Alternative medicine is a practice which people either live by
or laugh at; there does not seem to be any middle ground. When
it comes to treating Attention Deficit Disorder, alternative
medicine refers to any treatment technique which falls outside
the realm of standard behavioral treatments and medication.
Dietary intervention is one such treatment in which certain
foods are eliminated from a child’s diet to reduce or eliminate
the negative effects of ADD. This is based on the misguided
belief that ADD is caused by food allergies or certain
manufactured products, such as food dye or preservatives. While
many people strongly trust this belief, there does not seem to
be any scientific foundation for it.
Another alternative treatment is the taking of nutritional
supplements, which, of course, is the opposite principle of
dietary intervention. Specifically, the use of glyconutritional
supplements, megadose vitamins, amino acid supplementation,
Gingko biloba, or any number of other herbal remedies have been
touted to cure ADD. Special care should be taken in consuming
herbal remedies as they are not regulated by the FDA. Children
are also especially susceptible to negative effects of such
supplements. Seek the advice of a doctor before giving any type
of medication to your child.
Interactive metronome training, which trains the child to keep a
rhythmic beat in time with a computer, is based on the lack of
motor timing and planning abilities in children with ADD. This,
in turn improves upon that inability. While only one study has
been done, this technique shows some promise. It, of course,
requires more research before its usefulness can fully be
assessed.
The use of lead treatment in children with ADD is base upon
increased hyperactivity in animals as a result of lead
poisoning; this has led some to believe there may be a
correlation between high lead levels and hyperactive children.
A specific realm of treatment which has gotten little respect is
that of motion sickness medication, treatment for candida yeast,
and optometric visual training. These each fault inconspicuous
culprits for ADD, such as inner ear problems (motion sickness
medication), toxins produced by excessive yeast in the body
(candida), or faulty eye movements and eye sensitivity
(optometric visual training). Each of these have been completely
disregarded by the medical community as having no basis in
reality.
Other alternative treatments for ADD include applied
kinesiology, or the realigning of the bones of the skull, as
well as chiropractic treatment to balance brain activity through
spinal manipulation.
Obedience training is one of the most important and most
effective things any owner can do for his or her dog. A properly
obedience trained dog is a happy, productive and safe member of
the family, while a untrained dog can be destructive and even
dangerous.
Dogs are designed by nature to follow leaders, and to look for
that leadership. As pack animals, dogs naturally follow the
directions of their pack leader. In the absence of a strong
leader, the dog may assume this role itself. Dogs that think of
themselves as the leader of their human pack can become
uncooperative, destructive and even dangerous.
Proper obedience training opens up important lines of
communication between handler and dog. The basis of any
obedience training program is to gain the cooperation and
respect of the animal. This respect cannot be exerted through
rough handling methods or mistreatment. It must instead be
earned through leadership and proper training techniques.
Basic obedience training consists of teaching the dog what to do
and what not to do. When it comes to desired behaviors, it is
important for the dog to learn and respond to basic commands,
such as heeling when walking, stopping on command, sitting when
directed, coming when called and staying where the handler
directs.
The list of what not to do is also important when it comes to
obedience training. Some of the don’ts of obedience training
include - not jumping up on people, not forging ahead when
walking and, not chewing the furniture or your property, and not
getting out of control when exposed to novel situations.
In essence, obedience training involves establishing the social
hierarchy that is so important to dogs as pack animals. When
your dog follows your obedience commands, such as - come, stay,
sit, heel, etc., he or she is showing compliance and
submissiveness. This is the same type of behavior a submissive
member of a wild dog pack would show to the alpha dog in that
pack.
As with any type of dog training, it is important that
obedience training sessions be fun and rewarding for both dog
and handler. A happy, healthy dog will be best able to learn,
and keeping the dog happy during the training sessions will make
life easier for both yourself and your dog. Obedience training
has many benefits for the dog as well as the handler.
For one thing, a well trained, obedient dog can be permitted a
larger amount of freedom than an untrained dog. For instance, a
dog that has been properly trained to come when called can
safely enjoy some off leash play time at the local park.
There is always a debate over whether it is easier to obedience
train puppies or older dogs. The fact is that both puppies and
older dogs can be successfully trained to be willing, obedient
companions. It is generally easier to train puppies and young
dogs than it is to retrain dogs that have developed behavior
problems. Even problem dogs, however, can be successfully
retrained using basic obedience training and control concepts.
When obedience training puppies, however, it is important to
remember that puppies generally have a shorter attention span
than to do full grown dogs. It is important, therefore to keep
training sessions short in the beginning. It is also important
to incorporate lots of play with other puppies, dogs and other
animals, as well as lots of different people. Proper
socialization is very important to creating a safe, healthy and
happy companion dog.
There are many obedience training classes held in all parts of
the country, and new puppy and dog owners are encouraged to
enroll in one of these classes. Not only do puppy kindergarten
and dog obedience classes provide important structure for the
dogs, but it provides important chances for properly
socialization the puppy as well.