new blog - new site

OK, after many months of work, I'm launching the new www.boundangels.org site today. Along with that is the blog that is incorporated into the site, and that address is:
http://www.boundangels.org/blog/

I ask you to please use that blog from now on, as I will discontinue this blog as of today.

Thanks.

Robert

Update on Blind Stevie Wonder - cocker spaniel

Stevie was in the shelter for over 2 months when I found him sitting there all alone in a dark cell. A sign over his kennel read "Keep Alone - Blind Dog." It broke my heart and I knew I had to save him. I made a video which you can view by clicking here:
STEVIE'S VIDEO

He was rescued by a great organization and now lives a life filled with love. Join The Revolution and help us save more... Here is an update from STEVIE-

I love my new life so much Auntie Tracey, thank you for helping save me from the bad place. Now I get to have lots of nice naps in the sun if I want, or if I don't want the sun, I just go back in my big bedroom and lay down on one of the nice fluffy beds Mommy Carolyn has for me.

I get lots of good food and hopefully will put on a little weight soon. All the other doggies are very nice to me, and I think there are even some here who can't see....just like me, but we do real good getting around. I have lots of room to roam and explore and I think it's just wonderful.

And, oh yeah....I get tons of love and pets and hugs and kisses every day. I really like that:-)

xoxo

New Article for Shelter Workers

I can't tell you how often I'm called to deal with a dog at a shelter that exhibits what's called Barrier Aggression. This is a behavior when the dog is barking, growling or aggresses toward the front of the kennel when people are present. It is generally not that hard to fix, but it is a death sentence in many shelters.

The most common solutions are overlooked. Having trained several shelters in new methods of temperament testing and dog behavior, this article sheds new light on this behavior. Please share it with your rescue, shelter and humane societies.

http://blackbeltdogtraining.com/dog_training_articles.html

Best regards,

Robert


______________________________
Robert Cabral
BOUND ANGELS
"giving a voice to animals"
www.boundangels.org
www.BoundAngels.tv
www.youtube.com/boundangels
www.blackbeltdogtraining.com
join the revolution!

Selling Used Dogs

So.... big announcement. I've recently completed a book entitled "Selling Used Dogs." This is a book about saving dogs that are doomed at shelters. I thought of many ways of marketing this book, selling it, promoting it, etc. but thought that this information is too valuable not to GIVE AWAY. So that is exactly what I plan to do.

Selling Used Dogs is over 100 pages and contains programs that shelters and rescue organizations can put into place to increase adoptions. Programs like The Bound Angels Shelter Angel Video Program. I explain the program and how to implement it step-by-step. I'm also including in the book my personal Behavioral Assessment Guide. I've used this test on hundreds of dogs in rescue, for adoption / placement and for testing the temperament of dogs which I fight to defend in court. The book is full of information, programs and ideas that I've tested and proven 100% successful. Its not a book about dog training, its a book about saving dogs and understanding them.

Some people may be put off by the title, and if you're one of those, I urge you to read the book and judge its content. My idea is we must save these dogs and if sales skills and strategies are necessary then lets do it.

This last weekend I was invited to Prescott AZ to visit the Yavapai Humane Society and teach my "Selling Used Dogs" workshop. It was a 900+ mile round-trip, and of course I had to drive; I take my dogs with me when I travel. To say this was a long weekend would be to say the least, but it was so meaningful. I met so many wonderful people that have an amazing journey ahead of them. At the helm is my good friend Ed Boks who I believe has the clear vision to make NO KILL a reality. We've worked together before and I support his work at Yavapai Humane Society, his concepts, ideas and vision. In fact, in addition to this weekends workshop, I'm offering my help to see this project through.

In the past this shelter was dealing with temperament tests that were not fair to the dogs as well as limited programs to create exposure for the beautiful dogs that live there. During this weekends workshops we focused on training dog walkers, volunteers, kennel workers, management and staff in my Binary Dog principle. A concept that breaks down basic reward based training for every person that comes into contact with every dog. I met some very cool people that are very excited to change the way things "were" done and move into the direction of NO KILL.

I believe that every dog deserves a fair chance and if they have an issue when they arrive at the shelter, we owe it to them to lend a hand and teach them some basic skills. I believe that most behaviors can be fixed with dedication and education. I believe that we can save many more dogs with proper training. My vision was shared with the nice people at the YHS and I'm looking forward to all of the wagging tails that will be walking out of the front door of that shelter and into the homes of loving families from now on.

If you'd like a copy of my book SELLING USED DOGS, please email me and I will send you your very own copy in PDF form. Its my goal to get this book into the hands of every rescue worker that shares my vision for helping dogs get out of the front door of the shelter.

Also, please be sure to support our work by joining us at our fundraiser August 8th right here in Malibu. If you can't make it, you can still support our work by donating.

Best regards,

Robert


______________________________
Robert Cabral
BOUND ANGELS
"giving a voice to animals"
www.boundangels.org
www.BoundAngels.tv
www.youtube.com/boundangels
www.blackbeltdogtraining.com
join the revolution!

When a Government Not Only Condones Murder – but Protects the Murderers

This is exactly what happened in Delavan, Wisconsin today June 30, 2010. There were some 200 geese living on the lake committing the greatest crime they could – sh1tting… These geese were considered a nuisance by some members of the community, but not by all. In fact some people stood up to fight for them. I am proud to know Rebecca who spearheaded this fight. Not only was a humane solution suggested, but volunteers were ready to do much so more. This wasn’t good enough for Dorothy Burwell town chair of Delavan or park supervisor Herb Sessner.

I spoke to Dorothy on the phone and she, being such a humanitarian, said the massacred geese would be given to the food bank to feed the poor. She assured me she is a “real” animal lover who even spent $1000 on a rescue cat. Imagine that, spending $1000 on a rescue cat and then condoning the killing of 200 innocent geese…what a hypocrite! Comes to find out that the city spent somewhere near $4000 of taxpayers money to kill the geese. That’s about $20 per goose from what I imagine. I guess a couple of boxes of mac and cheese wouldn’t be enough. But since Dorothy is the ever-humanitarian, perhaps she can volunteer to de-feather the geese and cook them up in her kitchen and have these poor people of Delavan over for a big feast.

The idea was to whittle down the numbers so that the humans could enjoy the lake without too much poop. Well, these human will be walking on bloody soil today instead of feces. All 200 geese were massacred today under the cloak of the USDA, which by the way condones puppy-mills and has allowed its fair share of tainted e-coli meat and produce to kill American citizens.

For those who tried to stop the killing, they were met by police officers that held the them back. Sort of reminds me of Nazi Germany.

All I can say is that Ms. Dorothy Burwell and Park Committee Supervisor Herb Sessner are murderers whose hands drip the blood of innocent animals. I only wish someone would dump the carcass of these 200 dead geese in their front yards. They are sad excuses for human beings and have no compassion for life other than there own. Dorothy’s blatant lies and circle logic should buy her an e-ticket out of office and I would hope no one would ever elect her to office ever again. For that matter, I would hope she would feel the pain she inflicted on these innocent animals.

I applaud Rebecca and all of the people that stood up for the fight. One goose survived. May her life be a testament to the massacred others, and may we one day live in a world where all animals have a right to be free, not only the animals with the biggest guns.

Just Kill the Dog - it's Easier

As ridiculous as this statement sounds, you've got to consider the approach most people take with their dogs. People who have dogs with issues, which many have, give it a half-assed try to fix it, and when that doesn't work, they either give up on the dog and let the trouble behavior continue, or they dump the dog at the shelter.

Dumping a dog at the shelter is about the most cowardly thing I can imagine and it only leads to a dogs issues getting worse progressively worse until the dog is killed and dumped in a barrel. Giving up on a creature that lives and breathes and depends on you 100% is BS. I get so upset at the people who say, "I've tried everything, and nothing seems to work." Well, instead of trying everything perhaps you should limit yourself to trying those things that will work. Tossing a hundred ideas around and seeing if one will work is a recipe for disaster. Its almost as bad as giving it a half-hearted approach and then giving up.

For dogs with strong behavioral issues, which are the ones that end up in the shelter, people will give training a "try." They will generally register at a local pet store or group class and follow the instructions for a week or so. If the dogs progress is not up to their expectations, they let it go. These are the same people who go to the gym for a couple of weeks and when they don't look like the magazine cover, they get angry at society for marketing beautiful people. Dog training is something you will start to do today and continue until your dog takes his last breath. Its part of dog custodianship and its fun and rewarding for both you and your dog.

Mediocrity is not acceptable when success is the goal.

There is one approach I take with dogs, and that is a fair one. I start all training and behavior issues with a treat and a toy. I look to what the dog responds to and how he responds. I want to see what drives him and how he relates. I do believe in a strong hand with dogs as they respect that. For the feather weight trainers who abhor any corrections, I welcome them to visit the city and county shelters that I work with and bring your treat pouch (and a band aid).

My reason for taking such a strong stand is simple; I do not believe in dominating or hitting dogs, lets be clear on that. However, a firm correction that moves a dog into obedience is fair. Remember, a correction is not abuse, it is merely a direction to move a dog from what he is doing wrong to what we expect of him. For example if we are teaching a dog to sit and he is "not getting it" by use of a treat over his head, we can push down on his backside and "correct" him into the sit. A dog that doesn't follow on a leash when we lure him with a treat can be "corrected" by using a leash pop when we give him the direction to "follow" or "heel."

Now if all things were as simple as getting a dog to sit or follow life would be ok. Most of the problem issues come into place when people accept bad behavior from their dogs and don't correct for it when the problem first appears, be it that they are ignorant to the potential or that they think its cute and it will "probably go away." This can be as simple as a dog jumping up on people or chewing your favorite shoes, all the way to dominant and aggressive posturing and actions toward people and other dogs.

If we can't redirect the dog with a treat or a toy is it worth it to give the dog a fair correction or should we just drop the dog at the shelter and give up on him? If that is the case, why not just take him to the vet and kill him ourselves?

Harsh words? Well the reality of it is simple: If you can't get "your" dog to listen to you or to obey you, or if "you" refuse to give your dog the direction he needs, what makes you think that someone else wants your problem? The dog that puts his head down every night and you are the last person he sees, the dog that wags his tail at your mere presence, the dog that would give his life for you is the one you are giving up on. Remember one thing, he is an animal with teeth and the ability to use them. If you don't realize this, maybe you should opt for a goldfish as a pet.

Training a dog may take some work. Much like having a child, children require work: we change diapers, stay up when they cry, teach them to walk, talk, etc. Dogs require a certain amount of work. If people could understand that dedication to training, socialization and structure early on could save them a lot of work in the end.

Your dog depends on you - YOU! He has nowhere else to go. If you give up on him, his world has forsaken him, he's just as well dead. If you can't take the responsibility of training him, understand that someone else probably won't either. There are thousands of great dogs in shelters across this country, the dog you messed up and gave up on is not on the top of the list for an adoption. Most rescue organizations won't take dogs with aggression issues because they don't have the time to "fix" them. They are over-flooded with the countless other dogs that they are rescuing every day.

If your dog is developing an "issue" research training methods and get to work. I can assure you that an attitude of indifference and strength will go a long way with your dog and will move you along in training and giving your dog a fair chance at a good life.

Robert Cabral
Bound Angels
Black Belt Dog Training

Response about the Geese

Here is the response I received today from Dorothy:

On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 2:29 PM, Dorothy Burwell wrote:

Please accept my apologies for not reply earlier. Contrary to what many think, I have also received many comments supporting our position. Many view this as a health issue. With the support of staff at Lakeland Animal Shelter, I am hopeful that we can educate many people in prevention methods so that this does not ever happen again.

We do not wish to eradicate any animal or bird but simply get the number to a manageable level and feed some needy people.

Dorothy C. Burwell, Town Chair


townchair@townofdelavan.com ; hjs754@charter.net


Here is my response to her response:


Dear Dorothy,

I am very disappointed at your decision and am perplexed by the many inconsistencies in your statements / position. The animal shelter of your own city does not support your decision, nor do many of the people of your township. Furthermore, if you follow the will of the people to do something that is so clearly wrong, you are no more than a puppet at the hands of those who pull the strings. Righteousness is reserved for those who often times make unpopular decisions.

Your statement of feeding needy people with 200 geese that your city is paying close to $4000 to kill is a bit ludicrous. If they are a "health issue" do you feel that it is a wise decision to feed this to needy people? Couldn't the $4000 be better spent to buy some meals for these people and the geese spared.

In either case, you've made your decision and I'm certain that you will feel the implications of your decisions in the strong disapproval of not only those in your community, but also many more that are aware of the terrible thing you are doing.

I sincerely thought after our conversation that you were reasonable and may sway to an ethical decsision. Imagine my disappointment after I believed you spent all that money to save 1 cat and won't stand up for 200 geese. To those who believe a life is a life, its a position of hypocrisy.


Sincerely,



______________________________
Robert Cabral
BOUND ANGELS
"giving a voice to animals"
www.boundangels.org
www.BoundAngels.tv
www.youtube.com/boundangels
www.blackbeltdogtraining.com
join the revolution!


their email addresses are here.. FYI.

townchair@townofdelavan.com ; hjs754@charter.net