Wow. What an amazing experience for me, and I hope for the 250 participants in the Madison Seminar. We spent the weekend immersed in hot-off-the-press research on canine behavior, (I was worried it would be too wonky but apparently I’m not the only one starved for intellectual stimulation about dog behavior!), and Ken Ramirez’s inspiring wisdom about training, well illustrated by compelling videos and stories. You just can’t listen to this man talk and not be a better trainer for it. We were even honored by the presence of David Wroblewski, the author of the deservedly best-selling and instant American Classic, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
I’m basically brain dead today, able only to mumble monosyllabic nonsense, but I’m looking forward to lots of posts inspired by the weekend, from articles about some of the research I talked about, to some of things we learned from Ken, to answering some of the many questions I was unable to answer, and even to posting some data from an experiment we did on Saturday. But here are some photos from the weekend.
Here’s just some of the participants before we got started after lunch on Saturday.
Here I am torturing Meeka, one of our cover dogs from Love Has No Age Limit. Like all the dogs in the book she was rescued (found as a stray in this case) and adopted by Shannon who brought her to the seminar. What a treat for me to meet her.
And here I am with Ken, attempting to have his training skills flow into me in some kind of magical transfer… I’ll let you know if it works.
Kim says
Definitely NOT too wonky!
Fantastic weekend, still trying to absorb all the info-
Thank you to you and Ken for everything, and even giving up your lunch Sunday to chat with people about careers!
THANK YOU!
Kim
Debbie Schoene says
Fantastic seminar, Trisha! My compliments to you and your colleagues for a fascinating and well-run event. Both days were equally un-equalled! 😉
Karen London says
I’ve been hearing great things about the weekend, and I look forward to knowing more. It all sounds wonderful! Plus, I am very jealous that you got to meet Meeka and Shannon, too.
Debby says
It was a pretty amazing experience to be there for me too. As Trisha said, Ken did make me want to try to train my spoon as well as my dog. You are both good speakers that I would travel to hear you speak on just about any subject including “My Favorite Kitchen Utensil: 3002 Uses for the Cheese Grater”
Thank you for all the formal as well as informal time you spent with us.
trisha says
Thanks all! Debby, I’m planning the Cheese Grater Seminar as I write…..
Curt Martin says
What a great experience! I went to work today and when everyone asked me what I learned, I could only respond with this kind of glazed lost look… I told them I’d fill them in when I processed it all, next year sometime. 🙂
Cheri Burger says
Every minute was jam packed with terrific information! It always reminds me that that just when I think I know a thing or two, there are 8 million things I DON’T know! Both Trisha and Ken are so inspiring. THANK YOU!!!
Lucy says
I give your book “The Other End of the Leash” to my friends and clients who share their lives with dogs…so I was particularly amused that even Patricia McConnell can’t resist the primate urge to hug a canine. The caption about torturing Meeka was great !
Kerry says
This sounds different than any of the ones you have for sale. Are you planning on videoing and distributing this one, too? I get all excited about the idea of “wonky” talks and want to buy it and watch it right now.
I an trying to figure out if I can make the Orlando one. Seeing you and Kathy Sdao would be quite a treat.
Carmen Hurley says
What an amazing weekend! Thank you to both you and Ken, not only for the wealth of new information, but also for taking so much time to answer individual questions, and even giving up your lunch break on Sunday to answer them! It was really appreciated! My brain is still recovering, and while I don’t have the spoon quite trained yet, my dogs are already benefiting. I look forward to the discussions on the blog about some of the seminar topics. Thank you!
trisha says
There was tons of information in the seminar, wasn’t there. I feel the same way and I gave half the darn thing. Here’s a tip from psychologists. If we try to process it all we’ll lose most of it. Too make our time investment most productive, we need to choose just one topic to focus on and review for a few days, then go on to the next. Less is more!
Judy says
Thanks for the great weekend– you were right, Ken is awesome. What a great storyteller, although you might have given us a “kleenex warning”! About the Belyaev foxes- I’d never heard anybody talk about the experiment they did with cross fostering and embryo transfer of the tame foxes and the wild foxes until I saw it on NOVA. No matter who raised the cubs, they acted like their biological parents. It reinforces your statement that so much of behavior is genetic and your important reminder to breeders to select for temperament instead of just structure. Here’s the website for the NOVA program- you have to scroll down in the transcript until they’re interviewing Lyudmila Trut: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/dogs-decoded.html
Thanks to everyone who made the weekend great.
Rebecca Fouts says
I’m very sorry I missed this weekend. It sounds like it would have been right up my alley. I went to the Human Animal Interaction/anthrozoology conference a few years ago and absolutely LOVED listening to the abstracts on human animal bonding.
What I want to know is — how do those who don’t have a degree (though hopes to eventually) in animal behavior get access to the briefs on dog behavior? What journal are most published in? I’ve yet to find it — and I’ve been searching. I tried a subscription to the anthrozoology’s journal, and it’s great. I get all sorts of great research on human/animal interaction, on studies done to show how pets improve people’s lives and can be used therapeutically.
But I still can’t find a journal that just does dog behavior. Can someone throw me a bone?
Barb says
Had a great time. Ken is terriffic as are you. Glad I came!
Rosanne Muller says
Dear Patricia,
AWESOME seminar on Saturday. Definately NOT wonky! Lots of info and good research to back it all up. LOVED IT! Thank you also for signing my 4 books. Nice combination of info with yours being academically backed and Ken’s being backed by experience.
Totally opened another perspective on dogs. Thank you for enriching my view on Dog behavior and training.
Rosanne Muller
Muller’s Border Collies
Lady Sadiemae, Misty Blue II and Snofire’N’Muller Radinoka Shark Bait
Vicky says
A huge thank you to you both for a transforming weekend. Those of us using guide dogs thank you so much and we also really appreciate all the participants who talked to us, helped us figure out just where the end of the line was and narated some of those amazing videos. My dog has already benefited from the information I learned last weekend.
Megan Murrell says
What a great weekned!! Thanks for doing what you do and inspiring others. You and Ken both were both fun & educational, you both made the hours go by so quickly.
My fellow trainer & I work at an animal hospital, and we were wanting to do a mini study regarding left brain/right brain & aggression with our fellow employees and some of the rescue & shelter groups we work with. Do you have any more information or can you tell us where to get more information? We’d appreciate anyway you can help us.
Thank you again for all you have done & will do in the future!!