Sam’s Dog Rules – The DVD

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Fund Raising for DVD

Hello Everyone

Annie and Sam have been visiting New Zealand children in primary schools since 2011, teaching them our Sam’s Dog Rules programme and have taught over 8000 children so far. We have done this on a voluntary basis but realise the need is greater than we expected.

Fearful children

We have discovered that 1/3 to 3/4 of the children in classrooms are frightened of dogs. We teach children how to be safe around dogs and to understand what dogs need from them in order for both children and dogs to be safe with each other.

Classroom by classroom

We teach class by class and the children get to interact with Sam and practice what they have learnt. The results have to be seen to be believed its truly remarkable.

In the year 2011

The ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) reported 30 plus dog attacks per day and just over 10 are children. Given our laws a large number of these dogs will have been put down, not to forget the injuries that the children suffer.

Dogs and children pay the price for ignorance

Here at Sam’s Dog Rules, we want to ensure that children everywhere have the knowledge to be safe around dogs.

The DVD

We want to make a DVD so that everyone can learn Sam’s dog Rules and understand dog language. Fleet Productions have kindly offered to make the video for us at cost price but this still leaves a shortfall of $6000-00. With your help we can complete this project and help thousands more children and save many dogs from an untimely and unjust end.

Thank you for your time and donation in advance from all of us here at Sam’s Dog Rules.

We Thank you
Annie

Go to this web site to donate and to find out more info on how you can help us raise funds:
http://www.sponsume.com/project/sams-dog-rules-helping-kids-stay-safe-around-dogs

Sam is on YouTube

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We have made a video to go with our crowd funding project.  The project starts on the 12th May, and hopefully we will be able to generate enough funding in order to put our training onto DVD so that everyone has access to it.

Here’s the script from the video.
Hello Everyone, I’m Annie and this is Sam, since 2011 we have
been visiting New Zealand children in primary schools teaching them
our Sam’s Dog Rules programme and have taught over 8000 children
so far. We have done this on a voluntary basis but realise the need is
greater than we expected. We have discovered that 1/3 to 3/4 of the
children in classrooms are frightened of dogs.

We teach children how to be safe around dogs and to understand
what dogs need from them in order for both children and dogs to be
safe with each other.

We teach class by class and the children get to interact with Sam and
practice what they have learnt. The results have to be seen to be
believed its truly remarkable.

In the year 2011 ACC reported over 30plus dog attacks per day and
just over 10 are children. Given our laws a large number of these
dogs will have been put down, not to forget the injuries that the
children suffer.

Dogs and children pay the price for ignorance.

Here at Sam’s Dog Rules, we want to ensure that children
everywhere have the knowledge to be safe around dogs.

We want to make a DVD so that everyone can learn Sam’s dog Rules
and understand dog language.

Fleet Productions have kindly offered to make the video for us at
cost price but this still leaves a shortfall of $6000-00. With your help
we can complete this project and help thousands more children and
save many dogs from an untimely and unjust end

Thank you for your time and donation in advance from all of us here
at Sam’s Dog Rules.

We Thank you.

Horses Helping Us To Understand Energy Rules

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Energy Rules

Marj and I had a most wonderful day yesterday we were invited to visit a lovely working farm in Clevedon. We were there to see how horse energy works.

I know very little about horses so to see them in action was very interesting.

Arobridge is a healing centre which uses horses to help people understand energy. They have a number of horses that work with them that are rescued Kaimanawa horses.

The interesting thing for me

was to see the difference between the energy that horses like you to be in to feel safe with us, compared to the energy dogs like you to be in to feel safe with us.

As you all know by now

dogs do not feel safe with humans unless we are in Pack Leader energy which is Calm Assertive energy.  Horses feel safe with humans when their energy is low, meaning Calm Submissive energy.

Watching the horses work

with Marj and my energies was a treat to behold.  If we were anything but calm and relaxed they ran around, made quick sharp moves and were generally not happy to be around us, and they let us know it.

When we were calm

and relaxed they quietened right down and would come up to us and want to groom us. I have never been groomed by a horse before and it was a very nice experience, mind you I was very conscious of where their teeth were while they gave me their special treat.

Horses as with all animals

relate to energy, nothing else, how we feel they mirror for us. If we feel calm they will be calm if we feel tight or tense horses show us by not wanting to be close to us, it makes them feel and behave skittishly. With dogs if we are not in calm assertive energy they show us by wanting to become the Pack Leader and will try to dominate.

It was a wonderful enlightening experience

and Marj and I cannot thank Kathy, Debbie and Raewyn enough forgiving up their time and energy and allowing us to see and experience their wonderful work.

Thank you all so much, a wonderful experience never to be forgotten.

 

For those of you who would like to know more about Arobridge, their web site is www.arobridge.co.nz

Annie

Three Lovely Ladies And Their Dogs

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I met three lovely ladies and their dogs

On a walk around the crater at Onepoto Domain in Northcote Sam and I did last Saturday when we were in Auckland visiting friends.

Sam's Dog Rules

Tuff Crater – part of Onepoto Domain in Northcote, Auckland

They had come past a group of Asians who were terrified of their dogs. There was much fearful behaviour and noise from the Asians.  The dogs barked at them and this made  the Asians more afraid. My new friends recognised that the Asians were fearful and recognised their dogs did not like this behaviour but were at a loss as to why their dogs reacted this way.

When dogs are in a stable, calm, balanced environment / pack

Anxious and fearful behaviour disrupts the balance of the pack and they do not like it. What the dogs are saying to this fearful behaviour is “stop it we don’t like how you feel, we are happy when we are balanced and calm”

Listening to a child screaming and yelling, throwing a tantrum, is hard for humans to listen to as it puts our nerves on edge and disrupts our feelings of calm. The same is true for dogs around fearful behaviour.

When you come across fearful people

Out walking your dog put your dog on the lead make sure you are in Pack leader energy and do not allow your dog to relate to their behaviour.  Your dog needs to know it is your job to correct bad behaviour not him.

We obviously cannot tell fearful people to stop being afraid but we can let our dogs know through our energy {Pack Leader Energy} that we ignore this behaviour and walk on by without relating to their energy.

This keeps your dog safe and the fearful people safe.

If you are afraid of dogs

You will unconsciously pass this fear onto your children no matter how hard you try to disguise your fear, your child will know you are afraid.

The best gift you can give yourself is to learn Dog language it will keep you and your family safe and give you confidence. Knowing what to do and how to behave is very powerful.

Should you wish to learn more for yourselves or your community we run Doggie 101 courses just for you

Annie

 

Dogs’ Owner Saddened

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This was a brief headline written in the Herald on 5thApril 2013

African Wild Dogs - Kruger National Park - Sou...

African Wild Dogs – Kruger National Park – South Africa (Sabi Sabi Game Reserve) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No doubt you have all read or heard about the tragic death of Chloe Mathewson who was mauled to death by her friend’s two Rottweillers.

Mr Andrew Wai Poi was deeply saddened by her death, it said.

The police are still deciding whether to charge Mr Wai Poi.

I say they should, I believe he is responsible for what his dogs did.

This tragedy may never have occurred had Mr Wai Poi met his dogs’ basic needs which are exercise, discipline then affection. Dogs also need clear rules, boundaries and limitations, this is what makes dogs trust and respect their owners and makes them feel safe.

Having a property that is big enough for dogs to run around in is not meeting your dog’s needs, if that is all  they do all day. These dogs had been in trouble before attacking a neighbour’s steer, these dogs had reverted to animal, this is what happens when there is no clear leadership.

Dogs are predatory animals

In their natural environment they would, as a pack, go hunting in the morning and if they were lucky enough to kill some prey then they eat and spend the afternoon sleeping and socialising with each other. This is the natural order of things.

To have healthy happy dogs we need to consider this. At the very least we need to walk our dogs and not just down to the park and let to run free, this is not exercise this is play, they haven’t earned playtime yet.

Walking your dog on a lead is one of the best ways to exercise your dog.  On the lead the dog gets to know who you really are whether he can trust and respect you or not. This is where you can create a wonderful bond between you and your dog. He feels who you are through the lead. Walking to heel and having to sit, fetch, etc whatever you might want to ask of him,  is giving his brain  stimulation, and when he does get to have a run off lead he knows he has earned it. Much the same, as feeding your dog after he has been walked, on a level the walk  replicates the hunt. This way you are working closely with dogs natural order.

We have domesticated dogs but we have not bred out of them the basic essence of who they are. ANIMAL. Dogs will willingly give up their animal side if they have a Pack Leader they trust and respect.

Why this tragedy happened

When we domesticated dogs they came along willingly and as long as we humans meet their needs they will be happy to stay in that state of dog,( man’s best friend. ) When their needs are not met they revert to animal and this sad ending for Chloe is the result of Mr Wai Poi’s lack of leadership.

Rottweillers are powerful dogs and require strong leadership in order for their owner  to be trusted and respected by the dogs. Only humans follow unstable leaders, dogs will not and this terrible tragedy clearly tells its own story. There was no Pack Leader present for these dogs. Once again the dogs have paid the ultimate price for Mr Wai Poi’s lack of knowledge of dog language and dog psychology. Chloe has also paid a huge price for ignorance about dogs.

This terrible tragedy could have been avoided. Mr Wai Poi knew ages ago when his dogs were found out of control attacking a neighbour’s steer that he had a problem on his hands. He had every opportunity to ask the question

“why would my dogs behave this way?”

There are enough sites on the net that talk about dogs and what their needs are for him to have made the effort to find out, if he genuinely cared about his  dogs’ well being .

At the very least he should be held accountable for being a  negligent dog owner.

What are your thoughts?

Annie

 

 

 

 

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Parents need to take responsibility for dog attacks

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Whilst talking to Wayne last week he told me this story:Barking dog

He and his son were having brunch at a cafe. Now his son has a very large dog that is not used to children. They deliberately sat outside, at an end table with the dog sitting well behind his chair against a screen.

At the next table was a couple with a cute toddler. The toddler saw the dog and wanted to see it. The father, stupidly, lifted the little girl down and said “go and see the doggy”.

As the little girl approached, Wayne said “no dear, this dog is a big dog and you don’t pat big dogs, you go back to Daddy”

The child of course protested and the father swore at the owner of the dog and Wayne, calling them very nasty names and telling the child again, “you can pat the doggy if you want to”.

Wayne again steered the child back to her parents saying quite firmly and loudly “no dear, this dog is too big and is not used to little children”.

The father, stood up in a rage, picked up his little girl, pushed around the table and swung his child UPSIDE DOWN, with her face right in front of the dog’s face.

If it had not been for quick action by Wayne, that child could have lost half her face, and ended up maimed for life.

What would have happened to the dog?

A good dog, minding it’s own business with a responsible owner sitting there, yes, it would have been put down.

Wayne and his son, got up, left their meal and took the dog and left the outdoor café.

This dog is used to riding on the back of a “work truck” and being with men all day, not having little children swung in his face.

When will adults realise that dogs are predatory animals?

When will they start valuing their children more than proving a point?

Thanks Wayne for saying I could publish your story.

Please parents, keep your children safe.

This will also save innocent dogs from being needlessly destroyed.

-Marj.

Once again, Dogs pay the price

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Toby Conway and his dog Stan

Once again a dog and child pay the price for humans not understanding dog language.

In this case reported in the NZ Herald, Toby Conway was convicted, fined $2000 and ordered to pay $3000 reparation. His dog a staffy / terrier mix would have also been put down, had it not already died of natural causes.

His dog bit the face of  3 year old Oracle Brampton.  This happened while the dog waited for Toby outside a West Auckland video store.

Oracle’s family are most upset that more wasn’t done by the courts for them, and are furious at Toby getting off so lightly.

After reading this, several questions came to mind.

My first question is: Where were Oracle’s parents when this bite occurred?

My second question is: What were they thinking allowing a small child to approach a dog that was unattended?

My third question is: When are parents going to accept responsibility for their child being bitten by a dog?  It is never the dogs fault or the childs, it is the adult’s fault when this happens.

Dogs are animals, they are not cute toys.

Dogs have their own set of rules boundaries and limitations. Socially, they are quite different from humans. We have instilled our human ways onto dogs and have a belief that dogs understand us. We have tried to humanise dogs.

We would never dream of letting our children cross the street without having some awareness of the road rules. Does this knowledge prevent children being run over? No. but it reduces the amount of accidents that would occur without this knowledge. Would we be happy if schools stopped patrolling pedestrian crossings? No, because they help to keep children safe.

So, why do we tolerate our children not understanding dog language?  Dogs are here to stay no matter how many restrictions councils want to inflict on responsible dog owners.

Sam’s Dog Rules has gone into a number of schools teaching children dog language. The difference this has made to students, teachers and schools alike has been remarkable.

Given that there are over 30 reported dog attacks daily you would think parents would be demanding that schools have access to this information. Yet we struggle to get schools to book us as there is always something more important for children to be learning or experiencing.

There are people who are paid by council to provide this information. But, when they go to a school, they do their presentation in front of the whole school. There is no interaction or opportunity for participation.

You would not expect your child to understand the rules of the road just by telling them what they are. You take your child out and have them practice.

The same applies  with understanding dog language.  you cannot expect a child to understand the rules of meeting a dog if they don’t get to experience how to do it.
Sam’s Dog Rules is different. We spend 30-40 minutes with each class and each pupil gets to really understand and experience the rules when meeting a dog.  The children get brochures designed for them, that are easy to understand and follow.

So, parents is it time to ensure your children have the right knowledge in order to keep them safe?  Do you as a parent really understand dog language?  It’s time to stop your child and the dog paying the price of ignorance.

Would you like to know more about dog language and have it readily available? Let us know your thoughts.

Annie

Image Source: NZ Herald

Know what you’re doing before you buy a powerful Dog

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A Rottweiler sitting

On the same walk as last week just after meeting the well behaved Pit-bull, I came across another young man with another powerful dog, a Rottweiler.

The Rottweiler was definitely the Pack Leader

The young man was having a lot of difficulty controlling him. We stopped for a chat, and I realised that this young man had absolutely no idea what dogs require from human beings.

It is really important when we are choosing a dog, that we arm ourselves with as much knowledge as we can to ensure, not only having a happy dog but a safe dog too. Young men want to have big powerful dogs, but if they don’t understand their needs, the damage they can wreak will be huge.

This young man should have done his homework first. Right from the get go, he should have been training the pup and putting dog etiqutte into place.

This is why you need to do your homework and understand powerful dogs require powerful owners. A powerful owner is an owner who understands Pack Leader energy. They know that the dog will happily follow their lead when they are in a state of calm submissive energy.

I would recommend that before even getting a pup talk to somebody who understands the importance of Pack Leader energy. If you do not know anybody with this knowledge,  I  conduct Doggie101 sessions and can be contacted through this website, or you can email Email Annie.

What you think is what you feel,
What you feel gets created.

By Annie.

Managing our thoughts!

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A few weeks ago I met a lovely young man with his well behaved pit bull on our walk in Totara Park. As soon as he saw me coming with Sam, he tightened up the lead and pulled the dog to the side and kept the lead tight.


I put Sam on the lead so he would feel safer and sat Sam down.  I told the young man that Sam was a well balanced dog and wasn’t a threat. He said “I am sure, but my dog got attacked a couple of years ago and I am just afraid that if your dog puts his paws on my dogs back, that my dog will attack your dog”.

We ended up having a really nice chat for ten minutes about dog etiquette and he told me he has read all the information by Caesar Milan and understood all about energy.

The problem is that as much as we may understand we need to be in Pack Leader energy, we also need to understand that the story we have is what dictates the outcomes. This mans story being “if your dog jumps up on my dog, my dog will attack your dog”. So of course this is going to happen because it is the story he has in his mind. Just because this happened two years ago does not mean it is a given for the rest of that dog’s life. Dogs live in the present, so it certainly is not the dog’s story.

Just another example of how we must manage our thoughts and stay present when walking our dogs. If he changed the story in his mind to “my dog is safe with all dogs” and put his Caesar knowledge into practise, the outcome would be a very comfortable walk, without him having to worry about what his dog may or may not do.

 

What you think is what you feel

What you feel gets created.

By Annie.

Farewell Grizz

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Grizz

Grizz “Lord Carswell”
August 2012 – February 2013

We are all feeling so gutted today. Sam has lost his good friend Grizz and so have we.

How can we say goodbye to such an amazing friend and dog. Grizz you came into our lives such a short time ago and your personality won our hearts.

The news that you had drowned just broke our hearts. People all over NZ have met you and loved you. The children at all the car racing events last summer in the South Island, the visitors to the ASB Showground, your friends on Sam’s Dog Rules web page, and Dean’s family and especially Dean who you loved with unfailing faithfulness.

We say “goodbye” but you will never be forgotten.

Marj.  (Grizz’s Grandma).

From Annie and Sam:

On behalf of all the team at Sam’s Dog Rules, all our followers and especially from Sam, we send our saddest condolences to Dean who was Grizz’s  Pack leader.

Grizz will be sadly missed by us, not only for the funny stories we got to share about Grizz but because he really was a great dog.

Dean, if Grizz could be here, he would tell you he couldn’t have had a better Packleader.  You made Grizz into the most loveable dog.  You made him feel very safe, so he could just be the great dog he was.

We only have dogs for such a short time and sadly Grizz’s time was far  too short, but even his short life showed us that when you treat a dog how they need to be treated, the love generated is limitless.

Grizz was a credit to you Dean.

May Grizz’ journey here not be forgotten and may he rest peacefully surrounded by love in doggie heaven.