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Lily's story started somewhere in West Virginia where she was on the street, picked up, and put in a kill shelter. She was rescued by a woman who took the hairless dog to the Vet. The good news was she did not have mange but was pregnant and starving. She was fostered by her rescuer and 9 pups and 10 weeks later she was sent to a rescue group in north New Jersey . I saw her on the internet and arranged for Baylee, my purebred dachshund, and me to meet her. It was Love at first sight. Two weeks later she came home and was soon enrolled in a local training class that unfortunately only had one other dog who took a dislike to Lily and attempted to attack her at various times in the following weeks. She became terrified of other dogs, she and Baylee became aggressive toward other dogs . She would not get in the car and vomited when she did. Luckily we found Kindred Souls. Peter evaluated her and among the many things he told me he said she might make a therapy dog. I was skeptical. Well it has been about 3 months. Lily jumps in the car, no vomiting, does not attack any other dogs, still doesn't trust big dogs but she is getting there. Baylee is back to being his sweet self, and Lily is a therapy dog in training.

I guess if Peter thought she could fly I'd have to say sure why not.

 

April, 2009

To: MAGDRL-CSNJ@yahoogroups.com, magdrlnj@yahoogroups.com, DobeGuy
Sent: 4/3/2009 10:35:49 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Re: [MAGDRL-CSNJ] Monty Passed his CGC

WOO HOOOO for Monty!!!
and a GIANT thanks to Lauren, Matt & Pete for everything you have done for Monty!!!

Monty has been in foster care way longer then any of us ever thought and will certainly be the best trained Dane to ever leave a foster home because of all the love, devotion, time and energy Matt & Lauren and have provided and put into working with Monty.

Monty has certainly had his issues, but my GOD what a gorgeous LOVE BUG!!!
Some family will be so very lucky to find Monty... hopefully some day soon!!

A BIG Thank you to Pete from Kindred Souls for all he does for MAGDRL!! He is a HUGE resource, not only for Matt & Lauren but for all our fosters. He has been a guidance for so many of our Danes of late and having his expertise and advice is such a benefit to all our Danes... we are so lucky and blessed!!!

Thanks Matt & Lauren...
You guys put so much of yourselves into everything you do... you have been a remarkable foster home for Monty and though sometimes are tougher then others & I swear sometimes he does things just to mess with you (lol) .... my hat is off to you both!!!


Jenn Payne
Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League
NJ Central & Southern Chapter Coordinator
Board of Directors/Legislative Chair
NJ Central & Southern Turn In & Shelter Coordinator
www.MAGDRL-NJ.com

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Happy New Year from the Knipes

Dear Pete,

I just wanted to thank you and Chris for all your help with Sandy. This has been an amazing experience for me and my family. I had no experience with dogs prior to our paths crossing.The results with Sandy are amazing. Did you ever thing we would get thru basic obedience. Now she has her CGC license. Every time we take her somewhere she steals the show and the first thing they say is " she's a puggle, how do you get her to listen so well". Again thank you and I'm sure I'll see you soon.
Ken Knipe

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Posted by jenna on 22nd Jan 2008 on the NYC Shiba Rescue Site

Ella: NYCSR’s Biggest Success to Date

Ella has a home. And not just any home, but the perfect forever home. It must have been fate… they submitted an adoption application almost six WEEKS before Ella became available. It was still in our queue when we decided to make Ella available and something about their app just JUMPED out the next time I was thumbing through them. They traveled to NYC to meet Ella this weekend and ended up adopting her today and taking her home. They’ve already emailed us that the trip went well and Ella is settling in quickly.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to Mitch Fuchs of The Jindo Project for taking Ella on as a foster when we were starting to lose hope and to Pete Campione of Kindred Souls Canine Center for giving Mitch the training ideas that put Ella on the road to being adoptable.

Also big thanks to foster dad Scott (who loved Ella enough to keep all of us hopeful), foster mom Zennia (who put up with being growled at), foster mom Molly (who continued Mitch’s work and put Ella across the finish line), and foster Mom Lydia (who took Ella to “test” if her training would stick through a transition and helped introduce Ella to her new family).

Most of all, thank you to Ayako and Dan for giving this wonderful girl the forever home she deserves!

 

Thank you Governor Corzine

On October 3, 2007, Pete Campione of Kindred Souls receives Proclamation from New Jersey Governor, Jon S. Corzine for his dedicated service that brings special care and a special message for both humans and animals.

Click here for a printable version of the proclamation.

"Breed Rescue Seminar 2006"

Another successful training day today at Kindred Souls Canine Center in Howell, NJ. A huge thank you to Pete Campione for donating his time and expertise to MAGDRL volunteers to help better evaluate, foster, train and place our orphans. This is the second afternoon this summer that Pete has given to us and his talks are not only hugely educational but delightful. It was also so lovely seeing many fellow volunteers who we don't get to see very often. I welcome our new volunteers and hope you are joining us for a long and rewarding experience with MAGDRL. Thank you everyone for your attendance today and I hope you all enjoyed the afternoon as much as I did. I believe Kim took some pictures today and hope she will follow up this email with some of those to share with everyone

May 2005

Peter,

I just wanted to write and let you know how much I appreciate your support of my baby, Chopper. Through our whole incident with the accidental bite, you were the only one who really understood what happened with Chopper. To think I came so close to putting this beautiful boy down based on the comments of those who don't really know animal behavior. With your shared wisdom, Chopper was spared. Now, he is a gorgeous dog and he has proven that he has the personality and the temperament to match. Chopper has completed his CGC, he passed his Therapy dog testing, does excellent in his obedience classes, and is truly loved by all those who meet him. Chopper and I are working on attaining his first Therapy Dog Visit Award and expect to complete the first 24 visits before the end of this year.

The residents at the nursing home look so forward to Chopper's visits, but I tease all the time that I better be careful because they might send me a bill! I think Chopper enjoys the visits even more than the residents!

Thanks so much for all your insight which led to Chopper's success!

I've attached a picture of Chopper and the minuture horse the AC said he was trying to kill and the picture of Chopper that is on his Therapy Dog registration card. I've also sent you back a copy of the wonderful explanation that you gave as to why Chopper and I had the incident in the first place.

God Bless You and the work that you do.

Marietta Sprott

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Chopper, the Gladwin Rottweiler-The Missing Piece-No Shadowy History

I am referring to the article, "Gladwin Rottweiler Among Those with Shadowy Histories That are Cleared to be Therapy Dogs" written by Patti Brandt.

I've been a canine behaviorist and trainer professionally for close to 20 years. My facility has been training and certifying Therapy Dogs (proudly with Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs) for assistance work in hospitals, hospice facilities, and schools for special needs children. The title of the article by Ms. Brandt reeks with innuendo and long-dismissed canine profiling. Canine professionals and researchers have long known that the environment's impact on a dogs temperament is so overwhelming that it has made the concept of "bad/dangerous breeds" outdated and laughable ("Shadowy Histories….what IS this? A teenager's diary?). We have also learned through years of research that the "Anatomy of a Dog Bite" will often lead us to behavioral trends, canine intention and therefore, as trainers/behaviorists…..conclusions. The pieces of the puzzle create a profile of the incident from the dog's perspective. Dogs are reactive and the environment around a dog often dictates what that dog does. Bite statistics in this country also tell us a lot about how and why and important to this piece WHERE dogs bite. The problem is when conclusions are drawn and the research done does not support it. There is a missing piece to this bite…..and poor Chopper's taking the fall for it.

Let's go right to the reported biting incident (which happened barely a month after the dog was rescued from a shelter and well BEFORE he was trained for Therapy work). Now, I'll go on slow since this whole thing is so incredibly stupid and poorly examined (slow news day in Michigan??). According to the article, the woman was trying to corral her mini horse and dog at the same time. We can all agree she should have first secured the dog in the house then gone for the horse. But instead the dog was put on a "sit-stay", and the woman grabbed the horse, WHO WAS OUT OF CONTROL (still with me???). We know the horse is out of control because the article reports that she was trying to "get the horse under control" (see how easy this is??). Left out of the article were the facts that it was 6am and dark and out in the woods. She grabbed the horse by the halter, because it was OUT OF CONTROL (here it comes!) which is when the dog broke the stay, and bit.

Now…hmmmm…let's seeeee... 98% of the woman's body is NOT connected to the horse and completely exposed and vulnerable to attack. Statistically we know when dogs bite humans they grab the closest area they can. Yet somehow this dog bit the 2% area ATTACHED TO THE HORSE. We know dogs are genetically programmed opportunists, never failing to take advantage of a situation. Meaning, he went against 99% of all reported human bites. From the confusion (have you ever MET a panicked horse???), it makes way more sense that "Chopper" could have looked at the situation as one where the horse was going to hurt the woman. This FACT becomes apparent by the observation that the dog bit where he saw the hand-halter connection between woman and panicked horse. And most importantly, after the bite, Chopper was still hanging from the horse's halter (where the woman's hand was originally). If he were attacking the woman he would have CONTINUED the attack on her and NOT grabbed the horse (this is Canine Behavior 101 folks). He held onto the horse because all signs point to that being his original target. In analyzing this situation, it can be seen that the dog was trying to get the horse away from the woman; he was trying to help her in the only way he knew. This is part of the natural herding/protective behavior characteristic of this breed. If the dog had really wanted to bite this woman, Chopper went against every logical canine principal and completely ignored every easily accessible place to bite. Does that make sense? No, therefore we look to what DOES make sense. Why would he go around the woman, get in between her and the horse and bite there?? Because he was going for the panicked horse in the first place, got her hand instead and when he realized the mistake, stayed on the HORSE. This says volumes to those who understand canine behavior.

To believe this dog MEANT to bite this woman, you would need to ignore established research about the workings of the canine mind. The only place I wouldn't trust "Chopper" is in a retirement home for mini horses. And the only "Shadow" in this dog's history might be an illicit affair with a Maltese of ill-repute.

The "Missing Piece" in the anatomy of this bite slipped by the reporter and her cast of characters interviewed. The real story was in all that was missed. This was an ACCIDENT, not an attack (how WAS this missed?????), and this dog was able to get effective training so he could serve the community, and make people feel good. His is a success story, plain and simple. Without the bite being intentional, the story, as it stands by Ms Brandt, is NOT a story as you now have no "Shadowy Past" (Someone give whoever wrote that title a greeting card job)

So there we have it. The puzzle has to make sense when you approach animal behavior. Until they speak English, we put together a puzzle to create a picture. This picture had too many holes and the pieces didn't fit. A dog with an impeccable service record as a Therapy Dog being maligned with misinformation, illogical innuendo, and downright sloppy case building. No regard for research, statistics, or a fair and balanced look at the facts… I think someone owes Chopper and his mom an apology.

Peter Campione
Founder/Training Director
Kindred Souls Canine Center
Evaluator, Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc.

 

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"Chopper "
"A Cocker Spaniels Story"
by Ronnie Sukinik

Chopper began his life as a sweet little Cocker Spaniel in an abusive home in NYC.
His stomach had been repeatedly burned by cigars and cigarettes and the left side of his jaw was broken by his owners. Choppers ended up at the NYC Center for Animal Control where a friend of ours adopted him and gave him a home in Jersey City. After a year our friend had to move and couldn't have dogs in her new place, thus began another chapter in Chopper's life…..one with Ronnie Sukinik and Heidi Meisenhelder.

In June of 2003, we took in Chopper, and moved to West Long Branch, NJ. Here Chopper had a yard to run in and a full house to call his own. He loved living by the shore. With the aid of a doggie door, Chopper had the ability to run, play and be outside anytime he chose.

In October of 2003, we realized Chopper had trouble trusting us and wouldn't let us or the veterinarian check his stomach or his teeth. He would also not lay down near us and nevr on our laps. We decided Chopper needed some help and training…our next call was to Kindred Souls Canine Center.

Pete was absolutely great, he taught US how to teach the dog. He taught us about how dogs have survived and adapted through the ages and how we should relate to them. The first two weeks of the course we had to lie on top of Chopper to get him to do any kind of "down stay". He squirmed and wiggled and was not a happy camper. However after consulting with Pete and using his favorite hot dogs as an incentive we not only got him to stay down but to rollover and expose his belly for the first time for petting. By the end of the 8 weeks Chopper was trusting us enough to obey all the commands, even lying down, without the aid of treats. Chopper regularly offers his belly for exams and belly rubs. He will now lay on our laps relaxed and happy. He is now comfortable with people again.

Note from Pete: This was very difficult for Ronnie and Heidi. Traumatic fear issues caused by abuse are difficult. But I am a firm believer that dogs are capable of amazing resilience, but it meant that his owners had to come out of their own comfort zones to save Chopper from being a victim of his past. I often got that "But…he's been abused" look from them, but they stuck with the training and desensitizing program and got amazing results. Chopper had to learn that things that were previously traumatic for him (touching his belly, laying on people's laps and on floors) were not going to be scary , but had good things attached to them now. The devotion of this couple and their commitment to the process saved Chopper…..I only facilitated. Chopper is no longer and abuse victim…he's a happy, healthy survivor!! The picture says it all.

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© 2006 Kindred Souls Dog Training Center......Phone 732.367.4666 I Address 75 Brown Road Howell, NJ 07731