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The Harmony Program |
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"Beyond Kindness there is Harmony" is its motto. On this page, I'm reviewing the ebook The Harmony Program by Silvia Kent, who designed the concept. It is written to dog behavior counselors, but would be of interest to other people too. This ebook begins with the story of experienced dog trainer Silvia Kent becoming disgusted with dominance-related approaches to dog training. She could see that they worked in some instances, but many times they didn't. Then she realized that the amount of love between a person and a dog was the most important factor in whether they could live together. That insight became the basis of the Harmony Program. Rather than the metaphor of the wolf-pack, Kent uses the metaphor that dogs are like children in a human family. When I first came across this idea of dogs fitting into our families like children, I thought it might be a little condescending, but in the way she describes it in this ebook, it is very respectful of dog and human. She compares what we need to teach our children and what we need to teach our dogs, and they are very similar. Here is a list of the underlying principles of the Harmony Program, excerpted from the ebook. Some of them might need more explanation for you to really see what she means by them... but I didn't want to rewrite her ebook on this page!
Much of this ebook is written to help dog behavior counselors who are working in the manner of the Harmony Program. She suggests that when meeting a new dog-client, they consider the physical dimension, the psychological realm, and in some cases the energetic/spiritual dimension. She encourages making the most of the unimportant and making the best of the bad -- that is, helping the client to appreciate that the dog is doing many things just fine and also reframing how the client thinks about the situations they are dealing with. She adds that checking back with the client by phone can be very helpful. Her How to Have a Really Good Dog is in the addendum. It's a good overview of many points of living with a dog, and she suggests giving a copy to clients. How to Have a Really Good Dog is also included in her ebook and book, Overcoming Dog Behavior Problems. Most people will find this ebook to be less practical than the ones that are written for dog owners (Dynamic Dog Training, Overcoming Dog Behavior Problems, and Your Dog and Your Baby). But if you're considering getting the whole package (described below), it's an inspiring enough ebook that it could tip you toward the package. If you are a dog professional of any sort, I think you would find it valuable. Click here to order The Harmony Program as an ebook for $12.87 This includes How to Have a Really Good Dog. The Harmony Program is only available in ebook format. Perhaps you would rather get the whole Silvia Kent package, which consists of Dynamic Dog Training, Overcoming Dog Behavior Problems, Your Dog and Your Baby, Take the Class (a manual for dog training instructors), and The Harmony Program. The links take you to my pages reviewing each title, or click here to buy the entire collection for $47.87, which is about a 40% reduction from the $78.55 they would cost if ordered one by one.
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