What's Happening at The Farm

Join us in congratulating Lacey Uhler, our Employee of the Month. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Lacey was raised in Tennessee and lives in Franklin with her dog and three cats.

Lacey is a Canine Handler on our first shift and has been with the Farm since April. Although she's been with us a short time, she has earned the respect and admiration of her fellow staff.

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

• "Lacey Uhler is such a hard-working and dedicated worker. She is not only such a sweetheart, but always keeps a smile on her face. She always lends a helping hand, stays over all the time, and makes it such a pleasure to work with."
• "I absolutely believe that Lacey Uhler should be Employee of the Month. Although she’s only been here for a short time, she is an incredible influence. She is great with the dogs and so knowledgeable! She never cuts corners, is relentlessly cheerful, loves to help, and is simply a pleasure to work with."
• "Lacey works very hard and always has a smile on her face. She doesn’t mind staying over to help out."

Congratulations Lacey!

"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.