stray dog strut - the life and times of an aspiring dog trainer

You hear it all the time: everyone has a purpose in life. For me, my purpose has always been to help the animals that we share our world with. However, my first love and biggest fascination is with dogs - well, all canines - in particular.

Why dogs? Of all animals, few have impacted our lives as strongly as dogs. We use them not only as companions, but also to hunt, work our flocks, pull our carts, compete in sports, protect our homes, comfort our sick, care for those with special needs, rescue those who are lost, serve and protect, even fight wars. Many of our medical and scientific advancements were, sadly, at the expense of dogs. We have altered the dog drastically to suit our every need and whim.

Yet, even though dogs are intertwined with our lives, and a huge part of our history as a species, most people are completely oblivious to the nature of dogs themselves. Most of the important information we have concerning dogs - how they think, how they learn, their nutritional needs, where they come from, the stages of their development, etc., etc. - has come to light only recently. We expect our dogs to understand "don't bark at the mailman!" or "don't chew up the couch!" but the majority of dog owners don't understand why their dog does what he does.

I want to know as much as I can about dogs, and help owners understand in turn, so that both human and dog can lead happy, enriching lives together. I believe that the more people that understand why their dogs behave a certain way, and how best to train them, the less dogs that end up surrendered to shelters or abandoned on the street. If people can see the dog for the intelligent, amazing, sentient being that it is, maybe more people will strive to help them rather than hurt them.

Of course, it's not all about dogs; I enjoy a lot of different things. However, dogs play a huge role in my life - they're my dream, my passion, my job and my family - so expect a lot of dog stuff.

Having a dream and living it are two different things. That's what this blog is for: to chronicle my life working with dogs and my growth as a trainer while trying to work up the courage to start a training business of my own. It's meant to motivate me, keep track of my thoughts, as well as be a place for me to rant, rave, or just jot down bits of randomness and life: That's Stray Dog Strut!