Friday, March 20, 2009

BlogTails Thinks Dog with Victoria Stilwell

Victoria Stilwell Stops by BlogTailsBy LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer
Resident Pawz Blogger


Think dog?

If you're Victoria Stilwell, you do.

And you do it quite well.

Host of Animal Planet's immensely popular It's Me or the Dog, author of two best-selling books ("It's Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet" and "Fat Dog Slim: How to Have a Healthy, Happy Pet"), Victoria has been widely praised for being a champion of reward-based training methodologies. BlogTails recently caught up with her as she was preparing to start shooting the second season of the US version of the show, and she was keen to talk about her passion for animals, the inspiration of her family and her devotion to the Think Dog philosophy.

One would think someone this good at working with animals would've been raised in a house full of dogs, cats and the like, but she wasn't even allowed to have a dog as a child.

"My parents both worked," says Victoria, "and my father wasn’t a dog lover anyways. But, my grandmother bred Beagles, and she was passionate about her dogs. I spent a lot of time with her growing up, and it was always a big treat to go to her house and be with the dogs."

Even more than that, Victoria didn't plan on becoming a trainer in the first place. Her foray into owning her first dog-walking business was really only a means to an end - an acting end.

"I was always going to be an actor," she says. "That is what I trained to be. I went to drama school in London. But before I went to drama school, [and] after university, I need[ed] to get money in order to go to drama school. So, I started a dog-walking business. My sister was a veterinary nurse, so she was very much involved in [the] world [of animals]. And really, from then on, the passion just took hold. For a while, I was doing both, [acting and training] simultaneously, but the training just took over. I was much, much happier in that environment, and much, much happier working with animals."

That's not too surprising to hear given the immense challenges that accompany those striving to become actors. And yet, her thespian training serves her well given she's seems to be a natural on camera - both in working with animals and people.

Victoria Stilwell Stops by BlogTailsThe show just wrapped up airing its first full season of US-based episodes after having previously aired four seasons worth of programs that had been filmed exclusively in Victoria's native England. The US version of the show is twice as long as its UK counterpart (an hour as compared to 30 minutes), and that, Victoria says, allows for much more of the process of the training methods to be filmed and observed. Her focus remains on countering the traditional, dominance-based training methods developed in the 1970s with a more positive, reward-based training methodology.

Says Victoria: "Scientific research - from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and also top behaviorists and methodologists - has proven that using dominance-based [training] can create potentially bad side effects for the dogs. It also can really heighten the bite statistics and the chances of owners being bitten by their dogs if you’re dealing with an aggressive dog. I think Britain has been ahead of [the] curve in [embracing more of a rewards-based training methodology] simply because [the] education [has] been more available. But now here in America, there are a lot more university courses [available] in animal behavior, so people [here in the states] are now being trained to teach animals in a very kind way rather than in a harsh way."

Given there are two distinct camps on how best to train a dog, Victoria puts it squarely on the shoulders of the owners to decide what kind of leader they want to be and what kind of training they want to adopt.

"Here’s the difference: Do you want your dog to follow you because it wants to? Or, do you want your dog to follow you because it fears what’s going to happen to it if it doesn’t? I want to have a relationship with my dog that’s built on cooperation, not domination. That is the major difference between the two methodologies. So, while you might seem to have success [using dominance-based methods] because your dog is listening to you and is behaving, inside [you have to ask] are you really improving that dog’s psyche by using traditional methods. The proof is out there - you’re not. And yet, people do have a choice. Everybody is free to train their dog in the way that they think best. But, what is going to make a dog happier?

"I can have a dog behave for me," she continues, "and feel much better while its behaving without having me use forceable methods. It's sort of the same [reevaluation of] behavioral principles that we've adopted [now] with [regards to] raising children vs. [what we were doing] 20-30 years ago - [when] we still thought corporal punishment was a way to get our children to behave. Today, we realize there is a better way to get our children to behave. Being a parent, a dog owner and a trainer, I would much rather have my dogs and children have a happy life – a rewarding life – rather than fearing me. That’s the difference. And that is why I caution people about the use of traditional training methods when there is an alternative for them to consider."

Victoria Stilwell Stops by BlogTailsSo how does she sum up her concept of "Think Dog"?

By taking the perspective of your four-legged friend.

Literally.

"'Think Dog' is this," she says, "I really don’t believe you can understand your dog until you try and think how a dog perceives the world – and use that dog’s experience to make training easier. If you ‘Think Dog’ – if you think what is the world like from a dog’s point of view – you can get so much more information that helps you become a better owner. And it really is about education – learning how a dog sees; how a dog smells; how does it hear; how does it view people; how does it talk; how does it communicate in body language; [even] getting on all fours [to] feel how it feels to be that small, as it were. It's all that kind of stuff. And that’s why, with ‘Think Dog,’ you do become a better owner."

Speaking of owners, Victoria finds her biggest challenge to be centered on motivating owners to keep at the training long after she's exited stage left.

Says Victoria: "For any trainer, the greatest challenge is motivating the owner to work, to be able to carry on the training after the trainer is gone. In a way, I think this is why the traditional [dominance-based] methods seem to have more of an appeal because they look like a quick fix – shout at your dog, your dog won’t do [something] anymore because it's scared of you and you think [the problem is] fixed. But actually, I always say quick fixes very quickly become unstuck. Now, that's not to say that the positive rewards-based training takes longer. However, I would say that some times, when you’re changing an emotional problem in a dog, it might look like the dog is cured after you’ve shouted at it, or alpha-roled, or punished it in some way because the dog stops the misbehavior. But, the dog still feels bad inside and is likely to repeat the behavior. With positive training, you spend time on changing the way a dog feels inside. That sometimes can be a longer road, but in the end, you’re going to get a much better result. Therefore, as a trainer, you’ve got to be able to motivate owners to keep working at it because we want to have the results stick – that’s where the work comes in."

Work, it seems, is what Victoria does best - and that includes plans to launch the Victoria Stilwell Think Dog Foundation come this June where the organization's focus will be to raise money for the smaller rescues and shelters across the country as well as various animal assistance organizations.

Victoria Stilwell Stops by BlogTails"We want to raise money for the smaller rescue shelters," says Victoria. "The larger rescues always get considerable funding, and it's always the smaller shelters that lose out. But, not only that, we also want to raise money for various foundations that work with dogs and disabled children, for example, or hearing dogs for hearing-impaired people – that kind of thing. So, we're going to be raising money for assistance dogs and their organizations as well as the rescues."

Given Victoria inspires dog owners and lovers everywhere to be the best they can be - both for themselves and for their pets - where does she find inspiration?

The answer is simple: in her family, and in having been on the front lines of rescue shelters.

"I did a lot of volunteer work when I was younger in rescue shelters," she says, "and I’ve seen the pain, the abuse, the neglect and the suffering of thousands of animals. I just want to provide people with the right kind of education so there are fewer animals given up to shelters. I want there to be a resource that can help people. That’s a massive inspiration for me. But I'm also a mother, and the biggest thing in my life is to make my child’s life the best it can possibly be. So, [my daughter] is my inspiration. Having the miracle of [her], seeing her grow – and seeing her love of animals, now – that spurs me to carry on. I do spend a lot of time away from my family whilst I’m filming, and though I don't like being away, I do it because there is a bigger agenda – and that’s [my daughter]. She is my true inspiration."

BlogTails Quicktakes with Victoria Stilwell:

I'm most comfortable when I'm ...

Sitting down, watching a movie at home.

The best part of my day is when I'm ...

Reading my daughter a bedtime story.

If I weren't a dog trainer, I'd be ...

An actress.

The best piece of advice ever given to me was ... and he/said ...

My grandmother. Because I broke a lamp in her house and didn't own up to it, she always told me: 'Don't lie.' Always tell the truth. It's much better in the long run.

The oldest thing in my closet is ... and I keep it because ...

My school tie. It reminds me of when I went to a very strict girl's school, and we wore ties. It reminds me of that - and makes me laugh.

Last time I laughed so hard I cried was when ...

I was watching Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

If it came down to Captain Jack Sparrow or Will Turner, I'd sail the seas with ...

Captain Jack Sparrow.


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BlogTails would like to extend a very special thanks to Victoria for taking the time to share her insights on how she does what she does and why she does it. You can tune in Saturdays at 9 p.m. to Animal Planet for It's Me or the Dog. And be sure to visit Victoria's official Web site, VictoriaStilwell.com to catch up on all-things Victoria. For even more of this Q&A with Victoria, visit Pass the Remote.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Victoria Stilwell's Stops by BlogTails

Victoria Stilwell Stops By BlogTailsFile this under: Cool News.

Our resident blogger, LillyKat (who also writes for the independent television blog, Pass the Remote), landed an exclusive interview with the lovely Victoria Stilwell, world-class dog trainer and host of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog.

It's all about thinking dog and training through positive reinforcement with Victoria, and while we'll have a more in depth write-up to post here next week (including talk of Victoria's forthcoming foundation called the Think Dog Foundation), we've got what we'll call our BlogTails Quicktakes to tide us over for the weekend:

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BlogTails Quicktakes with Victoria Stilwell:

I'm most comfortable when I'm ...

"Sitting down, watching a movie at home."

The best part of my day is when I'm ...

"Reading my daughter a bedtime story."

If I weren't a dog trainer, I'd be ...

"An actress."

The best piece of advice ever given to me was ... and he/said ...

"My grandmother. Because I broke a lamp in her house and didn't own up to it, she always told me: 'Don't lie.' Always tell the truth. It's much better in the long run."

The oldest thing in my closet is ... and I keep it because ...

"My school tie. It reminds me of when I went to a very strict girl's school, and we wore ties. It reminds me of that - and makes me laugh."

Last time I laughed so hard I cried was when ...

"I was watching Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm"

If it came down to Captain Jack Sparrow or Will Turner, I'd sail the seas with ...

"Captain Jack Sparrow."

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Watch this space for more of our interview with Victoria Stilwell. In the meantime, tune into the season finale of It's Me or the Dog Saturday at 9 p.m. on Animal Planet. And be sure to head on over to Victoria's official Web site, VictoriaStilwell.com for the latest on all-things Victoria!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Martha Stewart Would Be Proud

BlogTails by Love Da PawzBy LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer
Resident Pawz Blogger


It is true some of us are born to be crafty and some of us aren't.

And by "crafty," I am not talking about Jedi mind tricks.

Rather, I'm talking about knowing what to do with oneself in a craft store.

Or in a garage.

Or a kitchen.

Or anywhere else one can come up with an idea (and materials) to make nifty things.

I can't do that. Seriously, I didn't get my dad's green thumb knack for gardening, my mother's knack for home improvement projects or my grandmother's knack for making everything homemade.

But our good artist friend Vickie did - as evident by this picture of the door she JUST made for her outdoor shed this past weekend.

Martha Stewart would indeed be proud.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Snarky Barky Malarkey: Twitter's Detractors

BlogTails by Love Da PawzBy LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer
Resident Pawz Blogger


I have to laugh at this article today from MSNBC.com's Technotica, essentially slamming the world's recent obsession with Twitter. I seem to vaguely recall everyone bagging on blogging when it first stormed onto the scene, too.

Yes, okay, so Twitter is the current buzz of the social networking webiverse.

Yes, okay, it makes MySpace looks old school.

Yes, okay, Facebook may - and I emphasize - may be getting nervous and is trying to overhaul itself to compete and win the webiverse buzz back (seriously, Facebook does NOT need to worry).

And yes, there is a lot of useless twitter on Twitter - just like with any other social networking site.

However, there are a ton of reasons why Twitter works well, especially in an environment like the one here at Love Da Pawz - a new company, trying to spread the good word about its brand to as many pet lovin' folks as possible.

I have it on good authority Pawz is getting to know lots of good folks via Twitter - individuals, businesses, activists.

So how can that be a bad thing?

Keep Twittering.

Ignore the snarky barky malarky.

Pawz March Madness

BlogTails by Love Da PawzGuess what?

It's March.

Which means it's March Madness for those of you who live, breath, eat and sleep college hoops (otherwise known as the Road to the Final Four NCAA Basketball tournament which, as I'm told, involves a lot of phoned in "sick" days at the office).

It also means it's Spring.

And that starts a new advertising campaign for Love Da Pawz.

You'll notice the lovely caricature to the right. That's Vickie, the Pawz Dog Walker, named after the lovely graphic artist who designed all of the fantastic caricatures you see here (and elsewhere).

She'll be making her debut in ads running in Modern Dog and Fido Friendly.


Posted By: LillyKat
Senior Staff Writer Elsewhere
Resident Pawz Blogger

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Let the BlogTails Begin

BlogTails by Love Da PawzHi-ho.

Woof-woof.

Meow.

Welcome to the first official post of BlogTails, the new blog from Love Da Pawz.

Now, it should be said I normally do TV blogging over in a little corner of the independent television blogosphere we call Pass The Remote, writing lotsa motsa stuff for those of us who have this unfortunate habit of watching way too much TV.

But, I know the good folks here at Love Da Pawz, and they've asked me to ... well, blog.

About all-things Love Da Pawz.

What they're about.

Why they are pretty darn cool.

And why you might want to join in on some Love Da Pawz goodness.

If you haven't heard as yet, the Pawz folks are in the business of making some nifty clothing for the pet lovers of the world.

Make that "conscientious" pet lovers.

What does that mean?

Well, when you buy their goodies, a portion of their proceeds go back to organizations that promote the health and wellness of animals - like the Best Friends Animal Society, and the spcaLA.

How cool is that?

Cool by me, considering we all do tend to pay a lot more attention to our purchases these days.

Especially when you can feel good in AND about the stuff you wear.

So check out their Web site.

Stop by their online store.

And stay tuned for more blog fun.

Posted By: LillyKat
Senior Staff Writer Elsewhere
Resident Pawz Blogger