Painting by Jason Lien

This week on the blog we are sharing some beautiful paintings, an original story and a short interview with �ǿ����޴�ý teacher Jason Lien. In addition to being an artist and a teacher, Jason is a dog trainer and here he answers some of our questions about dogs.

Please tell us a little about your dog and your favorite breed if you have one: My dog Simon J is 11 years old. He is the second dog I've had named Simon, and also the same breed mix of Border Collie and Labrador, called a "Borador". He is a sort of "butterscotch" color, and this is known as a "Andelusian Borador", because about 95% of Boradors are black and white. He is in fantastic health, and is a registered Service Animal, specifically a "PSD", or a Psychiatric Service Dog. He is specialized in specific skills and tasks related to re-directing anxiety and thwarting emotional triggers. But, because he does have a variety of specific tasks he performs (both with a command, and without), he is considered a Service Animal, as opposed to a Therapy or Comfort animal.

How did you become a dog trainer? I became interested in training when I realized I'd already trained my previous dog to be a PSD without really knowing anything about Service Animals. I became very interested in the topic, and wanted to help others in the same way. I read and studied a LOT of training techniques, dog psychology, talked to other trainers, and watched everything I could find on the subject. Not only was it very interesting, I realized I could use this knowledge to help so many other people AND their dogs.

What do you wish more people knew about dogs? Two things come to mind immediately. The first is, dogs are WAAAAAAY smarter than we give them credit for. Their emotional intelligence surpasses that of humans, in my opinion. The second is, dogs train much faster when they train alongside another, older dog who is already fully trained. They look to older dogs to show them what to do. It's like magic!

What advice would you give people who are bringing home a new puppy or a dog from a shelter? Allow time for your new dog to imprint on your family, or one specific person in your family. This means, you should be very selfish with your new dog for a couple of weeks, minimum, after they come home for the first time. Keep visitors to a minimum, and make a quiet home for a couple weeks. If your dog finds his new surroundings peaceful and they become more secure about who their new "pack" is, they often have a much better disposition, and feel more secure. This makes for a happier dog. One last thing, I am a big advocate of allowing your dog to sleep in your bed! Especially when they are very young, or when they first come home. This will help them bond with a selected family member, and put them at ease. Decide exactly "who's dog" your new family member is.

Painting by Jason Lien

The Dog’s Friend: A Fable

By:  Jason Lien

Once upon a time, there was a big, yellow dog.  He was a very nice dog who absolutely LOVED everyone he came in contact with, so he had a LOT of friends on the farm where he lived.  

One fine day, the dog was exploring the fence row in a back field.  He came upon a skunk.  “Hello, friend!” the dog said.  

The skunk, surprised the dog was even talking to him replied, “Hello, dog.  It’s... good to meet you?”  The two exchanged formalities, and were very cordial to one another.  

“Would you like to play with me?” asked the dog.  

“I... can spare a little bit.  But, I do need to get back to my family soon.”

“No problem!” the excited dog answered.  

The two new friends played “Chase-Me-Chase-You” and “Jump Over the Grass”.  (Even though the skunk could not jump very high, he certainly tried his best.)  While stopping for a rest break, the dog asked the skunk if he’d like to come over to the farm and meet his other friends.  The skunk, knowing he usually had a hard time making new friends, was reluctant.  But, the dog was so very nice and said his friends were, quote: “The best group of animals I’ve ever known.”  After thinking about it, the skunk replied, “Okay, we have a little bit of time left, I would love to be introduced.”

So, the two headed back to the farm.  The first animal the dog introduced was the cow.  The cow took one look at the skunk, and trotted away to the barn without saying anything.

“That’s strange,” said the dog,”Bessie is always so very nice… Let’s go meet the chickens.  They are always quick with a joke, and love meeting new folks.”  

But, when the dog trotted up to the chicken coop with the skunk, all the chickens ran into their roost and slammed the door.

“Well, I don’t get that at all,” wondered the dog aloud, ”All of those chickens are usually so nice…”

The skunk rolled his eyes, knowingly, and told the dog, “Well, this is a common thing I’ve experienced over the years.  Sometimes other folks don’t-”

“WAIT!” the dog cried, “I know someone who would LOVE to meet you!  Follow me!”

The dog led the skunk right to the door of the farmhouse.  He scratched at the door.  It wasn’t long before a young boy came out.  He did not see the skunk, at first, and bent down to pat the dog’s head.  Very proud, the dog said, “Skunk, This is my very best friend, The Boy!”  

When the boy saw the skunk, he bent down and patted his striped head, too.  The skunk let himself be patted, but was SHOCKED!  Never in his life had a human even come near him, let alone pat him on the head!  The skunk wagged his tail slowly, imitating the dog.  

“You are a very pretty kitty,” the young boy said.  After a couple minutes of petting, the boy went back inside the house.  The dog said, “See, Skunk, I knew my bestest friend would love to meet you!”  

Understanding the child’s misunderstanding, the skunk smiled and replied, “Well, I don’t care if he thought I was a cat.  It sure was a pleasure to meet him!”

For the rest of the Summer, the dog and skunk played together often.  And, over the years, the skunk became one of the dog’s most cherished companions.  The dog never did understand why the other animals didn’t see what a great friend the skunk could be; and was.

Moral:  Never let the unfounded opinions of others influence who your friends can be.