This year marks the fifth year anniversary of my business.  A business that is very much my life. It has been a wonderful journey. 

My formal transition from corporate America to the "world of the dog" began in 2005 when I was gifted a Shih Tzu puppy we named Coco. Six months later siblings Jimmy Choo and Stella both related to Coco were adopted.  My plan was to gift Jimmy to mom for her 75th birthday but much to my dismay she had expected a trip to Italy instead of an adorable fluffy puppy with a red bow tied around his neck.Not surprising three months thereafter he was gifted back. 

I had made my first mistake. Lesson learned, never gift a dog. The second always ensure you match the dog and guardian correctly. What was I thinking pairing up a senior with a bubbly pup that would need so much time and attention? And so being brought up by a family with traditions, values and solid work ethic written in our DNA I had to ensure the dog would be safe. Jimmy Choo would join Coco and Stella becoming my responsibility. I made a commitment to care for each one and keep us together for life.  This was the first lesson and beginning of my journey as a trainer in the "world of the dog". These dogs literally became my life work. A true labor of love.
 
A dog aficionado and lover of animals it was only in 2009 after thoughtful consideration of starting a pet care business that I decided to make the change. And so I held my nose, and with eyes wide open jumped in to marry my new business Boston K9 Concierge. In 2010 the business became licensed, insured and bonded offering Boston City dwellers dog walking, dog training, and family safety/educational services.  Any free time I had in between working with my clients dogs and taking care of my own would be applied toward learning all about dogs. Instilled in me as a young person was importance of working hands on to learn.  And so in conjunction with my formal dog studies, thousands and thousands of hours were clocked volunteering at Boston Animal Shelters, interning at the New England Dog Training Club (www.NEDTC.org) , mentoring with exceptional AKC Obedience Dog Trainers, attending dog behavior workshops all over New England, teaching my staff the art of dog handling and working privately with my client dogs.  

Of all the dog training to date, none has left a deeper mark on me and been as difficult to stomach than the volunteer work experienced at dog shelters. Friday mornings at the crack of dawn I would get myself over to the busiest Shelters in Boston.  I did this for four years every Friday morning rain or shine, sleet or snow.  And each Friday morning regardless of how prepared I was to enter the facility upon doing so I would be overwhelmed with the urge to throw up. My body convulsed but my mind willed me to continue on with my mission of learning.  The unpleasantness wasn't because I had to get up at 5 AM to get there, and not because the Director of the shelter was intimidating and seemed miserable, nor was it because of the stench of the cold interior with metal cages and cement walls.  It was the sound of dogs crying that was hard for me to take. The tearful howling that echoed through the halls. The sound haunted me for days after my shift.  I couldn't shake it off.   Leaving the facility meant walking down a long cement corridor with low lighting filled with sounds of howling dogs coming from the receiving room.  Dogs held in receiving would often be crying for their guardians. And while I couldn't pretend to say I knew what they were thinking I could hear how they were feeling.  I heard fear and sadness. While its not scientific only anecdotal I know these dogs were missing their guardians crying because they were left behind.. I can still hear their tearful cries. I have not forgotten them.  

Shelter surrenders happened every day. It was a common occurrence and frankly part of the business. The staff were somewhat affected but not really. Its natural to become jaded when you see sadness everyday. I witnessed so many surrenders but certainly not as many as the employed staff who came in to work every day. I admired them all for being so strong and of course caring for the dogs regardless they were getting paid.  While I hated going in every Friday early morning I understood the importance of this education. The Director of the shelter was absolutely on point when she said, "Vivian, this will be the best education you'll ever get on dogs. It will be the toughest but the best way to learn about dog behavior".  And she was right. It was the hardest on so many levels but the best learning experience. Working with all types of breeds, sizes, handicaps, levels of behaviors and in various conditions. Learning and understanding body language became of utmost importance and critical to my personal safety.

In conjunction to Shelter volunteer work I was offered an internship position with the oldest AKC Club in New England - www.NEDTC.org (New England Dog Training Club, Cambridge, MA). In addition to my private training practice, shelter training and training classes at the club for three hours each week I accumulated enough hours to apply and later test for my Professional Dog Training Certification (www.ccpdt.com ).  I stayed true to my mission and kept it simple. I would learn everything there is to know about dogs. Their anatomy, psychological and physiological development. So to would I learn why people buy dogs, sell them, breed them, love them and lose interest in them.  I would discover the dark side and inequity of rescue work in this country and develop such disdain for human nature.

There was and is a lot of sweat equity in dog training business but the trade off of learning and sharing with others for me is invaluable.  And when there was no time to learn, I made time to learn.  Early mornings before and after work, on weekends and late into the night.  A concerted and conscious effort was made on my part that consisted of two things.  If I was to invest my time and hard earned money in education it had to be education supported by Science and Reward Based Methodologies. And of course the nerdy side in me delighted at the fact that this meant I had found a career wherein I would never stop learning!! Ha!  Since science is self correcting there is always room to learn and improve!.  

It takes years to understand how dogs communicate with people and among themselves. Even more time to gather and hone skills which will help people learn all the while managing their expectations.  Upon reflection creating my own curriculum (within the guise of the CCPDT.org ) was really appealing and I believe made me a better behavior dog trainer AND people trainer.  The dog world is in part skill, knowledge, and art.  It comes together only through experience.  Sure you can buy online courses and read Learning Theory from a book but you have to work it and experience it to understand it. You have to learn from living it and doing your time so to speak.  

Over the past 10 years or so while operating my dog walking and training business I've managed to complete multiple workshops and  certifications which I'm happy to share with anyone reading this. 

• the comprehensive Council of Professional Dog Trainers Certification 
  
• Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor Workshop/Certification Program; 
• Applied Behavior Analysis Course Living and Learning with Animals 
• Multiple Workshops with Sue Sternberg
• Instructors Training Certification; 
• The AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator Certification;  
• Family Paws Parent Education Presenter Program (Dogs & Storks and Dogs & Baby Connection); 
• Be a Tree Presenter; and completed online Canine Studies and testing through Penn Foster Dog Obedience Trainer & Instructor Program. 

Business Degrees Completed include:

• Communication Management Master of Science, Simmons College
• International Economics, Bachelor of Science Suffolk University

My journey continues!  I've been formulating Essential Oil Blends learning and using them in my Training Treatment Plans which are locally made and sold. By end of 2015 I will be completed with the Small Animal Aromatherapy Practitioner Certification Program (AshiTherapy.com program is approved by NAHA.org National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy). This work  includes the study and use of Dr Bach Essential Flowers. My world has opened that much more!  

Happy to report my all natural essential oil therapy line for dogs is Vet Approved and slowly being introduced to more and more people who care for their pets! and looking for all natural solutions!  And as a way of giving back, a percentage of each new batch is donated to the local Animal Shelters for the dogs awaiting their forever home.  For more information see www.BostonK9Concierge.com and K9Aromatherapy.com or please contact me directly at: 617-464-1005 or vivian@bostonk9concierge.com

Boston K9 Concierge has launched an all-natural Pet Care Wellness line for dogs. The items, made with therapeutic grade essential oils, are sold at the Boston SOWA Open Market, the Kendall Square Farmers Market and online.

“Our products are formulated in small batches, with no synthetic preservatives, and I use them to promote calm in the dogs I work with,” says Boston K9 Concierge Owner Vivian Zottola, a certified professional dog trainer. “They support natural healing and are particularly good for dogs who experience anxiety or stress when going to the vet or groomer, enduring a long ride or staying alone for an extended period.”

Zottloa says the oils can be applied by massaging, or by spraying on bedding, car seats or above the dog’s head. “I work closely with dogs of all ages, many of whom are behaviorally challenged, adopted and experiencing skin issues due to allergies,” she says. “Finding the right natural remedies for them proved to be difficult, so I created my own.”

Boston K9 Concierge provides “force free” learning to form trust and lasting bonds with dogs, a philosophy that is threaded throughout their services and products. “My mission is to help educate people about the ‘world of the dog,’” says Zottola. “Ultimately, I’m hopeful that this can reduce the number of pets surrendered to shelters each year.”

For more information, call 617-464-1005 or visit BostonK9Concierge.com or www.K9Aromatherapy.com. 

This article appears in the July 2014 issue of Natural Awakenings Boston

Many of my clients are blessed with dogs that are just wired right. They were adopted from a reputable breeder or local shelter in to homes where owner/guardian recognizes the puppy brain development period is short and critical lasting just between 8 weeks and 5.5 months (according to extensive research conducted by Dr. Ian Dunbar and other re-known scientists). These people attend all puppy training sessions and graduate with no issue.These same owners have dedicated time out to train their pups, to ensure they learn the world is safe, practice alone time, crate training and are reward only for good behavior while all bad behavior is ignored. 


Then there are a few of my other clients who adopt a dog online without any knowledge of the pet history other than it was born from a Ferrell bitch. Extensive research shows cortisol levels shoot up when dogs are stressed and there is evidence that suggests this hormone affects the developing puppies brains in a bad way. It causes poor wiring so to speak in their brains.  Its not to say all pups born of ferrel dogs will develop brain/behavior problems but that the probability is high.  We see abnormal behavior in  8,9, 10 week old pups demonstrating high anxiety, severe guarding behavior, exposed teeth, stiffing their bodies, growling.  The hair on your neck goes straight up and your gut just says this just aint right. Sure guarding is a normal behavior among most species, don't you recall letting your sibling know not to touch "your things"?  We learn to share. Sharing is a learned behavior and so too it is in the canine world. It is when this behavior escalates to aggressive biting, when the pups eyes glaze over. This behavior suggests there is a problem.

So to resolve a situation as just described we are seeing more and more Vets prescribe pharmacological drugs including anti psychotic, anti depressants.  I have to say there are dogs that do quiet well with these meds and actually need them to stay alive but not all dogs need the dogs.  Not all dogs that are anxious, fearful and nervous require synthetic chemicals and medicine.  Some but not all.

Hiring a DVM Behaviorist to evaluate and test a crazed/assertive/mal adjusted dog would be ideal however they are not only expensive but few and far between. Julie Shaw, CVT has been proposing the advent of a team working together to treat the "whole" dog both body and mind. Forming a team that includes DVM, Vet Tech and qualified Certified Trainer to collectively provide a treatment plan and work together to successfully execute the plan until they arrive at a solution that works for dog and their person(s). 

Providing a treatment plan that includes Behavior Adjustment Training along with allowing the body to help heal on its own with the inclusion of a balanced healthy diet, exercise, natural remedies ( Dr. Bach Flower Essence and Therapeutic Essential Oils ) is a start. Observing behavior over a period of a few weeks then reevaluating if necessary and if required then adjusting by adding, subtracting or changing to include medicine. Sounds good doesn't it?  It doesn't always produce a natural solution but it does allow care takers try the natural route first which just feels better.

Our culture is still so quick to remedy solutions quickly with popping a pill buying a pinch or prong collar, slapping something on and expecting quick results.  Taking time to stop and think through a solution then allowing it to unfold is often times a better path. Sure remedies take time but isn't it worth taking a few more minutes, days or weeks to find a solution that is healthier for your pet or your body for that matter?  We have become so conditioned to quick, synthetic solutions that natural solution seem almost false.  We have forgotten natures gift.  Nature offers strong, potent and safe solutions for our pets and our bodies. We just need to have belief and courage again.
 

Anise
Birch
Bitter Almond
Boldo
Clamus
Camphor
Cassia
Chenopodium
Clove Leaf/Bud
Crested Lavender
Garlic
Goosefoot
Horseradish
Hyssop
Juniper
Mugwort
Mustard
Oregano
Pennyroyal
Red or White Thyme
Rue
Santalina
Sassafras
Savory
Tansy
Terebinth
Thuja
Wintergreen
Wormwood
Yarrow

All animals depend heavily on their senses of smell, sight and hearing to keep them from danger, find food and comfort and navigate their way in the world. These same sensitivities can make pets even more susceptible to stressful events and triggers than the people that care for them. Learning about the differences in sense perception between canines and humans can make for more harmonious living.

The underlying reasons dogs may feel anxiety, frustration and fear include poor communication, the use of improper equipment, noise pollution, a poor diet or limited mental and physical exercise. Dogs can also learn or inherit genetic predispositions toward bad behavior. Regardless of the history, there is much that can be done to help ease a pet’s stress level based on observed behavior.

Education: First, consult with a qualified veterinarian to ensure that there are no medical problems causing your dog to be anxious. Next, put some time into learning more about the dog’s senses, fostering better communication through training and planning out some simple exercises.

Exercise: Plan daily exercise and relaxation opportunities for your pet. Exercise, fundamentally important to a healthy and wellbalanced dog, safely channels bottled up energy for pets kept indoors.

Brain Power: Studies show that it takes both physical and mental exercise to reduce anxiety and behavior problems in pets. To exercise your dog’s brain, try toys that dispense food, design foraging games, practice training, take a walk or throw a ball from your chair.

Home Management: Create a relaxing environment in your home. Research indicates that music therapy, particularly the psychoacoustics in certain kinds of classical music, calm the parasympathetic nervous system in both pets and people. A good choice is Through a Dogs Ear by Joshua Leeds and Susan Wagner.

Relax: Spend a few minutes messaging essential oils and flower remedies, such as Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets, onto your dog’s ears and throughout its coat. Studies show that massage and aromatherapy can calm animals as well as humans.

Practicing these simple techniques can help to reduce anxiety for both you and your pet and create a stronger bond. A calmer, well-behaved dog is a wonderful companion and great reminder to humans to be present and peaceful.

Vivian Zottola, CPDT-KA, is a certified professional dog trainer and owner of Boston K9 Concierge, located at 202 K St., South Boston. For more information, call 617-464-1005 or visit BostonK9Concierge.com.