Bruno The Dog Listener

INVITATION FOR YOU
DARG – Main Road – Hout Bay – Cape Town – 28.01.2012 – 9.30 for 10.00
The charity called “DARG” (www.facebook.com/DARG.org.za) located on Main Road in beautiful Hout Bay (Cape Town), has invited me for a talk about

“How to live in harmony with my dog”.

Having worked for decades with droves of dog lovers I came to the conclusion that the training of dogs becomes only possible when we do something else first. First and foremost we have to understand our dogs.
In order to understand our dogs we have to learn their language.
How do dogs speak? Do they speak English, or Zulu, or French, or Xhosa, or Spanish? No, they do not speak a verbal human language. But they speak something we can easily learn to understand and that something is “body language”. It is a language we speak ourselves every day without consciously noticing it. Linguists tell us that whenever we use words, we lie most of the time. To lie with words is easy. But have you ever tried to lie with your body? That is much, much more difficult. Or let’s look at it differently: With our body we speak the truth, most of the time. Now that is very interesting. It means that if we learn to read the body language of our dogs correctly it becomes very, very easy to understand them. It becomes easy because dogs always speak the truth.
As soon as we understand our dogs, we can communicate clearly with them without having to deal with misunderstandings like pulling, obsessive barking, chewing furniture… you name it.
When we can clearly communicate with our dogs, we can educate them in such a way that they accept and respect us as their pack leaders. If they accept and respect us as their leaders, we are sure they are paying attention to us when we want it. That is what we need. Ever tried to educate a dog (or a human) who ignores you?
As soon as our position of leader in the pack is clear, then and only then can we start training our dog in agility, fly-ball, nose work, man work, carting etc…
If you want to know how we do that in Hout Bay (Cape Town), I kindly invite you to come along to DARG on Main Road, at 9.30 for 10.00 on Saturday 28th of January 2012. Please call in order to reserve your seats on 021.7913903 or 021.790 2050 because we have a limited amount of chairs.
See you there.
Kindest regards from Brunothedoglistener.

As nature intended. Cape Town 15.01.2012

This morning we had breakfast at Tashas in Constantia Village on the Cape Peninsula. For a change I ordered toast with goat’s cheese, avocado and tomato. While eating we were talking about the possible link between our blood type and the ancient history of humankind. We know that the theory of Peter D’Adamo is not based upon what is called “scientific evidence”, but here I go with a very simplified summary.
When our oldest ancestors were still hunters and gatherers their blood group was O. But as soon as humans became nomads following their cattle on its never ending travels to new feeding grounds, the blood group A came into existence. When our ancestors, in what we now call “the Middle East”, started with a new thing called “agriculture” the blood group B was born. I do not know if author Peter D’Adamo is right with his theory but I certainly do believe that I am what I eat. Here are a few examples. If I eat bread with cheese before going to bed I definitely have a bad night. When I eat a mix of bananas with prunes and apricots during my early morning walk, I have a feeling of walking with a brick in my stomach for the major part of the day. Visiting a restaurant and having a late dinner with friends means that hereafter I will not sleep well. Let alone what drinking a few cups of coffee (or glasses of wine) would do to my system.
I also believe that, having reached 68 years of age, I can still do long walks and practice martial arts because I love locally grown organic food and have never smoked. It is my opinion that driving a very expensive car is utterly ridiculous but every day I want to have a Rolls Royce in my belly. I want the same for my dogs. I can feed them the cheap S.H.I.T. pellets manufactured by people who hate dogs and love money. Or I can feed them natural, organic food. For a few months I have prepared their fresh raw food myself. I went to the local butcher, mixed the meat with vegetables and rice and served it. But then I found a much more convenient solution, “as nature intended”.
I got to know Cheryl and Chris Davidson from Muizenberg on the Cape Peninsula. Not so long ago they started feeding their dogs and cat a natural raw food and immediately saw the difference in their pets. Talking to friends about the visible changes that occurred with their animals they soon discovered there was a market for this kind of pet food. That was the beginning of a new family owned small business “As nature intended”. To cut a short story even shorter: I do not prepare the meals for our Muensterlaender Lupa anymore. Instead I love driving down the short distance between Wynberg and Muizenberg, have a look at the ocean, feel the wind in my face, buy the pet food from Chris, have a chat with him about their growing business and then I head home after a cup of coffee in Kneads bakery. To give you an idea of the price: One meal costs us 14 Rand, which is about 1,4 Euros. Of course that does not include the price of the cup of coffee in Kneads. But don’t worry if you do not live close to Muizenberg. Chris told me he just bought a new van for deliveries throughout southern Western Cape. And who knows? This might be an idea for a new company on the Costa Blanca! More info on http://giveadogabone.co.za/
Kindest regards from Brunothedoglistener

A fine lady walking with us on Sunday mornings asks my advice regarding the coming visit of her first grandchild.

Hi Bruno,

Thanks and hope to see you soon

This is my advice regarding the visit of a grandchild and how to prepare your dog for it.

1. According to me spoiling a dog is cruel. His parents never do it. No animal is ever spoiling her/his children.
Spoiling a dog is in most cases caused by our feeling of lack. The solution is to work at your personal development, to start listening to your true self, to stop sailing down the river called Denial, in order to reach an ever higher level of awareness. Your dog is showing you the way. He does not need your love. You are needing his love, or so you think. It will be my pleasure to help you find the right behaviour.

2. Find some neighbours, family or friends who have (small) children and introduce them to your dog. If your dog is showing any signs of aggression with them you need professional help.

3. If your dog is sleeping in your bedroom, place his bed outside that room and if need be put him on a lead and restrict him to another area.

4. You are absolutely right with your excellent idea about the doll. Walk around with the doll and speak to it as if it is your grandchild. When changing the nappy of the doll, always put the dog in sitSTAY or downSTAY. Let him sniff and watch the doll and praise him for being good.

5. Now this is important: USE DIFFERENT WORDS AND A DIFFERENT TONE OF VOICE, for the dog and the baby.

6. Dogs must not be allowed on furniture. Certainly not on furniture near the grandchild. Now is the time to change your behaviour if your dog was allowed on furniture.

7. Move the dog’s bed around from one place to another and from one room to another, in order to teach him to STAY wherever you want him to stay.

8. Teach your dog to be alone. For instance leave him in a room, close the door and go back after 10 seconds, then after a few minutes etc… until he can stay alone for half an hour.

9. Stop all wrestling games, tug-of-war games and all games involving chasing with your dog. The floor is your territory. Not his. You will allow your grandchild to walk on the floor. Not your dog. If that is not clear for him he might challenge the child.

10. If you have not done it yet, start practicing the Bruno Dog Feeding Ritual. A grandchild will have to be fed several times a day. In order to avoid what we call “jealousy” from your dog, feed him also not twice a day but each time your grandchild will be fed. Feed him after the grandchild has been fed.

11. If you have several dog toys scattered all over your home, then that is big trouble. One of my basic rules is to NEVER leave any toys on the floor for the dog. These objects are not toys for the dog but PREYS and he considers the toys/preys to be his property. Everyone having an unstable dog has bought lots of toys for the spoiled dog. Many people do this because of the feeling of guilt, especially when they do not spend quality time with their dog or when they have not taught him to stay alone for a while.
Take not only all dog toys away, but also everything else a dog can consider as his prey like shoes, slippers, socks, etc…
Use only one toy when playing with your dog and hide the toy after the playful session. If the dog picks up anything from the floor, take it away from him and shout at the THING. NOT at the dog.

12. Start pulling the ears and the tail of the dog and praise him for letting you do it. Invite other adults and children to do this too under your supervision.

13. If possible ask for some bedsheets or unwashed clothes from the grandchild to be send to you. Let the dog smell them and praise him for it. Leave the sheets and clothes in the area where the grandchild will be.

14. When the grandchild arrives, put your dog on a leash and let him smell the child while keeping the leash in your hands. Leave the trailing leash on the dog for several days in order to enable you to correct the dog quickly when the need arrives.

15. Dogs like the smell of used nappies. Keep them away from the dog. Otherwise you will be in for a surprise.

Always willing to help.

Love

Bruno

In today’s world more and more people feel a growing longing to become closer to nature. As the leader of my dog walking group I can tell you that I have felt this need for decades on end. I live outside a small village amidst the Montañas Alicantinas, the mountains of the Spanish province of Alicante. It allows me to keep in touch with nature, and while walking to smell the flowers and the herbs, to bask in the beauty of sunsets, to feel the wind in my face, to feel spiritually connected to my dogs and to admire their natural elegance.

Today millions of persons express an interest in the wisdom of a people we now call NATIVE AMERICANS. When I was a boy we called them INDIANS, which was still a linguistic remnant of the mistake made by Cristobal Colon more than 500 years ago. They call themselves THE FIRST PEOPLE and they were certainly present in Northern America during thousands of years, long before white men arrived.
It is one of the most cruel ironies of our contemporary history that the more we, white men, lose touch with nature, the more we turn to wisdom hidden in the ancient traditions of THE FIRST PEOPLE looking for answers. White men are responsible for the genocide of the FIRST PEOPLE and the descendants of these white men are now turning to the descendants of the survivors, asking them for spiritual help.
In the ManKindProject we have been allowed to learn from the lessons taught by the FIRST PEOPLE. We are their humble students full of admiration, respect, love and gratitude.
All native inhabitants of the North American continent strive to improve their relationship with Mother Earth and her creatures. The spiritual goal of all Native American religions is to live in harmony with the Universe. As a result all objects and beings that surround the individual deserve our attention and respect.

While studying the significance of the four archetype energies (Lover, Warrior, King and Magician) that are present in every man, I discovered the link between the Warrior and a totem animal. That totem animal is the DOG, symbol of faith, loyalty and reliability associated with the Warrior energy.
According to Heike Owusu in her book Symbols of Native America, the dogs basic instinct is to serve his master and even though (s)he is often mistreated, (s)he always answers with love. Since the dog strives to be respected by its master, it is, of course possible to spoil it with the wrong training. Ultimately, the dog is the guardian of its master and willing to do anything for him, possibly even follow him into death. Traditionally, the dog is also the guardian of secret areas and ancient knowledge.
The dog’s heart is filled with compassion and it is willing to overlook human weakness. The dog can help bring these qualities to life in a person. The dog also teaches one to examine one’s loyalty to oneself and others. (from page 263)

Years ago I came to the conclusion that dogs are among my best teachers.
Allow me to repeat what Heike Owusu writes:

The dog can help us bring compassion and the willingness to overlook human weakness to life in a person. The dog also teaches us to examine our loyalty to ourselves and others.

If you do not believe this, that is ok for me. I accept that.

But I have a suggestion to make: from now on, when walking with our dogs let’s meditate (even if it is only for a few minutes) about which qualities they have brought to life in us.

With love from Brunothedoglistener.

“Many dog owners believe that once they close the front door to go to work in the morning, their pet stretches out on the sofa.”
John Bradshaw, director of the Anthrozoology Institute at Bristol University, who has spent 25 years studying the behaviour of our pets, estimates that 1,5m dogs in Britain suffer from separation distress.(He obviously did not include the expat community in Spain)
“Being alone at home can be a real and ongoing crisis for dogs”, Bradshaw writes in his new book titled ” In Defense of Dogs”.
Well folks, for once it is not Bruno saying or writing it, but a professor…………so it must be true. As you can see from the title of his book he is defending dogs. Not humans.
It is my experience that so many nice (You do remember that “nice” originally meant “unknowing”, do you?) people are behaving with their dogs in such a way that their pets become traumatized.
If you are not receiving my weekly letters and you do not know how to teach your dog to stay alone at home, just send me an email. I will help you.
Bradshaw is also confirming another advice (regarding punishment) I have been giving thousands of times.
He writes: “Dogs cannot associate being punished with something they did even a few minutes before…Indeed dogs see punishment as a means of getting attention.”
So if you are still hitting your dogs with a rolled-up newspaper or with the leash, especially when you are treating them as your surrogate children, then you are only making it clear how frustrated you are. You will probably go in denial when I add that your dog will learn nothing positive from your punishment. He will trust you less and feel your weak energy, that is for sure.
I say this: dogs must never be punished.
The dog’s mother never punishes her pups. She corrects them.
Dogs must be understood correctly, just like Spaniards or any other person not speaking your mother tongue. Do not blame your dog (nor Spaniards for that matter) for not understanding you, when your communication is unclear.
If you understand your dog correctly you can educate her/him and at the same time you can learn a lot from your dog. You can learn things like honesty and clear communication, instead of complaining, blaming, criticizing, projecting, judging and condemning.
In the process of educating your dog you will become a better human being.

My good friend Jeni from Oliva gave me a copy of a book written by James Herriot titled “Dog Stories”. I enjoyed every of the 541 pages of the book. Thanks Jeni.

More than a decade ago I started writing articles in several languages about canine education and communication.
According to me, the main obstacle for clear communication between humans and pets is the fact that most of us refuse to accept the dog as a dog. We mostly prefer to handle our dog as if it is a stupid, furry human being with four legs.

No wonder I was thrilled to find on pages 240-241 of James Herriot’s book, an example of how the world famous vet could understand the reason why a dog was attacking him. He writes about how he treated a small dog who had swallowed a sausage filled with rat poison. As there was no time to take the dog to his surgery, he grabbed a pot of mustard and diluted it with water to the consistency of milk. Then he seized the astonished dog, shot through the door and dumped him on the cobbles. He poured the liquid mustard into the side of the dog’s mouth whence it trickled down to the back of his throat.
I quote from page 240:

“After a single affronted glare at me the terrier began to retch, then to lurch across the smooth stones. Within seconds he had deposited his stolen meal in a quiet corner.”

Since then the small dog, remembering what the vet had done to him, started nipping him on the ankle as soon as his “enemy” was in the vicinity. The dog was indeed lying in wait for the human who made him vomit.
I quote from page 241:

“When I thought about it, I couldn’t blame Timmy. Looking at it from his point of view, he had been sitting by his fireside digesting an unusual meal and minding his own business when a total stranger had pounded on him, hustled him from the comfort of his rug and poured mustard into him. It was outrageous and he just wasn’t prepared to let the matter rest there. For my part there was a certain satisfaction in being the object of a vendetta waged by an animal who would have been dead without my services……So I suffered the attacks with good grace.”

Thank you James Herriot.
He was very clearly looking at what happened from the dog’s point of view.
He did not call the terrier a BAD dog. He did not blame the dog.
If the world’s best-loved vet could do this, are you willing to do it too?
Are you willing to look at your pet from the dog’s point of view?
Or will you continue to call your pet a MAD dog, or a BAD dog when he does not understand you?

Kindest regards from Brunothedoglistener.

Some authors like Karen Armstrong (in The Bible. The Biography) write about how humans are meaning-seeking creatures. Yes, as far as I am concerned I think I am a meaning-seeking human being. Looking for what is the meaning or the purpose of my life is a fascinating process? What is my life’s mission on this planet? During my MKP (ManKindProject) training I was invited to formulate my life’s mission. Out came: I create a world of abundance by learning and teaching.
So, yes, very often I am thinking about the meaning of my life?
Are you?
Some authors write about the fact that unless we find some pattern of significance in our lives, we fall very easily into despair. Look at the fast rising consumption of tranquilizers, sleeping pills and anti-depressants in the Western World and it is clear for me that hundreds of millions of fellow human beings are nowhere near finding a meaning in their lives. Many of these people living in despair have dogs. Dogs are willing to be the healers of their owners in spite of what the humans do to them.
In the quest for a meaning in our lives Language plays an important part. It is not only a vital means of communication for us, but it helps us to articulate and clarify the turbulence of our inner world. We use words when we want to make something happen outside ourselves: we give an order or make a request and, one way or the other, everything around us changes, however infinitesimally. But when we speak we also get something back: simply putting an idea into words can give it a lustre and appeal it did not have before. Language is mysterious. When a word is spoken, the ethereal is made flesh; speech requires incarnation – respiration, muscle control, tongue and teeth. Language is a complex code, ruled by deep laws that combine to form a coherent system that is imperceptible to the speaker, unless he or she is a trained linguist. But language has an inherent inadequacy. There is always something left unsaid; something that remains inexpressible. Our speech makes us conscious of the transcendence that characterizes human experience.
All this affects the way we communicate with each other.
You are now reading what I have written. It means that we are communicating with each other be it indirectly.
As I have been writing articles for more than 40 years I often find that I can express myself more clearly with written words than with spoken words.
When I develop my thoughts while writing I can delete and change what was written as many times as I want.
When I speak, I cannot do that. Speaking I constantly have to make an effort to be as clear as possible in the present moment. Words are extremely important for a writer and for a speaker.
But there is a difference. When you read what I have written you cannot see my body language. When we meet and speak to each other, you can read my body language. It is my assumption that most of us have never learned how to read body language or if they can read it they neglect its significance, because we have been taught that WORDS are of the utmost importance.
Let’s now look at a newly born puppy.
This puppy is blind and deaf but can nevertheless immediately find mother’s belly and teats. The puppy can do this because it can SMELL the mother and FEEL her calm assertive energy. After two weeks the puppy will be able to SEE and only after three weeks will (s)he be able to HEAR.
Let me repeat what the order of importance is in the puppy’s world: SMELL, FEEL, SEE, HEAR.
OK?
Now what do most dog owners do with a pup?
They TALK to or even YELL at her/him and are surprised when this “bad” dog does not understand the words they are using.
This is the cause of the classic misunderstanding between dog owners and their pets.
It reminds me of a scene I witnessed many years ago in the restaurant of the club nautico in Moraira (Spain) where an English person was yelling the word FISH at a Spanish waiter. The tourist obviously thought that the louder he yelled the better it would be.
The waiter felt obviously very uncomfortable and the English tourist got more and more angry.
Back home the tourist, I imagine must have told a story about a “bad” waiter who did not understand him although he was clearly using the word FISH for what he wanted to eat.
Can you make the comparison between this tourist and the waiter on the one hand and a yelling dog owner and a pup on the other? What kind of a dog owner are you?
Do you prefer to TALK and YELL at your dog or do you read her/his body language, offer her/his your leadership and calm assertive energy?

Bruno

Dearest dog carers,

First of all I am honouring Sue, a lady in my walking group, for writing to me.
As I am honouring two more walking friends who asked me to teach them how to walk with a dog on a slack leash. Three persons who read my former article and who took a decision.
I am really very happy and very grateful for Sue’s comments because they inspired me.
I could have felt sad, angry, glad, afraid, annoyed, embarrassed, joyful, happy, defeated, frustrated, anxious, etc… As you can see, there is quite a long catalogue of feelings to choose from when someone tells me or writes me something.

But I FEEL glad with the comments and I am responsible for HOW I feel.
Thank you Sue for sending me the following message:

“Well Bruno, I am sure you dont mean to but sometimes if I ask you a question, you answer me in a manner that makes me feel like I am an idiot. The truth is I am frightened to ask you to teach me. Tomorrow I shall bring just one of my dogs & shall ask you to teach me how to walk Billy on a slack leash.”