AnimalSigning: Emotional Lives of Dogs Class

AnimalSigning: Emotional Lives of Dogs Class

Emotional Lives of Dogs Class

Held the first of four classes on the Emotional Lives of Dogs at Cal State University, Monterey Bay. The participants (of varying professions from physics professors to veterinarians) learned about what emotion is, both the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects. We all explored exercises to try out with our own dogs regarding emotions--becoming more aware of our own emotions, and then our dogs' emotions. It was a lively, very motivated group, with fabulous animals, that I can't wait to meet.

Some were interested in AnimalSigning, so of course, I'll be mentioning that.

APDT Conference DogWise Author Table

The APDT Conference in Oakland, Ca was great, with many interesting speakers. As I sat at the author table (DogWise) I chatted with Charlene (the DogWise organizer) and other authors. Sitting next to me were the authors of Through a Dog's Ear, Joshua Leeds and Lisa Spector. We exchanged works, and mutual support. Joshua expressed a phrase I hear often, that AnimalSigning is 'revolutionary!' He and Lisa are doing some fascinating work with the effect of sound/hearing (of music) in dogs.
Several participants chatted with me about signing, bought my book, and got a book signature. Some asked about doing workshops in their area (in other states).

The photographer from Marcus Photographs, hired by DogWise, took some pictures (which I will post on my new website coming in November).

After the conference, I drove around in my old neighborhoods in Berkeley and Rockridge stopping off at the MarketPlace near bart for some fabulous coffee and bakery goods. Not much has changed since the 90's there.

Clayton BookShop Event Fun

Sunday, was at my booksigning at Clayton BookShop in Clayton, California. The shop was interesting and very friendly. With seats planned for about 12, my assistant Debbie counted almost 30 people (kids, male, female adults) standing room only. Chal was very subdued throughout, until she smelled the chicken I brought for her to demonstrate some food and toy signs. She livened up and signed away: Water, Liver, Food, Chicken, Chicken, Toy, Frisby!

People had many questions about signing, their dog communications, some wanted a workshop in the area, a DVD, and online groups. Yes! Coming Soon.

Will be back to the beautiful area in November for a short workshop at PetFoodExpress in Clayon, Ca. down the street.

On the way home, Debbie and I stopped off at the San Ramon Whole Foods, where we had spectacular diverse meal from the salad and hot food bar. Love Whole Foods!

The AnimalSigner!

Yahoo DogRead Sept

Sept. I was the author of the month for Dogs Can Sign, Too. It was very interesting exchanging with many new readers, hearing about their dogs and communication. I'll be starting the Yahoo AnimalSign Group in Nov and from my current (this one) a discussion group for signers to stay in touch and exchange stories, for me to comment on. Look also for the online seminars for personal advice on you and your signing.

Horse and Dog Signing

Sept already has been very busy.


Horses:
We completed a fabulous 3-day photo shoot with incredible equine photographer Charles Hilton www.charleshiltonimages.com.

Princess was at liberty and cooperative, but tired by the end of the session, she still wanted more.

A client with a mustang rescue was of particular interest to him, as he has taken incredible photos of wild mustangs. One group is in Ca at Dreamcatcher http://dreamcatcher.typepad.com/my_weblog/mustangs/

The mustangs have been rounded up and their herd is at risk.

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Dogs:
Dogs Can Sign, Too. The new dog book is out, and going on the road to several bookstores to demonstrate signing with the new puppy StarLight (BC). Chal gets to show locally, StarLight is for on the road, at least now.

Workshop in Carmel at TheRawConnection occurring at the end of the month. Always exciting to meet new people, with their own reasons for expanding communication.

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Cats:
Working closely with Pastel, who loves to move a lot! She is very interested in FelineSign and offers behaviors, in her curiousity.

Dogs Can Sign Too!

Horses and dogs have been learning to sign in increasing numbers, and when they learn to communicate better, they run with it!

These last few months have been very busy for the center.

*CSUMB in Ca. has hosted classes in AnimalSigning for Canine Wellness, and will be having me teach Canine Biology and Behavior, and The Emotional and Communicative Lives of Dogs in the Fall, 2009.

*Signing Socials in Carmel, Ca. have started where signers come to share stories about their pets communications, and I help them move past challenges.


For dogs: Random House will be releasing the new book with 25 signs for dogs. The book is Dogs Can Sign, Too!

For horses: Storey Press will release EquineSign (with 40 signs for horses) in the fall of 2010.

Development and Research:

In the last years, I have been refining alternative forms of communication to expand signing to fit all dog preferences. Most dogs love to sign (esp. the first 10 signs), since they gesture naturally, but others want additional choices too. I've developed alternative special methods (specialized signs, pointing/targeting to communicate, which I teach adapting to each individual dog. This is so fulfilling for us all. Turns out as with humans (who use many methods of communication) dogs should have choices too (signing, choosing, pointing, vocalizing, etc.).

Having worked with deaf, blind, and fearful dogs it is clear that as they learn to K9Sign they are more open to trusting and interacting faster than with some other methods. Their motivation to trust increases. Watching the transformation from fear to desire to communicate is heartwarming.

I'd be very interested in your remarkable stories of communication from dog to you.

Events: For those who can't come to workshops, I now do tele-seminars on Signing. Hope you can get the information you need to expand communication.

Signing Off, for now.

Sean

Signing Stories from CSUMB

As more dogs and horses sign, stories emerge. A new Yahoo AnimalSigning group will open : K9Signing and EquineSigning...look or it this December!

I offer classes in AnimalSigning at CSUMB Extension. In my most recent class at CSU Monterey Bay the signing dogs are finding their voice with paw moves. A poodle mix learned signs very quickly, first food, then toy; another very obedient retriever learns to sign while playing, rather than during givign of obedience behaviors, a puppy boxer thinks moving his eyes back and forth and learns very fast to sign for food. Each dog has their own way and path.

AnimalSigning spreads to CATS

First, the horse, then the dog, now cats too can learn to expand communication with signing.

I'll be giving a seminar at www.simpledogtrainingsecrets.com on the use of signing in cats. Last week I gave one on dogs, and that one may be downloaded from their site.

NEWS in Measurable Animal Communication & Intelligence

Many researchers are focusing on animal intelligence and language. At this site you can link to the interesting articles on the topic on animals and relevant human studies.


Dogs can understand receptive language of over 200 words.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040611072744.htm

Dogs can learn to associate specific gestures with specific meanings.
www.animalsign.org


Dogs can detect various chemical previously not explored....
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/1205-mercury_detection_its_a_8220ruff_job8221.htm

Dogs can classify objects..
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613145535.htm

Birds can recognize themselves.... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613145535.htm

Horses can learn to associate specific gestures with specific meanings.
www.animalsign.org

Horses think through problems.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050201101836.htm


Horse learning with positive reinforcement..(you may need to log in to horse mag)
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=11436

***Human research relevant to facilitating animal language development***

Language develops in bursts...(human)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206154123.htm

Language development stages (human)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/09/040915113243.htm


Language from whole to part (human)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/04/040428062634.htm

Language lateralization (human)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/04/040428062634.htm

Language learning stages and lateralization (human)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/09/040915113243.htm

Features of language (human)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080323210220.htm

Talking to babies helps langauge development (human)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050329143741.htm

Signing Language in Humans
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050201101836.htm

Babies can Sign
www.babysigns.com

Want to know more about AnimalSigning ...communication for animals

Sean Senechal will be giving 2 seminars at www.raisingcanine.com

both in March: 5th and the 19th. The 5th is basic information about AnimalSigning followed by the 19th where I will coach listeners on lessons to teach their animals.

Look for exact times posting.

Sean

Book AnimalSign To You posted on KOKO Foundation Site

Our book AnimalSign To You. Imagine! Signing Is Not Just for Primates Anymore is now noted on the www.Koko.org website. Dr. Patterson endorsed the book and we are happy to be listed on their site. Click the link then go down to Rikki Power the Gorilla dog....see our book listed.

http://www.koko.org/world/kokopix_archive.php

Yahoo's DOGREAD book discussion

In Jan 2008 Yahoo Group DOGREAD is holding a discussion to provide a exchange with readers and author Sean Senechal of AnimalSign To You. Join us!

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/DogRead/

AnimalSigning is spreading...in the dog world

NEWS!
Recently, my book AnimalSign To You was made available on Amazon and my website www.animalsign.org. The response has been great, with many international animal people showing interest.

The Koko foundation endorsed the book with a quote on the back cover. Soon after DogWise Publishing made it available to its clients.

Have you tried to teach your pet how to better communicate to you?

We'll be making national trips this year (next year are the international trips) to tell and show pet people how to do this. If you'd like us to come to your town, contact sean@animalsign.org.

Sean Senechal
AnimalSign Center

Teach your dog to 'talk' with sign language

DOG CAN LEARN TO EXTEND THEIR NATURAL COMMUNICATION with K9SIGN Language. Teach your dog!

Several events aimed at this dog language training will occur near Monterey this fall:
check out: www.animalsign.org/events.html

WHAT ARE YOUR ANIMALS SAYING? Don’t Guess—teach them to tell you in ANIMALSIGN® Language.


*Service & Companion dogs can K9SIGN ‘phone’, ‘alarm’, ‘potty’, ‘door’, ‘water’, ‘play’, ‘food’, ‘toy’, ‘car’, ‘human’, and more…
SEMINAR, WORKSHOP, BOOKSIGNING for ‘AnimalSign TO YOU! Imagine’

Sean Senechal, founder AnimalSign Center, animal lover, scientist, college instructor, author will speak on her ground-breaking work.

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NOV 4: Sat 11-12 HARTNELL College, Salinas, Ca
K9SIGN & EQUINESIGN: Language Training for Dogs & Horses

NOV 6: Mon 6-7 pm HARTNELL College, Salinas, Ca
ANIMALSIGN: Signing Is Not Just for Primates Anymore!
DOGS & HORSES can SIGN TOO!

NOV 18: Sat 11-1 Mont. Peninsula College, Monterey, Ca
‘K9SIGN & EQUINESIGN: Language Training for Dogs & Horses’

DEC 2: 10-2 AnimalSign Language WORKSHOP
Monterey Area (Must Reserve-Limited Class) $55. Click

www.animalsign.org/ASWorkshop.html to register.

ANIMALSIGN PO Box 3346 Monterey, Ca 93942
(831) 663-3010 info@animalsign.org http://www.animalsign.org/

Dogs Talking Using Gestures

Teaching dogs to communicate using body gestures. This is useful for enhancing communication with animals, giving companion and service dogs the ability to tell us what they sense. This revolutionary approach to animal communication will occur in Monterey this Oct, Nov, and Dec seminars, workshops, and booksigning will occur at Hartnell College and Monterey, Ca area. Check out www.animalsign.org/events.html for details. Amazon release booksigning will occur for AnimalSign TO You: Imagine! Signing is NOT just for primates anymore in November.

Sean Senechal

Dogs as Language Learners

As a teacher (of humans) I'm always thinking about how to better teach students who are language learners, new to the English language. As a teacher of dogs I also think about how to better teach language (voice and sign) to dogs. Our humans have tremendous access to language training, but our dogs have little. They must listen to our speech, our body language, much not directed at them, and learn. For the most part other than obedience and related classes they are on their own.

I aim to change that, to have people view dogs as potential (productive) language learners. We already know that Koko has learned to sign. (www.koko.org) Dogs should be given that chance as well. I do this by teaching dogs to sign, using AnimalSign, K9Sign, etc. We leave our dogs illiterate! Though they do have natural gestures, vocalizations (much recently discovered), they have the potential for more, if we taught them (as we teach our human kids).

How can you get started?
1. talk to your dog, as you would your child, tell them 'that's a TREE', 'that is a DOOR'
2. keep a journal of the gestures they make, the body moves (understood or not).
3. listen to the sounds, the nuances of those sounds, the facial expressions
4. use their gestures to talk to them, bark, move your limbs.
5. show them pictures, books, as you would a baby.
6. for more info you can go to my seminars, workshops or read my upcoming book...as well.check www.animalsign.org events page for Oct/Nov events.

On pictures, Bonnie Bergin from ADI has written a book about Teaching dogs to read!
www.assistancedogs.org

Animal Perception and Training

I keep track of research where animals are expected to communicate. Dogs are asked to sit, to alert, to push, etc. to indicate they have sensed something. My passion is dealing with teaching them to communicate in detail by signing using a structured-made for their body-language.

Recent work at Berkeley indicates that puppies with just weeks of training can communicate that they sensed a particular odor in breath. That odor was specific to lung cancer. They did this over 98% of the time and they never misdiagnosed (false positive). The remarkable aspect of the study was not just they could sense the specific odor, but that these were just plain puppies with simple obedience skills and it took a few weeks. They were not specially bred dogs.

This really opens up so much for dogs and people. Imagine a class where dogs get 'health training' where they learn to sniff various diseases for their owner. I can see that supplementing current diagnostics.

I'm investigating diabetics having their own dogs detect low blood sugar or high blood sugar. This can be done with specially trained dogs, but imagine training your own dog to do this!

Signing is Not Just for Primates Anymore

I'm piloting a wonderful ground-breaking project teaching animals (horses and dogs) to communicate, to talk, by USING learned gestures. I have made up a language FOR animals to use. I've taught my horse, now working with my dog, and am recruiting service, such as alerting dogs, to expand their gestural vocabulary.

This is a high expectation approach to animals and language. It opens the door to animal linguistics, to viewing animals as potential language (receptive AND productive) learners.

I'm so excited to be able to offer and develop this for service and companion dogs. Imagine what they might do with a learned skill to expand their communication.

If you know of service dogs who might want language education, please send them to www. animalsign.org. For those interested in this revolutionary approach, I invite you to upcoming seminars, workshops, and training this Oct/Nov in the Monterey Ca. area. (To be listed in the local papers Coast Weekly and Herald.) You may also read my upcoming (on Amazon) book AnimalSign TO YOU, Imagine! Signing is Not Just for Primates Anymore.

I am an instructor (physiology and mathematics) for humans and an animal language educator/trainer for animals and their people.

Sean Senechal
AnimalSign Center
Monterey, Ca
www.animalsign.org