My Philosophy

In all arenas, I strive to be informative, educational, interesting, and entertaining for alpaca and llama owners and anyone interested in these wonderful animals. It is important to me to share with you the many amazing lessons I have learned in over 25 years of living and interacting with them.

One of my most significant life lessons is the deep importance of believing in ourselves. To believe that we each truly do have abilities to interact with our animals in clear understandable ways and can build comfortable 2-way trusting relationships. Many of us just don't know that yet -- or at best, don't trust the possibilities. I smile to think our alpacas and llamas might share the same point of view! I didn't trust it either until I began to pay serious attention to the nuances of their behavior.

It was amazing. The more I understood them through their behavior, the better I could communicate with them through my own behavior. Of equal significance, I came to realize there wasn't just one way to appropriately and successfully do most anything... and that would include interacting with alpacas and llamas. I was so relieved to lose that word "wrong." I realized the same technique or method was not necessarily always the best approach for every alpaca, every llama, every human, in every circumstance... every time. And, the most appropriate choice at one time may not be the most appropriate at another. From there, I met myself again on the other side -- back at the place where I learned to believe in myself. To take back my own responsibility and trust that if I felt to do something differently, even be creative in my approach, everything could-- and would -- be just fine. It wasn't about "right" or "wrong." In fact, learning to understand and respond in a way that seems the most appropriate for the presenting circumstance has greatly improved my relationship with all my alpacas and llamas.

I do my best in each and every venue to encourage and assist each participant in building skills and personal confidence in themselves -- that we can all think, make sound choices and interact with our animals in a skilled way. To get there, we just need the information, understanding, practice and. belief in ourselves. Change can happen but only if we are aware that there are, indeed, other possibilities.

Reading materials provide a great deal of information. Practically applying that information can be confusing. Attending a Gentle Spirit Behavior and Training clinic will focus information and bring together the skills for herd management and problem solving difficult behavioral issues. Is changing difficult behavior really that difficult? Through an understanding and recognition of behavior, most difficulties become amazingly clear and simple to resolve.

My clinics offer:

• Discovery of a vast range of llama and alpaca behavioral cues.

• Clear understanding of skull anatomy and the why of halters.

• Positioning -- how the positioning of all things are part of the whole… our animals, ourselves and the things around us.

Tools for problem solving – There is no trademark method or technique. No one size fits all. What do the puzzle pieces tell us?

Self confidence for both the animal and participant.

An ability to put into practice what you actually already know – much is a matter of common sense combined with an understanding of positioning and behavior.

Not much need for equipment beyond a catch pen, halter, lead, catch rope and maybe an ace bandage. Use what you have efficiently.

Ability to do what I do through:

1. Understanding behavior

2. Understanding positioning

3. Defining the issue as presented through behavior and positioning

4. Constructing a resolution

Group sharing is a very powerful component of my clinics. Observing is great but actually doing it yourself is better. Each participant has the opportunity to work with an animal exhibiting a difficult behavioral issue. We all become supportively involved in working through to resolution – learning from each other without judgment regardless of previous experience in camelid behavior and training. The result is profound.

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