Did you know a person must partake in over one THOUSAND hours of education to cut your hair? But, there is NO REQUIRED EDUCATION for anyone to start a rescue or become a dog trainer or be ANY type pet professional!
I realized very quickly after getting into shelter and rescue the lack of knowledge on dog communication through body language, the best training methods, and even the most up to date regulations on vaccines.
I was flabbergasted at the lack of knowledge and the sharing and use of harmful information and practices.
The Need for Standards in Rescue
About
Staff in shelters were interacting with dogs in ways that made them anxious and not realizing it. Volunteers who have had dogs all their lives were repeating themselves to dogs that have never been trained as if this other species spoke one of the many human languages since birth. Then getting upset the dog wasn't doing as it was told.
Rescues were posting images on their social media and websites of children hugging dogs. Dogs, that were in the foster's home less than three days. Dogs that were clearly communicating signs of stress to anyone that knew the tiniest bit of stress signals. All the easiest signals to read. Putting the child and dog at a bite risk for the sake of a photo. Showing their followers the exact WRONG thing to do with any dog.
Many admin volunteers, fosters, staff at shelters, and shelter volunteers happily listened to learn more and even looked up sites and YouTube channels suggested to learn more on their own. So many were happy to make changes for the betterment of the dogs. But, sadly many, took any attempt at help as an insult and pushed others away completely, preferring to continue to do the same things they have done for 20+ years without attempting to keep up with any new research or professional standards set by industry leaders in the pet care community, not even to take a free online course at their own pace.
Our Why
Pawsitive IMpact
Seeing all the needs in the rescue and shelter communities drove me to complete my VSA-DTC course to become a certified positive reinforcement dog trainer. I wanted to have a piece of paper to show I do actually know what I am talking about, in the hopes that more people would listen with this certificate. That they will understand I always have the best interests of the dogs, rescues, shelters, staff, and volunteers in mind. I had already submersed myself in learning prior to that and loved the additional education I received from the course.
Behavior and development, for both humans and dogs, are not math. 2+2=4 will never change. But research takes years to complete. New research, building on old research, is always coming out. It is a never-ending thing, and Pawsitive Impact's Founder, Jen, loves learning and gaining new, useful knowledge to help the future of all of our country's and the world's dogs.
PI's mission is to share that knowledge with everyone. To help be the change for our standards of care, education, and training. To help our communities of animal lovers improve and constantly evolve for the betterment of the dogs in our care, and in need.
People get into rescue becasue they care. They want to help. No one gets into rescue and shelter or pet ownership intending on making behaviors worse or putting dogs or people at risk. Pawsitive Impact is here to help all dog lovers become the best care givers they can be without shame for the past. We all started somewhere and learning is infinite. We are here to contribute to the never ending journey of continuing education and the betterment of the dogs in need.
We Don't KNow What We Don't Know
And Sometimes, What we Think We Know Is wrong
I grew up going to work with my Uncle and Dad doing residential carpentry/contracting. I went to a Vocational/Technical high school and, of course, took Carpentry, making me able to work with my family every other week instead of going to school. I had completed many jobs throughout my life, including insulation.
When my Dad and Uncle bought the property in Vermont next to our camp, it was leased to me and my friends, and I would go up and work on it together whenever we could. One friend and his roommate came up to help. They both worked together doing residential carpentry. Awesome!
I walked "down the hill" to the "lower cabin" for something. When I came back, they had started to insulate the cabin. Great right? Nope. Something was off about it. I couldn't locate what it was in my memory. The guys said this was definitely how to insulate, as they JUST did a job on a home and insulated just like this! Mmmm, no. I went to ask my Uncle, who looked at it and said, "Insulation works by trapping air between the inner and outer walls, keeping it cool or warm. You stapled the insulation to the wall, not the studs. How is it supposed to trap air"?
These guys insulated a whole freaking house like this for a PAYING customer! That poor customer.
They thought they were doing it correctly because they believed their teacher, the owner of the company, knew what he was doing. Sometimes we don't always get the best information. I, for one, grew up with a Rottweiler, and my mother's spouse had used prong collars. I was in elementary school. Of course, I thought that was the best way to prevent pulling. But, I learned later in life it is not, and in fact, can damage the thorax and thyroid.
There is no shame in not knowing something, or thinking we know, but learning there are better ways and embracing those ways. We all start somewhere, and we all grow both in mind and body. Who I was at 20 is not who I am today... I'm not telling you how old now! Pawsitive Impact will not shame families in need, families who surrender, or families who have used aversives or are currently using them. We will educate (hopefully not sound like a jerk when we do it... I tend to, I have been told. But, it's never how I mean to come across!) and be kind.
Dog Nerds For Life
