Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz was only 52-years old, when according to a Washington Post story, she died on January 12. There's no word on the specific cause of death, but after being admitted to the hospital she soon died after falling into a coma.
Sylvia-Stasiewicz started training Bo, the Obama family Portuguese
water dog, at the suggestion of Vicki Kennedy, the wife of the late
Massachusetts Democratic senator. The Kennedy family had sent its three
dogs, Splash, Sunny and Cappy, to be trained by her and had been pleased
with the results.
"She had a wonderful presence," Vicki Kennedy said Friday in an interview. "They would instantly look up to her."
When Cesar Millan said Bo, the Obama family dog was untrained, and clearly the leader in the White House, I reached Dawn by phone. We spoke about that, about her style of dog training and her book, "The Love that Dog Training Program" on my Steve Dale's Pet World Radio Show, listen HERE.
I wrote a corresponding feature story for my Tribune Media Services national column. And Dawn sent me a nice note thanking me for this piece.
First family's dog trainer weighs in on Bo's progress
Cesar Millan has appeared on several national TV shows suggesting that
the First Family's Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, is undisciplined and in
charge because he pulls on the leash, sometimes zigzaging every which
way.
On "60 Minutes," Millan told Leslie Stahl: "If your dog doesn't learn to
follow, you'll never have a disciplined pet. I've seen them (President
Obama and Bo since) day one, and definitely, day one was not a good
scene."
When speaking about Bo or, for that matter, any dog pulling at the leash, Millan has suggested the dog is in charge.
Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz had not heard about Millan's statements, which
have been splashed all over the media. Still, she's precisely the right
person to respond to those statements. After all, she is the First
Family's dog trainer.
Her first response to hearing the criticism? "It's very humorous," she
said with a laugh. "A dog pulling doesn't mean the dog is in charge.
When I see a dog pulling that never enters my mind."
She maintains that Bo does know the command to heel. (click continue reading)
She points out that
in many photos Bo may be pulling simply because he hasn't been asked to
heal. "Besides, why must a dog always walk beside you in a heel? That's
not fun," she adds.
She points out that Bo and the President aren't the only ones around
when these photos of Bo pulling on the leash are taken. Obviously, there
are the photographers, perhaps also presidential aids and Secret
Service staff. Bo may be distracted by everything going on.
Millan has said he prefers that dogs walk behind him to demonstrate his
leadership. It's an idea many professional behaviorists and trainers
suggest is "made up" with no science to back it up. Sylvia-Stasiewicz
agrees.
Here's Bo's story: He was purchased by a family as a young, enthusiastic
puppy from the same breeder who'd supplied the late Sen. Edward Kennedy
and his wife, Vicki, with their Portuguese Water Dogs. His original
name was Charlie, and Sylvia-Stasiewicz says the family loved him, but
the other dog in the house apparently didn't have the patience for a
puppy.
Charlie was returned to the breeder. Soon after, Vicki Kennedy phoned
Sylvia-Stasiewicz, asking her if she could take in the puppy to observe
and assess him until he could be re-homed. Sylvia-Stasiewicz had trained
other Portuguese Water Dogs owned by the Kennedys, including Charlie's
brother. She agreed to take the dog. "I had no idea that this dog might
go to the President," she says.
Each time Vicki periodically checked in for an assessment, the report
improved. "He was perfect," Sylvia-Stasiewicz says of Bo. "He was not
over the top with energy. He was bright and learned quickly. I really
bonded with him," she says and pauses, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"I was secretly hoping whatever family was waiting for Charlie would
change their minds."
Finally, she learned that the Kennedys were gifting the dog to Melia and
Sasha Obama. "I cried when I gave up the dog," she says.
Still, that wasn't the end of Bo's training. Sylvia-Stasiewicz returned
to the White House several times to work with the First Dog, by then
re-named Bo.
"Obviously, when working with a family, you have to communicate with the
owners," she says. "The majority of my discussions were with staff
members. I did talk to the President, but they were brief, I-have-to-go
(conversations). He's a busy man." She spent a bit of time with Michelle
Obama.
Like Vicki (Kennedy), Michelle is very dog savvy," she adds. "They
didn't need a lot of help. I do have a training manual I give to all my
students." That manual has been transformed into Sylvia-Stasiewicz's
elaborate dog-training book, "The Love That Dog Training Program"
(Workman Publishing, New York, NY, 2010; $23.95).
The book, filled with lots of images, offers easy-to-follow,
step-by-step training techniques, all using science-based positive
reinforcement. One of the methods used by Sylvia-Stasiewicz is to focus
on hand signals before worrying about teaching puppies words like "sit"
or "stay."
"Dogs are visually-oriented, and they're more likely to look to you for
these visual cues, so I teach that first," she says. "Dogs learn English
as a second language; they're watching our body language all the time.
That's how they can tell whether it's Monday or Saturday. Seeing you put
on the work shoes means it's a day you'll be gone. Seeing you put on
the sneakers in the morning means the dog may get a walk."
As for Bo pulling on that leash and causing apparent consternation for
Millan, there's one more point to make: At least some of the photos were
taken just as Bo went outside. What you don't see is what the dog does
next. Mother nature may simply be calling. Sylvia-Stasiewicz laughs and
says, "Exactly true."
(c) 2010 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
(thanking Facebook friend Sandee for notifying me)
