William E. Campbell

            Hey everyone, happy Friday! Today, I wanted to provide a mini history lesson.  Now, I know a lot of my posts have been centered on dogs recently, but they are a very common pet to own and there are so many interesting topics about them! You have heard of world famous athletes and businessmen and women, but I bet one type of famous person you do not hear about is world famous dog trainers.  William E. Campbell was a dog trainer and dog behaviorist, and is listed in the International Canine Profession Hall of Fame.  Campbell began his animal-centered career in 1967 when he studied at the Canine Behavior Center in West Los Angeles.  From there, he founded the Dog Owners Guidance Services at Sun Valley Ranch in California.

            Sadly, Campbell is no longer with us today, but he left a large impact on the dog training world.  He wrote many articles and even some books on the behaviors of dogs, and how us humans can understand these behaviors and even learn to think like our furry friends.  One topic he liked to speak about is non-verbal thinking.  Many owners use gadgets such as shock collars in order to train their dogs, assuming the dog will react to the action of the shock and do as they are told.  Often times, however, this is done without regard to the dog’s opinion of the matter.  Dogs are extremely smart and can “think rings around their owners,” as Campbell put it.  Campbell has many other great tips and knowledge to share regarding the behavior of dogs, so if you are interested in become a trainer or a behaviorist I strongly encourage you to check out his books!