She slapped a blind, deaf girl…
This is unbelievable.
This woman slapped a little blind, deaf girl… repeatedly.
I know this because the women is from the same small town my wife is from, Feeding Hills, Massachusetts.
Again, you won’t believe this but someone put up a statute of her in town. After reading this will anyone step up and get it torn down?
Here is the true story.
Down south a very affluent family needed help. Their 7-year old girl was blind and deaf. They wanted to hire a full-time teacher to help them. They felt extremely guilty and pampered the girl.
The family searched and found a teacher who would move in and start working with the girl.
As soon as she moved in, the teacher wanted to move out of the main house away from the family, and into a smaller house on the property. The parents were completely against this but relented and allowed their daughter to move into the separate house with the teacher.
Immediately, the teacher began slapping the little blind, deaf girl and FORCEFULLY made her do chores. When the little girl refused to fold a napkin the teacher spent an hour forcing her to fold the napkin. The teacher later admitted she was so exhausted making her do this she had to lay down.
Can you imagine if someone had seen her doing this in public? If only someone had caught the “teacher” on camera and uploaded it to Facebook or YouTube?
She would have been stopped IMMEDIATELY! No small child should ever be slapped or forced to do anything against their will. Especially a 7-year old blind deaf girl. If caught on camera, the howls and complaints would have surely led to this woman’s arrest.
In the age of “Be Kind,” some people just don’t get it. Brad Pitt, just the other night at the Golden Globe awards, told us to “Be kind.”
And if this woman had been caught on video the world would have never heard of…
…Helen Keller.
WAIT!?! WHAT?!!??!!
What are you talking about Letendre?
Yes, Anne Sullivan is from Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. She was named “The Miracle Worker” by Mark Twain. If you ever find yourself in Feeding Hills you can see Anne Sullivan’s Memorial right next to Granger Elementary where the lovely and beautiful Rachael went to school.
Helen Keller said March 3, 1892, the day Anne Sullivan came into her life, was the day her “soul was born.” Helen Keller added she felt she was at sea in a dense fog until Anne came along and began working with her.
How can this be? Anne Sullivan was NOT always NICE to Helen Keller.
Why did Anne Sullivan slap and use force on her? Why wasn’t she nice and JUST use POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT?
Here is the interesting part. Helen Keller’s life was ALL POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT until Ms. Sullivan showed up on the scene. Helen’s parents felt guilty and sad for their daughter so she was allowed to do whatever she wanted.
Anne Sullivan’s own words:
“I could do nothing with Helen in the midst of the family, who have always allowed her to do exactly as she pleased. She has tyrannized over everybody, her mother, her father, the servants, and nobody had ever seriously disputed her will.”
“To get her to do the simplest thing, such as combing her hair or washing her hands or buttoning her boots, it was necessary to use force, and, of course, a distressing scene followed. The family naturally felt inclined to interfere, especially her father, who cannot bear to see her cry. So they were all willing to give in for the sake of peace.
Besides, her past experiences and associations were all against me. I saw clearly that it was useless to try to teach her language or anything else until she learned to obey me. I have thought about it a great deal, and the more I think, the more certain I am that obedience is the gateway through which knowledge, yes, and love, too, enter the mind of the child.”
WHAT’S YOUR POINT MR. AMAZING DOG TRAINING MAN?
My point is to understand how behavior works. There are times when you need to use a negative consequence to get a positive outcome. Positive reinforcement in the absence of punishment is a recipe for disaster.
There are times when punishment will save a dog’s life much the same way Anne Sullivan led Helen Keller from darkness into a full and wonderful life she would have never experienced.
And because Anne Sullivan stepped up to the plate, the world knows Helen Keller and her accomplishments. People have read her books, she co-founded Helen Keller international, is ranked as one of the most influential persons of the 20th century, and remains an international icon around the world.
None of which would have happened if Anne Sullivan never stepped forward and used some “not so nice” techniques.
So when I see a dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist freak out over an electronic collar, prong collar, or bonker I feel bad for the dog because the dog will live a very limited life. The dog has a really good chance of being rehomed, injured, or killed!
In the hands of a highly skilled and experienced professional Dog Trainer, the tools mentioned above can and WILL improve the quality of life for the dog and owner.
If you take a quick look at the 106 Five-Star Dog Training reviews I have on Google or Facebook, you’ll see how many people thank me for helping get their dog quickly under control (in most cases in just one session) because I show them how behavior really works.
The next time I am in Feeding Hills I will stop at Anne Sullivan’s memorial and say a silent “Thank You” from all of us.
Anyway, are you or someone you know struggling with your dog?
Do you need help making sense of dog training and behavior?
The next step is easy because I offer a free consultation for you and your dog. If you are ready to finally have your dog listen to you go here NEXT:
Get your consultation here!
All the best,
Eric
Eric Letendre’s Dog Training School
1180 STATE ROAD, WESTPORT MA
774.319.6351
