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As a holistic behavior consultant and pioneer in holistic dog education and behavior healing since 2009, I’ve developed a deep understanding of what it truly means to adopt a holistic approach. This comprehensive and empathetic methodology is essential for truly understanding and addressing canine behavior. However, the term “holistic” has been increasingly misused, often touted as a trendy alternative to “balanced” training, leading to confusion about its true meaning. Here’s a clarification to help better understand what being holistic entails and what it does not:
What Is a Holistic Approach in Rearing, Dog-Training, and Care?
Holistic Understanding of Dogs
A genuine holistic practitioner views dogs as sentient beings with individual needs and personalities. This perspective integrates insights from canine anthropology and ethology with a staunch “do no harm” philosophy. It emphasizes understanding dogs from their perspective, their attachment, meeting their needs, respecting their natural behaviors, breed-specific traits, and their life stages from puppyhood to senior years.
Trauma-Informed and Secure Attachment-Based Methods
This approach utilizes trauma-informed methods that aim to forge a secure bond between dogs and their owners. It addresses the emotional and psychological needs of the dog, incorporating elements of attachment theory to enhance this connection.
Multimodal Approach
Holistic training involves collaboration with practitioners across various disciplines—such as holistic veterinary, herbalism, acupuncture, nutrition, chiropractic care, and energy healing to adjust not just the dog’s behavior but also the environment and human interactions, creating a fulfilling living situation for both dogs and humans.
Trauma-Informed and Secure Attachment-Based Methods
This approach utilizes trauma-informed methods that aim to establish a secure bond between dogs and their owners. It addresses the emotional and psychological needs of the dog, incorporating elements of attachment theory to enhance this connection.
Least Inhibitive, Functionally Effective (LIFE) Model
Practitioners adhere to the LIFE model, focusing on the least inhibitive yet functionally effective methods to bring about behavior change. This model avoids forceful or aversive techniques, prioritizing positive reinforcement and gentle guidance, and promotes positive welfare impacts.
Incorporation of Energy Healing Modalities
Methods such biofield therapies are utilized to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of dogs, aiming for holistic health and healing.
Consideration of Systemic Dynamics and Past Trauma
A holistic approach takes into account the dynamics within a dog’s environment and past traumas, employing techniques like family system intervention, desensitization and counter-conditioning to foster healing and positive behavior development.
Holistic Rearing Practices
This involves raising dogs with minimal exposure to toxic chemicals, advocating for natural diets, and utilizing homeopathic and herbal remedies. It emphasizes minimal vaccinations and natural breeding practices to ensure the dog’s overall well-being from birth.
Comprehensive Training and Certification
Certification as a holistic behavior consultant requires deep understanding in animal cognition, Learning theory, ethical approach and in-depth training in complex behavior issues, trauma assessment, secure attachment techniques, understanding of holistic veterinary therapies, underscored by continuous education and practical experience.
Empathy and Respect
Central to the holistic approach is a profound respect for the dog’s emotional and physical well-being, the dogs needs, and limitations, which involves crafting a stress-free and species-appropriate environment.
This self-pace one on one ( min. six months) program aims to provide a clear understanding of complex behaviors and to provide the necessary knowledge and tools to identify problem behaviors and their origins, and provide tools to successfully educate the caregiver about trauma, and force free – prevent, eradicate, or minimize problem behaviors and build successful, lifelong relationships with our dogs.
Requirements
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Private individuals: at least 3 years dog handling experience required, such as shelter volunteer or Foster ( proof from involved shelter or rescue)
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Training Professionals: at least Pet Trainer Certification CPDT
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Veterinary field: Certification VT
Equipment
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Access to high speed internet or 4G cellphone coverage.
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A computer, laptop or smart phone, and basic computer skills. ( web cam, phone-tripod )
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Stress free Harness, flat collar, training leash, treat bag, clicker
Discover Why Students Love Our Program!
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Work with your mentor live: you are not alone, meting your needs and answering your questions.
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Holistic Student Community: vibrant online Holistic Student Community.
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Short Lessons and No Deadlines: Your materials are broken down into short, manageable lessons.
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Live interaction Webinars: Attend optional webinars and workshops to help you master your coursework.
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Training Videos: Watch optional uncut videos of real training sessions with real clients
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Private Mentoring Sessions: Get the help you need, when you need it, especially when you start working your own cases.
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Experience and practice: Gets you the exercise, experience and support you need to reach your potential. All your submitted videos will be evaluated.
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Dig as deep as you want: All documents and training units are backed by scientific papers or peer reviewed evidence.
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You are not being judged for your past. We all want you to improve and step into your healing powers, your past is your experience, the future is your potential, now is the opportunity to step into this potential.
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Virtual does not mean hands off : You still have to prove your skills by working with real behavior cases selected from local rescues, or animal shelter that are assigned and monitored by your mentor in real time.
What You will Learn
Your program Includes
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Certificate of completion
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Online Training classes (40 hours) with tests on different class components
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Personal mentoring online training sessions with Roman Gottfried
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Animal Healing certificate upon competition of the Healing for animals course (included)
Duration
Six months to one year.
Tuition
$3600 USD
Note
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To receive your certification as Holistic Behavior Consultant you need to complete all tests with at least 80% success
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25 units of continuous education needed for the yearly renewal of your certification
Certification Criteria
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Understanding a dog’s hierarchy of needs
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Basic and advanced Do No Harm training skills
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Assess behavior issues and relationship dynamics
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Locate, assess triggers, and write training plans for complex behaviors, anxieties, trauma, reactivity, and aggression
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Understand dog/human attachment and how they contribute to behavior
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Assess the emotional needs of the dog
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Identifying systemic patterns between dogs and their human caretakers
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Ability to do emotional trauma assessment
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Ability to build trust and confidence between caregivers and dog
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Troubleshooting complex dog behaviors
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Familiarity with breed traits and common associated behavior problems
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Being able to facilitate remote energy healing in animals
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Implement alternative healing modalities into behavior modification.
Recommend bY experts, veterinarians and National Rescues and Shelters
“Roman is one of THE best trainers I’ve had the pleasure to know. His unique ability to understand the nature of a dog’s distress and develop a plan to help overcome the challenge is a gift. Anyone would be fortunate to have Roman work with their dog.
“We have been working with Roman through a virtual workshop to help our rescue provide better care for the dogs we serve. There are several benefits to the online workshop and behavior support that Roman has provided to our rescue, Mastiffs to Mutts Rescue. We are a foster based rescue that serves many Mid-Atlantic States. Through Roman’s workshops, our fosters across 8 different states were able to benefit from learning a skill base that can be used for their current and future fosters. He uses an interactive online method that allows him to perform live demonstrations as well as to answer specific questions during the trainings. Additionally, his trainings are available to review at a later time for those who misses the trainings or need to refresh their memory.
Roman is not symptom-based, as he tries to provide guidance through finding the root of the problem that is causing the behavior rather than using band-aid techniques. His focus is not to manage the behavior but to rectify it. He asks for questions regarding real-life struggles with dog behavior and will then virtually demonstrate the techniques that fosters can use and practice in between sessions.
Roman has been helpful to both our fosters and our admin team as the virtual trainings provided a safe outlet for us to discuss concerns and experiences in a judgement-free zone where we can learn from one another while being guided by Roman. We would highly recommend Roman as our fosters have reported direct benefits from his trainings.
“I am happy to recommend Roman Gottfried’s online training classes. I have had my own fosters and personal dogs evaluated and helped by Roman , and have also just recently set up and attended an online canine holistic handler class for about 20 volunteers with the rescue that I volunteer for, National Great Pyrenees Rescue.
“Having a rescue and taking in the ones others won’t… I can assure anyone, that Holistic training works, as long as you listen and pay attention 😉 it’s a mindset and lifestyle change for the positive. And let’s face it, we all need reminders, coaching, and mentors to strive to be better than we were yesterday. Roman Gottfried thank you for always stepping up and helping me not only improve my rescues, but also making me a better person! https://saveasoulsanctuary.org/
Testing and Certification Process
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Proof of previous dog training or handling skills required
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Scenario test with a written training plan and course of action
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Being observed in an online training session with an unfamiliar dog by a certified trainer or live stream with Roman
Schedule a mentoring interview with Roman and get the that answers to your questions.
