PDTE Newsletter January 2021

Founded in 1998
by Turid Rugaas
www.pdte.eu
PDTE
PET DOG TRAINERS OF EUROPE
NEWSLETTER
January 2021

‘The only way to conquer fear is to give the dog choices.’
PDTE President Turid Rugaas
Turid Rugaas Lisbeth Borg de Waard Katja Werner
Peter Botsch Audrey Doornbos Patrick Visser
PDTE board
President
Turid Rugaas
turidrug@frisurf.no
Chair
Lisbeth Borg de Waard
lisbeth@de-waard.com
Membership Secretary
Katja Werner
pdtesecretary@gmail.com
Treasurer
Peter Botsch
pdtetreasurer@gmail.com
Board Member & Editor
Audrey Doornbos
editorpdte@gmail.com
Board Back-up
Patrick Visser
kanepat2017@gmail.com
www.pdte.eu
pdteinfo@gmail.com
Pet Dog Trainers of Europe
The Pet Dog Trainers of Europe (PDTE) was founded
in 1998 by Norwegian dog expert Turid Rugaas, who
has been at the forefront of canine communication for
many years.
We have members all around the globe, allowing us to
share knowledge, experience and skills. Our members
share a philosophy and approach that honours dogs
and our connection to them.
We oppose methods that cause pain and discomfort or
rob dogs of their natural instincts. We believe understanding
how dogs view the world and communicate
deepens and enhances our relationships with them.
​
Our members uphold a strict Code of Ethics and are
encouraged to commit to ongoing learning through our
networks and programs.
Our mission
To build an accessible, dynamic community of dog
professionals who promote progressive and ethical
approaches towards dogs and their humans.
Our vision
A world in which dogs are understood, respected and
treated with kindness and empathy.
Next Newsletter will
be published March/April
2021.
The deadline for submissions
for the next issue is
15 March 2021.
Please send your photos,
articles or ideas you want
to share to:
editorpdte@gmail.com
Photo credits
Cover
Kane & Donut - Patrick Visser
Centerfold
Dogs from Jonas Thulin
Accompanying articles
Members of PDTE
New email address?
Changes in your personal
data?
Please send an email to:
pdtesecretary@gmail.com
2 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

President’s message
IN THIS
ISSUE
President’s message 3
Editor’s message 4
NEW PDTE BOARD 4
HAIR AND COAT FACTS 5
by Kirsty Grant
SOCIAL WALKS 6
Double joy or double trouble?
by Turid Rugaas
Dear members and friends,
This past year has been turbulent and strange in so many ways.
It is now getting close to the end and we should leave all kinds of
trouble and problems behind and start the new year with new and
blank sheets.
We might drag along the COVID-19 for a while yet, but will get over
it with vaccines and other helping tools.
We will also start with new PDTE Board Members and new ideas.
We learnt a lot from the successful online Summit and all together
the big changes we have gone through should have made us wiser
and stronger.
I do hope all of you have had a lovely Christmas time and I wish
you a very good new year.
New chances, maybe also new challenges, but definitely new possibilities
for learning and developing.
ON QUALITY OF 8
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
OWNER AND DOG
by Dave Brunner
DOG SYMPOSIUM 2020 12
An interview with Jennie Harvey
by Audrey Doornbos
SLOW GRIEF 20
by Laura Dobb
Country Representatives 27
New Members 28
Let the new year be the great learning year for all of us.
Turid
President of PDTE
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
3

Editor’s message
I really tried to get the Newsletter
done before Christmas or at least
before the end of 2020, but I had to
(thanks Laura Dobb ;)) - get myself
in the Slow Dog Movement mode.
Not only do you need to take care
of your dog and his or her needs,
never forget about your own.
The Code of Ethics also says one should
not practice in a professional capacity
when they are not in a fit mental or physical
state...
My battery is charged up again and I’m
happy to present this issue of the PDTE
Newsletter.
The next one is planned to be out in
March/April. And I, as always, would love
to receive your input!
• breed studies
• centerfold photos
• case studies
Jane Goodall said at the Online Summit
we should never stop telling stories
since they might inspire others. So I was
thinking of introducing a new topic for
the Newsletter: Short stories - a day in
your dog’s life.
We all love to talk about our dogs, what
they do and how they do it and what
they learn. So let’s start sharing those
stories!
Enjoy reading!
Audrey Doornbos
Editor PDTE
NEW PDTE BOARD
Lisbeth Borg de Waard - Chair
Based in Norway, I am a dog trainer and
behaviourist. I own and run a training
school and also teach locally and abroad
on a variety of subjects. Also have I written
a book about instruction methods
for dog trainers.
I founded Innlandet Hundesenter in
2012 and have been working full time
with dogs since 2013. I attended my first
course with Turid Rugaas in 2003 and in
between I attended a lot of courses and
seminars, as well as working with the
local dog club.
I’ve gained tons of experience by adopting
several dogs. At most I had 8 dogs
with different behavioural issues. This
experience has been invaluable to me!
Katja Werner - Membership
Secretary
After completing the International Dog
Trainer Education by Turid Rugaas, I
have been working as a dog trainer in
the QimmiQ Lodge (www.qimmiq-lodge.
de) in Germany with dogs and their owners
since 2015. In addition to individual
and tracking training, I work in the dog
day care centre during the day.
Being a member of the PDTE is like
coming home! You can always find a
committed member listening if you have
any questions or need support.
I am very much looking forward to fulfill
the role as Membership Secretary. If you
have questions, please do not hestitate
to ask me.
Patrick Visser - Board Backup
In 2017 I did the International Dog
Trainer Education by Turid Rugaas.
One weekend Anne Lill Kvam introduced
us to nosework and I got very enthusiastic
about it. In 2019 I did her Nosework
Education.
My girlfriend Hannah and I run a business:
DogBehavior and HorseRehab
which focuses on understanding the
relationship and communication between
humans and dogs and horses.
Trust and confidence are very important.
As Board-Backup I will support the other
Board Members wherever I can and
needed. PDTE is an organization I value
very much and Turid’s way of teaching
needs to be continued.
Naturally I appreciate Turid Rugaas’
teachings and ideas. I believe we can
achieve more change working together
as a group towards common goals, and
the PDTE is for me the only organization
that fits my own beliefs about how we
should train and treat our dogs.
4 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

HAIR AND COAT FACTS
by Kirsty Grant - part of the blog post on her website www.the-dog-nose.com: A Knotty Problem - stress and the groomers
Hair is a filament that is grown from a mini organ under the skin surface
called a hair follicle. These are also a repository for the stem cells which
manage the repair and regeneration of the skin layers.
Dogs have compound follicles which means that each one can produce
several hairs at the same time. The coat is the name given to the mass of
hair covering the body.
The coat has several important functions
Protection from
• Rain
• Sun
• Wind
• Thorns and vegetation
• Bites from other animals
• Insect bites and stings
• Impact trauma and cushioning
Insulation
Trapping air close to the skin as part of
the thermoregulatory system.
Visual communication
• Piloerection (commonly described as
raising the hackles)
• Camouflage
I am just going to talk about the two
main types of hair that make up the coat,
but there are also a small number of
tactile whiskers found mostly around the
face. These are thick, stiff and banded
hairs which are surrounded at their base
by a cluster of nerve cells that transmit
sensory information back to the brain.
Down is the undercoat or secondary
coat, these hairs are finer, softer and
often kinked. Their job is to trap tiny
pockets of air inside the coat and provide
cushioning.
Guard hairs are thicker, glossier, straight
and longer, their job is provide a sturdy
waterproof covering over the top.
These are the hairs that are raised in
piloerection.
Growth cycles
The rate of growth, life span and shed of
hair is controlled by:
• Genetics
• Temperature
• Nutrition
• Stress
• Sex
• Medications
• Hormones • Health
• Age
• Grooming
• Daylight hours • Friction or injury
Life cycles
Hair has a life cycle that is divided up into
4 main stages and a fifth being a relatively
recent term.
Anagen - Growth
This is when new hair is grown. Dogs
such as Poodles, Bichons, Maltese Terriers
spend most of their time in anagen.
Poodle hairs spend around 98% of their
lifespan in anagen.
Catagen - Regressing
The growth is stopped and the outer root
sheath attaches to the hair shaft.
Telogen - Rest
The hair remains stable. For most coats
this is the longest phase. Cold climate
breeds such as the Nordics can spend
several years in this phase enabling them
to conserve energy rather than expending
it on continuing to regrow new coat.
Exogen - Shedding
The hair falls out and the follicle moves
back into an anagen phase. This is affected
by seasonal and temperature changes
but also by health factors.
Kenogen - empty
This is a hair follicle that has passed
through exogen but remains empty for a
time before moving back into anagen.
Down hairs generally work on a six
monthly cycle, a denser crop for the
winter months and a lighter one for the
summer. Just like changing out your
winter and summer duvets.
Guard hairs have a lifespan of several
years. Some are shorter, some are
longer but all are subject to environmental
pressures.
Follicles are at different stages all over
the body for the very good reason that if
you did all your shedding in one go you
would be cold, wet, naked, and vulnerable
for a few weeks and would have
to expend a huge amount of energy on
regrowing all the necessary coat. To put
into perspective, some 30% of a dogs
nutritional intake is spent on hair.
References
Monika M. Welle, Dominique J. Wiener, 2016, The
Hair Follicle: A Comparative Review of Canine Hair
Follicle Anatomy and Physiology
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
5

SOCIAL WALKS
Double joy or double trouble?
by Turid Rugaas
Dogs are born to be social. They suffer when they do not live a social life
and it is our duty to give them that possibility, being together with people,
but also with dogs.
A lot of people know this and social groups pop up like mushrooms and
everything is called social activity whether it is or not. Just stop for a
minute and think: When do you feel social and having a good relationship
with somebody? Being with a friend or in the middle of a huge crowd?
Dogs are very much alike us. We have
the same brain, the same emotions, the
same reactions. Too much before we are
ready for it will only create fear, helplessness,
and all kind of negative reactions. It
is the same with dogs who will easily get
in defense mood, get stressed or shut
down when things get too much.
Therefore we start with care, letting the
dog having a chance of learning to be
social in a calm way, by being with one
other dog and having the time to observe
and learn to be polite. The better
he is with one dog at a time, learning
the skills of communication and polite
behaviour, the better he will later cope
with other dogs and situations.
Starting with the puppy or very young
dog is always best. Let the puppy meet
an adult nice dog - nobody will be better
as a role model. As he grows up let him
meet different dogs. Different ages,
sizes and breeds, but one at a time. That
will widen his horizon and make him
confident in being social with all kinds of
dogs.
The more careful we are with a gentle
start, the more confident he gets, and if
he has learnt he can do it, he will build
that self confidence he needs later.
Puppies must also meet puppies their
own size ans age and play a little, but
only short, maybe 5-10 minutes, and the
walks are also short of course.
If you have an adult “not-so-social” dog,
you can still start with social walks.
Find another dog to take walks with.
Walking parallel with distance enough
for them to be sufficiently calm, looking
at each other, sniff and explore, and be
able to observe each other and learn
about each other.
6 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

The walk itself
When you have found another dog to
walk with, you plan where you are going
to walk. Find an area with space around,
so you can walk parallel, and have space
to see early what is approaching. Industrial
areas, parking lots, school yards,
fields. There are plenty of possibilities if
you look around.
You agree to meet at a certain place
and if you arrive in cars, just park a little
away from each other so the dogs do
not jump out of the car into the other
dog’s face.
The rule is that walking out of a door,
into a new area, out of the car and so on,
you stay calmly with the dog and just let
him look around for 20 seconds or so,
and then start the walk.
Do not distract him with talking, commanding,
or pulling him. Just be quiet
and let the dog observe the surroundings
calmly. Then the start is the best,
and he will learn so much better, faster
and more efficiently.
Treats?
No. It only distracts the dog from what
we want him to learn: be social with the
other dog. No treats, no talking to him,
no commanding - it will only distract
him.
The people present can talk with each
other, so do that. It might keep you from
distracting the dog! And the dog knows
the difference. But do observe him. It is
up to you if he is going to have optimal
possibilities to learn.
Social walks is the most important
activity you can do with your dog. You do
not need to do anything else, especially
if you walk different places with different
mental stimulation for the senses.
Be sure that they never play a lot and
create a lot of exitement that can easily
turn into harassment. They walk on
leashes calmly till they are calm and
polite with each other. It depends on
the dogs when they can be free on the
walks.
Walk slowly
If the dog is medium or small size you
have to walk VERY slowly, and in any
case so slow that your dog walks and
does not have to run. Look at your dog
and be sure of the movements. If he is
trotting more than a few steps you walk
too fast.
Why ?
Because if you walk too fast:
1. he must concentrate on following you
and cannot take the time to observe
and learn
2. he will get quickly tired, and in many
cases - too many - start to feel muscle
pain, getting tired, and then getting
more irritable and stressed. That is
when so called overreactions appear;
barking, lunging, and so on.
So slow down, walk relaxed, loose leash
- and if your dog explores, sniffs, looks
at the other dog and seem to be relaxed,
then he will learn something from the
walk.
The leash
Be sure the leash is loose, and that
means it needs to be long enough, otherwise
it gets tight at the first step. Do
not pull the dog at any point.
How long and how often?
Walk like that - short in the beginning,
maybe 10 minutes, not more. The dog
will get very, very tired from the concentration.
Then just go home and let him
rest. The walk can get longer each time
you meet.
Meeting 2-3 times a week is great. If it is
less it is still helpfull. And then the walks
can become longer, but only gradually,
and maybe walk with another dog.
Then after a while you can have more
dogs together, but only when you see
his social skills are good, the dog using
calming signals and responding to other
dogs using them. And if he feels relaxed
with it, and seems to enjoy it. If he does
not behave politely, he is not ready for
a bigger group yet.
This activity alone will make your dog a
social, polite dog who might never get
any problems. It is worth the work and
the consideration you put into it.
But do it more or less right, otherwise
the social walk with too much excitement,
too long, with too many dogs in
the beginning, can easily turn into double
trouble instead of double joy.
Happy walking!
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
7

by Dave Brunner
ON QUALITY
OF RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN OWNER
AND DOG
High quality relationship between the owner and the dog are important for many reasons.
For one reason, as research has shown in the last years, a good relationship to the dog is a
major factor whether or not a dog adapts well to its environment and will display unwanted
or dangerous behaviours. For another reason, humans have become a dog's ecological
niche and thus are important for a dog's behaviour and well-being.
Because a high-quality relationship between us and our dogs is so vital, it is time to look
for variables that have effect on this relationship. In this post, I will refer to factors proven
important that have been published in books by Silke Wechsung, psychologist, and Udo
Ganslosser, university lecturer, both draw on research.
The Psychological View on Relationship
Silke Wechsung, psychologist, did a study on the relationship
of dog owners and their dogs and, based upon this, published
a book. What she found was that neither the place you live
in, countryside versus city, nor your previous experience with
dogs has a major effect on your relationship with your dog.
Instead, the time you spend actively with your dog, your communication
skills, how supportive you are to your dog and how
you govern the dog are decisive.
How Supportive Are You?
Dog owners who take time showing the dog the world and
giving the dog the freedom to discover the environment in a
positive and constructive way, so the dog is enabled to gain
new experiences and behaviour and mental skills to actively
cope with challenges in the world are found to have high-quality
of relationship with their dogs.
Means to achieve this are, for instance, scent gardens where
you arrange many stimuli the dog can explore.
Shared Time with Your Dog
Dog owners who have been identified as having a good quality
of relationship with the dog spent a considerable lot of time
with the dog and don't leave the dog at home for a long period
of time. These dog owners organise the time spent with the
dog actively and do often things together with the dog, like
playing, doing trick training, while being deft at finding out the
activities the dog loves to do most, how to make the dog happy
and to promote these. It is shown that these dog owners give
the dog enough time to rest and adjust the activities to the
dog's needs.
Communication Skills
It has been shown that dog owners with good relationships to
their dogs use different channels of communication in their
interaction with the dog. They use body language, facial expressions
as well as verbal sounds and short words to communicate
with their dog. The reason they understand each other
well is because the owners are capable of communicating on
eye level with the dog.
8 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

Dog Dog Encounters
Dog owners that have a good relationship with their dogs
are recognisable by how they manage dog encounters. They
observe the dogs and stop the interaction in cases where one
bullies the other, or aggressive behaviours emerge. They participate
actively in the dog-dog encounter and help the dogs to
interact agreeably and in a supportive manner.
Forging the Dog's World
Dogs who live in a high-quality relationship with their owners
have clear rules as to what is OK and what is banned, while
they have a lot of freedom to be dog. While these owners ask
their dogs to heed a minimum of rules, the owners are understanding
and adjust the rules to the dog's needs and personality;
they don't overwhelm their dogs nor squash the dog.
Rather, the house rules serve to maintain good cooperation.
Feeding Regime
Dog owners with poor relationships with their dogs are found
to feed their dog for they feel guilty of not having much time
for the dog, as a simple way of activating the dog at low time
cost, as a way of expressing love and fondness (while not
respecting a dog's needs), and some enjoy the dependence a
dog has to the owner when it comes to food. In the end, dogs
of people with low-quality relationships are more obese than
others.
A Biological View on Relationship
Let me turn to what biology has to say about relationships. I
build upon what Udo Ganslosser, university lecturer in biology,
has published in his books. Important factors in relationships
are attraction, availability, reliability and tolerability.
Be Attractive
Seen as a market economy, having access to resources such as
sleeping places, safety, food, water, social exchange, grooming
and other, the owner is attractive to the dog. Dogs have settled
down near humans because of their resources and the comfort
the niche provided, and this has continued until today. If we
are capable of giving our dog a safe place to make a living and
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
9

BREED STUDY INFORMATION
A returning topic in the Newsletter. This way we can create a database of PDTE
approved descriptions of breeds.
During Turid Rugaas’ International Dog
Trainer Education all student must write
several breed studies. So we know there
are a lot ‘out there’!
The goal is to have at least two breed
studies in each Newsletter, but let’s be
honest... the more we can submit, the
quicker we can create the database!
You will be able to download them
from the members section on the PDTE
website.
A fixed format is designed in order to fit
on one page.
So please send in your breed studies -
maybe rewrite them a bit so they fit the
format - to: editorpdte@gmail.com
Words 550-590 (no more, no less)
Topics • History
• General appearance
• Characteristics
• How to share life
• Care
Photo • high resolution,
• sideways (landscape)
10 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

fulfilling a dog's needs, we are attractive to this dog. If we fail to
do so, like when we push our dogs around, take things away all
the time, have no or little time for our dogs, we are not attractive
to our dogs and the dog will go look for a better place to
live if possible, i.e. the dog could wander off.
our environment and our social partners follow some rules
we can foresee and trust. If persons and things are changing
all the time, the dog is urged to readjust all the time and thus
doesn't come to rest. Soon the dog's cortisol-stress system will
be firing throughout.
Be Available
On a market, there are other persons who have access to
resources a dog wishes to posses or to live with. This means
it isn't sufficient to be human and to own dog. We compete
with other humans. This isn't necessarily bad because we are
not complete and cannot offer everything to a dog. So it might
well be that a friend of ours or a family member is better at
playing with the dog, or has a nice cat that our dog loves to
be with. Many adult people have a tendency to suppress their
emotions, even when interacting with a dog. For dogs, it is
usually normal and important to convey feelings and intentions
through different channels. As explained earlier, people with
good relationships with their dogs are capable of adapting their
communication to the dog and be on eye level. If you fail to
do so, the dog could wish someone else who fits more. Some
people feel insulted by this. So we have to invest in our dog in
order to build a relationship, it isn't for free, nor for granted.
Be Reliable
When it comes to stress, major factors are predictability,
influenceability and the extent of stress. For dogs as well as for
ourself, it is vital to foresee upcoming events and to have some
control over it, at least to some degree. If we aren't reliable to
our dogs, the dogs cannot trust us. If we disappear all of a sudden,
as some experts still recommend when it comes to separation
distress, or if we change the rules daily depending on
our current whim, we aren't reliable to our dogs. It is vital that
Be Tolerable
If two partners don't understand each other and don't get
along well, the relationship will suffer. That's why it's crucial
to be careful with the choice you make with your dog. If you
acquire a dog the behaviour of which is annoying you all day,
your relationship will suffer, you will spend less time and
respond angrily more quickly and more often. Reversely, if you
bother your dog all day, disturb him at sleep, ask for commands
the dog doesn't like to perform, ask the dog to move on
when sniffing out a spot, take away the full bowl, and on and
on, your dog will get stressed and unhappy, and a cross dog is
more likely to respond in an aggressive manner.
Conclusions
As I have shown, there are factors that are known and proven
to have major effects on relationship and what the relationship
will end up like. With this knowledge, we can deliberately work
for the better on the relationship with our dog and check for
improvements. By this, we can help our dog get along well with
our and his world, to have a good well-being and we can contribute
our part to a harmonious together with other persons
and animals in our world, and have a good time with our dogs.
References
Silke Wechsung, 2010, Die Psychologie der Mensch-Hund Beziehung, Cadmos
Udo Ganslosser, 2018, Welpenerziehung, Filander
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
11

DOG SYMPOSIUM 2020
An interview with Jennie Harvey
by Audrey Doornbos
The 7 th and final edition of the Dog Symposium Oslo
was held from 7-8 March 2020. Two days filled with
interesting speakers of which you can find the reports
on www.dogsymposium.no
In the July issue of the Newsletter we published an
interview with Dr. W. Jean Dodds.
This time an interview with Jennie Harvey who gave
an inspiring presentation: Snuffle Garden projects in
Australia.
On Sunday the 8th of March I sat down in the lobby of the
Quality Hotel Olavsgaard in Oslo with Jennie Harvey from
Australia to talk about the sensory and snuffle garden project
she runs: the Busselton Snuffle Garden Project.
Hi Jennie, you gave a very, very inspiring and interesting presentation
I would like to know some more about.
Thank you.
Whereabouts in Australia are you from?
Busselton. It’s a small town on the west coast of Australia. It’s in
the Margaret River wine area.
How did you get the idea to start this project?
I came over to Germany in 2012 to listen to my first Turid’s two
day course, and she was talking about one of her student’s,
Carolin Regar, final project, and that was on snuffle gardens
in Germany and the concept of swapping yards to stimulate
our dogs. I had a very long flight home. Nothing much to think
about other than snuffle gardens. And that’s where it started.
How nice! During your presentation you mentioned benefits for
dogs and humans. Can you just name a few?
For dogs, they can have a chance to be curious in a safe environment.
For humans, they have the chance to have the pleasure
of seeing their dog sniff and be relaxed and also feel safe
that they’re in a safe environment, that they’re not going to
have another dog run up to their dog, that their dog’s not going
to run away, that they’re completely safe. And that is actually
priceless for an anxious or nervous owner.
You also mentioned parking the car close to the garden.
Why is that?
The philosophy of the garden is to lower the blood pressure,
the pulse rate of the human and the dog.
We, Elisabeth or myself, never get the dogs out of the car
because it’s quite invasive in an enclosed
space. So the owner always gets the dog
out. The dog is on a harness and a lead.
When they get out, they’re just looking
for something to sniff or something to
do. And if it’s 10, 20 meters away, they’re
going to dart towards something. But if
your parking is in the area that you’re
going to start working in, the dog only
takes a few steps and he’ll start sniffing.
The dog’s and the owner’s heart rate can
start to slow down. Then I can take the
lead from the owner and then we can
start on the way we want to continue
rather than have a dog get out of the car
and become anxious or jumpy and then
racing 50 meters to an item and dragging
the owner. That’s not a great setup.
So you always start with taking the lead
from the owner, of course, with their
consent?
Yeah, yeah. We never used to, but we
found it’s a lot better and kinder on the
owner if we can take the lead, it takes
the pressure off.
Most dogs that come in for a one-onone,
there’s a back story. Owners normally
hold on to the lead and say:
“... I don’t know what he’s going to do
12 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

and da da da da da...” But now you may still get the stories,
but if the owner hasn’t got the lead, they’re not transferring it
to the dog.
So, yes, we always do that first. We do give the lead back once
the dog and owner s tart to relax. Or some owners might take
four or five sessions before they want to take the lead. They
prefer just to walk, talk and watch.
Lets Walk
Committed to helping owners improve
the wellbeing of their dog and
explore new experiences with them.
And they have better concentration to listen to what you tell them
and they can observe their own dog and you having the lead and
handling the lead.
Absolutely. We teach the owners what the dog is actually doing,
so body language. Secondly we always teach lead skills, how to
manage a long lead. The third thing that we teach is to notice
what your dog actually likes. And that’s much easier when
they’re not on the end of the lead and worrying about what I
will think.
Lets Learn
Up-to-date articles, posters and blogs
on topics including social walking with
your dog, stress in our canine friends,
and how to fulfill your dog’s sniffing
needs, as well as some fabulous
interviews.
Do you also do behavior consultations or is it part of it?
Sometimes if it’s a paying client rather than a community based
client. We might start in the garden and build the client’s and
dog’s confidence up. Then I go with them to streetwalking and
we find appropriate environments and then we just build it
up from there. It’s a good foundation for behavior education.
There’s so much you can do in the garden one on one. When
the person feels safe and relaxed they can learn; you can build
the setting for both the dog and client to feel secure. Safety is a
big thing for both human and dog. Especially if they’ve got a big
history of dog fight, dog attack or being pulled over.
Lets Snuffle
The Busselton Snuffle Garden Project
is designed to meet one of your dog’s
most basic needs - sniffing and scenting
to explore new surroundings.
And do you explain what you’re doing and what the purpose of the
garden is before you invite the client with their dog? Do you have,
like a theoretical evening talk?
No, I don’t have a theoretical evening talk, but that is a really
good idea. I only have a phone conversation with them. And,
you know, I can’t give too much information.
I do say: “You’re gonna drive up here, You’re going to see a
yellow sign and that’s where I want you to park your car.
From that moment on you’re going to get the dog out of the
car and I’m going to do X, Y and Z.” So they know that much.
And then we’re going to walk, anything from there on we’ll see
what happens.
Then I tell them: “The gate is shut, you are safe, there are no
other dogs in this area. If we hear any rustling (editor: snakes
are common in this area) we’re going to move away. If you
don’t feel comfortable, you’re just going to tell me. If your dog
doesn’t feel comfortable, he’s going to tell me.” By the time we
got through that, you can see the dog starting to relax and I say
to the client: “Whatever he does, he’s going to be OK.”
Lets Listen
Join dog owners and dog trainers
at education sessions by leading
Australian and international speakers.
And the other thing is we will be talking and in my format of
teaching, I will sometimes stop the conversation and say” Look
what Charlie’s doing now. Look how much he’s enjoying that.
Wow, do you see his body language?” Even if the dog is not
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
13

being inquisitive or I’ve got some concerns, I avoid, at the start,
pointing them out. I try to focus on the positive things they are
doing. So we go less of the negative conversation and more
focus on what the dog is actually doing right.
And that contributes to the safety feeling as well, right?
Yes, it’s part of the neuroplasticity. With one owner I asked her
to come and tell me what her dog was doing. We had like five
sessions before she got the lead and once she got the lead she
got nervous and I said: “Okay, so you’re in the driver’s seat, tell
me what your dog is doing. Verbalize it for me.”
It keeps it present, in focus, but it’s in a positive way. It is reinforcing
when they’re actually seeing it and they can not ‘unsee’
what they are seeing. And the story of their past goes and they
are just creating new pathways and not using the old pathways.
At the beginning we have to go through the process of the old
pathways. But we gradually drop the seeds of this new way.
The garden itself, what is in there to sniff and be curious about?
There’s a lot of junk! But to my partner in the project, Elizabeth
who’s the creative director and the curator of all treasures, it’s
works of art. So she collects and recycles or upcycles a lot of
stuff from the rubbish dump. And we’ve got everything from
smelly carpets to animal fleeces to children’s toys. Things out
of the ocean. We have a wide collection of stuff!
So actually you bring in all of what the world may present.
Yes, and then when we bring it in, we might think it’s fantastic
and it’s going to be a winner. But there’s been a number of
times that we’ve put stuff in and have it ‘tested’ by our dog
called Chase and he gives it a once over. And he if he says: “No
I’m not interested in it”, I can guarantee that nine out of ten
dogs that can pass won’t be interested in any of them.
Ahh, so Chase is really in charge?
Yes, and it’s a very important job. Actually now, after eight
years, we finally listen to him! And he does save us a lot of
time.
As Turid always says: “Dogs don’t lie!”
Yes, yes and we should listen to our dog. They know what they
like. Sometimes I will think I’ve found the best thing and I’ve
outdone Elizabeth and it’s going to be the feature of the yard,
but no...
While you think it’s going to be a competition between you and
Elizabeth, Chase will tell you it’s useless.
Yes! “Sorry girls, it’s useless.” He’ll burst my bubble every time.
About the items you have in the garden. They have different
heights and surfaces, different structures. Can you tell us some
more about that?
It is to get the dogs to move as naturallyand in a wide range
of movements as we can get them to do without instructing
them to do. So we put some things up and if they’re comfortable
they can stretch up, we put things
left, right, and we put items around that
are unstable under their feet or different
surfaces. It basically goes along the
TellingtonTouch principles and the dogs
have to actually concentrate and be
present. For a dog to whom the outside
world is all too scary, when he’s got to
concentrate where his feet are, it slows
him down and brings him in. And that’s
another aspect of the garden.
But it needs to be realistic, so the dog
doesn’t get frustrated and they need
to have a choice to not do it as well!
It is not a training session, it’s not an
agility course.
Choices... The two main pillars, I think,
Turid teaches: choices and curiosity.
Yeah, anything that promotes curiosity,
to encourage curiosity is really great.
And then choices builds confidence. Like
the dog Dora on the triplex board on
the fleeces. She had choices whether
she went up or not, and then she got
the courage to actually do it. Or George
having the choice to go in the ‘jacuzzi’
and once in he had to work out himself,
how to get out. It’s really empowering.
And you can just see the dog’s growing
confidence.
And that’s where people tend to butt in and
think they need to tell the dog how to do it
and start distracting by tapping and luring
and talking and pulling the lead.
Oh yes! But is was really, really good for
that owner to see the dog. For her to be
empowered, just what a great job she
did. George got out all by himself and
literally you could see in his face how
proud he was. And she was too because
she didn’t step in over-mothering and
micro-managing the situation. She felt
very, very empowered for that.
It wasn’t long after that she started
walking on the streets on her own and
she’s really proud that she could choose
the right location and how much George
is sniffing.
The other thing that we always ask is:
“Let us know when the dog goes home,
how much he sleeps afterwards.” It’s just
for the owner to be aware how relaxed
the dogs are when they get home.
14 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

How long does a session in the garden last?
The human is the time factor. Until
they get their confidence. For the dogs,
sniffing is quite exhausting. So we do
20 minutes at the most and you’ve
always got to stop before the dog has
had too much. You don’t want to overdo
it because you take away the positive
sensation that your dog is feeling.
We often stop at one of the quirky chairs
set up and have 20 minutes of just
sitting and then the dogs just relax on
the ground. So they learning to be calm
when they’re out. And that’s when we
do a lot of chatting with the human, and
education. We then might do 10 more
minutes and that leads to the car. So the
dog and owner are feeling they’re not
exhausted, they’re not wound up, they’re
not overtired, they get in the car and
they can go home.
At the beginning I was doing too much like having a one hour
session and I would use the whole hour of sniffing and the
dogs were exhausted. But we found when they learn to relax
in the middle they were fine. And that’s a really good life skill to
carry on with.
In between it’s a calming session actually.
Yeah. If the dog goes home too tired,
you’re defeating the purpose. People
tend to do too much.
If people read this interview and they love the idea, how do they
start a project like this?
You have a look at the needs of your community. And have a
look at the spaces that are available in your community. Both
of ours are at home in backyards, and we’re fortunate to both
have a little bit of land. But with that comes some problems of
privacy and having people coming to your backyard.
So I think you need to have a discussion out loud with somebody
else of what your community wants, what you’re prepared
to do, and also what direction you want to take it in. Do
you want it as a commercial operation or do you want it to be
a place to help people in your community that don’t fit into the
mainstream training sessions. Just really have a good understanding
of what you’re trying to do before you start.
If you if it’s your own backyard, you don’t have to pay rent for it,
which sounds very attractive.
But then you’ve got all the junk set up all the time and you’ve
got to consider your own dog. Do they have an area that they
can escape from or get away from people in your yard? And
also consider your family, we really have to be very mindful of
that too.
Do you support or help people in setting up a garden?
Yes, I think the easiest way for people is to contact me and we
set up a Skype time or Face time and let’s have a chat. I’m quite
happy to donate my time for that. So normally what people
have done in the past is they ring me and we have a chat about
their ideas and then I ask them a 101 questions. They go away
and think of the answers and what they really want. Then they
come back and then we have a second conversation.
www.letswalk.net.au
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
15

Due to the Corona pandemic the PDTE Conference and AGM in Bergen, Norway had to be cancelled. Fortunately
Harriet Alexander brought all her skills and knowledge to the party and her effort resulted in a mind blowing, highly
educational and fun event: 3 days PDTE Online Summit. She arranged a wonderful list of speakers and workshop hosts.
Thank You again Harriet!!!
18 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
19

SLOW
GRIEF
by Laura Dobb
I haven’t lost a dog since Easter
Monday 2018. Before that, it was
February 2013. Both were Scottish
terriers - one a Cairn and one a
Westie. They both died in my arms
of all system failure. They passed
in the wee hours with no medical
intervention. Nash, our Cairn, was
on heart medication. They didn’t
want to rush to the vet in the middle
of the night - they went fast.
Bonnie had been our dog from a
pup and had lived in three countries
with us. She left us at almost
17 years of age. She was healthy
her entire life and died of natural
causes. Nothing is good about it.
Death is part of life.
I recently posted an old photo of our
dog, Nash (the Cairn) on Facebook. He
was an ex-breeding dog from a puppy
farm. We adopted him when he was 7
years old from Many Tears Animals Rescue in Wales. When we
learnt about Nash’s bad teeth, when we adopted him, we didn’t
know until later that this meant his heart was bad. Born with
congenital heart weakness, he died of congestive heart failure.
Like my Father did in 2015. When you adopt a dog with health
issues, you try to make their life beautiful and healthy. You
don’t dwell on the issue. At least we didn’t. It does not make it
any easier when they leave you.
When I posted that photo of Nash on a UK Cairn Terrier group,
the response was immense! I know none of the people in this
group but felt like sharing a photo of my boy, Nash, RIP. Four
hundred and thirty-seven people interacted with the post
and seventy-nine wrote personal messages to me! Many left
sayings, poems and spoke of their own lost Cairn. When my
Mother passed away last year, only sixty-four people engaged.
Forty-six people left comments – and these are my Facebook
friends! My Mum was a lovely person, that’s not it. It’s the fact
that people grieve deeply over dogs.
In this article, I will talk about all the elements of grief we feel
over a beloved dog. And about Slow Grief - the grief that takes
time to process, and sometimes, never leaves us at all.
20 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

Right now, I am grieving the loss of my Mum, over one year
ago. It is still painful, fresh and debilitating. On the anniversary
of her death, in September 2020, I couldn’t walk. I was exhausted.
Sad doesn’t even come close. I have been making notes on
this article for months now. I wrote another article altogether
because this one wasn’t complete. This article will also be part
of the Slow Dog Movement Blog for January 2021. Because of
grief, for my Mum, I wasn’t ready to give this subject the attention
it deserves. Ironic but true.
Grieving for my Mum, brings back all the grief I have had in the
past for the dogs who have left my life. I grieved for my first
dog, Muffin, when I left Canada for the UK in 1984. I missed
him more than my Mum at the time. I cried into my pillow
for many nights in my new ‘digs’. I was working in a Cotswold
village B&B. When my Mum told me he had passed away, I
blamed her. When I had seen photos of Muffin, he had gained
a lot of weight for a Chihuahua cross JRT. My Mum had tried to
convince me to give him away to an old lady in West Vancouver
because Mum was moving to South Africa. I refused and
said I would come home to look after my dog. It was then that
he died. I felt so much regret and guilt. I was young, and at
nineteen, should have been exploring the world. But my heart
was with my dog. I was too late. I lost him. I still remember
everything about him. The way his hair felt when I stroked him,
his bright eyes and his little foot pads. He left me thirty-five
years ago.
I don’t think about him every day anymore. But when I do,
there is love. When we allow our hearts to feel the grief – to
‘wallow’, it is healthy. It’s like a peat fire or a bit of hardwood in
the wood burner of the heart. We experience emotion and process
it in the time that feels right for us. Slow Grief is to allow
the time for all the feelings losing a dog (or human) can bring. If
you have a friend who has lost a dog, ‘Do NOT impose a timeline
for feeling better - there is no timeline for grief.’ 1
When we lost Bonnie, our Westie, I cried
on and off for three months. I definitely
‘wallowed’ in grief. I felt as if I had frozen
my diaphragm because I cried so much.
My son is seventeen now – it’s a long
time to be close to a sentient being,
human or dog. I slept on Bonnie’s bed,
I lit candles every night, I wrote poetry
and held a wake after a couple of weeks.
It was early March in London and it
was cold! About fifteen people came
and shared single malt whiskey, tea
and shortbread with us for about three
hours. I displayed photos of Bonnie,
heather plants and candles to honour
her. I even shared my soppy poems. It
felt good to do this and cathartic. It says
alot about people relating to the death
of a dog, that fifteen folks would show
up in a London Rec on a cold March day.
Reflecting over your life with your lost
dog is a natural and positive thing to do.
Pour over photos, sit with loved ones
and remember your dog. Or sit alone
and write down beautiful memories of
your best friend. When you do this, you
are healing your loss. You can do these
positive things alongside feeling the pain
of grief. But with the pain, let it run loose
- don’t try to shape it. 2 Mourning need
not be a creative exercise. It doesn’t
need to be a ‘scrapbook’ experience.
My ruminating over Bonnie gave me a
certain ‘freedom’ in the end. I miss her to
this day but I am not in pain anymore.
Moments before Bonnie died in my
arms, in a panic, we felt it necessary to
find an emergency vet. She was almost
gone so it was futile. My brain didn’t
work, nor my fingers when I tried to use
my laptop to find where we could go at
three in the morning. Immediately after,
I was holding my Bonnie and she was
gone. I sat in the car and we went to the
emergency vet anyways.
1
https://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/outreach/pet-losshotline/support-for-bereaved/dos-and-don'ts
2
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/
animal-attachment/201702/7-self-care-essentialswhile-grieving-the-death-pet
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
21

We sped towards Richmond (we lived in
Chiswick), along Thames Road. We were
all wailing in grief. I said to my husband,
‘Just drive into the Thames’ and my son
yelled from the back ‘No Mum, I don’t
want to die!’ He was ten years old. Poor
guy. That is very macabre and actually
quite funny to me now. But we go crazy
when we lose our loved ones.
We had handed Bonnie’s body to the
lovely Scottish veterinarian, and went
home to share ½ a bottle of Whiskey.
We cried until we fell asleep. It was not
a pleasant sleep as we missed Bonnie’s
warmth between us. Our hearts broke
that night.
Bonnie was our ‘first born’ we joked.
My husband worked at night so that he
could be at home with her during the
day when I was at my office job. As time
went on, we took her to each of our
jobs. One beautiful summer’s evening
with Bonnie, I was sitting in a local park.
An older man came over and told me I
should have a real baby. Bonnie was being
a dog, beside me. He was wrong. My
bond with my dog was so deep and real.
I did have a human child seven years
later. Henry was my second ‘child’!
It’s been seven years since Bonnie left us
and I still haven’t given away or gotten
rid of her leash, coat or blanket. It smells
like ‘old dog’ and any feng shui person
would tell me to throw them
away. When she was younger, we
used to say that her feet smelt
like ‘soda crackers’ and her head
like watermelon. I have a silver
heart shaped ‘dog tag’ pendant
that I wear. It says ‘cracker feet’
and ‘Bonnie’ on one side and
‘Maist Michty’ on the other side.
‘Maist Michty’ is the Scottish
dialect from Greyfriar’s Bobby meaning ‘Most extraordinary’.
We become very intimate with our dogs. We spend as much
time with them as we do our partners. Or more? Is it any
wonder that we grieve for so long? Try and read Eleanor Stackhouse
Atkinson’s, ‘Greyfriar’s Bobby’. Or watch the film, the
older version.
I would like to share with you, some of the raw emotions I
experienced when Bonnie died. I haven’t read these pages
torn from my 2013 diary for some time and they still give me a
lump in my throat. I am a paper ‘pack rat’ for good reason. This
makes me realise that even though I miss my Mum, I haven’t
written a word in my diary, nevermind poetry.
Written in my diary, the day Bonnie died 27th February, 2013:
Our beloved Bonnie died near midnight of this day -
may she chase rabbits and squirrels in the fields of
heaven until we can do our special family whistle and
welcome her in our arms once again.
The day after Bonnie died, 28th February 2013, I wrote:
Warmer day - damn Spring - why didn’t it come earlier
for Bon. Crying all day, my skin feels on fire. I am hollow,
everything is flat, my heart feels broken - literally,
a pain in my chest. I can barely lift my limbs. I can’t
smell because I have cried too much. My impulse is
to write, emails, FB and phone my Mom - to let out
feelings, share the pain and to reach out to family and
friends - but I can only talk to my Mom.
At 02:37 I get up and drink water, write and call Allison
[sister in California]. Hot milk and back to bed at 04:20
am. I am mad at the birds for not singing when Bonnie
was still here. I don’t sleep very well.
There is no right way or wrong way to grieve. It’s not helpful
to bottle it up because then, it may make you ill in some way –
there needs to be some sort of release. Grief is personal.
Grief is subjective. Grief is universal. You can bury grief. Often,
your grief is often uncomfortable to others. Other people can
even hijack your grief. If this happens, you may feel like keeping
it closer to you again - returning to the private experience
of your loss.
22 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

Diary entry, 1st March, 2013:
I go to Spitalfields but can barely
walk and I cry when alone. I can
talk to others but feel brittle and
am exhausted when I come home.
My body still feels empty/gutted. I
care not for the world, without Bonnie.
Brett and I talk about our guilt
over not being Bonnie’s advocate
with the vet in her last days. I go to
bed very sad but sleep okay.
It feels like Bonnie’s spirit has left
our house a bit. I reach out to find
her and I can’t and this is distressing
to me.
The day that Bonnie had died, she had
had trouble breathing that morning. We
had taken her to the vet and he had prescribed
some allopathic medicine that
may help her. I asked him what the side
effects were and he said anxiety and a
worsening of the situation. In retrospect,
I wish we had never given her that medicine.
She rarely had pharmaceuticals.
She suffered from the side effects on
her last day on the planet. She died from
natural causes, but with added anxiety
from those pills. Poor girl. Still, there is
no point in going over the guilt. What we
can do is learn from these doubts and be
more of an advocate for our next dog.
Diary entry, 3rd March, 2013:
Too much room on the bottom
shelf of the fridge where your meat
used to be.
I save the last mouthful of oatmeal
[porridge] and remember you’re
not here to eat it.
Empty bed, empty bowl.
Empty passenger seat .
Leash with no pull.
No begging at mealtimes.
No sound of your nails on the floor.
I can wear black now, no white
hairs - oh for your mark on me!
What do I do on Monday when
Brett goes to work?Walk, all I can
do. I can’t be here.
Every song on the radio reminds
me of you, my girl.
When we drop food accidentally on the floor at mealtimes,
no rush not to pick it up.
My midnight yogurt [snack] buddy is gone.
You’re the reason that Brett could join the Chris Evans
breakfast club [on Radio 2]
And besides all these trivial things, our reason to be...
you shaped our lives, the rhythm of our days, with the
clink of your food bowl, the tinkling of your leash and
tags being the hands [of a clock] ticking.
I conclude my own Westie grief with this poem. I wrote it and
posted it on the local Rec fence to announce Bonnie’s wake in
London. The corniness of it makes me wince a bit now but I
was completely devastated:
Written on Friday, 29th February, 2013, 03:00:
Your leash, my lifeline to you,
the umbilical cord of safety -
our relationship, so psychic
and tactile;
like a wolf, I smell your scent
e v e r y w h e r e.
How to be poetic
when your heart feels like
a broken dog biscuit,
the one at the bottom of the box,
in pieces.
The last one to give but still
taken gratefully
from your best friend ever.
Positive expectations…
When did your tail stop wagging my dear?
I remember when it was, I think;
It was at the Rec and I can’t remember why, but it’s
been
a long time since your canine metronome
has kept us in touch with the music of
your soul.
I feel like rolling in a dead bird just for you.
Cracker feet.
Watermelon scented head.
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
23

After Bonnie died that February 2013,
my son and I went to Canada in June.
Brett followed us and we spread her
ashes in her favourite West Vancouver
stream. I had planned to scatter rose
petals along with the ash in this little river.
Like the macabre scene of us driving
along the Thames, the scattering of ashes
did not go as planned either. If you
know anything about mammal ashes,
well, they are heavy! I had not experienced
this lesson in physics before. The
roses went sailing down the river and
the ash soon sunk to the bottom. Another
tragi-comedy. And that wasn’t the
only crazy thing that happened around
Bonnie’s passing.
The author Emile Zola said:
‘Can’t you see, an animal’s death
is something very special. But,
obviously it cannot touch or affect
anyone else other than the
one who loved it.’
When I touched her, there was no lifeforce - she felt like a carpet.
Brett started crying. I asked the woman if Bonnie had rigor
mortis and she said that that stage had already passed. Now,
she said, Bonnie’s limbs were quite bendable - and she started
to bend them back and forth! Oh my God, I was completely
shocked. At the same time, the craziness of the situation made
Brett and I laugh afterwards. Death, as in life, is never simple.
We gave Bonnie a beautiful wake and scattered her ashes. We
still have Nash’s ashes. We had no wake for him. It is strange,
but we don’t know as many dog friends here in Cornwall, after
five years, as we did in London after one year. I once saw a
woman hold a public wake in our local park in East Vancouver.
She had made a sort of ‘grotto’ with sheets hanging from trees,
to make a kind of tent. She had candles burning, photos of her
dog on the ‘walls’ of the grotto and a pile of toys to give away
to dog friends. She was talking to all the people and dogs who
came into her mourning tent cave, her altar to her dead dog. It
was very touching.
The point is to do what is right for you, in your own time. You
will know what feels appropriate. In ‘How to Make an Old Dog
Happy’ by Olivier Lagalisse, it says that some people still have
their dogs taxidermied. I remember seeing this a few times
when I was growing up, in Canada. But Canadians, hunters,
seemed to do this a lot back then. It is not to my taste, but
who is to judge? I wish that we could have buried Bonnie on
our land in Canada or spread her ashes there. Being in a city,
without land, people may have to be more creative than Brett
and I at the crematorium.
We went to view Bonnie’s body at the
crematorium. This was more for Brett
than myself, as he had not come to
terms that she was actually gone. It was
a very impersonal and odd time. I did
not enjoy seeing the giant smoke stack
as we approached the building. The ‘Pet
Remembrance Garden’ outside was sad
and tasteless. As we entered the building
on the outskirts of London, there was
no one but a recorded voice to greet us.
It told us to have a seat. No one else was
in the waiting room. We sat and looked
at their book of pet remembrance.
As we sat in this room, we could see
Bonnie’s name (spelled wrong) on a TV,
above the door. The time came for us to
enter the viewing room and I followed
Brett into a dark room with a table
inside. A woman who worked for the crematorium
stood by Bonnie’s body. Our
beloved dog smelled like disinfectant.
On the Isles of Scilly, there is an unofficial animal cemetery on
the edge of a stunning beach. Tall dune grass surrounds the
little graves. Families have made driftwood headstones with
jars of flowers as decoration. In the end the details about burial
and ashes are important. But they are not the most lasting and
poignant feelings that remain. They are a marker of a life you
wish to remember. They can offer a place to return to pay your
respects.
It is an understatement to say that this year
has been difficult for many of us. A global crisis
affecting us all. Some of our PDTE colleagues
have lost their dogs. As I knew I was writing this
article/blog on Slow Grief, I paid extra attention
to their posts. I felt for their losses.
There are many articles online, guides to coping
with the loss of a dog and they can be helpful.
This article is to speak of the beauty of allowing
grief to be public and ‘out there’ and to let this
be any length of song. This is an example of
such public sorrow. A cathartic ode.
24 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

Federica Iacozzilli gave me permission
to share her writings about her dog Mr.
Nano, whom she lost in June:
Vivere senza di te non sarà facile.
Mein Engel, mein Ich, mein Alles.
Torna presto.
Living without you won’t be easy.
My angel my me my everything
Come back soon.
Being close to someone silently
with constancy and delicacy, there is enormous
dignity.
My heart, my heart.
Today marks a week you’ve been gone,
MrN...
You left everyone in the void, we’re all disconnected
and disconnected, untied where
before there was unity and cohesion.
Franco is very angry you know...
I think I underestimated how close you
really were.
He’s in the shoes of the man of the house,
not that I put them on him, and I think
this role really scares him. You were there,
before, to adjust everything... even with
your presence. Sometimes he just changes
his expression and leaves to be alone. I try
to lift it up a bit, but I’m not too capable of
it. You knew how to do it right, you.
Lilli looks pulled, tired... sometimes she looks at me with those
dark, liquid eyes, who almost seems to want to ask me why all this
happened. You know that she’s not one to open yet, since you’re
not there, I can see it in her face.
I know it’s going to take time, but for now it all sucks.
I miss you so much, Mr. Nano, I miss you so much…
This morning I found all the mole [more] of how much I miss you.
We think it’s better, because we get used to the deafening and brutal
absence, because we get into a new routine, made of new things
and new spaces. But nothing is enough.
A walk with one of the others is enough, through the dark streets at
dawn in the morning, because the absence fills up like a boulder.
Remembering how much you liked to go out on the street when no
one was there yet, how much you liked to play on your deafness
(selective, very selective) to have the excuse to look at me and leave
on your own business.
I don’t think you’ll ever get used to the terrible devouring black hole
that leaves such a great absence. Never. Never. Anyway, Mr. Nano,
you always accompany me one way or another. #MrN
Thank you Federica for sharing your heartfelt, beautiful and
even joyful words about Mr Nano
Whether we lose rescue dogs or dogs we have known from
a pup, they weave themselves into our very being. With their
pure essence. Their generosity of spirit. Their trust or even
their initial distrust. They often teach us how to be better
guardians, and better people. So much unspoken time with
dogs, by our side, gets under our skin. When they are gone,
we see them - phantom sightings. We mark time by the day,
week, month, year - the ebb and flow of grief throughout the
first year. In the first year and beyond, we may be touched by
something unexpected, into a sudden feeling of the loss anew.
A burst of tears or anger may arise.
The idea of Slow Grief is to allow yourself time and space to
feel everything. To wallow in the grief. Name it with words. At
the same time, celebrate your lost friend by remembering all
the stories. Look at photos, create art, poems, and honour the
way they filled your life with purpose beyond the daily walk.
When we slow down and go into the emotions around death,
instead of tidying it away, we will suffer less in the end. Our
pain will transform, over time, into a melancholy or longing.
Not that having no sadness is the goal. In years to come, we
may see a photo and be able to smile without looking to the
floor first.
Bibliography
Harding, D.E. The Little Book of Life and Death. London, Arkana, 1988
Lagalisse, Olivier. J’aide mon chien à bien vieillir. How to Make an Old Dog Happy. Translated by Elfreda Powell. London, Souvenir Press, 2005
Porter, Max. Grief is the Thing With Feathers. London, Faber and Faber, 2015
https://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/outreach/pet-loss-hotline/support-for-bereaved/dos-and-don’ts
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animal-attachment/201702/7-self-care-essentials-while-grieving-the-death-pet
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
25

COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES
List and contacts of the current Country Representatives
Australia
Jenny Golsby
k9communication@completepet.com.au
Austria
Suzanne Lautner
office@tierarztpraxis-lautner.at
At the moment of publishing the CR-manager
Cristina Budzinsky is updating the 2021 list of CR’s.
Some members will hand over their role as CR,
others will continue.
If you have questions about the role of CR’s or wish
to apply for the role, please contact Cristina:
cristina.budzinski@gmail.com
Belgium - Manon Pekelharing - houndheaven@scarlet.be
Canada - Helen Moore - whosyerdoggy@gmail.com
Latvia
Natasha Bystrova
natasha.lkk@gmail.com
Canary Islands
Liz Ott
liz@dogs-and-people.com
Mexico
Esther Herrera
mehk14@yahoo.com
Denmark
Anja Bødiker
kontakt@hundeambassaden.dk
Netherlands
Audrey Doornbos
cr.netherlands.pdte@gmail.com
Finland
Helmi Pesonen
helmi@koiruuksienklubi.fi
France
Cristina Budzinski
cristina.budzinski@gmail.com
Germany
Manja Lessner
info@qimmiq-lodge.de
Norway - Turid D. Sunde - turid@bamsekroken.com
Slovenia
Alja Willenpart
alja.willenpart@gmail.com
Spain
Virginia Millares
virginiamillares@yahoo.es
Sweden - Reidun Johansen - reidunj@gmail.com
Hong Kong
Eric Lee
eric.clicker@gmail.com
India - Sindhoor Pangal - sindhoor@bangalorehundeskole.com
Switzerland
Silvia Deimeke
silvia.deimeke@yawnrz.com
Taïwan - Joeson Hsu - joesonhsu@gmail.com
Ireland - Steph Rousseau - steph@happyofficedogs.com
Italy - Federica Iacozzilli - federica.iacozzilli@gmail.com
United Kingdom
Kirsty Grant
kaygrant2@icloud.com
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
27

WELCOME
and congratulations to our newest
ASSOCIATE
MEMBERS
Līga
Zvirgzdiņa-
Grebina
• Latvia
My journey in the dog training world started in the
year 2015 when I got my first own dog - a beagle lady
named Fonda. I went with her to dog training group
classes and we participated in the dog shows, because
I bought her from the best beagle breeders in Latvia,
who asked me kindly to continue her line. When Fonda
had puppies we knew from the beginning that we
will keep one of them. We chose to keep Pandora - a
puppy who was born last and by looks were totally
different from other puppies. Unfortunately for her -
Pandora was the one who showed me how old-fashion
dog training methods and not understanding dog
calming signals can mess up dogs behaviour. Following
suggestions I received from dog trainers and knew
from “standard” - old methods of dog training - I
started to go out with Pandora way too soon and
ignored all signs that she showed me that she did not
feel comfortable outside our home. Long story short - I
got the most fearful dog I had seen in my entire life. So
Pandora was the one who made me find up-to-date,
science-based, positive and force-free dog training options
and international education to become a certified
dog trainer. I graduated from “Nordic Education Centre
for Dog Trainers” International Dog training school and
“Absolute Dog” Pro dog trainer courses. And since I
started this journey in the science-based, positive and
force-free training world - Pandora is much better. I
see such a great progress in her behaviour. So right
now I feel like this all happened to me for a good
reason: 1. To find this kind of dog training; 2. To be
able to help other fearful dogs; 3. To find and become
a member of PDTE.
Elena Barbini
• Italy
Hello, my name is Elena and I’m a dog trainer from
Italy, more precisely from Padua. I’ve always loved
animals and since I was a child they’ve always been my
life companions.
However, since Kira arrived, a Rottweiler puppy with
negative background experiences, my life drastically
changed. The urgency to understand why she would
behave and communicate as she did led me to became
a dog trainer.
And now I would love to help both dogs and owners to
understand and respect each other.
Thank you for accepting me in the PDTE family.
Rebecca
Hanlon
• Spain
My name is Rebecca Hanlon and I am a Trainer and
Canine Wellbeing Practitioner.
I live in Javea, Spain in our self build van with my
husband and our beautiful family. A Romanian Tri-Paw,
Toby and a Podenco, Harry.
I believe that the most important thing in my job is to
build a trusting, loving relationship between humans
and dogs and that the key to a successful partnership is
great communication.
I spend many hours studying, attending conferences,
workshops and other forms of continued professional
development, so that I can keep up to date with new
scientific methodology and constantly expand my
knowledge.
Although I have a huge passion for dogs I also have a
passion for people. After working in mental health and
learning disabilities for 20yrs, I believe my job is just
as much about educating, empowering, empathising,
motivating and supporting people as it is dogs.
I have studied with a number of education providers
including gaining a distinction in my Advanced Diploma
Level 6 with the ISCP.
I run Speak Dog with my best friend Rachel Leigh. We
offer a variety of classes, behaviour work, work shops
and also run a small conference called Talking dogs.
With our main focus to build strong dog human bonds.
I work as a behaviour practitioner for ibizan hound
rescue, helpers of pods and dogs and Phoenix french
bulldog rescue. I have also just started writing small
courses for DoGenius.
I am really excited to become a part of the PDTE and be
mentored and learn from some amazing professionals.
I love collaborative working and learning from others
and know I will gain so much from being part of this
amazing organisation.
28 PDTE Newsletter January 2021

If you just joined PDTE and you are not listed in
the New Associate Members list, maybe your
introduction didn’t come through in time for
this Newsletter or wasn’t received by the PDTE
secretary or PDTE editor in good order.
All new members are asked to write an introduction of
approximately 200-300 words. Make sure you send it digitally
(written text in an email, a word-document, etc.).
Also send a good quality photo of yourself.
If you think your introduction is missing, please send an
email to:
pdtesecretary@gmail.com or editorpdte@gmail.com
Paula
Eriksson
• Finland
Moi! I am Paula, a finn born and raised in the southernmost
part of Finland. Dogs have been a part of my
life ever since I was a little child, but since me and my
family have a bad allergy, dogs were never meant to be
my fulltime profession but eventually, gradually it has
developed to be just that. And I am now the breeder
behind Sessan’s Australian Labradoodles.
I have been an entrepreneur all my life and been
working in various professions such as coaching, youth
counceling and lecturing.
In 2015 I was on a lecture by Turid Rugaas, it really
opened up my eyes to developing the way of teaching
the new families in our breeding program how to
receive the new family pet. Our programme is not just
about breeding and selling dogs, it is about teaching
people of what it means and how it actually works inviting
a new family member to the pack. So we decided
to start lecturing new families where we walk them
through a dogs life. We have separate lectures for the
lifecycle of a dog, dogs nutrition and the maintenance
of a dog. We do not sell puppies to families that hasn’t
gone through these and take it seriously.
I always thrive to do my best for both the dogs and the
people i work with. I am constantly educating myself
(and others) to reach a better self everyday, and i am
glad that people are starting to notice this hard work.
Being a part of the community that PDTE provides is
highly important to me, since one can never be fully educated
you might as well choose a way to almost reach
it with the support of other likeminded individuals!
Elisabeth
Gjulem
• Norway
My name is Elisabeth Gjulem Lund (51 year old), and
I live in Fredrikstad in Norway with my family. I am a
nurse by profession.
I have had a dog for the most of my life. In 2017 I got
my first Whippet. I felt prepared for the new breed, but
Scott’s behavior was a lot different than I expected. He
struggled stress-issues and uncertainty from his early
days, but unfortunately I used a whole year before I
came up with those conclusions. I missed the knowledge
of being able to do something about it. After
some research I finally got help from Anne Lill Kvam.
That is how my journey to better knowledge of useful
dog training began. I read the book “On Talking Terms
with Dogs” by Turid Rugaas, and for me, the ball began
to roll after this. Scott really aroused an interest in me
to learn more about the dog’s language and behavior.
I started a dog trainer education at Lisbeth Borg de
Waard in September 2019. I have gained a lot of
new and useful knowledge, and I have realized that
I previously made it too challenging for my dogs to
succeed. I did not have enough knowledge to “read”
my dogs, and I made unfair demands on them. I am
grateful that Scott came into my life and gave me
motivation and hunger to learn, observe, and train
dogs on the dog’s premises. I started the company
«Hunden og Deg» (eng: «the dog and you»), together
with my cousin Kjersti Hartig (also PDTE member) in
April this year. We arrange weekly social trips with dogs
struggling with passing, dog training and individual
behavioral consultations. I am very grateful to be part
of the PDTE community, as I also am looking forward to
the opportunities the membership will bring.
Kjersti Hartig
• Norway
My name is Kjersti Hartig. I am a 50 year old Veterinarian,
who studied in Hannover, Germany. I work at the
Norwegian Food Safety Authority, working with animal
health and animal welfare. I live on a small farm just
outside of Sarpsborg, a small town situated in the
south east of Norway. I have two sons who are 17 and
19 years of age. I own two horses and my passion is
trailriding. My dogs are two Austrian Pinschers, Tema
and Nova. Tema is a well functioning dog, and Nova
a very reactive dog. She is the reason why I attended
the Dog Training Program at Innlandet Hundesenter,
in order to be able to understand and meet her needs.
With Nova I still have a long way to go.
With my cousin Elisabeth G. Lund, I run a small business
called «Hunden og Deg» (www.hundenogdeg.no)
where we so far offer social dog walks, puppy classes,
private sessions and day care.
Being a Veterinarian I see the importance of implementing
every kind of knowledge I have about dogs in
my work as a dog trainer. I have a dream of wanting
to study Animal Chiropractic. I am thankful for being
accepted as an Associate Member of the PDTE.
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
29

“Sharing, networking and cooperating is the true spirit of good dog trainers of the future.
The brochure web site shows exactly what it is about, and gets a gold star from me” - Turid Rugaas
DogBrochures.com
The best web-database brochures
concerning dogs and their wellbeing.
You can :
Download
Print
Distribute
Translate
You can also contribute to this worldwide project by creating your own brochures
and spread them all around to the world ! Or you can translate existing brochures
for everyone’s benefit.
Follow us on facebook so that
you never miss any of the
brochures and their translations
on www.dogbrochures.com
In memory of Gabriela
more information at http://www.turidrugaas.no/gabrielas-way.html
Discover the website

Simone
Bakker
• Netherlands
Age 50 - Married to Arjan Bakker - 3 rescue dogs, Daisy
from Croatia, Broer and Vlekkie from Cape Verde
All my life I have been fascinated by the emotional
impact dogs have on us humans. As a child, I felt safe
and comforted with my dog when I was tired or sad
and I also felt happy and elated as we explored the
world together. Whatever happened, my dog helped
me “feel” how I was doing. Subconsciously I learned a
lot from my dog about connection, expressing myself
and doing something with attention.
What I didn’t understand at the time was the influence
of my own mood, thoughts, feelings, and actions on my
dog’s inner world and behavior. That realization came
much later, when I discovered that my own insecurity
actually reinforced my dog’s reactive behavior. This
brought me to a new ongoing path of learning and
development in the field of dogs and further personal
development.
For two years now, I have been guiding dog owners
and their dog (s) at Mudita Hond en Mens from
the widest possible perspective, but it is mainly the
invisible dynamic between humans and dogs that is
my greatest passion. Today, we often lose or suppress
contact with ourselves and our needs. We act and do
mainly because we learn and think it should be. It is
no different with our house dogs. Dogs learn to endure
and to adapt constantly. When can a dog be completely
himself? My wish is to help dogs and people return
to their true “nature”. During my training as a Natural
Dog Trainer I was inspired by colleagues in the field
to create a sniffing garden “Mudita Bergen”. I could
not have imagined in advance that this is not only a
well-being place for dogs but also for people. Because
dogs are allowed to be themselves here, there is no
pressure on the handler to have to check anything.
This makes introspection easier. The invisible dynamic
becomes conscious and space is created for deepening
the relationship with their dog. Respect for individuality
and attention for each other’s needs and feelings are
more easily allowed and better attuned.
Andrea Breen
• Canada
Hello! I’m Dr. Andrea Breen. I’m an Associate Professor
of Family Relations and Human Development at the
University of Guelph. I live in Toronto with my husband,
2 children and 2 Mexican street dog mixes, Ash and
Ezzie. I have a background in education and developmental
psychology. My research and teaching have
mostly focused on adolescent development, resilience,
family well-being, and Indigenous ways of knowing
(Here’s a link to a book I recently co-edited: www.
canadianscholars.ca/books/research-as-reconciliation).
Dogs have been a big part of my life, but only recently
have a started to merge my passion for dogs and my
professional life.
One of my dogs, Ash, has issues with chronic pain,
which initially showed up as behaviour changes. He
inspired me to learn more about canine behaviour
and mental health. Then I got hooked! I completed my
dog trainer certification and the Advanced Diploma
in Canine Behaviour through the ISCP and I recently
completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course with
Michael Shikashio. Last year, my colleague, Lynda
Ashbourne, and I launched the Families Interacting
with Dogs (FIDO) research group at the University of
Guelph. Our aim is to conduct research on human-dog
interactions in families and the impacts on well-being
for both humans and dogs.
I recently launched ABCs 4 Dogs, which focuses on
raising awareness of canine welfare and connections
with human social justice issues, promoting behaviour
change to enhance dogs’ well-being, and nurturing
joyful Connection in human-dog relationships. Our first
initiative was a summer camp for “dog-crazy” kids in
partnership with Link Coalition Toronto, which works at
the intersections of family violence and animal abuse.
I plan to begin taking on a small number of clients
as a canine behavioural practitioner in Spring, 2021,
specializing in working with families with children.
Sowjanya
Vijayanagar
• India
Sowjanya began her journey to become a canine
professional in 2018 when she attended BHARCS
Canine Essential 101 taught by Sindhoor Pangal.
She was introduced to an amazing school of thought
helmed by Turid Rugaas where the emphasis was on
showing empathy and compassion to our dogs. In April
2019, she started her Canine Behaviour and Ethology
diploma (BACBED) from BHARCS and 19 months later,
she is now a certified Canine Behaviour Consultant.
She is also assisting as well as leading ethological studies
on free ranging dogs and hopes that by publishing
her studies she will be able to contribute to the worlds
understanding of dogs.
She is also a content creator for an educational page
called Bombat Dawgz where they try to share valuable
information with dog parents. And she has also recently
launched her Canine Behaviour Consulting service, Dog
Pawmise. Through these initiatives, she hopes to help
as many dogs and dog parents as possible!
She credits this life of hers to her two dogs, Sammy and
Zoey, who were the reason she began learning more
about dogs. She considers them as her true teachers.
In an earlier life though, she graduated as an Electronics
and Communication Engineer and later went on to
do her post-graduation in Data Science. But clearly, life
had other plans for her!
January 2021
PDTE Newsletter
31

PDTE
PET DOG TRAINERS OF EUROPE
Annual
Conference
& AGM
25 - 26 September 2021
Bergen, Norway
Sign up on the website
www.pdtebergen2021.com
Speakers
Speeches by PDTE members on
different topics. Speakers names
and topics, information about the
program and all other updates will
be announced on the website.
Location
Quality Hotel Edvard Grieg
Sandsliåsen 50
5254 Bergen, Norway
+47 55 98 01 27
conference.q.bergen@choice.no
The hotel allows dogs, but
please do not bring them.
Registration Fees
Check the website.
How to get there
Some direct flights from abroad go to Bergen Airport Flesland.
Most flights will go via Oslo Airport Gardermoen.
From the airport Flybussen, Bybanen or Bergen Taxi will take you to the hotel.
You can also take the train to Bergen from Oslo, the Bergensbanen.
Rooms
Check the website for booking and rates.
If you have any questions, please send an email to: pdtebergen2021@gmail.com
www.pdtebergen2021.com