What's Happening at The Farm

Join us in congratulating Sherrie Giles, our Employee of the Month. Sherrie has been on staff with The Farm since January 2007, wearing a number of hats! Sherrie has worked on all shifts and does a great job no matter what she's doing.

Sherrie lives in Franklin with her husband, Guy, and their 3 Weimaraners. She recently took The Farm's rescued fox hound home to foster while awaiting a forever home. In her spare time, Sherrie's hobbies are gardening, making stained glass, and running. She ran in the Boston Marathon in April, quite an accomplishment!

Here are some of the comments about Sherrie by her peers that helped earn her the honor:

• "Sherrie truly loves the dogs and is very skilled handling all types. She is a team player and will always lend a helping hand. Sherrie is very versatile – does group play, day care, all wings, floor machine, makes stained glass, and repairs bed covers for The Farm. She is supportive and has a positive attitude. Sherrie is a real asset to The Farm and we are lucky to have her."
• "Sherrie is a hard, dedicated worker. She is always there to lend a helping hand when needed. Sherrie dedicates a lot of time here helping, whether it’s 1st or 3rd shift when needed. She is truly amazing when juggling training for marathons and working at The Farm, to taking care of her dogs. I don't know how she does it. She always brightens my day when I see her."
• "Sherrie is hard-working with a positive attitude and the ability to lead. Although she is part-time team member, she always works hard, taking the time to make sure everything gets done, and done right. It has been an absolute pleasure working with her!"

Congratulations Sherrie!

"Yes, They Really Are Talking." Most of the time we just don't know how to "listen." Discover how dogs communicate with one another and with us.

The Farm at Natchez Trace will offer the fifth in a series of nine lectures in its 2008 Lecture Series with Nikki Ivey, dog trainer and owner of DogSpeak, on Sunday, July 20th, at 2:00pm. A question and answer session will follow.

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and reservations are requested by calling The Farm at 615-662-6628, or by emailing karen@thefarmatnatcheztrace.com.

Topics in Ms. Ivey's presentation will include communication with your "best friend," dog signals and language, dog interaction, and understanding your dog's personality.

Nikki Ivey is a professional Dog Behavior Consultant/Trainer, has been working with dogs and their owners for more than 12 years. Educated as a traditional dog trainer, Nikki used dominating methods such as choke chains and prong collars to demand appropriate behavior from dogs without understanding what motivated them. Training in this manner became increasingly less enjoyable.

At a training seminar by Bob Bailey, Nikki was introduced to operant conditioning, where animals are taught to think for themselves and are rewarded for doing the right thing. By applying this technique, she learned how to teach anything with a brain stem, including a chicken!

Nikki began applying this unique style of training and has had incredible results. Realizing that dogs do what works, she began to truly understand dogs and learned how to communicate with them more effectively. Nikki now shares her knowledge by teaching owners how to understand, communicate and interact with their dogs to accomplish their goals.

Nikki used her teaching abilities and experience to establish Tennessee Emergency Rescue & Recovery Association, Inc., a volunteer K9 Search & Rescue organization.

The educational series strives to help pet owners gain knowledge about current issues affecting the emotional and physical health of their pets. Future events, which are held on the third Sunday of each month at 2:00pm, will address topics such as animal welfare laws, pet nutrition, parasite control, and canine rehabilitation.

Look for The Farm at Nashville Humane's Bow Wow Brunch on Saturday, July 12th. The event includes a Fashion Show and breakfast buffet for both people and their dogs. It all takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Hotel Preston, 733 Envious Lane, Nashville.

The Farm will be on hand to give complimentary Canine Nail Trims. For tickets and additional information, click here.