in her whole life she’d let others control her life – first her parents, then her husband, then her children. And now after her divorce, she was living alone, and her dog got to tell her what and when and how to do things.
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When she understood that what she was doing was actual y cruel because she wasn’t setting appropriate boundaries and household rules for him, she got with the program.
She had to re-teach him how to behave and she enforced household rules. She had to stop giving him affection and attention when it wasn’t deserved, and he got no rewards unless he did what she wanted him to do.
Wow, that was real y hard for her to do, and her dog didn’t like it either, let me tell you! The good news is that he began to pay more attention to her, he started listening to her, he stopped howling like a nut when things didn’t go his way, and he started feeling better. His health even improved!! And her children didn’t dread coming to see her anymore because they all got along better with his new manners. In addition to that, she received the unexpected bonus of feeling better about herself, and she even started asserting herself more in her life and at work!
Remember, fitness and fun with proper rules and parental guidance make for very happy, healthy dogs – and happy owners.
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mistake #5: mistaking Dog Dominance games For aFFection
When we lose dominance games with our dogs, we actual y make losers of ourselves with our dogs! The next Mistake is where we misunderstand dominance games for real affection.
This is not an area that we humans often get wise
to. If we don’t learn what the dominance games
actual y are, and then if we don’t start winning those
games with our dogs, we will have a very unhappy
situation on our hands with a lot of confusion and
misunderstandings between us.
One of the most important things that every dog
wants to know is who’s the Leader and who’s the
fol ower. That helps them know what their job is
or what role they are to play in the group. They
determine that by playing dominance games, and
when we humans are out of the loop and we don’t even know what that means, then we’re real y at a disadvantage. And by the way, different breeds often have different dominance games!
Dogs play these games all the time and we can real y get into some serious problems with them when we don’t win because that means we’re lower on the totem pole than they are. That tel s them right up front that they don’t have to listen to us and, worse, they won’t respect us because we are below them in the social order of the pack.
What I think happens is this: We wind up so desperate to be loved by our dogs that we don’t take the time to create a solid foundation of trust and respect first. We let our dogs walk all over us. We let them take liberties with our possessions and our person, and sometimes we even reward their behavior by being affectionate with them, which of course tel s them that they’re doing the right thing and to keep it up.
Then we wonder why they won’t listen to us when we need them to. When we call them to us, they don’t come or they ignore us until they are good and ready or we
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have a treat in our hand! When we need to dose them with medication they bite us or are difficult. And there we are thinking, “I’m trying to help you.” And they’re thinking back, ”No I don’t think so. You don’t have the right to do that with me.” Even when their life is in danger, we wind up helpless to protect them.
For instance, if we haven’t taught our dog a
consistent “come” or “no” or “sit” or “quiet”…
if we don’t teach those signals so we get a
100% response, then when their life depends
Every dog’s
on listening to us and obeying our instructions,
first question is:
Who’s the Leader, and
they’re going to get in trouble. When they run
who’s the fol ower?
out into the street and get hit by a car or they
get frightened and run off or they are having
such a good time they race away from us in the
park… If we’re lucky, the worst consequence will be that we get annoyed or frustrated.
In the crunch, we realize we are not in control, and we wonder what happened. It’s real y because we haven’t been in control all along.
That’s why this is so important. We can literal y save their life by asserting ourselves wisely as their Leaders or we can endanger them simply because we haven’t put in the time training them properly to listen and respect.
Every time you are with your dog, you are teaching it something. Remember that respect comes before love and without proper respect there actual y is no real foundation for love.
So let me ask a few questions. Do your dogs do any of these things?
1. Sit on your foot or your body without invitation?
2. Do they step on you?
3. Do they invade your space?
4. Do they run over or into you or wind up standing over you or laying on you?
5. Do they take your food and eat it before you do?
6. Do they claim the best spot on the furniture?
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7. Do they guard the door so that you can’t come in or out easily?
8. Do they walk in front of you or go out the door in front of you?
9. Do they trip you when you try to walk?
10. Do they demand that you do things when they want it done?
11. When you’re on a walk with your dog, are they dragging you around or are you actual y walking together, going where you want to go?
12. Do they push between you and your spouse or significant other in bed? Or growl at your partner or children when they come towards you?
13. Do they growl at you or your family or bite you?
14. Do they disregard your direction or your request?
15. Do they not want you to touch them in a certain area or in a certain way, like on the top of their head or around their tail?
16. Do they leap on you in exuberant greetings or whenever they want something?
If you recognize your dog doing any of these
things, guess what? Who’s leading who here?
So, what is
Who’s real y in control?
your current status in
your family Pack?
All too often I’ve had dogs tell me that they think
their human is very kind, and they’re affectionate
towards their own human family or person. But
they also tell me they think their person is a little dense. Not too bright. They think humans are to be pitied and looked after, but dogs don’t real y respect us and without that respect, they don’t real y love us. They actual y feel sorry for us. Or they’ll tell me that they own and control their human, and they don’t understand why their person keeps chal enging them so they keep having to put their person back in their proper pack place. I’ll just ask you to think about this a minute.
What is your current status in your family pack? And is that where you real y want to be? If you’re not the Leader, then you need to decide if you want your dog to real y love and appreciate you and all you do for it.
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You need to believe you are worthy of commanding their respect and winning their trust in your Leadership. And if you’re wil ing to do that, then I invite you to start acting like a Leader. Become a calm, assertive, confident Leader. Be aware of what your dog is real y doing and take charge. Educate yourself – what does your dog’s breed consider dominance games? Be sure that you win those games from your dog’s viewpoint. If you do, I promise you that your esteem will go up dramatical y in your dog’s eyes (and even in your own eyes!). Their affection for you will improve by the day, and they’re going to want to be with you in a healthy, balanced way because they real y like that kind of stable energy.
Think about it. Doesn’t it feel real y good to be led by a clear, strong, calm, assertive, confident Leader? Then your relationship won’t be “pity-based”; it will be a real, solid relationship built on true affection and based on the principles of trust and respect.
Someone argued with me on this one. They said they real y got a kick out of it when their dog came up on the bed and walked all over them. They enjoyed that behavior from them and couldn’t believe I was suggesting that such behavior was their dog showing dominance over them!
I told them that it’s only okay for dogs to share our space or to sit on our lap (or any of that stuff) if we invited it in the first place. It is NOT okay for a dog to pile on top of us without our permission. The point is, if your dog is taking liberties with your person or property without your express invitation, from your dog’s viewpoint, they’re in charge.
What about aggression in dogs? It depends on what type of aggression they are demonstrating. Is it fear-based aggression or dominance-based aggression? This is too big a topic to ful y address here so I will refer you to an excel ent resource. Dr. Nicholas Dodman wrote a best sel ing book cal ed The Dog Who Loved Too Much. He discusses all the different types of aggression and the many ways to deal with each one.
The only thing I want to say here is that this: if your normal y even tempered dog suddenly starts acting aggressively or lashes out in a bizarre manner, take him or her to your vet for a checkup. Seizures or brain tumors can be at the root of these kinds of behavior changes.
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mistake #6: Failing to create a healthy, non-toxic,
stress-Free environment
You want a happy healthy dog, right? So you have to cover the basics. It is so important to create a healthy, non-toxic environment. Noise pol ution, chemical toxins, harsh cleaning agents, and air pol ution are exceptional y difficult for our animals because their senses are so much more finely attuned than ours, and also because their noses and bodies are in more direct contact with the environment.
I often think of our animals as ‘canaries in a coal mine’ because they are so very susceptible to toxins, stressors and problems in our environment and often show the effects of them long before we become more aware.
There is a great book on this cal ed Are You Poisoning Your Pets? A Guidebook to Pet
Health and Sanity by Nina Anderson and Howard Peiper. Every one of us can benefit by discovering what is actual y in the products we put into our bodies and our environment, and by choosing to live less toxic lifestyles. Start today to make more informed choices and smarter decisions about what you expose yourself and your dog to.
For instance, did you know that separation
anxiety and other forms of destructive behavior
can actual y be coming from chemical toxic
exposure, like using too much chlorine bleach
to clean with? Did you know that seizures
can often be triggered by feeding dogs out
of plastic containers?
Did you know that dogs who live with
cigarette smokers have a much higher risk of nasal sinus cancer and lung cancer, and often suffer from respiratory problems like asthma and bronchitis? And that they also have a tendency to develop al ergic reactions to smoke that are similar to flea, food and other al ergies?
Toxic chemicals can real y mess up a dog’s nervous system and body. No-no’s include strong cleaning chemicals, air fresheners by your dog’s bed or environment, and candles.
These and other scented products can be very toxic to your dog (and you!).
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I’ve worked with many dogs who have had skin problems, and one thing that always helps is to switch them to natural, organic cleaning products.
Many dogs have hot spots, skin al ergies,
rashes and bumps on their body, or they
will come back from the groomer with
Start today to
make more informed
red skin and acting irritably or fussy.
choices and smarter decisions
Often this is a reaction to the shampoo
about what you expose
that was used on them or from an
yourself and your dog to.
imbalance of their skin’s pH. If you strip
the natural oils and skin protectants
with harsh cleaning products, then you
leave it vulnerable and exposed.
So use natural cleaning agents, like vinegar and natural soaps. Wash bedding and clothes in natural laundry detergent. Use natural shampoos for your dog.
Baking Soda: This may be the most versatile item in your kitchen! It can be used to deodorize and freshen carpets and upholstery, remove acidic stains and safely scour sinks and countertops.
Distilled White Vinegar: This is excel ent for kil ing mold and bacteria on countertops and floors. Its acidic properties also dissolve soap scum on faucets and sinks.
Lemon Juice: This acts as a great stain remover. Plus its crisp, citrus scent freshens the air natural y.
Scientists and doctors are now recognizing that the most serious threat of cancer in our society is actual y coming from the products we are putting on our bodies, like skin lotion, shampoo and other cleaners, cosmetics, hair products, toothpastes and mouthwash! Even our sunscreen contains toxic agents! There is a long list of known carcinogens that are showing up in all of these products. So it has become more important than ever to protect yourself – and your dog – by being very careful about the products you use in your life, your home and around them.
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Here are a few more Tips:
• Never use ammonia based products to clean with. They smell like urine to our animals and can actually encourage them to urinate on those spots!
• Hand sanitizers can be toxic to our children and our animals! Please don’t let your pet lick your hand after applying it, and keep the bottle out of their reach.
Sanitizers also contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
• NEVER use Pine Sol if you have dogs or cats in your home. If your dog walks on it and then tries to clean it off its feet, it can kill them.
• Dog proof your home environment just like you would for a child and keep medications out of their reach. Child-proof drug caps are no match for a determined pooch’s teeth! And if you’re eating it, they often think they must be missing out on a good thing and become all the more determined to treat themselves to the goodies in the bottle.
• Keep antifreeze and other vehicle fluids out of your pets’ reach at all times.
• After walking on pavement, dirt or green areas, clean your dog’s feet — before they do!
Here are some other foods to watch out for. This is just a partial list of foods to avoid feeding dogs:
1. Xylitol sugar substitute (very toxic to dogs, cats, and even people!) 2. Chocolate
3. Onions and garlic in all forms (they contain
thiosulphate and can damage red blood
cel s)
Don’t assume
that because you can
4. Baby food (sometimes contains onion
eat it, your dog can too,
powder)
no matter how much he or
she may beg for a taste!
5. Macadamia nuts (toxin unknown, but
causes digestive and neural disturbance)
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6. Grapes/raisins (toxin unknown, but damages kidneys)
7. Caffeine-rich food (causes cardiac and neural problems) 8. Turkey skin
9. Fat trimmings (too much fat from toxic animal sources can cause pancreatitis) 10. Alcohol and tobacco
11. Raw fish
12. Persimmons
13. Iron supplements
14. Beware liver that isn’t organic
Don’t assume that because you can eat it, your dog can too, no matter how much he or she may beg for a taste!
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mistake #7: FeeDing low-Quality, toxic commercial FooDs anD treats Let’s talk about food and water, another critical y important basic. With pet food recal s, contaminated food and water, poor quality (and toxic) ingredients, it only makes sense to buy better quality foods or just commit to feeding fresh food. This is a long term investment in your dog’s health and well being.
Many dogs are picky eaters these days. Could it be that the foods we are offering are actual y bad for them? They can smell
toxic substances and unless they are starving or just don’t have any better choices, they can only do one of three things. Eat it anyway even if it makes them feel bad, refuse it and fast, or find something else to eat. Sometimes they refuse it and wait, hoping we’ll offer them something better.
Look at your current dog food. Taste it! Smel it! How does it feel? Would you eat it? If not, why would you feed it to your dog!?
It’s important to read and understand the ingredients in your dog’s food. Chemical additives, dyes, preservatives and low quality fil ers can cause significant health and behavior problems such as dry skin, al ergic reactions, dental disease, poor health and degenerative organ dysfunction. The ingredient label should list meat as the first ingredient and no by-products at al . Feeding a fresh balanced diet can make a huge difference.
“Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean,
here we come back from a grocery store with the most
amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think
we’re the greatest hunters on earth!”
- Anne Tyler
Beware By-Products! By-products are parts of dead or diseased animals and are not fit for human consumption! By-products are not even required to include actual meat! And if they’re listed first on the ingredient label, then they’re a major ingredient in the ‘food’!
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Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT, Benzoic Acid, and Phenolic Food Compounds (greasy coatings that mimic the smell of real food): Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT are chemical additives used as preservatives. Ethoxyquin is regulated
as a pesticide and is prohibited from being
The money
added to human food. BHA and BHT can cause
spent on good food is
kidney and liver damage. BHT is prohibited in
never wasted because you
Europe, and for good reason! It causes al ergic
will wind up spending
reactions, red eyes, skin rashes, and increasing
less at the vet.
hyperactivity levels in some individuals...
Other ingredients to limit or remove completely are soy, corn and wheat. Organic foods are best, and my rule of thumb is to offer the best quality, least processed food possible. The money spent on good food is never wasted because you will wind up spending less at the vet. Plus, a healthy dog leads to a happier, less stressed you.
Also, be sure and add these four essential supplement basics to help combat our environmental toxic load and stress factors:
1. Essential Fatty Acids – The Missing Link has a nice formula of the omega fatty acids for dogs or you can look for another canine blend.
2. Antioxidants - use a blend of:
Vitamin C: Use a pinch of a whole food concentrate complex with bioflavanoids.
Vitamin E: Be careful not to give too much as it can, in rare cases, thin the blood. For a smal dog (below 20 pounds), give 100–200 units per day, up to 800 units for a large dog (90 plus pounds). You can poke the gel cap and let them lick it off your finger, or just squeeze a few drops on the food itself.
3. Digestive Enzymes – use a plant-based formula including protease (to help digest proteins), lipase (to digest fats), and amylase (to help digest any carbohydrates).
There are feline digestive formulas on the market or you can use a human-grade formula if it includes all these.
4. Probiotics – using a pinch of a good human-grade supplement is fine here.
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Is there a Commercial Dog Food Conspiracy?
Of course you’d never do anything to knowingly harm your dog, but if you are serving commercial dog food, you are most likely poisoning him or her.
Now that you’ve heard this fact, if you don’t check it out you can no longer claim to be innocent of harming your dog.
When Andrew Lewis learned that his young, healthy dog Noble died of kidney failure that his vet said was caused by preservatives in commercial dog food, Andrew took action.
After revealing the truth about commercial dog food, Andrew tel s us in his book Dog Food SECRETS, not only how to put your dog on the right diet, but the many things you can do to keep your dog vital y healthy and to live a longer than average life.
Click here to learn the facts Andrew has uncovered:
http://budurl.com/dogfoodsecrets
A Word About Treats and Rewards: People want to give their dogs a nice life and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. However, some folks feel that part of fulfil ing that promise includes giving their dogs treats many times a day! That may be okay if they are earning their treats and if their treats are good for them… But if you are treating them right into obesity and ill health by giving them too many, and giving them things that are actual y bad for them (like some of your Cheetos, chocolate, or a sugary, salty snack or something like that), then you’re not doing them any favors.
If you think dogs can’t count, try putting 3 dog cookies in your pocket …
and then only give them 2 of them!
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Good treats can be carrots, ice cubes, apple, a bit of bread with coconut oil or butter on it, vegetables, or a bite of high quality meat. The rules for ingredients in food applies to treats as wel . Baking your own goodies is also an excel ent way to create great treats.
Dr. Pitcairn’s book, Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, is an excel ent resource that I believe every dog owner should have in their library. He talks a lot about diet, common ailments, supplements and natural remedies, and the book has recipes in it, too.
A NOTE ABOUT TREATS: Remember that only when the rules are established and enforced can treats be properly valued as a reward. Best of al , when we live this way, we’re balanced and they truly understand that this is something very special. It should be a real treat, not just something that’s owed them. I hate it when treats and cookies and all that stuff become expected … or even worse, demanded!, Then they’re not treats anymore – they’re just food. A treat is supposed to be something special, a reward for something, right?
Also, be sure they are earning their treat. That Your dog
way they appreciate it! It should be a reward for
should EARN all
something they did correctly at your request, not
their food, attention,
just something they can demand from you and get
toys and treats.
whenever they want it.
By the way, your dog should EARN all their food, attention, toys and treats. Making them work for those things is natural and normal behavior from a stable dog pack viewpoint. It also increases their respect for you and enhances their wil ingness to please you.
If your dog wants to and works hard to please you, then you are being a great pack Leader! And, your dog will be a happier and more confident individual.
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To live long, healthy, happy lives, most of our dogs need a Lifestyle Makeover! My friend Jan Rasmusen has written an excel ent, real y fun Holistic Dog Care book cal ed Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Car e.
Jan says profit motives, myths and outdated information determine what your dog eats and even what vaccinations and medicines it gets. As a result, our dogs get too many drugs, are over-vaccinated, and mostly eat junk food. These very toxic lifestyles make them sick, pile up vet bil s, negatively influence their behavior, and can even end their lives prematurely.
Jan researched information for her book thoroughly, interviewing experts across the country to help you take your dog healthful y and safely from puppyhood through old age. Narrated by a witty, opinionated dog named Chiclet, this terrific book is fil ed with anecdotes, trivia and 90 fun color photos.
Winner of two prestigious national awards and countless big-name endorsements, Scared Poopless can help you make informed choices without having to make dog care your ful -time job.
Also, Jan and pet food expert Dr. Jean Hofve have recorded three fascinating classes on feeding your pet cal ed How NOT to Kill Your Dog or Cat! Click below to find free recorded excerpts and more about Jan’s work.
To Listen & Learn from Dr Jean Hofve & Jan Rasmusen, Click Here!
For more information or to get your copy of her great book, Scared Poopless, just go here:
http://www.budurl.com/JanRasmusen
By the way, I interviewed Jan recently, and if you haven’t already checked it out, be sure and listen to the recording, okay? It’s free. Just go to:
http://www.valheart.com/dogconsulting/scaredpoopless.html
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mistake #8: oFFering aFFection without your Dog earning it
A major mistake most folks make is to offer affection first. Then later they make some attempt at discipline (which is usual y ignored by their dog)… and then they may get around to exercising their dog at some point by walking them or throwing the ball for them for a while.
This makes sense from a human
perspective. We usual y approach
others wanting to be liked and we try
to be friendly, right? Like we would
with another human that we just met,
we often try to show ourselves friendly
and non-threatening. So our attention
is more on being liked than on setting
clear boundaries for the relationship.
This may work ok for most people relationships… But, it just doesn’t work for dogs. It goes against the Natural Dogmatic Rules of the Canine World.
The top three Happy Dog rules are: Discipline, Exercise and Affection – in that order.
Discipline tel s your dog who the Leader is, what the rules are, where they fit into their pack, and what their job or role is. When they are being rewarded for doing their job, they feel safe and fulfil ed, satisfied that they truly belong there and are doing what they are supposed to be doing. That boosts their confidence and supports your role and authority as a good, trustworthy Leader, someone they can look up to and feel safe with.
When you communicate with your dog in a way that they can understand and fol ow through, then you have established a great foundation for respect and pleasure – for both of you. And you are now speaking a common language that you and your dog can understand, which opens up a whole new wonderful world you can both enjoy.
Some people have trouble with the concept of Discipline because to them it means tyrannical, bul ying, and an authoritative abuse of power. That’s not what a good dog pack leader’s role is.
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But that’s not at all what I mean when I say offer Discipline as your dog’s pack leader.
Your job is to start the relationship in the way you want it to go, from a calm, centered, confident place of clarity.
Your job is to set clear boundaries, establish
the pack rules (i.e., house rules) and territorial
limitations, ownership, pack status and
hierarchy, and offer the roles (jobs) you want
your dog to play for the family pack.
Without that being clarified right up front and
WE may need
then re-enforced in the right ways over time,
the affection, but our
you won’t have a healthy working relationship
DOGS need Discipline
fol owed by Exercise, and
with your dog.
then Affection.
If you don’t get anything else from this book,
please get this one thing: Your dog’s last
most critical need is for Affection. Dogs need
Discipline and Exercise before they need Affection!
The order of this is so crucial to their well being, I can’t begin to tell you! And it’s the one folks have the most trouble with.
Only offer your dog affection when they’ve earned it. Think about it: adult dogs do not automatical y offer affection to each other when they first meet or greet, even if they know each other.
So if you are showing affection to a dog without immediately taking control of the situation and creating respect right off the bat, then you are actual y approaching them as a puppy would. You are saying, “Please like me, please! I’m no threat, I mean no harm. You don’t have to listen to me, I’m nobody!”
WE may need the affection, but our DOGS need Discipline fol owed by Exercise, and then Affection.
And please give Affection for all the right reasons. When we get this right, then we can enjoy all the affection we ever wanted – and will have almost none of the bad behavior that nobody wants.
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mistake #9: Failing to take a Proactive role in your Dog’s liFe Are you a Re Actor or a Pro Actor?
Have you ever knocked over a glass of milk? You know what happens, it goes everywhere.
It’s sticky and messy. Sometimes the glass breaks and then you’ve got sticky and messy, with dangerous little finger slicing glass slivers hiding in the white goop.
And oh no, what if your dog gets into it? Or
your child?! What if somebody slips in it, or
tracks that mess all over the place?! Yuck.
You’ve got a choice now. Most of us jump
right into upset. Who’s to blame? How did
it happen? We fuss about the mess it made.
Honestly, we can let it ruin our day, leaving
us resentful and feeling upset....
A funny thing happens while we are doing all that fussing though... the mess doesn’t get cleaned up very quickly or easily, and can actual y expand in size and trauma for everyone concerned.
It’s been said that there are two types of people in this world. The first kind we just talked about. BUT, you could turn the obstacle into an opportunity. Deal with it cheerful y by grabbing a towel, cleaning it up quickly and easily, grabbing a new glass plus the milk jug and voila!
You’ve got a fresh glass of milk and life moves on. You might even have a little cleaner space than you did before, and you could have used the experience to bond in a healthier way with your family, and even practiced some obedience work with your dog.
So what does this have to do with your relationships -- with yourselves, your animals, your family and friends?
When your dog friend (or life!) ‘makes a mess’ -- does something that you don’t like, causes a problem in some way, doesn’t react or respond in the way you wanted - you can fuss about the spilt milk, OR, you can move to find the solution.
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The point of the spil ed milk story is that when we have a chal enge, we can use it as an excuse to get upset and stop forward movement, and wind up wasting a lot of energy and time on it without changing anything for the better. Or, we can use the situation to help us, turning the obstacle into a chal enge we can use to our advantage, learning what we need to learn, ask for help dealing with it in a healthier way.
It has been said that there are two types of people in this world. The Re Actors and the Pro Actors.
I want to encourage you to be a Pro Actor in your own life’s drama. Your Co Actors will thank you for it.
Consistency is the first of our most important foundational needs.
Dogs simply can’t thrive in an unstable, chaotic, or unpredictable environment. Individual dogs have different tolerant levels for inconsistency, of course, so you have to evaluate what works best for your dog.
However, in every case, too much
Too much unmanaged
unmanaged chaos will cause them
chaos will cause them a great deal
a great deal of stress, discomfort,
of stress, discomfort, nervousness
nervousness and anxiety, which
and anxiety, leading to undesired
then leads to many undesired
behaviors coming from unhappy (and
behaviors coming from unhappy
unhealthy) K9s.
(and unhealthy) canines.
Sometimes we thing our dogs are doing ok with our hectic lifestyles… but are they real y? What I often find is an underlying chronic level of anxiety and fear that they can mask or hide to a certain point… but it eventual y makes them il . And then we wonder why they got sick.
With training, always start with a consistent reward for action taken at your request.
Then when they have the idea, you can vary the reward (for example, give them a treat one time, then another time just a verbal reward, and so on). In this instance, it’s okay to be predictably unpredictable!
However in lifestyle, stability goes a long way to create certainty, relaxation and confidence.
Only then can you offer variety in their routine and have it work wel . It’s because you are then building on a basic fundamental need that is already established.
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mistake #10: DeFenDing the unDerDogs by treating them eQually This Mistake is about sticking up for and defending the underdogs. A classic human theme in our society is to support and celebrate the underdog. We have countless stories celebrating how the underdog, the runt, the one we least expected, the handicapped one, who came up from the bottom of the pack and went on to win the day, against amazing odds. They’re our heroes. We root for them, we uphold equal opportunity for everyone. We hate to see anyone treated unfairly. When we carry that idea out to our dog family, we get into serious trouble.
I promise you, your dogs do not understand this
viewpoint at al . To them, survival of the family
group depends on clear roles of authority and
Leadership. The strongest and smartest among
it are acknowledged as the Leaders, the most
qualified. Those Leaders carry the responsibility
for the safety and survival of the group.
Then there are the supporting roles. There are those that act as advisers to the Leaders.
Their role is just as important and carries the same respect as the Leader. Some of the members of the pack act as scouts, nurses, voyagers, or nursemaids. Some carry the story and memories of the group, and some tag along as the rear guard.
Occasional y they will actual y switch roles depending on their own individual strengths and what is happening. The weaker beings can sometimes attract threats or unwanted attention from enemies in the wild, and those beings create danger for the pack and often wind up becoming lunch for the enemy.
Is it any wonder then, that there is a clearly defined pack or herd hierarchy? The safety and survival of the group depends on it. Why then would our dogs tolerate a weaker being to be elevated over it in status or rank?
Treating your dogs equal y offends their sense of propriety and earned rights. The truth is that every role in the family group is important. Think of it this way. The child isn’t supposed to act the father or the mother. Certainly it’s not supposed to act like a grandfather. If you elevate the child to a Leader level before they are qualified or ready,
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it adds a great deal of stress and confusion to it and the family. What you want to do is al ow the child to be the child and celebrate it in that role.
So, in the same way, you need to al ow the
lead dog to be the Leader with all due respect
Treating your
and rights – and by the way, that should be the
dogs equal y offends
Leader under your alpha Leadership. Then treat
their sense of propriety
others as is appropriate to their rank and status.
and earned rights.
If you understand and practice this concept, I
promise that your dogs are going to thank you
for it.
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mistake #11: Failing to learn how to communicate with Dogs
Did you know that dogs communicate telepathical y as well as through their body language and vocalizations? All beings, including humans, are born understanding how to feel and connect with others energetical y over a distance. It is our first language, an innate gift.
Telepathic communication is the foundation for all communication whether it’s between humans and humans or animals and animals or humans and animals. It’s considered the true universal language. Experts agree that approximately 92% of al communication comes through energy exchanges, body language and intention. Only
7% comes through the spoken or written language.
Can you imagine how much information you are
missing by not being more open?
As we grow up, we tend to forget how to
Learning animal
consciously communicate telepathical y. We are
communication is an
taught spoken and written language, and the
exciting journey into the Self
and the nature and reality
other more subtle means of communication
of our world
become largely unconscious and lost to us.
Most of our dogs feel that we are very dense,
not too bright, difficult to reach telepathical y, and seem to be cut off from the world around us. They often tel me they feel sorry for their human friend, and don’t know why they seem unable to ‘hear’ them.
The real y sad thing is they are right. So dogs usual y become very good at using their body language to get across to us what they want or need. What do your dogs have to do to get your attention? To demonstrate what they want?
Do they fiddle with their bowl or bring it to you when they’re hungry? Do they paw your knee, bark and then run to the door so you’ll let them outside when they need to go to the bathroom? Do they look very intently at you for long periods of time, like they want to tell you something? You know they do, and yes, they are trying to tell you something.
Learning animal communication is an exciting journey into the Self, the nature and reality of our world, a behind-the-scenes look at the many complex interconnections
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between us al , and the real truth about relationships. It’s also about discovering how to connect at deeper levels with other beings... more importantly, your animals. My hope is that my Introductory Animal Communication Home Study Course will show you the simple path into understanding your relationship with your animal friends.
Learn how to connect with your dogs at a deeper level. Like humans, animals can experience an assortment of emotional and physical chal enges which affect their health, wel being and behavior. Unfortunately, since they don’t use the same spoken language we do, it’s often a guessing game trying to discover the best way to help them when they are experiencing emotional, mental or physical distress. They need to be heard, listened to and respected.
How do you know what is really going on with them unless you communicate directly with them?
Without communicating with your animal before you take them to a vet or a trainer, you could run the risk of hurting your animal instead of helping them.
They may wind up being misdiagnosed or mistreated, because they could be in reaction to an emotional, mental or management problem that has nothing to do with a physical problem. Animals are exceptional creatures; they are always trying to communicate with you. They are happy to share how they feel, what works for them or does not work, whether they are in pain or are confused. They often have messages for you to help you improve your life, sharing insightful wisdom from their unique perspective and viewpoint.
When things go wrong for them, they try to tell you that too.
The bad news is that most people are not trained or experienced in receiving these messages, so they are unable to understand how to provide the love, care and optimal health that their animal deserves.
If you’ve already spent hundreds or thousands of dol ars on vet bil s for your animal only to be told there is nothing physical y wrong with your pet, then it’s time to find out what your animal is feeling BEFORE you spend another dime on an animal medical professional or trainer.
When you and your dog are connected at a deep level, you can get to the root of behavioral issues together. You smooth the troubled waters so there’s less stress -
which also means less il ness.
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Many times an animal reacts physical y to YOUR distress or emotions which cause it to suddenly behave strangely.
After you learn how to communicate with your animal through this course you will find out if your animal is experiencing emotional or physical discomfort before you resort to a trip to the vet.
If you have ever wanted to learn how to communicate telepathical y with dogs yourself, then I encourage you to get started now by getting the Val Heart Method™ of Learning Animal Communication. It’s a 3-step program, designed to give you a solid foundation of knowledge about how animal communication actual y works, what it feels like, and how to access your own telepathic gifts. See the Resource Section for more information.
F*ree CD: Discover 5 Secrets About Animal Communication
You can deepen your connections with animals and discover your own innate telepathic gifts and abilities. Get your copy of this valuable FREE CD (valued at $47) as my Gift to you and your dog friends!
Go here to find out more:
www.valheart.com/teleclasses/5SecretsAboutAnimalCommunication.html
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mistake #12: ignoring your Dog when they tell you
something’s wrong
It’s a real y big Mistake when we don’t listen when they tell us something’s wrong. I promise you that what your dog does makes perfect sense to them. If they’re behaving in ways that aren’t appropriate, are unusual for them, or are puzzling or odd – like all of a sudden they started doing something that’s out of character – take some time to consider things from their viewpoint. Take the time to ask them questions.
Our dogs just don’t do things to make us sad or angry
or upset; they’re expressing themselves as best they can,
and they’re always trying to communicate with us.
Our job is to listen to them so that we can learn about
their experiences and discomforts – and then take
appropriate action. Pay attention to things like hiding,
running away, escaping, unexplained aggression,
growling or biting, and not wanting to be touched in a
certain area. For instance:
• Not wanting to be touched on the top of the head can mean a dominance issue like we’ve already talked about or it could mean pain. It could be they’ve got a headache or they’re having trouble seeing or some other problem. If they don’t want to be touched on their hips, often that’s a pain or fear issue.
• Not eating or being finicky or picky with their food is a classic sign that something’s wrong.
• Sad eyes – I don’t know how many people have told me, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I just kind of think something’s wrong because they’ve got these sad eyes.”
• Fearful behavior – we never want to allow our dogs to live in fear. Our first response should always be to determine that whatever is causing them to be fearful is no longer happening to them, of course. If there is truly something to be afraid of – something hurting them or scaring them or hidden abuse from somewhere – then we need to take action to take care of them.
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If their fear response is to something that is no longer (or never was) reasonable, then we need to take action to help them deal with their fear. Fear can be undone. It is a terrible thing to be ruled by fear. And it is not compassionate and unkind to not address this and provide a way for them to regain their confidence and balance.
That does not mean coddling them. Coddling
a dog tel s them that they’re right to be afraid.
Take some time
After determining for yourself that there truly
to consider things from
is nothing to be afraid of, then take action to
their viewpoint and ask
improve their self-confidence and self-esteem.
them questions, find out
Teach them how to behave, what to expect,
what’s real y going on.
what’s required of them and reward them
when they behave more confidently. That wil
help them to not keep living in fear.
If all of a sudden they’re not interested in playing when they used to be able to play like the dickens, for a long, long, long, long time – or now they’re only playing for about 5 or 10 minutes when they used to be able to play for 30 minutes or an hour – that tel s us they’ve got a physical problem. It could be that they want to play a different game, or it could also be that they have a health issue. They might be having trouble breathing, they’re getting too hot, or they’re hurting somewhere.
All of these things indicate a problem. If you catch them in time, if you’re even aware of them by paying more attention, it can make the difference in your ability to resolve whatever it is.
Do you know that people grieve the loss of their pets harder, longer and often more than we do the loss of our friends and family members? We want them to be happy but often we don’t even know that they’re suffering – until it’s too late.
Dogs are also natural born healers and have often been used to help detect il ness and disease, like cancer. Their extraordinary senses can detect changes in physical bodies as well as their environment. They usual y know long before we do that there is something wrong.
Dogs have been trained to identify all types of cancer including breast, bladder and lung cancer, typical y with a 90% success rate. They are also helpful in alerting us to an oncoming seizure or heart attack. We don’t truly know how they do it, but it is very clear that they can.
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Dr. Andrew Jones has created an excel ent medical resource for dog owners. His multimedia home study course teaches you what to look for, how to keep your dog healthy and extend their life. In less than 24 hours, he can show you how to examine and treat your pet at home!
Click Here to Learn How to Heal Your Pet At Home with Dr Jones’ Vet Secrets!
If your dog consistently and repeatedly focuses on an odd place or certain area of your body, sniffs intently, lunges at the area, barks at you insistently or paws at that area
– please go to your doctor! Many lives have been saved by listening to them in this regard and taking action.
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conclusion
Remember the stories I opened with? You may be wondering what happened so let me tell you the rest of the stories.
Little Suzie Q had to be taught to be obedient before she could be expected to respond to the command “come.” Anne learned that if Suzie Q wasn’t being obedient 100% of the time to her commands and wasn’t happy to please her, then when danger came, Suzie Q wouldn’t obey then either — especial y in the excitement of the moment.
Baby Blue was so frustrated with her humans
that she didn’t know what to do. She craved their
Once we
company and tried to show them how happy
understood their
unique viewpoints,
she was to see them all the time, but all they did
it was easy to know
was retreat from her, run away, hide in rooms
how to best resolve
she couldn’t get to. She was miserable and didn’t
problems.
know what to do. She also knew that her humans
were unhappy. What a dilemma!
Sarah and Adam had to decide if they wanted to give her a chance to be a great dog.
And to do that, they had to become great dog Leaders. They had to start taking charge again, tel ing Baby Blue what they wanted and what they didn’t want. They had to stop giving her affection and attention when she was acting so excited and out of control.
And they had to figure out how to exercise her in a positive way where they were the Leaders, directing where they went and how they got there.
Because Sarah and Adam were both older and not real y able to walk a young energetic dog for very far, they came up with a plan they could implement. Adam got on his golf cart every day, and attached Baby Blue’s leash so that she could fol ow him as he drove around. It suited them both very wel , and they had a lot of fun going out together.
When they did all that, Baby Blue settled down and became real y good at giving them what they wanted. And she was happier too, because now she had a family to be with and knew where she fit in.
Remember Houdini, the miniature schnauzer that was attacking people and who had become so irritable and difficult to manage? When I communicated with her, we
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learned that she strongly felt her human’s insecurities and was simply trying to control things and create safety in her own way. Her humans had been sending her mixed messages and were confusing her in many ways, which we then had the chance to clear up. We also discovered that her back and neck were real y painful and needed chiropractic adjustment, and that some of the acting out was a result of her being in chronic pain.
Tom and Clara learned how to create a calm, assertive Leadership role with her, and began tel ing Houdini when visitors were coming and what they wanted her to do.
Houdini learned to trust them more, and they began relaxing with each other. Now, their walks are uneventful and fun – which is a real y good thing!
Through communicating with Houdini about coping with strangers and visitors, we were able to create a comfort zone and protocol for the family to fol ow when someone was coming over. Tom and Clara said that the best part was they were more able to love and accept her as an important part of their family again. Now they have friends, family and even children over to visit and never have any problem. In fact, they just had their first child and Houdini is doing very wel . She’s not even afraid of thunderstorms anymore!
Sam, the dog who wouldn’t drink out of his water bowl, remembered almost drowning in a tub of water when he was a very smal puppy. His owners confessed that a very strange woman who was acting oddly had taken him to the vet to be euthanized when he was only a few weeks old. And that the state he was in when he was found suggested abusive treatment and near death condition. After communicating the memory and receiving counseling, he began to drink freely for the first time out of his water bowl.
Zoe, the cocker spaniel, had been struggling with an undiagnosed digestive problem for a long time that was sapping her energy. She confirmed that she wasn’t ready to die yet. When her owner took her to the vet, Zoe, afraid she’d be put down, made a huge effort to show how happy and lively she could be. And when her diet was changed, she began recovering her strength and zest for life.
Beau attacked Barbara’s friend because he felt they were taking liberties with his most prized possession, Barbara, and he was tel ing them to back off. He felt he owned her and had the right to control what she did and who approached her. Barbara realized
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that because she usual y let him do whatever he wanted most of the time, that when she real y needed him to obey and listen to her, he natural y ignored her. That was, after al , what she’d taught him to do.
She had to learn how to reclaim her place as his alpha Leader, as someone he could respect. When they rebalanced their relationship, much of his obnoxious behavior went away, and he became more trustworthy and friendly. And their friend? It turns out that she wasn’t hurt, only scared, when he bit at her. So
what could have been a very tragic ending resolved
In every
before somebody got real y hurt and Beau had to lose
relationship with
his life.
a dog teacher, they
are talking to us all
Against all odds, Happy turned into a happy dog! I
the time.
pointed out to Jane that she was constantly reaffirming
to Happy that there was something to worry and be
nervous about. Once she learned how to become a calm, assertive Leader projecting confidence, she became someone her dog could respect, trust and count on at all times. She had to learn dog dominance games and how to train her dog using positive feedback. Once she did, she began to take control of situations proactively, instead of anxiously waiting for something bad to happen and worrying in advance.
All of these true life stories have things in common. All the dogs needed someone to listen to them, to respect their viewpoint, to take the time to ask them what was wrong and what they were thinking, They simply needed to communicate so they could express themselves to their human caretakers. Once we understood their viewpoint, it was easy to know how to best resolve the problem.
In every relationship with a dog teacher, they are talking to us all the time. The question is: Are we listening to them? Can we hear what they are saying to us?
Remember that your dogs are spiritual teachers. They chose you to be their student as well as their Leader – it’s not an accident they are with you! Many companion dogs choose to spend their lives attempting to break through our barriers, to help us heal and become reconnected with all Life.
I would not want to live my life without dogs, and I hope you feel the same way. They touch our hearts, and for that we truly are forever grateful. They help us rebalance and
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be whole.
And after all is said and done, our dogs leave paw prints on our hearts….
Or, in the words of one of my favorite authors:
There. Now you know all of the 12 Most Common Mistakes nearly every dog owner makes and what you can do about it! Take a moment to review and evaluate your relationship with your dog friend. Can you see anything that is out of balance? Are you more aware of their needs? Do you see your world and home now from the unique perspective, from the canine mind? Does their behavior now make much more sense to you?
Now decide what you want to do about it
and where you want to start. Changing a
The fingerprint of
relationship always takes time, but your dog
God is often a pawprint.
will be glad to help you. They will give you
~Susan Chernak McElroy
excel ent feedback on what you’re doing
right – as well as what you’re doing wrong.
Every dog is a unique individual – your job is to find what works best for you and your canine friend.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments about this book, please let me know.
I’m very much looking forward to hearing from you.
Wishing you all the love, joy, wisdom and laughter of animals.
© Val Heart & Friends LLC. All Rights Reserved
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is your Dog unhaPPy or unhealthy? get helP now.
Can you use some help with your canine friend? Educating yourself is a great first step and now you know how to avoid many of the most common Mistakes most dog lovers make. And, implementing your new dog savvy wisdom will go a long way with your best friend.
But if that’s not enough, then consider this: sometimes the very best way to resolve a problem – whether it’s health or training or behavior – is to communicate directly with your dog. Only they know why they do what they do, what they need, or if they are in pain.
If I could wave a magic wand during your session, what would you like to have happen as a result of working with me? What would be different in your life? How could your relationships with your animals or your own life change for the better?
Here are a few of the benefits other clients have received from their personal consultations with me:
• Peace of Mind and Comfort
• Improved Health & Well Being, for themselves and their animals
• Behavior Improvement and Better Performance
• Clarity of Direction and a Clear Plan of Action
• Education, Enjoyment and Enlightenment
• Certainty That Their Management Program is Right — for Their Unique Animal Friend and Partner
• Answers to Critically Important Questions
• No Need to Keep Guessing or Wondering - what to do, how their animal is feeling, about their history, what they really need or want, and clarity about what’s working or not for them
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• Help Determining The Best Possible Use of Their Time, Energy and Money
• Understanding of Their Animal’s Viewpoint — why their animal does what they do, and where their issues are actually coming from
• Discovery of unknown factors that were contributing to various problem
• Entertainment — animals are often very funny and enjoy sharing their thoughts and humor with their people
Are you ready for more personal assistance? If you find you have specific questions for your dog that you still don’t know the answer to or a problem persists even though you are more aware and are working to resolve the pattern, let me know.
A Private Consultation gives us the chance to resolve issues, to find out what and how they are feeling, if they are in pain, what their needs are, and what they want to tell you.
When we hear your dog’s point of view, we will know a lot more about what needs to be done.
In fact, the time and money you spend with me will more than pay for itself by helping you decrease your vet bil s, save your furniture and possessions, and increase your peace of mind by enhancing your relationship with your canine friend.
I love to help people with their dogs, so if you feel you could use some assistance, please contact me. To find out more about scheduling a session, just go here:
http://www.valheart.com/consultations.html
or Click Here to Contact Val!
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resources
Get Help With Your Doggie Mistakes – Learn How to Have a Happy. Healthy Dog Class Series
This book is a companion to a series of classes. You can register now by going to www.
valheart.com/happydog.html
Preview the classes for free by listening to The Real Dr Doolittle Show With Val Heart, now available on iTunes and on Val’s Blog http://www.valheart.com/blog
Did you Miss it??
If you miss the live teleclass, the recording will be available so don’t wait! Register now so you can be a better dog parent. Your dog depends on you to make their world a safe, happy, healthy place, and we all need a little help sometimes to get there.
“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.”
– Anonymous quote from “51 Puppy Tricks” by Kyra Sundance
Barometers of our Souls! Exploring the Human Animal BodyMind Connection!
In Only 90 minutes you’ll discover:
• 6 different ways your animal mirrors you!
• 3 Meditative Techniques designed to deepen your connection with animals!
• How to know if the issue being acted out is Your Issue, not theirs!
• The Litmus Test that shows you if the issue is Theirs, not yours!
• 4 Exercises you can practice now with your own animal companions!
• How to expand your own ability to connect and communicate!
• Prepare you to be consciously aware of the spiritual role animals play!
• Teach you how to be more open to and considerate of the nature of the BodyMind Connection between you and your animals!
• Explore different ways of looking at problems and their resolutions!
• The #1 Key to assuring you and your animal friends have a good life together!
Order your copy of Barometers of Our Souls! Exploring the Human Animal BodyMind Connection today! www.valheart.com/products/barometers_of_our_souls_product.html
© Val Heart & Friends LLC. All Rights Reserved
www.ValHeart.com
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Vet Secrets Revealed - Learn How to Examine, Diagnose and Treat Your Pet at Home In Less Than 24 Hours, Dr Jones Can Show You How To Examine, Diagnose And Treat Your Pet At Home in his Multi-Media Home Study Course.
In this remarkable resource, you’re going to learn hundreds of effective techniques and remedies, including:
• Six emergency remedies for poisoning and fever
• How to treat burning eyes, runny noses, and inflamed ears
• One simple test to catch the early signs of cancer in your pet
• Quickly relieve your pet’s itching
• How to deal with bladder problems in cats
• What to do if your dog has arthritis
They’re your
• How to treat vomiting and diarrhea
dog! Learn how to
• How to treat coughing in pets
heal them at home.
• How to treat heart disease and lung problems
• How to evaluate blood pressure
• Steps to treat kidney disease and anemia
Every pet lover, caretaker and owner needs this great information at hand when they need it because we love our animals. We want them to be healthy and happy. We also know that there are too many things that can go wrong for them in sudden, tragic ways. We never want to feel powerless when our animal friend is faced with an emergency or is just not feeling wel .
Being prepared to handle things properly, and knowing what to look out for can make all the difference in a life or death situation.
Don’t let a tragedy happen to your friend and you not be prepared or know what to do.
The saddest consultations are the ones where the owners simply didn’t have a clue that they were contributing to their animal’s poor health and pending death. It is a sad thing when it is necessary to counsel people who are grieving with a broken heart over something they could have avoided -- had they only known what to do. That kind of guilt can be very hard to heal from.
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You’re About To Learn Secrets That Most People Will Never Know About Healing Their Pets!
You can heal your pets at home safely and easily, and save money at Vet the today...
(available for immediate download). www.budurl.com/vetsecretsebook
People are raving about Dr. Jones’ amazingly simple, step-by-step Complete Home Study Multimedia Course. Get it now at www. budurl.com/drjonesvetsecrets Some of us, me included, learn best by reading a hard copy book. Dr. Jones’ gives you the option to purchase the hardcopy of his Vet Secret’s Revealed Home Study Course Manual separately: www.budurl.com/vetsecretsmanual
Veterinary Secrets Revealed At-Home Exam DVD Video
Vets aren’t available 24/7 and are expensive, right? Wouldn’t you like to be able to do a simple diagnostic exam on your animal friend yourself but don’t have a clue how to go about it? You are going to love this new DVD that shows you clearly and easily how to do an at-home exam! Dr. Jones gives you detailed step-by-step directions on how to diagnose an il ness before heading off to the vet for a costly exam. Find out if the il ness could be easily treated at home!: www.budurl.com/athomeanimalexamdvd
Veterinary Secrets Revealed Pet CPR Instructional DVD Video
Dr. Jones has created a Pet CPR DVD that is a MUST for EVERY animal caretaker! Get yours today!: www.budurl.com/petcprdvd
Ultimate Canine Health Formula
Unfortunately, because of the manufacturing processes and difficulty of preparing wholesome, nutritious food on a daily basis, it’s a smart idea to be sure you’re giving your dog the right supplements and nutritional support.
Dr. Jones’ Ultimate Canine Trial Offer: Order your first jar of Ultimate Canine today for 50% off the regular price on their trial plan, and get it with their 100% Money-Back Guarantee: If Ultimate Canine doesn’t work for your dog, you can KEEP the jar for FREE - he’ll refund 100% of your purchase price, including shipping.:
www.budurl.com/dogsupplement
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The Real Dr Doolittle Show with Val Heart
Is there a real Dr Doolittle? Yes there is! Welcome to my new podcast Show! I’ve been cal ed real life Dr Doolittle my entire career as an animal communicator (and an animal whisperer but we’ll talk about that another day!). And I’ve found a wonderful new fun way to share what I know about animal communication with you.
My mission and passion is to improve the lives of animals the world over by helping humans learn how to speak their language, understand their viewpoints, and heal. After al , our love of animals helps us learn how to be better humans, and the more balanced and healthy we are, the more balanced and healthy they can be too.
You can learn how to talk to your animals. It’s critical y important to hear your animals viewpoints and when you connect at the heart level with animals, you become a better person. Animal Talk is also an exciting journey into Self, the nature and reality of our world, a behind-the-scenes look at the complex interactions between us al . Any animal lover can learn how to communicate with animals, you can too!
The Real Dr Doolittle Show is about celebrating our love for animals, and learning to listen to them. My host, Scott Paton, and I have a great time discussing our love for animals, the lessons they’ve taught us, and much more. New shows come out every week so check it out, okay?
The Dr Doolittle Show is all about helping you learn how to communicate with them directly, which helps:
• Give you more peace of mind about what your animal real y needs and wants
• Give you greater clarity about what is real y needed to improve their health, happiness and wel being, and
• Deepen your relationship and understanding with them, and their understanding of you.
Let me help you learn how to talk with animals so you can enjoy richer, healthier, happier lives!
Important: Go to iTunes and review our podcast: Val Heart, The Real Dr Doolittle Show.
Every review and rating adds to the popularity of my podcast and helps us put the word out to more animal lovers. Make sure to leave a comment. Your feedback is much appreciated!
Subscribe to the Dr Doolittle Show Now: http://www.valheart.com/blog
ANIMAL LOVERS SURVEY: We want to know what you think and how we can help you! Please, take our Survey: . http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7NH3JKL
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The Val Heart Method™ of Learning Animal Communication
For the past 30-plus years, I’ve worked with thousands of horses, dogs and many other animals throughout the world to improve the quality of their lives using advanced animal communication skil s and alternative healing methods.
And now I’ve created a 3-step home study series of coursework to teach you what I know about animal communication so you can improve the quality of your life and the lives of your animal friends with this critical y important skill all dog lovers need to know.
We all have the ability to communicate without words, but instead to communicate with imagery, focus, energetic flow, intention and feelings. This is the key to understanding how to communicate with animals. We were born knowing how to do this, but many of us have simply forgotten how.
If you have ever wanted to learn how to communicate telepathical y with dogs yourself, then I encourage you to get started now.
The Val Heart Method™ of Learning Animal Communication. It’s a 3-step program, including:
steP 1: introDucing animal communication home stuDy course
This gives you a good introduction to the
topic, and teaches you 3 simple tips to help
you connect with your dogs at a deeper
level. Like humans, animals can experience
an assortment of emotional and physical
chal enges which affect their health,
wel being and behavior. Unfortunately, since
they don’t use the same spoken language
we do, it’s often a guessing game trying to
discover the best way to help them when they
are experiencing emotional, mental or physical distress. They need to be heard, listened to and respected. This Course is designed to be an Introductory Tool to help you get
started remembering the lost art of telepathic interspecies communication.
How do you know what is really going on with them unless you communicate directly with them?
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Without communicating with your animal before you take them to a vet or a trainer, you could run the risk of hurting your animal instead of helping it.
They may wind up being misdiagnosed or mistreated, because they could be in reaction to an emotional, mental or management problem that has nothing to do with a physical problem.
Animals are exceptional creatures; they are always trying to communicate with you.
They are happy to share how they feel, what works for them or does not work, whether they are in pain or are confused. They often have messages for you to help you improve your life, sharing insightful wisdom from their unique perspective and viewpoint. When
things go wrong for them, they try to tell you that too.
The bad news is that most people are not trained or experienced in receiving these messages, so they are unable to understand how to provide the love, care and optimal health that their animal deserves.
Go here to get started:
www.valheart.com/teleclasses/introduction_animal_communication_teleclass.html
steP 2: the worlD’s 1st comPlete beginning animal communication home stuDy course – For Dog lovers!
If you have a desire to deepen your connection to
other species, and if you want to learn your dog’s
language (which is also your own innate language),
then this is the Course for you. The remarkable
life-changing Course gives you an excellent
foundation to learn what you need to know to
talk with dogs yourself.
This program is ideal for you if:
• You are enlightened and willing to consider that animals truly do have wisdom and knowing worth exploring.
• You want to better understand and improve your relationship with your animal.
• You and your pet may be struggling with health or behavior problems and you’re wondering what in the world to try next.
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Your relationship with your dog will be transformed, once you open the doors to heart-centered communication between you and your animal. You can address…
• Health issues
• Emotional issues
• Changing family structures
• Performance and competition
• Euthanasia decisions
• Death and dying
• How to reconnect after leaving this world
The Beginning Animal Communication Home Study Course - For The Dog Lover reveals the EXACT same strategies that I use when working with animals and their humans that open the flood gates on two way communication.
You’l learn phenomenal tips, tried and true techniques and the hidden secrets of animal communication. This class is broken down into manageable steps that are easy to understand. It’s interactive, entertaining, fil ed with inspiring stories, and you’l learn how to communicate telepathical y with your dogs so that you FINALLY understand each other.
Save yourself a potentially hefty vet bill by learning how to communicate with animals yourself -- Get your copy of the World’s 1st Complete Beginning Animal Communication Home Study Course Today!
If you’ve already spent hundreds or thousands of dol ars on vet bil s for your animal only to be told there is nothing physical y wrong with your pet, then it’s time to find out what your animal is feeling BEFORE you spend another dime on an animal medical professional.
When you and your dog are connected at a deep level, you can get to the root of behavioral issues together. You smooth the troubled waters so there’s less stress - which also means less illness.
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Many times an animal reacts physical y to YOUR distress or emotions which cause it to suddenly behave strangely.
After you learn how to communicate with your animal through this course you
will find out if your animal is experiencing emotional or physical discomfort
before you resort to a trip to the vet.
In this powerful program you will learn:
• The fastest, easiest way to learn animal communication basics so you can enjoy the personal experience of sending and receiving telepathic communication.
• A glimpse into the “hidden world” of animals… one that many people never see.
• Guided meditations, exercises, techniques and tips that help you open your heart and mind to your animal.
• Step by step instruction on how to talk with wild animals, insects, and plants.
• The truth about animal reincarnation and who animals real y are.
• And so much more!
Go Here to get started:
http://www.valheart.com/How_to_Talk_to_Dogs.html
steP 3: mastering animal communication mentor Program
When you complete the Introduction Course and the Beginning Animal Communication Course, you will have the foundation you need about animal communication in place and are ready to build on what you now know, so that you can begin mastering the art of communicating with animals. But to ful y take advantage of the investment you’ve made in yourself, in time, energy and money, you need to go one step farther.
In my experience, not all students have the confidence at this point to really know how to experience animal communication fully on their own, working by themselves, all the time.
The Mastering Animal Communication Mentor Program was created in response to the many requests I’ve had from my students who wanted to continue to work with me to go deeper in learning this information and who wanted to receive more personal guidance.
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Beginning Course Graduates shouldn’t expect to now be a Master of the skill and art of animal communication.
Your journey is similar to a medical doctor. While they can learn a lot from studying, reading books and watching videos, they know that there is a lot more for them to learn before they can hope to master the skil s required to practice medicine. They are required to go through an internship program with hands one training and professional guidance before they are ful y licensed as a medical professional.
You also need to have a deeper understanding of animal communication in order to have a certain degree of mastery. You need a higher level of education and practical application to master the techniques, feel comfortable with your own skill level and have it become more of a state of being without requiring effort.
Your animal’s life depends on your ability to communicate with them on a daily basis, to find out if they’ve been hurt, or traumatized, or are in pain…. to know if your caretaker management is working for them or not… to understand what they are thinking and to receive their unique wisdom and gifts.
The students who are dedicated to reaching a significant level of mastery of animal communication need expert guidance to advance their learning and training.
Even professional practitioners get mentoring and help to continue to develop their skill level. It requires a deeper level of grounding, an internal alignment, congruency and authenticity. When you reach this state it will be so much easier to connect and communicate with animals.
Now you can begin to real y build on the knowledge you’ve gained, the investment of time, energy and money on learning the basics, and begin working on gaining more practical experience.
That’s why I designed the unique and exclusive Mentoring Program, Step 3 of this 3
part program on learning animal communication.
This exclusive Program combines advanced training and practical application with personal feedback and individual coaching to help you take your animal communication talents to a whole new skill level so that you can become really comfortable with the information and how to apply it consciously.
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The program is structured so that you have the benefit of both additional topics classes so I can cover more in depth information that you real y need to know — but that we didn’t have time to cover in the Introductory Course or in the Beginning Course, and also to give you personal guidance, direction, individual coaching and feedback.
Exclusively for Beginning Course Graduates, the Mastering Animal Communication Mentor Program is designed to help you improve your skil s, practice working with many different situations and animals, get your real life questions answered, and gain a lot of invaluable experience in working with animals.
The Mastering Animal Communication Mentor Program offers you many ways to further your education, get personal guidance and avoid the most common pitfal s most students encounter in their learning process such as:
• Getting stuck or feeling blocked in your ability to connect and receive animal’s communications to you
• Misunderstanding or misinterpreting your animals communications
• Receiving inaccurate communications and messages
• Encountering difficult, painful or confusing situations you are not prepared for and don’t know how to handle.
Canine Cancer Secrets
Did you know that dogs have a 1 in 2 chance of developing cancer? That means that 50% of dogs WILL develop cancer. It’s an epidemic! Did you also know that you can easily increase your dog’s chances of remaining healthy significantly? It’s very simple, feed your dog a healthy diet and educate yourself about the everyday hazards that your dog faces.
Andrew Lewis has done a remarkably good job of educating K9 lovers about preventing cancer, AND, if your beloved beastie already has cancer, you’ll learn what to do to help them recover too! Check it out at: http://budurl.com/caninecancersecrets
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recommenDeD reaDing
• Animal Talk: Interspecies Telepathic Communication by Penelope Smith
• Animals as Healers and Teachers: True Stories and Reflections by Susan Chernak McElroy
• How to Think Like a Horse: The Essential Handbook for Understanding Why Horses Do What They Do by Cherry Hill
• Dr. Pitcairn’s New complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn and Susan Hubble Pitcairn
• Dogs Behaving Badly: An A-Z Guide to Understanding and Curing Behavorial Problems in Dogs by Nicholas Dodman
• Blessing of the Animals: A Guide to Prayers & Ceremonies Celebrating Pets & Other Creatures by Diana L. Guerrero
• Animals as Teachers and Healers by Susan Chernak Mcelroy
• Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer
• Animals: Our Return to Wholeness by Penelope Smith
• Are You Poisoning Your Pets: A Guidebook to Pet Health and Sanity by Nina Anderson and Howard Peiper
• Horse Sense: How to Develop Your Horse’s Intelligence by Henry Blake
• The Tellington TTouch: A Revolutionary Natural Method to Train and Care for Your Favorite Animal by Linda Tellington-Jones and Sybil Taylor
• Horse and Pony Body Language Phrasebook by Susan McBane
• Scared Poopless by Jan Rasmusen
Val’s Recommended Animal Books can be found at
www.valheart.com/products/other_book_video_recommendations.html
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about val heart
Val Heart is no ordinary animal communicator.
Val fell in love with horses when she was five years old and began her long term relationship gettingto know and
understand animals. Her work with horses, dogs, cats and many other animals led to intensive study in developing her gifts with animal communication and other supporting healing
techniques.
Internationally known, Val has alternately been called The Real Dr. Doolittle and the Animal Communicator to the Stars, she has appeared on television many times, is a frequent and welcome guest on radio, as well as having been showcased in newspapers, journals and magazines.
She's a columnist for Enjoy Whole Health Magazine and is a contributing writer for the Austin Pets Directory as well as many ezines, magazines and books.
Val is recognized as an Expert Animal Communicator and Master Healer, with a lifetime’s experience working with over 6,400 animals to date. She is also the author of the fol owing books:
• 12 Mistakes People Make With Their Horses, The Essential Handbook for Novice & Amateur Riders (soon to be published)
• What Your Horse is Trying To Tell You (soon to be published)
• What Your Dog is Trying To Tell You (soon to be published)
• 10 Deadly Myths Endangering Your Dog’s Life (soon to be published)
• Heart's Wisdom (no longer in print)
Val is a contributing writer to Penelope Smith’s book, Animals in Spirit.
She has also most recently contributed to Jenny Smedley’s soon-to-be-published Hay House book, Animal Souls.
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Val is the Foremost Authority on the Human Animal BodyMind Connection.
Early on, Val discovered that much of what goes wrong with animals is a reflection of, or a reaction to their caretaker's personality and imbalances, wounds, energy, neurochemistry and emotions.
Highly trained in advanced, state-of-the-art alternative healing and life-changing coaching modalities, Val specializes in helping animals and their people rebalance in body, mind & spirit.
Val helps you with not only your animals, but also your life. She takes you deeper into your own personal best – a space of wel -being, peace, balance, clarity and greater consciousness awareness.
For more information about setting up a personal consultation to resolve the issues with your animals, contact us by cal ing 210-863-7928, emailing: ContactVal@ValHeart.com
or visiting our website: www.valheart.com/appointments/contact_us.html .
© Val Heart & Friends LLC. All Rights Reserved
www.ValHeart.com