Tamar Geller: Inspired by Wolves Before becoming

By Belinda Jones

I do not see dogs as lower consciousness than us. If anything I can argue they are way more enlightened - they don’t care about money, politics, or how many followers you have on social media. They are steadfast in their desire to love and connect, so I admire dogs and honor dogs. My purpose is to help dogs be understood as the angels that they are in our lives.”

There are many ways you can describe Tamar Geller - Oprah and Lady GaGa’s dog trainer, author of The Loved Dog, former Israeli intelligence officer, petite blonde firecracker with a distinctively husky voice and a passion for helping dogs and humans reach optimum levels of

communication. All of these apply, but to

talk with her, to be in the presence of her quicksilver mind and radiant heart, and then witness her creating miraculous transformations with supposedly troubled dogs in a matter of minutes, it really takes things to a whole new level!

It is incredible to think her game-changing work began with a chance encounter with a wolf pack in 1987…

Tamar was observing birds at a wildlife reserve set below the Edom mountain range in the Israeli desert when she got the opportunity to ride along to deliver an ibex carcass to a wolf pack. What she witnessed would change the course of her life and prompt a series of dreams telling her she must pursue dog training as her life’s calling. And yet… the experience was way more of a slow burn than it first appears.

“The wolves in Israel do not look like the majestic wolves we are used to seeing depicted, they look more like coyotes. Nothing profound took place that first night. It was all very technical, no affection or emotions on my behalf, I was simply observing the behavior. Today I compare it to going on a date and not realizing how amazing the person is until after you get to know them. I fell in love with them more and more over time, and it has become a long-term marriage.”

To further explain this, Tamar quotes Tony Robbins who she describes as “one of my greatest teachers and now a dear friend.” “He says, ‘Replace expectations with appreciation.’ When I was observing the wolves I was participating without agenda and it guided me to my life’s calling without resistance.”

Tamar says she still reflects on her months spent observing the wolf pack, which led to her signature theory that dogs are best understood as “part wolf, part toddler”. Interestingly, she notes that the balance of that mix is entirely based on each dog’s individual personality, as opposed to their breed. “I’ve known Poodle mixes to be super wolfy!” Tamar laughs.

“It took me time to understand what I saw there in the desert, especially the whole concept of being alpha. Now I look back with three decades of experience in dog behavior and I see that when you are in a position of leadership - whether that is of a country, of your child as a parent, or of your wolf pack - you have the option of what kind of leader you want to be. One alpha way is ego-driven and fear-driven - these alphas are heavy-handed and try to control everyone. That’s the Sad-dam Hussein school of leadership. The other type is service-driven - instead of wanting people to be submissive, you want everyone to be the best version of themselves. That is the Gandhi school of leadership. You want to ask yourself, ‘If I am an alpha, which type do I want to be?’

snapping and acting in an aggressive way, while the other type of alphas are so confident, so chillaxed, that they don’t sweat the small stuff - but if push comes to shove they’ll let you know they are in charge.”

Taking into account these two types of alpha, Tamar now curates the dynamic for her dog playgroups. “Right now I have a little Labradoodle puppy - 12 weeks old, about 15 pounds - and oh boy is he a Saddam Hussein type! So I put him with a very chilled group of older dogs, much bigger than him physically. If he becomes too much, they will put their foot down but there will be no fighting.”

Addressing fear-based behavior is the new priority for Tamar. “Previously with my training methods I was building a good house but I realized I needed a stronger foundation. Impulse control training has become the first step to my method. I work with the dog one-on-one to develop a new neural pathway in his brain where he can let go of the fear. And when he lets go of the fear, he’s no longer trying to run the show. Now he can enjoy the camaraderie and his whole life more.”

Tamar’s Golden Retriever Oliver perfectly exemplifies this relaxed approach. He is sitting beside her as we speak and she credits him with one of her most vital lessons in life. “As women, we are taught that it’s not okay for us to get angry. I see Oliver as a true leader because he is so peaceful and doesn’t get rattled but he does have boundaries and if necessary he will engage and defend himself. I think that as women we need to learn it’s okay for us to say, ‘Don’t cross that line or I will become the wolf!’”

It is exciting to hear Tamar talk about her ever-evolving inspirations and projects - as well as working on a third book, she’s creating a collection of herbal tinctures and toys to address the rampant anxiety she sees as the aftermath of the covid lockdown. “To be physically part of a pack at all times is in line with a dog’s DNA but then suddenly they have to be alone… I am trying to address that but I don’t think we can completely rid the dogs of anxiety as long as we as a people and a society are so anxious.”

Tamar also laments that so much of dog training is frozen in the 1950s with five commands. “Sit, stay, come, down, and heal - and supposedly this is enough

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE LOVED DOG

for a dog to live in our human society?” She shakes her head. “My goal is not to have the dog be submissive to me. I have a deep desire to see each dog become the best version of themself. Because that is where the magic is.”

When clients come for a session with Tamar she begins by telling them to forget everything they know. “I don’t want you to give commands to your dog, I don’t even want you to use this tone of voice on your dog! Within minutes they see the dog they have problems with responding with a Ph.D. level of understanding without me giving a command or correction. It brings them to tears. They confess their frustration hearing themselves constantly saying no and making corrections. They say, ’We had a feeling there was genius in our dog, we just didn’t know how to get it out!’” Tamar beams: “For me to see the tears and the smiles in the people, and to see the dog look at them saying, ‘Now I can be safe with you - now you understand me!

Oh my god, that’s what I’m here on earth for!”

It is incredible to think how a chance encounter with an Israeli wolf pack now impacts dog families all around the world.

Tamar concludes by saying, “I do not see dogs as lower consciousness than us. If anything I can argue they are way more enlightened - they don’t care about money, politics, or how many followers you have on social media. They are steadfast in their desire to love and connect, so I admire dogs and honor dogs. My purpose is to help dogs be understood as the angels that they are in our lives.”

Angels indeed. And when it comes to Tamar, it takes one to know one.

Certified in Acupuncture and Physical Rehabilitation

Belinda Jones is a dogbesotted British magazine journalist and bestselling author of eleven romantic comedy novels and a feeelgood road trip memoir titled Bodie on the Road - Travels With My Rescue Pup in the Dogged Pursuit of Happiness (Skyhorse Publishing). Her Instagram handle is @bodieeontheroad

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