Mindful Partners : The Zen Art and Science of Working with Animals

Take a transformative journey to a deeper level of connection, and discover how to train animals through compassionate wisdom...In Mindful Partners: The Zen art and science of working with animals, Dr. Jenifer A. Zeligs teaches pet owners and animal care professionals how to fulfill their dreams of being like Dr. Dolittle, able to speak joyfully with animals. Dr. Zeligs combines breakthroughs in behavioral sciences with centuries of contemplative wisdom, revealing deep insight into behavior. This is the "Zen" of her approach-not only to teach students what to do, but especially to teach them how to see it for themselves with powerful practices from the mindfulness tradition. Dr. Zeligs guides you, the reader, to partner with any animal to establish interspecies communication, develop calm behavior, respond when things go wrong, reduce aggression, build confidence, overcome fears, and motivate without causing stress. The architecture of her message is built on the psychological sciences, but its heart is told through story, analogy, and introspection. This book is filled with intimate and amusing accounts of Dr. Zeligs' forty-year history of partnerships across the animal kingdom. Dr. Zeligs is the internationally acclaimed author of Animal Training 101 and founder of the Animal Training and Research International Center. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in advanced care and training of both pets and exotic animals at California State University, Monterey Bay, for more than twenty years. She is a Buddhist Mitra in the Triratna Buddhist Community with decades of meditation experience. Mindful Partners is the culmination of Dr. Zeligs' profound expertise. Each empowering chapter includes color illustrations, questions for personal reflection, and practices to enable you to master the concepts.