Happy 2009 everybody!  I want to start right off the bat with some celebratory news – the Natural Dog Training DVDs have reached the next stage in their development.  At this point all of the footage (lots) has been archived, and I have recorded complete voiceovers to narrate all of the instruction.  My trusty harddrive has been packed up and express shipped across the continent (to Los Angeles), where the pieces will be assembled into something MORE than the sum of its parts.

So now phase II begins, which is going to be working on the artistic stuff, as well as getting some music recorded.  I’ve been working on getting rights to some cool bluegrass music – but in lieu of that panning out I’ve begun composing the Natural Dog Training Breakdown.  And that’s “breakdown” in the Bill Monroe sense of the word, not the “Beat Street” sense of the word.  Which is equally as cool, but a little out of my realm.  After all, I played/wrote bluegrassy things all through college (and after), while I haven’t written a coherent rap since junior high.  Or maybe high school.  OK, ok – it’s late, and I’m feeling a bit giddy knowing that today was the day that the harddrive arrived chez editor extraordinaire.

Hopefully this will also give me a chance to focus on some of the Natural Dog Blog site improvements that we’ve talked about.  Top priority will probably go to a forum – quickly followed by making the site more intuitive in its layout.

I have to say that creating these DVDs isn’t as easy as I once mused that it might be.  It’s one thing to do something like filming a lesson – letting whatever comes out in that 90 minutes stand on its own.  It’s a completely different task to assess the Natural Dog Training techniques and distill them into something that will convey EXACTLY the most important aspects of the techniques, to be a succinct-yet-complete guide for any situation you might experience as you embark on the Natural Dog Training journey.  While it’s certainly taking longer than I initially thought it would, I think that you’re going to be really pleased with the results.

And yes there’s a natural dog training moral to the story

We live in a day and age where we can get used to expecting “instant results”.  When I finally committed to making these instructional DVDs, back in October, if someone had told me that it was going to take months of work I might not have gone through with it.  The journey of 10,000 steps can be intimidating, after all – but it really DOES begin with the first step.  Followed by the next one.  And the next one.  I often remind people that this is the process to expect when you’re working with your dog: a series of small successes that ultimately add up to your “destination”.  Funny – to me – to recognize that it applies across the board, as well.  I don’t know if I’m conveying this well enough (ironically) – but it’s just a little moment that I’m having, where I see that each step is completely worth it.

After all, you can have ideas about where you’re going.  And you might get there.  And you might not.  But if you’ve taken one step, then another, and savored each one of them – trying to make each step your best – then you’re definitely having one hell of a ride.  No matter where you end up!  Or how long it takes you to get there.

I am excited, though.  Because this whole blog started with, really, one mission – to give you all access to some very practical information about Natural Dog Training, and how to apply it to your relationship with the dogs in your life.  I believe that these DVDs will help you all take your work to the next level, to get to the point where you really feel like you can trust your own instincts when it comes to this stuff.

Enough rambling – it’s back to work for me!  But I did want to take this moment to share the good news.

Happy New Year everyone!  I wanted to share with you a link that I received from Trisha Selbach, the co-host of “Quantum Canine” with Kevin Behan.  They’ve been working on a TV show for public access TV in Vermont (probably in preparation for the National Geographic channel), and it’s available to watch FREE via Streaming Webcast.  The show is being done in a talk show Q&A format, with video clips.  It’s a great opportunity for you to learn all about Natural Dog Training from Kevin Behan in his own words.

First off here is the link for Falls Area Community Television.  Once you go to the Falls Area TV website, look for the button in the sidebar for “Streaming Webcasts” – and click on that.  If they have something streaming at the moment, you’ll be able to watch it.  Now “Quantum Canine” is scheduled for Sundays at 6pm EST, and Thursdays at 8pm EST – so those are the ONLY times you’ll be able to actually watch Kevin and Trisha and get your dose of Natural Dog Training wisdom.

Dogs and Energy

The last episode discussed something that we’ve talked about a lot here – dogs and energy.  Kevin talks about how Natural Dog Training’s purpose is to energize a dog and teach a dog how to function in harmony with their human while in an energized state.  All energy is GOOD energy.  That’s one of the things that I think makes Natural Dog Training so compelling – because you can see how a dog can “be a dog” and still fit right in with the human world.  The energy is there for us to learn how to work with it.  So if you deny the energy’s presence, you’re missing out on many opportunities for new discoveries and an enhanced relationship with your dog.  One of Kevin’s great lines: If a guy falls out of a building, you don’t say ‘Well, I guess there was just too much gravity that day’.

To our dogs, emotional energy is like gravity – it exists.  There’s no use denyin’ it.  Instead, you learn how to channel it.  

Let me hear how you like the show!  Hopefully we’ll get those forums going soon, so we can have post-episode discussion groups.  Next on the list, next on the list.

Quick Natural Dog Blog Update – DVDs and Personal

And for those of you who are looking for a quick update – voiceovers are almost done – then it’s off to the editor for the big “pull-together”.  I’ve been assured (again and again) that the amount of pre-editing work pays off in terms of streamlined editing process.  So let’s just assume that’ll be the case.

In other news (if you’re still paying attention) – my daughter Zella Joy was born on December 18th.  Everyone here is happy and healthy, Dash (my son) has welcomed his sister with open and inquisitive arms, and we’re gradually getting our bearings.  So there’s a lot going on – but that’s just the story of my life.  Thankfully, that’s something I AM accustomed to.