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Guidance
One of our deepest beliefs has been inspired by Native American teaching: "Nobody can own other living beings, whether they are human or animal." Just like we can't own the life force of the ocean, of the trees or of the land itself. What we can do is share our own life force with them and enjoy them through that sharing.
Our Western culture has for centuries promoted the belief that nature exists only for our benefit and exploitation and that humanity is somehow better than the rest of creation. Lately it has become ever more clear that this is a fatal belief, leading to the various natural disasters and new illnesses.
More and more, people realize that we have placed ourselves outside of nature, relegated to the role of observer instead of participant. The animals in our lives, especially the dogs, are one of our few remaining links with nature. Through our relationships with our dogs we can heal that wound of isolation.
The connection we achieve with our animals is in some ways much deeper than in any human relationship. Only in front of our animals can we be totally natural, express all of our emotions without the fear of being judged. Only they accept us for who we are, without any thought for the human qualifiers of sex, race, education, job status, religion or money. This complete acceptance reminds us on the deepest level of what it is like to be part of nature.
As human companions dogs need guidance. This guidance can take different shapes; we can treat dogs in the same way we have treated the rest of nature and try to dominate and control them. Tools of the trade are the alpha shake down and pull down and other physical means of control. The mindset that goes with this training method is one where we "own" our "pets" and "discipline" them to follow our "commands". We are their "masters".
At "On the Trail" we like to work with a dog's mind and intellect rather than fight with their bodies. The animals are acknowledged as friends and companions, as teachers in their own right as much as students. It is all about communication and understanding, taking the individual differences of each dog and it's human into concideration.
In our classes we focus on those different ways to communicate with our dogs, allowing them the physical and mental space to be who they are - usually leading to big improvements in quality of life, not only for the dog but also for the partnership between human and dog. Our approach takes into account the differences between the individual dogs; there is no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" approach.
It is a challenge to all of our students to expand their mindset and to see beyond the generally accepted concepts in human-animal interaction. One that will reward you with a connection to nature that we as a race have lost long ago, but that we as individuals can reclaim. A connection that we must reclaim if we wish to continue living on this planet.
Integral Awareness Program
The goal of this program is to expose you as the handler to a variety of aspects that are all integral parts of the dog. By doing so we give you the tools to integrate a much more deeply developed awareness of the amazing potential of being a dog in today’s world.
This program consists of 6 classes:
Class 1 is a one-on-one session with Frans, in which we try to get to the underlying reasons behind certain behaviour. We will give you ways to work together with the dog on adjusting any ”wrong” behaviour, through effective communication and simple methods that will allow the dog to choose the “right” behaviour. These methods are far removed from the traditional reward and punishment approach and will take a certain level of open mindedness and a basic respect for the dog from you.
Class 2 and 3 take place in a group setting, where the dog gets involved in a group of well-socialized working dogs. Pack behaviour is the key ingredient, while the dog will pick up some initial tracking structure. These classes greatly enhance the dog’s self confidence while you get to see how dogs communicate amongst each other – it’ll be an eye-opener!
Class 4 is a private consult with Tara. She will address the effects of nutrition and allopathic health care on our animals and offer alternatives. If you have never been exposed to Traditional Chinese Medicine or Herbalism this class may well change your and your animals’ life – in a very positive way.
Class 5 and 6 are again group sessions. Now you get the chance to integrate what you have learned and translate that into a real partnership with your dog.
Since our training focuses on inter-species understanding we refer to it as "Integral Awareness".
We hope to help you incorporate your own unique version of Integral Awareness into your relationships with animals, either in our weekly classes or during our Integral Awareness Programs .
Please Contact Us for details.