The View From Here: Live in Front of a Studio Audience Edition

So I've discovered me new favorite thing: performing in front of an audience of children. The human and I had a little extra time before work so I got to do my favorite stick chasing activity. Slowly this crowd of children gathered watching me. They got to learn a little (always ask before touching dogs!), they got to pet me, and best of all, they got to cheer for me as I ran back and forth.

By the time it was time to head to the office I was exhausted. I slept clear through the end of the day!

Performing live in front of a studio audience

Can you fly too?

Bet your ears don't do this!

Come play with me.

Unconditional Positive Regard: It's Not Just for the Dogs

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change."
-- Carl Rogers

Recently Debbie Jacobs, founder of Fearful Dogs and a follower on Twitter, shared the following interchange with the human:

fearfuldogs debbie jacobs 

i don't expect my dogs 2 love me unconditionally. they know as well as any1 when I'm being a jerk

22 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

jaypsyd Jason Mihalko 

Now now there is room in unconditional love for jerks mt@fearfuldogs don't expect dogs 2 love me unconditionally. they know when I'm a jerk

10 hours ago Favorite Reply Delete

fearfuldogs debbie jacobs 

@ 

@jaypsyd whew. good 2 know there's hope 4 me & other jerks

7 Jan Favorite Retweet Reply

This got me thinking about unconditional positive regard. This is part three of an occasional series of blog posts about my therapy dog view of different psychological theories. For parts one and two, check out An Ecological Approach to Life: Urie Bronfenbrenner and Erik Erickson: A Therapy Dog's View.

Let's  meet Dr. Rogers. The human never actually got to meet him. He did, however, spend some time studying with one of Carl Roger's doctoral students, Marshall Rosenberg. If you are interested, by the way, there is a long documentary of Carl Rogers doing group therapy. Click here to watch the documentary called "Journey Into Self."

Pit Bulls as Therapy Dogs

This article was spotted by a friend on Twitter. It's worth sharing. We've moved toward being a culture that is afraid of certain kinds of dogs and forget that by in large, the problem is with how people train and treat dogs. Check out this story about pit bulls as therapy dogs and keep it in mind the next time you encounter breed specific legislation in your local communities. (read more about BSLs here and here.

Of particular interest, by the way, is that breed specific legislation in Bermuda would make me a restricted dog. Can you imagine someone wanting to restrict Magnolia Wigglesworth? That's ridiculous. Check it out here.

AUSTIN (KXAN) - In the gymnasium at north Austin's Gullett Elementary School, a young boy sits on the floor with a book in his lap. The child is trying to sharpen his reading skills and he has a helper. Actually, he has two helpers: a woman who is volunteering her time and her dog.

Across the room, Patti Brauss, a 14-year veteran physical education teacher, watches with a grin on her face.

"There are kids who absolutely light up when they see a dog and that builds bridges sometimes if there's a stressful situation in the classroom," said Brauss, "or a skill the child can't do, and by being able to share that with a dog or be motivated by the dog, we can't do that as humans. It's the power of the petting."

On the gym floor another dog rolls over on her back and accepts some of that petting from another student.

"I think she's precious," the child said. "She's precious; she's a precious dog."

Nearby, another girl bends down and kisses a dog on the head.

Nearby, another girl bends down and kisses a dog on the head.

It's not just the kids that are getting into it all. Owner Ashley Arkin brought her dog to the gym.

"It's that emotional connection that just breaks you down and brings you back to your primal self," she said. "I love it; I love helping other people and the best thing I can do is help others with my dog."

The thing is, though, Arkin's dog is not just any dog. He's a pit bull dog! That's right, the breed that many people condemn as vicious and uncontrollable. Type "pit bull attacks" into Google and you'll be deluged with over 2,000,000 hits. Pit bull owner Lydia Zaidman begs to differ.

"They love people; they're extremely tolerant of people." Zaidman said. "Of course, each individual one has to be temperament tested and each one is an individual like any other dog. But in general, they temperament test very high. They really love people; they like to be around people and so they do really well."

Click here for the rest of the article

Secret Santa Saves the Day

For those of you in the know, my human has been bemoaning the fact that Target suddenly stopped carrying his favorite style of Kleenex -- he prefers the kind that come in oval shaped boxes. He had bought them in bulk awhile back and had a closet stuffed with them (what kind of psychologist would run out of Kleenex, right?) .

The supply has slowly dwindled. Things were getting desperate when his cache dropped down to to measly boxes. With the holiday season came a brief reprieve: Target had holiday themed oval boxes.

Joyous times were had by all -- and a sufficient amount of Kleenex was purchased to make it through December. But then what? What would happen if the shelves remained clean of the oval boxes. Would the human have to resort to standard (and boring) Kleenex?

Secret Santa to the rescue! Last week we discovered a bag in the waiting room. Inside of it was a personalized oval tissue box. Who knew the people at Kleenex have a website for making personalized Kleenex. Think of the possibilities!

Family Portrait

The kind woman who fostered me, my siblings, and my mother recently shared this photo on the Facebook page of Peace and Paws. Can you guess which one I am?

My siblings and I

Contest: Which Banner Picture is Your Favorite?

It's that time of year to update my banner on the blog. Here are some of my favorite pictures. Vote for the one you like best: popular opinion rules. Your favorite one will be retouched and posted on the blog for Winter 2011-2012.

option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Maggie takes a Holiday Stroll

at Fort Hill Park in Lowell, Massachusetts

Yesterday was a super busy day for me. I spent about a half an hour outside of of Hannaford Grocery Store greeting customers and passing out a little therapy dog love. I went to a place near the grocery store called Fort Hill Park (click here to learn all about that adventure). Then early in the evening it was time to head out to Nashua New Hampshire for their annual Holiday Stroll. One of my humans had volunteered to help set up a local church for some of the festivities.

Large public crowds like this aren't for dogs who aren't accustomed to being around a lot of people. It really was a bit too much for me. Thousands of people milling about created all sorts of distractions. My favorite was the "street food". I found it delicious, my human however found himself exasperated prying chicken bones out of my hungry little mouth.

Eventually my human scooped me up as we strolled down Main Street. This was much better for me: my short legs and strangely long body is a very inconvenient body type.When I was up at eye level I was able to scan the crowd for those who were most in need of my therapy dog attention.

The best was a few moments I shared with a young gentleman in the crowd. He was in his early 20s and at the holiday stroll with his father. It appeared that he had some sort of developmental disability. He saw  me and told me what a gorgeous dog I am. His father prompted him to ask my human if he could pet me. Before the human answered I stretched out from my humans arms and pressed my nose against the young man's face. He pet me for a bit, he spoke with the humans for a bit, and we were on our way.


Isn't it easy to wish someone a happy holiday?

Mindful Dog Walking

Today I'd like to talk to you about something of the utmost importance: mindful dog walking. Those of you who live in more rural areas might have a different experience, but here in the city I've had repeated experiences that are just too disturbing to remain silent about. That's right.

It's time we get serious and talk about those of you who walk your dogs in urban areas paying no attention to your surroundings.

On three separate occasions yesterday I was accosted by leashed dogs. Their owners were wandering around in la-la land and allowed their dogs to run right up into my face. On rather frightening beast snarled and exposed his teeth at me. I'm being generous here because at least one of the humans (companion to the snarling beast) was aware of what was happening and didn't do anything to stop the behavior.

How do you feel when a stranger runs up to you and sticks there nose in your face?

You don't like it? Well we dogs don't like it either. There is a certain dance well socialized and well behaved dogs do when they meet each other. We use very loud and obvious non-verbal language to communicate with each other. I let people know I'm submissive, for example. I usually will crouch down and look to the side when I see another dog approaching. My tail will go down between my legs. I'll lick my lips. In doing this, I communicate I am not dangerous, I am a friend, and I will not hurt you. I wait for the other dog to signal their intentions: when they do we will circle each other and sniff. That's how we shake hands. Then and only then we will play.

Back to the nose in the face. Yesterday these three dogs payed no attention to my non-verbals and ran right up into my face. This signifies and attack of my personal space and a potential attack of my human. I will respond. You can expect barking, you can expect teeth to be exposed. I will fight if I must, even though I'm little and very scared. I will protect myself and my human as best I can.

You can also expect that my human will respond very rapidly by placing himself sideways between me and the other dog. It's usually enough to stop the other dog when he blocks, prevents the two dogs from having eye contact, refuses to make eye contact with the dog himself, and provides a stronger non-verbal to the approaching dog.

Knowing that I don't have to protect I will run behind my human and cower. I'm an easily frightened dog.

The human is also known to verbally bite. He's tolerance has run out for these sorts of interactions. Beware as he has not yet had his rabies vaccinations. I'm not sure if you can get rabies from him yelling at you. Be on the safe side thought, okay?

What's my point here?

Too many humans are watching dog trainers on television and think they have it all figured out. You don't have it all figured out. Just like children need to have adults supervise their play on the playground to learn important social skills, dogs need to have adult supervision on a playground so they can learn proper canine interpersonal skills.

The adult humans, by the way, need to have supervised play with their dogs too. This learning, which only can happen with the guidance of an excellent human coach, helps humans become aware of how to safely support their dogs when approaching new dogs.

On Dog Fighting: Crime, Punishment, and Transformation

A friend on Twitter passed along an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about dog fighting. The article itself wasn't particularly interesting or groundbreaking. Dog fights are arranged every day around the country and scores of people are watching at any given point in the day. Authorities investigate tips and make arrests. Courts pass judgement and convict people on animal cruelty charges.

The article goes on to say:

Marano said the SPCA investigates about 100 complaints of animal fighting per month. She said most of the cases involve dog fighting and cock fighting.

"Our mission, besides recovering these animals and putting a stop to this, is letting people know that it's a crime not just to fight dogs, but to attend a dogfight," Marano said.

Yes. It's a crime. Yes, in our society we use the criminal justice system to punish offenders (ostensibly to reform them) and to deter other from committing similar crimes. Does this really work? Does our system of punishing offenders effect change on either the person who committed the crime or others who are considering committing similar crimes?

No, not really. It is well beyond the scope of a short blog post to evaluate the research on the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. It would probably be more accurate if we all agreed to the purpose that prisons have in our lives. They make us feel safer. That satisfy our need for retribution.

A simple look at the statistics is stunning. According to the U.S. bureau of Justice Statistics, there are 7,225,800 people (2009 data) that were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole. That number accounts for 3.1% of the adults in the United States. Viewed in another way, the 2,297,400 people who were incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails makes our incarceration rate of 748 inmates per 100,000 U.S, residents. This means that 0.75% of our population is incarcerated--the highest total documented prison and jail population in the world.

We suffer a disconnect in our public discourse. On one hand, we label violence as abhorrent. We've delineated certain forms of violence as crimes that deserve punishment. In other ways, we glorify violence. We gather around the proverbial forum and enjoy the public spectacle created by some forms of culturally approved violence. We can't have it both ways.

How do we really make our world a world in which there isn't dog fighting? We transform ourselves--we strive to create a world in which we don't simultaneously abhor and yet glorify violence. We treat each other with dignity and respect. We learn to cooperate--even with those we don't agree with. Most importantly, we treat those who are most despised (those who have committed crimes) with humanity. That does not mean we condone their offences, or allow them to continue to offend. It does not mean that we "forgive and forget" or "turn the other cheek." We find ways to hold them accountable, demand restorative justice, and keep people out of society who are a risk to society.

Only then can we hope to create a world in which dog fighting doesn't exist.

Ask Maggie: How can I help?

I was thrilled to wake up this morning to receive my first question in the mail. I hope this is something that becomes a regular feature on this blog. Keep your questions and experiencing coming. Click on the image to your left to send me an e-mail or visit the Ask Maggie page for more information.

The question that was posed to me is a serious one. It is one that is an issue that is close to my own heart: my mother had to endure with this situation. It's an issue that many of you in the northern hemisphere of the world will face more of in the coming months as summer approaches.

How can I help dogs tied to cement?

This wasn't an uncommon sight when my human was young. He grew up in the suburbs where people had big green back yards. During the summer months many of those back yards would have a dog resting in the shade attached to a tree or post by a long length of chain. His own dogs would often spend a bit of time enjoying the great outdoors safely tethered to a chain.

The key here is that the human's dogs enjoyed this for short periods of time. Dogs weren't left languishing on a chain for hours (or days) at a time. They had access to water and shade. They had access to human companionship. They had access to stimulating and exciting experiences and environments.

Other dogs aren't so lucky. They are tied outside and left alone for hours, days, and even weeks, months, and years. My mother showed signs of this sort of neglect--when she was examined after being rescued many of her teeth were ground down suggesting she spend many hours chewing or gnawing on a chain or fence. This summer the human saw a news report of a dog who was left tied up in the back yard of a house that was foreclosed. The owners moved out without bring their dog and left him hidden in the brush for weeks without a source of food and water.

If you have a dog, and chain them up for long period of time, the Humane Society of the United States offers some tips on how you can improve your dogs experience.

There are several organizations that have put together information on how someone can help a dog who is chained up. Some of the organizations have a network of volunteers who are trained to approach people who you think might be neglecting their dogs. Your local animal officer, animal shelter, or animal creulty association may also have resources.

Here are a few resources to get you started:  Paw Rescue guide to helping chained animals; Dogs Deserve Better; and the Human Society of the United States guide A Dog's Life: Chaining and Your Community.

Last Day Before Spring Break

Class started off normally enough today. The human and I always get there a little bit early since we all gather in the fenced in back yard and get in some off-leash play. All of us know each other, and the humans make sure we are safe by regularly practicing recalls. When the energy gets too ramped up, for example, all of us dogs are called back to the humans and we spend a little time settling down and grounding ourselves. We do this over and over again. It's great practice.

After the outdoor playtime, we get back on leash and go inside the training building. Our teacher Maureen Ross always has a few words of wisdom for us. We check in with each other on how the previous week has gone. We talk about what we'd like to work on in the class.

Those first few moments are always a nice time to connect and bond with our humans. Here is a candid moment shared between Jake and his human Kathy. They are awfully happy together, don't you think?

Some of my classmates have a more laid back attitude. Gracie, who was helping me herd around a Newfoundland named Journey, decided to recline a bit and grab a quick nap. I've seen her lay like this for hours--unless of course she's invited herself into someone's lap. She also has developed this incredibly cute behavior. She'll roll over on her back and lay perfectly still--perfectly still until someone walks close to her. She'll then use her paws to gently beckon the unsuspecting human toward her.

Class often presents me with an opportunity to practice tolerating change. That happens sometimes, doesn't it? You think you know what's going to happen. You think you can depend on a routine. Then everything changes and you need to adapt. If you can't adapt--well--you bark a lot and then adapt anyway.

You see, today Maureen had an idea. This is Maureen's idea face. Look closely. Learn this face. When you see it, there are frequently costumes involved. This is also a high probability of laughter and general silliness.

Being an adolescent, I provide the teacher with a lot of attitude when she asks me to do something that I find ridiculous. Sit? Stay? Really? Who wants to listen at school. This is my response to her idea face.









Mind you, Maureen doesn't do it alone. Please memorize the following faces. If you see any of them coming into your dog class turn the lights off, lock the door, and pretend like you aren't there. It's for your own safety. You could also find them all at New England Pet Partners -- just in case you'd like to invite them to your facility to provide a little animal assisted therapy (and humor, too).

"Pam" -- Wanted for dog drooling incident

"Liz" -- Wanted for questioning related to a howling noise disturbance

"Kathy" -- Wanted in two states for excessive treat giving

"Diane" -- Wanted for contributing to the delinquency of a dog (Gracie last scene in the back of a police cruiser)

"Noreen" -- Wanted for questioning in a herding incident

Okay -- we have that out of the way. So what did we do today? I thought we were going to do a conga line. The humans did after all have costumes on. It looks a little like a line dance, doesn't it? Here is what we did: one at a time we practiced sit/stay (or down/stay) and then one human walked away. The human then asked us to do something at a distance (for example, down -- or come interrupted by a "wait!" or "stop!"). That way we each got to practice several new behaviors in new combinations (an interrupted recall, being told commands at a distance, etc.). We also each got to work on our patience because we had to wait until it was our turn. As you can see from this picture, my classmates were all doing a great job of paying attention--that is except for me and Gracie. I was bored out of my gourd and Gracie--well--who knows what she is thinking.

Last thoughts? Dog training is important, fun, and a life long process. It's important (and easy) to learn the basics like sit and down. It's more complicated to learn those skills in different contexts. Dog school is one fun way to learn how to behave in a variety of situations. It provides constant novel stimuli, companionship, and fun. Try it out. You and your human will be happy.

Ask Maggie: How Can I Help the Homeless?

"[I have a question for you Maggie.] It is about your picture today of the homeless man under the trees. it's a little easier to approach someone in need when you have a dog.....but I was wondering what you do or what you recommend in different circumstances (more direct contact).

Where I live, we don't really see homeless camping in parks like in your photo or as I've seen in California. Obviously we have homeless but they're not in obvious places. however, we're right along a major interstate and in some areas people stand at on/off ramps near Wal-Mart or other busy areas holding signs asking for help.

They usually are in a spot where I wouldn't be able to stop if I wanted to - but one time there was a young couple with a dog standing on a cement island at an intersection. it was a 100+ degree day and they  had a dog with them, so I got a few big bottles of water, a plastic bowl for the dog to drink from, some treats and cash - told them to take care of each other and gave it to them. They seemed sincere and thankful and I was glad I did it - but when it comes to single men standing by the road....admittedly I wonder if they really need help, or if it's a "scam" (since it's near the highway).

What are your thoughts on the issue in general? Some say "if they want money they should just go get a job!" but you and i both know it's not that simple."


That's a great question, and I'm glad you asked. My experience is different than many. First, years ago my human worked with people who were homeless and mentally ill. his clients regularly lived under bridges, in elevator shafts, and in boxes tucked away in hidden corners. He has a certain degree of comfort in these situations. Second, our experience in Harvard Square is also unique: the homeless people that we encounter are always in busy areas. There are lots of people around and it feels safe. The human has worked in the square since 2004 and gotten to know the regular residents of the area, the transient residents, and a few he just avoids because it doesn't feel safe. He and I might feel different in a different set of circumstances.

So first off, I am so proud that you even thing about these things. That speaks volumes about you as a person.

Second, pay attention to your safety. Know the area you are in. Do not approach people in hidden areas, do not poke people who are sleeping or appear to be unconscious (do call 911 if you are worried for their safety!), do not approach people who for whatever reason cause you to feel unsafe.

Third--then what? What do you do? Do you really need to know if the people area actually homeless? Does it matter if they are scamming you? Do you give money? A cup of coffee? Something else?

None of that matters for me. The folks who line the streets and are tucked away in hidden corners are invisible. Take a minute of your time to watch the folks who walk past them. Some pretend to talk on the phone. Some avoid eye contact. Some show great cruelty and laugh or even spit.

These people along the side of the street are just that--people. They are people who are for a variety of reasons hurt, lost, and forgotten. Many in our society like it just like that: we can walk past them, blame them, or tuck them away in places where they cannot be seen.

We've never given money, and rarely offer water or other creature comforts. We offer something else. The human and I choose to see the people who line the side of the road. We choose to take a moment, stop and make eye contact, and extend a little bit of humanity.

It's hard to do this. It is hard to recognize fellow travelers in life. It's hard to make eye contact with a person on the side of the road and let them know you can see their plight. It's hard to say I'm sorry I can't help.

It is worth it, though. It is so worth it to learn how to really see clearly, unadorned, and without modification. In bearing witness to the experience of those around you, the possibilities of what might be expand exponentially. 

Memorial

Yesterday afternoon I had a bit of free time between my therapy dog duties. The human and I bundled up and headed out into Harvard Square for a walk. As is frequently the case during the work week, the human let me lead. I spend long hours doing things that he asks of me in the office. In return for my hard work, I get to pick the direction, pace, and flavor of our walks.

Yesterday I brought the human into Harvard Yard. Despite the cold temperature, it was perfect squirrel hunting weather. The snow had mostly melted exposing a treasure trove of acorns. The muddy squares of grass on campus were too enticing to the squirrels: despite the cold they were out scurrying around having an afternoon meal.

I coaxed the human into a run and we were charging back and forth across the lawns. We were hot in pursuit of a squirrel--I followed him right up onto the steps of Memorial Chapel. This of course created a scene. Dog running, human following, and squirrel scrambling. A little mop of a terrier walked by and got super excited. I forgot about my quarry and visited with the dog.

Noticing we were surrounded by police, the human remembered that there was a vigil going on inside of the chapel. He asked me to have some decorum. After a bit of barking, I settled down and complied with his request.

A woman walked by and then turned around and walked right up to me. I wagged my tail with all my might as she asked the human if she could pet me. He said yes--and with that I was up off my hind end and onto my toes as I stretched toward the woman who so obviously wanted to say hello. We exchanged a lot of kisses, wiggles, and pets. It was great.

"What kind of dog are you?" the woman said.

"She is an Australian Blue Heeler/Basset Hound mix," said my human.

"Is she a rescue dog?"

"Yes," said my human. "She was dropped off at a shelter when she and her siblings were just a day old by a man who wasn't willing or able to care for them. Her mother had heart worm and they were all likely to be put down. An organization called Peace and Paws heard about their plight and saved the whole family. They moved to New Hampshire, were nursed back to health, and adopted."

"She must have been well cared for--even when she was one day old. So many rescue dogs can be scared. This one isn't scared at all."

My human smiled. I was well cared for by the rescue organization. I also was (and still am!) a very timid dog. The human smiled because he knew how hard we've worked together so that most of my interactions go like this.

My human thanked the woman for stopping to pet me.

"No, thank you" she said. "This made my day."

The police on the steps of the chapel were smiling too, talking about the wiggling squirrel-chasing dog who was licking everyone who wanted a canine kiss.

It was a fitting day to do this. Back when I was just a few months old I stumbled through Harvard Yard on a warm autumn afternoon. A man with a dark wooden cane came walking by. It was perfect because I was just starting to be exposed and socialized to all sorts of different situations that caused me distress. I was scared of the cane and more than a little scared of the man.

My human picked me up and offered me some reassuring words. The man with the dark wooden cane kept coming a little closer. I tried to burrow into my human so I could hide.

The man, as many have since done, asked about me.

"I'm a psychologist," my human said. "This little one is training to be a therapy dog that joins me in my office." There was a few moments of conversation about my journey from Kentucky to New Hampshire and now Massachusetts.

The man asked first if he might try to pet me. My human nodded and his hand gently extended toward me. I wagged just the tip of my tail as he scratched a bit behind my ear.

"Thanks for stopping by and saying hello," my human said.

"No, thank you," the man with the cane spoke. "I hope you two have a wonderful life together. We need people who care and show compassion."

Yesterday, inside the doors of Memorial Chapel, Rev. Peter Gomes body was inside a casket. The Harvard Community had gathered all day to hold a vigil honoring his life.

What I had not known that summer day was the man who stopped and scratched my ear was the Reverend.

Thank you, Peter.

An Ecological Approach to Life: Urie Bronfenbrenner

Due to popular demand, I'm starting an occasional series of blogs where I go through various theories in psychology from my therapy dog perspective. Why? A friend on Facebook was studying for an exam and asked my take on a couple of theories. I successfully taught these theories using examples from my life (squirrels). It seems like it would be fun to continue doing that.

In the United States, it is now possible for a person eighteen years of age, female as well as male, to graduate from high school, college, or university without ever having cared for, or even held, a baby; without ever having comforted or assisted another human being who really needed help. . . . No society can long sustain itself unless its members have learned the sensitivities, motivations, and skills involved in assisting and caring for other human beings.

Who said this? Urie Bronfenbrenner. You probably don't know him but you should. From all reports, Dr. Bronfenbrenner was a wonderful human being. While studying in New York City the human met a woman who spoke about studying with him. She got all calm and dreamy talking about what a kind soul he was. Later while working in Ithaca New York, the human happened to walk past Dr. Bronfenbrenner. They had a brief conversation--he indeed was a lovely person. Bronfenbrenner was a professor at Cornell University and the co-founder of the national Head Start program.

Children need people in order to become human.... It is primarily through observing, playing, and working with others older and younger than himself that a child discovers both what he can do and who he can become—that he develops both his ability and his identity.... Hence to relegate children to a world of their own is to deprive them of their humanity, and ourselves as well.

Urie was born in 1917 in Moscow, Russia. When he was six he and his parents, Russian Jews, emigrated to the United States. For those of you who aren't students of history, note that Urie was born when the Russian Provisional Government collapsed. His parents moved at the end of the civil war when the Soviets had taken control of the country. Why is this important? These small biographical details anchor Dr. Bronfenbrenner into a particular place and time. How might have these early experiences influenced him? What did he learn during this time frame? Who did his story of emigrating with his parents influence him?

If the Russians have gone too far in subjecting the child and his peer group to conformity to a single set of values imposed by the adult society, perhaps we have reached the point of diminishing returns in allowing excessive autonomy and in failing to utilize the constructive potential of the peer group in developing social responsibility and consideration for others. 

We often don't think about people in a historical context: we should. It is from within our contexts that our selves develop. I'll get back to that in a minute. First let's look at one more thing Dr. Bronfenbrenner said:

Development, it turns out, occurs through this process of progressively more complex exchange between a child and somebody else—especially somebody who's crazy about that child. 

Do you think that perhaps part of how Urie learned this was from a deep understanding of his own context? Neither I nor the human are scholars of Urie or his biographer. It's worth wondering about.

Dr. Bronfenbrenner developed an Ecological Systems theory to human development. It was revolutionary at the time--and in many ways still is. He wrote about about development as something occurring within five systems. I'll describe each of them in turn from my perspective.

Source 

Micro system: This is the setting in which I live. My family, peers, school, and neighborhood all populate this system. It is within the micro system that I spend most of my life and have most of my direct interactions. It's important to know that within this theory, I am not a passive recipient of experiences in these settings. I actively am involved in creating and deciding the contours of these experiences. Who's in my microsystem? My humans, of course. The humans that I live with are my most enduring and important relationships. My interactions with them set the contours of what is possible and what is not. My responses to the environmental they create, and my own personal tastes and genetics, dictate the possibilities of what I might become. My microsystem also includes the humans office, the way we are transported to the office, and of course the patients who come into the office. I grew up around people in therapy: this had a fundamental effect on who I became.We develop within the complex exchanges of our relationships. In his ecological systems theory, Bronfenbrenner changed all of our understandings of how children developed. He identified five systems which influence what all of us become. I'll talk about each of those five systems and to help you think about them, I'll put myself in context. Of course I'm sure you all understand that he was talking about human development--not puppy development. However I think the theory  holds for me too!

We as a nation need to be reeducated about the necessary and sufficient conditions for making human beings human. We need to be reeducated not as parents—but as workers, neighbors, and friends; and as members of the organizations, committees, boards—and, especially, the informal networks that control our social institutions and thereby determine the conditions of life for our families and their children.  

• Mesosystem: Refers to relations between microsystems or connections between contexts. This is the in between system. An example is the relation of family experiences to school experiences. If I don't feel safe at home for example, or my humans don't provide me with positive interactions, I'm not likely going to be successful in school. I won't have the skills from home to use and be skillful in school. Make sense? Ever know anyone deeply frustrated that the dog trainer can easily get their dog to sit (I'm sure you've all watched Victoria Stillwell on T.V.) but then the dog won't listen at home? Well this is because of the mesosystem. The family doesn't share the same set of skills nor provide the same environmental that the dog trainer does. Without an interplay between the two systems it is hard for a dog to learn what to do!

Witness the American ideal: the Self-Made Man. But there is no such person. If we can stand on our own two feet, it is because others have raised us up. If, as adults, we can lay claim to competence and compassion, it only means that other human beings have been willing and enabled to commit their competence and compassion to us—through infancy, childhood, and adolescence, right up to this very moment. 

• Exosystem: No, not exoskeleton. Those are crunchy bugs that I like to eat in the summer time. Exosystem involves the links between a social setting that I don't have an active role in and my immediate context. For example, I'm not directly involved in my human's marathon running. I'm influenced by it because when he's deep into training, I'm left alone more often and go on less walks. The exosystem, in this case marathon training, changes patterns of interaction with me. Involves links between a social setting in which the individual does not have an active role and the individual's immediate context. For example, a husband's or child's experience at home may be influenced by a mother's experiences at work. The mother might receive a promotion that requires more travel, which might increase conflict with the husband and change patterns of interaction with the child.

In the planning and designing of new communities, housing projects, and urban renewal, the planners both public and private, need to give explicit consideration to the kind of world that is being created for the children who will be growing up in these settings. Particular attention should be given to the opportunities which the environment presents or precludes for involvement of children with persons both older and younger than themselves. 

• Macrosystem: Describes the culture in which I live. Cultural contexts include developing and industrialized countries, socioeconomic status, poverty, and ethnicity. Don't think this affects dogs? Have you ever traveled to another country and saw the different ways people relate to animals? Some countries dogs aren't household pets--they are street animals. A more simple example--in some countries cows are food--in others cows are considered sacred animals. Take a look at the differences in training styles of Victoria Stillwell and Cesar Milan. They are both highly influenced by different aspects of the macrosystem. They both have different values and different contexts in which they understand animals. They in fact are both from different macrosystems (Milan from Mexico, Stillwell from the United Kingdom). Think about how these macrosystems influence how they relate to animals, and then how they teach others to relate to animals.

If the children and youth of a nation are afforded opportunity to develop their capacities to the fullest, if they are given the knowledge to understand the world and the wisdom to change it, then the prospects for the future are bright. In contrast, a society which neglects its children, however well it may function in other respects, risks eventual disorganization and demise. 

• Chronosystem: The final system involves the effect of time and transitions across a lifespan. Marriage, divorce, or the birth of a baby all are transitions in the human world that fall into the chronosystem. My chronosystem includes being born in Kentucky, being abandoned when I was a day old, being transported to New Hampshire, and then finding my home in Massachusetts. How do you think these transitions have influenced me?

Last thought? In Dr. Brofenbrenner's obituary at Cornell University the following was written. I see it as an invitation to relationship. I hope you do, too.

He spent many of his later years warning that the process that makes human beings human is breaking down as disruptive trends in American society produce ever more chaos in the lives of America's children. "The hectic pace of modern life poses a threat to our children second only to poverty and unemployment," he said. "We are depriving millions of children--and thereby our country--of their birthright... virtues, such as honesty, responsibility, integrity and compassion."