So what inspired my passion for working with humans and canines? Well, like so many others, we had a family dog named Ginger. I took her thru the local obedience school when I was 12. The methods used there were so harsh I cried after every class. I thought if this is dog training I want nothing to do with this.

I was very interested in Koko the Gorilla and I absorbed everything I could on how humans communicated with an entirely different species. The lack of spoken language never seemed to stop Dr Penny Patterson from expressing a wide range of concepts to Koko. Koko's use of a modified form of American Sign Language lit up my imagination- that there really WAS a way to communicate in a dignified and humane manner with beings other than humans. I read everything I could on animal behavior, human language usage, human psychology and learning theory.When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I replied "a Translator".

Fast forward about 25 years. I rescued the most aggressive Golden Retriever you'd ever want to meet. Snarling, teeth bared and very protective, she had no use for humans and feared them so much that she had decided it was easier to just scare them away. I had no clue how I ended up in this mess but I knew I needed help. I had to find a way to communicate with this dog and help her realize that not ALL humans are scary and we can have a partnership instead of a dictatorship.

Through research, study, seminars, and behavioral consultations with animal behaviorists and trainers, my eyes were opened to an entirely new way of interacting with dogs. There is a language- subtle and non verbal, but it's there- to be learned and utilized to help man's best friend become more than a stranger in the house. To facilitate communication and a partnership between species is one of the most sacred experiences we can have with other living creatures.

I have a soft spot for miscommunication- both human and canine. When dogs guard their food or toys, knock people over or just totally ignore their owner, they aren't really being mean or doing things out of spite. Dogs do what works. They somehow misinterpreted the messages from humans that this is the best choice they have and don't understand our social structure. Using positive, force free methods of communication we can work through and explain to your dog what's acceptable and WHY. Us owners sometimes just don't understand what our dogs are telling us and since they don't speak English we may become frustrated when trying to get everyone to agree to the same rules.

Leann Harris has owned and trained dogs for over a decade. She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and continues to learn from leaders like Jean Donaldson, Karen Pryor, Leslie Nelson, Kathy Sdao, Virginia Broitman, Hannah Branigan and many more. She has trained her two Goldens to be certified Therapy Dogs and has visited nursing homes and the Ronald McDonald house. She has taught private and group lessons for Therapy Dog training. She has volunteered for rescue organizations and for Canine Hearing Companions and trained service dogs for the deaf and hard of hearing and helped with their transition to using clicker training methods. She has done numerous private lessons with owners of otherwise "good dogs" and helped them become the Great Dogs she knows they can be. She now teaches private and group classes in Richmond, Virginia. She lives with her husband and four dogs; Tide ,Gaia, Phoebe and Ash.

Great Pawsibilities supports you and your dog's need for companionship and cooperation. Let us help you achieve a calm dog through balanced communication.

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You can contact us at leann@greatpawsibilities.com or 804-867-AARF