As soon as I saw the headline I had to see what the article was all about I mean who wouldn't want to learn more about the First Dog. Not that he is the first dog to ever live in the White House and far from the biggest animal to live inside of its walls either. Its just fun to know more about such a famous dog and we think he is pretty cute too!
I thought it was even more interesting that the article was not some kind of press release but real true honest information about the first dog and his personality from his trainers point of view. I wish the article would have talked more about Bo's life in the White House and what an average day looks like for him. Oh and by the way for those who don't know Bo has his very own Blog Obama Dog Blog.
Sylvia-Stasiewicz talked with The Republic from the home she shares with two dogs and two parrots in Hume, Va.
You can download your free trading card or, mail your request to: Bo Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
Question: How did you come to train the Obamas' dog, Bo?
Answer: First, I always knew him as Charlie. He had a previous home, but the family's older dog didn't get along with him.
Q: How did he come to you?
A: I had worked with the Kennedy family about 13 years ago when they were looking for their first Portuguese water dog and Vicki (Victoria Kennedy) was trying to find a home for Charlie. She wanted me to see where he'd be best suited, in a home with little children or adults or what.
Q: Were you nervous about training the first dog?
A: I didn't know he was going to be the first dog. Vicki . . . wanted me to evaluate him and his temperament, to take him around in different environments and see how he did. I didn't find out where he was going until shortly before he left me. So I wasn't nervous at all.
Q: Was Charlie trained when he came to you?
A: He had some basics but was a little rough. He was on verbals (spoken commands), but I like to get a dog on hand signals. They're non-verbal animals, so when they're watching you, you know you have their attention.
Q: Was Charlie a good pupil?
A: Charlie is a great dog, an excellent dog with a nice temperament.
Q: No bad habits? Was he a chewer?
A: No. Chewing is a natural doggie activity. It's not like they can sit back and read the paper. (Puppies) need something to do. And that's the beauty of training. It's mentally stimulating for the dogs, which they need as much as physical stimulation.
Q: Is it true that training a dog is really about training the owners?
A: The dog is only as good as the owner. If the owner isn't committed to working with a dog and changing its behavior, all I've done is a waste of time. There's no magic potion. It's work. But positive reinforcement makes it fun.
Q: Did you work with President and Mrs. Obama? Or was it just with the kids?
A: I worked directly with all the members of the family, including their staff. Everybody has to be on the same page with the training and hand signals.
Q: Were the Obamas good students?
A: I'm not privileged to say, but it was obvious that Charlie was a blessing to their home. He's a very likable dog and (the Obamas) just fell in love with him.
Q: Who picks up his droppings on the White House lawn?
A: I truly don't know. They have groundskeepers. Everyone who's in contact with him probably cleans up.
Q: Were you nervous when you met the Obamas?
A: No. I just wanted to make sure Charlie was going to be as well-behaved in their home as he was in mine.
Q: You're the founder of Merit Puppy Training. What is that?
A: It's positive reinforcement, focusing on the good things a dog does, rather that putting on a choke collar and correcting him for bad behavior. With positive reinforcement, it's food and toys, anything a dog likes can be a reward. You don't have to get into that whole alpha-dog, leader-of-the-pack, dogs-must-be-submissive thing. Dogs are not wolves. We don't have to do physical dominance to make a dog understand the relationships in the house. We can do that with praise and treats.
If you happen to have nothing to do tonight and live in the area there is a book signing and question and answer session (well behaved dogs are allowed to attend with their owners!) "The Love That Dog Training Program
by: Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz
When: 7 p.m., Nov. 10.
Where: Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe.
Admission: Free. Her book, "The Love That Dog Training Program," is $23.95.
Details: 480-730-0205, changinghands.com.
For the entire article you can ad more: http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/events/articles/2010/11/05/20101105bo-obamas-trainer-dawn-sylvia-stasiewicz-changing-hands-bookstore-tempe.html#ixzz14uo8NJzI