For the Animals Shall Not Be Measured by Man ...

“For the animals shall not be measured by man.  In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.  They are not brethren, they are not underlings, they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”  - Henry Beston

Our handlers were asked, "What does this quote mean to you?"

Inmate handler Richard Atkinson wrote:

That in this grand scheme of Life, we do not stand as the standard by which all of God's creatures are measured.  That in this current existence in which we consider ourselves civilized, which is so new, dogs and other animals, though viewed by many as savages, exist among us in their true nature.  Yet still able and willing to adapt, while still maintaining true to form by which the Universe set for them.  Retaining senses and basic instincts we have found ourselves lacking in our transformation into civility.  Still moving in tune are they to nature and their primality.  So far removed have we become. They see the world and experience it in ways we have lost or never will know.

They are not like us humans in that we can never see through their eyes, nor they completely through ours.  We will always be different - yet they are not less nor beneath us.  They are equal entities living the purpose the Universe has set for them on this planet we share.

FINDING FREEDOM by Rusty Thomas

“A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe” a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” 
- Einstein, The Einstein Papers

The Pawsitive Dog Program has enriched my life in ways I hadn’t expected in the past year since I enrolled.  There are two teachings I have been gifted.  The first and most obvious is the practical dog training methods.  The second teaching, and I think the most meaningful training, is a subtle learning that infuses your whole being.

First, of course, and I will boast, has been the training I have received from a very experienced and qualified staff that I have much gratitude for.  Our staff, with fifty plus years of combined experience, has provided me and the rest of the prison dog handlers with a holistic perspective to dog training. Every Thursday we receive practical and theoretical training in basic dog obedience, dog behavior modification training, puppy training and socialization, instruction on writing treatment plans and protocols for separation anxiety, dog-on-dog aggression and resource guarding.  The staff also empowers us by holding us accountable

to our commitments.

I can go on and on about the instruction I have received.  However, when I mentioned earlier we receive a holistic perspective of dog training, what I mean is that we don’t just learn about a dog’s behavior.  We are taught that our dogs are one of all “living creatures and the whole of nature” as Einstein mentions in his papers.  We are all interconnected and by being aware of this life condition, we get to the root of the psychological and spiritual aspect of problem behavior; not only with our dogs but with our own life-alienating behaviors as well.  Our dogs have the opportunity to be canine citizens and we, offenders, have an opportunity to become better human citizens on this planet we all share.

This canine and human citizenship training is the secondary learning I have received.  It is a special training I wasn’t aware of being part of the offered curriculum.  This special training is something our instructors let us discover on our own as if giving us a very valuable map that will guide us on our journey to a treasure by giving us a dog.

I set out thinking I’m going to teach the dog, and this four-pawed smiling creature gently teaches me to escape from the mental, emotional and spiritual prison we all seem to live in one capacity or another.  The dogs and I seem to have a symbiotic relationship in citizenship training.

I have been taught to observe the dog’s behavior and emotional content.  This practice of observation has assisted me in cultivating awareness within myself.  For example, when I was given my first dog to train, I would become so frustrated while walking this Beagle breed.  He would stick his nose to the ground and take off dragging me behind as I was yanking his leash.  My leash hand would be looking like I was trying to start an old lawn mower rather than walking a dog.  Then I would stop and recall our instruction of stop and act like a tree.  The best learning I received from this experience is self-observation.  What was I physically doing?  I was pulling which created resistance.  How was I feeling?  I was feeling frustrated and helpless, which was being transferred to my dog.  What was I thinking?  “What a stupid dog” – “Damn, I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

I had to learn that I had a habit behavior of yanking on the leash.  Once it was in my awareness, I thought how many other habits do I have that I’m unaware of?  It was a beginning of citizenship training from my dog.  It was as important to know my own thinking, feeling and behaviors, as it is to know the dog’s.

In addition, the dogs were tugging at my heart.  This deep feeling of love and compassion I felt was throwing me out of balance.  Being in this physical prison, there isn’t much focus on emotion, although we all feel it.  Whether pleasant or unpleasant, we try to hide it or become numb to it, or only act on the anger.  I suspect holding our feelings in or medicating unpleasant feelings is how we found ourselves here.  I know it is true for me.  Yet here is this dog, loving me, teaching, playing, and helping me release my pain of heart.

I recall a line from the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” that I’ll paraphrase – sometimes when one loses balance for love, one sometimes gains balance for life.  When I’m interacting with the dogs, I feel a sense of softness, a silkiness of joy and happiness that I have rarely felt.  What I mean is the quality of happiness and joy.  Most of us feel happy and joyful at different times when one of our immediate needs or values are met by someone in our life.  Yet, to me, that quality of happiness is not the same as this in-the-moment love I have when playing with the dogs.  It is like a feather tickling my heart and sifting out every happy molecule in my body.  Yes, in this moment, I lose balance for love.

I ask myself, “How can I cultivate this same feeling with my own species?”  I see the dogs loosening the shackles of fear that keep me from feeling.  When I feel and let it cut deep, whether pleasant or unpleasant, without trying to hide it, fade it, or fix it, I feel most alive and free.  I feel as I do when playing with the dogs; a sense of openness, spaciousness, and interconnectedness. 

Therefore, I agree unequivocally that our task in citizenship is to “free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”  Thank you, my dog friends, for mapping me back to my heart.

My Exit Story by D. Hilburn

My name is Dan Hilburn and I am a dog handler here at AHCC.  I have been in the dog program for about 16 months and have trained 5 dogs since I started in 2014.  My background with training dogs was really non-existent and, because I lived in apartments most of my adult life, I never was able to have a dog as places I lived didn't allow pets.  I did, however, have friends and family who had dogs, so I would interact and play with them when I was around them.

I have been incarcerated now for 13 years and have spent most of my time working in prison industries.  I worked in the food factory, the optical lab and two different garment factories.  Though I did learn some new skills, I can't say that I enjoyed the work, as most of the jobs were repetitious and tedious.

When I saw the dogs come into the Unit for the first time, I was very excited to see them.  I couldn't wait for them to get into yellow collars so I could give them some love.  My best Buddy was one of the dog handlers, so I had a lot of access to his dogs.  I became interested in one day becoming a dog handler.

My opportunity finally came after I quit working at industries.  A spot opened up and I put in my application.  I was accepted!  I started out as an alternate and then became a full-time handler.  I will admit when I first started, it wasn't always easy.  When you are working with a dog and also trying to work with another handler, it can be difficult.  There are a lot of challenges to overcome.  You and your partner need to work together and be able to communicate.  The first guy I was partnered with didn't work out.  I became discouraged and resigned my position.  About a year later, I re-applied and tried again.  The second time around has been much better and my new partner and I have been able to work well as a team.


Each dog that we have worked with comes with its own personality and also its own set of challenges.  Over a 10-week period it is up to us to shape the dog into a pet that an owner would be proud to own.  I would say that across the board, this program turns out exactly the type of dog that anyone who loves dogs would want.

With every dog I have trained, the one constant I see over and over again is unconditional love from the dog towards myself and also the other guys in my unit.  It warms your heart and makes the tough guys crumble.


Each dog is eagerly anticipated by all at the beginning of each new session and is much loved by all.  When it's time for the dog to leave, it is always bittersweet to see them go.  But we know that we did our job and they will move on to their new owners where they will bring love and joy, and they will enjoy their new lives.

This program teaches patience, communication skills, training techniques, problem solving, planning, and how to love something other than yourself.

My time in the program has come to an end.  I will never forget the lessons learned and the love I received from each dog I trained.  I will be releasing soon and I know that the skills I've learned in this program will serve me well during my transition back into the community.