Purple Leash Project helps make domestic violence shelters pet-friendly, aiding survivors and their pets escape together.
Brandon McMillan advocates for rescuing and training shelter dogs, emphasizing their effectiveness and unconditional love.
Training dogs is like martial arts - any breed can be trained effectively through conditioning, repetition, and positive reinforcement.
Deep dives
The Purple Leash Project aims to make more shelters pet-friendly
The Purple Leash Project, initiated by Purina, aims to make domestic violence shelters more accommodating to pets. Currently, only 17% of shelters in the US accept pets, leaving abuse survivors with the tough decision of leaving their pets behind or staying in a dangerous situation. This project provides grants to make more shelters pet-friendly, allowing survivors and their pets to escape and heal together.
Brandon McMillan's journey from circus life to dog training
Brandon McMillan, a renowned dog trainer and synologist, grew up in a circus family, surrounded by wild animals. Training and working with animals have been a lifelong passion for him. After experiencing the power of shelter dogs firsthand, Brandon became an advocate for rescuing and training them. He started adopting and training shelter dogs for various tasks, such as service work for autistic kids or military and law enforcement roles. He believes that shelter dogs, despite their troubled pasts, can be trained effectively and offer unconditional love and support to their owners.
The ease and importance of dog training
Brandon McMillan emphasizes that training a dog is relatively easy and can be compared to martial arts or muscle memory. He believes that any dog, regardless of breed or background, can be trained effectively. Training techniques may vary, but the key lies in conditioning the dog, reinforcing the desired behavior through repetition and positive reinforcement. McMillan encourages owners to understand their dog's instincts, job traits, and genetic predispositions to tailor their training accordingly.
The unique bond between humans and dogs
Brandon McMillan highlights the special bond between humans and dogs. Dogs have the ability to provide unconditional love, support, and emotional companionship that is unparalleled. They are empathetic and can sense human emotions and physical changes. Dogs can be trained to assist individuals with various conditions like autism, anxiety, and medical needs. Their loyalty and companionship make them valuable emotional support animals, helping people cope with life's challenges and providing a nonjudgmental source of comfort.
The Importance of Dog Love and Companionship
Dogs require love out of need and dependency, as they have been domesticated to depend on humans for survival. It is crucial for dogs to receive love and affection from their owners to prevent social problems and ensure their overall well-being. In return, petting and bonding with dogs releases a bonding hormone called oxytocin, which has physiological and psychological benefits for both humans and dogs. The need for human-animal love is different and should be understood as a necessary component of a dog's survival.
Understanding Emotional Support Animals and the Need for Regulation
Differentiating emotional support animals (ESAs) from service dogs is important. ESAs require no training and can be classified simply with a note from a doctor, which has led to abuse of the privilege. While acknowledging that some individuals genuinely require emotional support animals, there must be stricter guidelines in place to ensure basic obedience and proper training for these animals. This will prevent incidents of biting, aggression, and avoid complications with other dogs and people. It is essential to distinguish service dogs, which undergo extensive training, from ESAs to maintain credibility and safety.
Your best friend is a hairy beast and that's something to celebrate. This episode is a little different in tone and let's just say GOOD LUCK NOT CRYING, SUCKERS. Alie sits down with "Lucky Dog" host Brandon McMillan, who cares more about saving shelter mutts than he does about the 3 Daytime Emmys he's won for doing it. Learn about his Hollywood drama-worthy backstory that led to being one of the world's most celebrated dog trainers, plus how to calm anxious pups, breeders vs. shelter rescues, and how and why dogs help our brains and save our lives. Dogs 4 president 2020.
