With other 400+ pure breeds of dogs in the world and an endless stream of mixes, the task of making your dog "smart" is no easy chore. But one that is embraced full-heartily by one Sarah Wilson. As the "master" of all masters, Sarah E. Wilson M.A. is a dog trainer and author of the best-seller, "My Smart Puppy." However, over the years, she has continued her learning process in becoming a better trainer and also how to extend these teachings to larger audiences.
With TV guest appearances on PBS Nature, Good Morning America and This Morning, Sarah's is above all a teacher who believes in celebrating and supporting the human/dog bond connection vis a vis a positively-focused dog training philosophy. When asked about her training beliefs, Wilson noted that "dogs do exactly what they understand to do (but) when we help them understand better they behave better." By becoming increasingly tactful and effective with dogs and their masters, Wilson believes that the relationship is "not a battle or a conflict. . .not dominance or struggle. . .but an understanding of learning together."
Dog owners can still learn how to make their dogs lives more enjoyable no matter what age or temperament of the pet. According to Wilson, in what she terms "Space Games" - there are body language techniques that owners can use to "quickly, effectively and politely communicate with their dogs." She adds, "it's such a lovely way to teach - (it) feels like dancing, only you can have two left feet and still do it perfectly."
With the advent of social media, Wilson likes to keep current with the new tools available to her. She's come to realize that no one can live on just their laurels. Today, to allow her training, books and website to reach larger audiences, she notes that not only is social media the "wave of the future," it also reinforces ones credibility. "I realized a few years back that, connectivity trumps credentials. Wanted to make sure that my connectivity reflected and supported decades of credentials," she stated.
Empire Avenue, a social investment market is one such network she puts a lot of "stock" in. Differing from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, EA's users utilize virtual currency to expand their social media audience. For Wilson's message to be heard by 100s and even 1000s, she believes "Empire Avenue is the single best tool/platform I have found." It's a space, where "the people I have become friends with, the wealth of knowledge I have been freely given, the amount of support I can muster quickly and consistently has no equal." As viewed as a life-long learning path, Wilson believes a trainer's job is never done. With the "various ages/cultures/beliefs/expectations of people + a myriad of behavior issues + health issues that can impact behavior + constant changes in the field = lifelong learning for me." In wanting both the masters and their dogs to love training, they both need to learn together. However according to Wilson, there is a caveat: "the human needs to be 'all in.'"
Here's a testimonial from a "My Smart Puppy" advocate:
For more on Sarah Wilson and her book, check out her website, and become part of her ongoing forums. Or buy stock in her on Empire Avenue. I'd say she would make a very "smart investment."
My Smart Puppy, the website
