and all i can say is . .. holy F@ck !!
the course was absolutely amazing . michael is more than just a " dog whisperer " ; he doesn't just appear to see what the dog is thinking , he appears to tell the dogs what to think !
i had done some work with henry , a pure bred BC who passed 10 weeks at the outset of the course , prior to departure so at least he would be somewhat familiar with the work we were about to do , and he did not disappoint ; as usual , it is the handler who has so much to learn .
each day starts with a Q n A on related or unrelated topics before mike starts into that days theory session . literally every sentence that comes out of his mouth has relevance . i sat on the edge of my chair devouring every point , and hungry for more . . . talk about " engagement " ( something i sure never was / did in high school lol) .
after a break for lunch we would then bring out each dog and work them through that days progression . each dog and handler presented different challenges , and michael handled each and every one to their maximum potential for that session .
his ability to read the dog , and adjust his approach on the fly is nothing short of true professionalism . i'm sure i didn't hear a " ummm " or " uhhh " the whole week . he knew exactly what each dog needed , and yet demonstrated an ability to learn himself , as there were two akitas attending that he had no experience with as a breed .
the demonstrations he put on during lunch breaks served to inspire us although i'm sure none of us class members will ever handle dogs as motivated as his ( not just the mals but even the corgis too ) . michael entertains input from class members , but even despite his self-confessed weakness for running off on tangents manages to draw on a lifetime of experiences ( and the stories that go with them ) to keep things on track and moving along nicely .
michaels' able assistant , forrest micke , is a very talented trainer who was nurtured by our own ed frawley before heading out west to further his experience and career with michael . he provided the " how it's done " demonstrations with a young mal , dude , who will no doubt one day become an accomplished pack member with forrests' other dogs' , elzer and ende . as i was staying at lindsey sommers' house with forrest i was able to tap into his experience and see how a pack is run !
to say that i learned a lot is a gross understatement . prior to attending i made myself very familiar with all the material presented in the relevant leerburg DVD's , and i strongly recommend them , but there really is no substitution for attending the michael ellis school and getting the hands on training with a professional like michael who has the talent , experience , and a gift for helping others improve their relationship with their dogs . i can't wait to put that training into practice .
dogs : the best part of being human
just got back from Michael Ellis . . .
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