Frequently Asked Questions.

Q: Are you a dog trainer?

A: No. I do not train dogs. Amichien bonding is not a method of training dogs. It is about communicating your status of leader in a way your dogs will understand. This is what i can teach you.

Once you establish yourself as leader you will then have a solid foundation for whatever level of training you want to give your dog. Your dog will be calmer and happier without the burden of leadership being thrust upon it inadvertently. This question is answered in more detail here

Q: Dog Listener? Communicate with dogs? What, do you communicate with them telepathically or something?

A: Don't I wish! If myself, or anyone else, was capable of this, I, or they, would be filthy rich by now and you would have heard about it a long time ago. Amichien bonding is based on sound and logical principles. It is something anyone can do and is based upon body language and behaviour. This is how dogs communicate. By communicate we do not mean having a conversation with your dog about how their day was, just conveying the message that you can provide the dog what it needs for survival, in a way that it understands.

Q: What if I have already established leadership over my dog?

A:First of all I'd ask that you ask yourself;

• What do I provide for my dog, that they see necessary for the pack's survival?

• Do I convey this in a way the dog understands and effectuates your status of leader?

Many of us think, mistakenly, that we are the pack leader, but our dogs don't see it way. Although we do provide aspects of pack leadership, we also inadvertently give signals to our dogs saying otherwise. If any of the following apply, then chances are your dog does not quite see you as pack leader;

• Does your dog pull on the lead?
• Does your dog bark and/or jump madly when you return home?
• Does your dog destroy things when you leave the house?
• Does your dog jump up onto furniture/your lap uninvited? Do they growl at you if you try to remove them?
• Do you leave food down for your dog to eat as they want, or do they eat part of their meal only and come back for the rest later?
• Does your dog race ahead of you to greet visitors?

Q: Amichien Bonding was developed with it's basis mainly on wolf behaviour, but hasn't the process of domestication left modern dogs far removed from their wolf ancestors?

A: Actually wolves and dogs are so closely related that scientists have trouble differing them genetically. In 1993, the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists reclassified the dog from its separate species designation of Canis familiaris to Canis lupus familiaris. So, now, the Timber wolf (Canis lupus nubilus), the Mackenzie or Tundra wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis), the domestic dog; (Canis lupus familiaris ), etc., all fall under the genetic umbrella of the gray wolf: Canis lupus.

"The domestic dog is an extremely close relative of the gray wolf, differing from it by at most 0.2% of mtDNA sequence"

Robert K. Wayne, Ph.D.

Molecular Evolution of the Dog Family.

http://www.fiu.edu/~milesk/Genetics.htm

Q: I've had dogs before and never had this problem. Why am I seeing this behaviour now if I have treated them all the same?

A: Dogs all have individual personalities. Just as with humans, stress can affect each individual differently and may manifest itself in different ways. Some dogs are also more suited to a leadership role than others, just as with humans.

Q: I think my dog is one that is more suited to a leadership role, so why should I change the situation?

A: It has been shown that the alpha dogs in wolf packs suffer higher levels of stress than their subordinates.

http://www.montana.edu/wwwbi/staff/creel/wolf%20gc.pdf

This is in a world they understand. Imagine the stress they must suffer in our world, a world totally foreign and incomprehensible to them. To willingly thrust leadership, and thus a very stressful life, upon them is not just unfair, but borders on cruel. If you really care for your dog, to remove this stress is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

Q: What if I'm happy with my dog the way she is? I don't want a robot.

A: This is the furthermost thing from what amichien bonding will achieve. It is not about having your dog respond to a plethora of commands like a well drilled soldier. You will have a free thinking dog that chooses to follow you as leader of it's own free will. Your dog will be happy to allow you to make all the important decisions that it thinks need to be made for it's survival.

Q: This sounds very interesting, where can i find more infomation about amichien bonding and how to implement it?

A: I'd suggest you start by reading Jan Fennell's book The Dog Listener. You should be able to borrow this from your local library. There is also a DVD of the same name. This is not the one from the BBC television series, which does show some fine examples of this method working.

Q: So Does that mean this is something I can do on my own? The information required to implement AB is available without a consultation

A: Most definitely. The book mentioned above, while not as concise as it could be, gives the information required to implement AB. The DVD is a good companion to the book, as is the book, The Practical Dog Listener. This is a more concise book, but is written with the view that the reader has already read The Dog Listener. What I can offer to those who wish to get a home based consultation is help geared towards your individual needs, as opposed to the general information provided by the mediums I have mentioned and of course, the lifetime back up. As I have been trained by the Jan Fennell organisation, have experience in implementing AB and a wealth of knowledge through a network of other Jan Fennell trained dog listeners, I can provide a service to those who feel they need it. This may include, but not limited to, people who's situation requires immediate action, are having trouble implementing or understanding AB, or have hit a wall with the progress they are making.