#Behaviour modification

[bambisbraingoespop]

"Master, please may I cum today? I haven't in so long, I'm desperate, please. I'll do anything—"

He laughed. "Don't be silly. You cum all the time," he said, shaking his head.

All she could do was frown, so he sighed and pulled out his phone.

"Look," he pointed to the screen, "it's you, last night, cumming all over your hand while I fucked your throat."

"You... filmed me? I don't understand. Or remember." She stepped away from him. They'd always had a kinky relationship but never filmed it. Right?

Why couldn't she remember?

He tilted his head. "Don't be silly, honey. You're my little porn star. We've been doing this for months now. How do you think we afforded the new car? And that holiday last week?" He smirked. "It was your idea in the first place!"

"I don't remember, I don't think I'd ever want to do something like—"

"Hush now, you're being silly. You're having one of your moments" He stepped towards her. "But now you mention it, we have content to record for tonight, and our co-star will be here any moment. You clearly need a little more of your special screen time." Another step. "It's time to kneel."

The words washed over her. The muscles in her face and shoulder relaxed. Her eyes became black, docile, receptive. Nothing but a doll. Nothing left but his will.

Then her knees hit the floor as the trigger succeeded.

[quotesfrommyreading]

In the past decade, there have been several lawsuits against Teen Challenge. One mother sued for negligence, because her son was abruptly discharged from a Teen Challenge, in Jacksonville, for breaking a rule, and died of an overdose that night. This year, a student named Amaya Rasheed filed a lawsuit against Teen Challenge of Oklahoma, alleging that she was “physically restrained against her will” until she couldn’t breathe, and was denied medical care. (The director of Rasheed’s center said, “We remain confident that our actions are consistent with our First Amendment rights to honor our Lord and our legal obligations under Oklahoma and Federal law.”) Former employees have sued, too: a staff member in Georgia alleged that he was fired after he revealed that he had been hospitalized for depression; an employee in Oregon sued because she was terminated, on the ground of “moral failure,” for getting pregnant out of wedlock.

But these lawsuits almost never go to trial, because staff and residents (or their parents) sign a contract waiving the “right to file a lawsuit in any civil court.” Instead, the contract says that their “sole remedy” for any dispute will be “Biblically based mediation” or Christian conciliation, a type of legal arbitration. A Times investigation in 2015 found that religious-arbitration clauses, like the one used at Teen Challenge, have created “an alternate system of justice” that is often “impervious to legal challenges” and obstructs families not only from suing but from gathering facts.

Teen Challenge has been in operation for more than sixty years, but there is little public record of what occurs in its facilities. A kind of collective amnesia is fostered not only by the contract but by the culture. Once students leave some programs, their friends are not allowed to refer to them by name. Jasmine Smith, who worked at the Lakeland Teen Challenge until last winter, told me, “We had to refer to people who left the program as ‘a past student’ or ‘a past staff.’ ” Fitzpatrick, the former staff member, said that she was forbidden to communicate with employees who had resigned or been fired. She had to unfriend them on Facebook. Fitzpatrick worries that Teen Challenge will prevent her from getting new jobs, and she told me, “Even doing this interview, I’m shaking—I didn’t realize the fear.”

  —  The Shadow Penal System for Struggling Kids

[news-buzz]

UK women adapt their daily routines to accommodate periods and avoid 'mishaps' News Buzz

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[teine-mallaichte]

I’ve been brainstorming (and when I say brainstorming I really mean "daydreaming about while at work") a concept I’m now dubbing “Neurobehavioral Conditioning” or “Neuro-Operant Training” — basically an advanced way to "train" a whumpee by combining behavior conditioning, operant conditioning, and behavioral modification. Think of it as a futuristic shock collar, but with a twist.

The general concept is that of an implant. This implant would be remote, controlled by the trainer, owner, whumper, etc, and at eh press of a button would "reward" the whumpee for good behaviour, following orders, being submissive, or whatever else.

I have three ideas for this implant:

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Mechanism: DBS involves implanting electrodes in specific brain areas, like the nucleus accumbens, to stimulate pleasure and reward centers.

Control: A remote control would adjust stimulation levels to reward good behavior.

Pros: Highly targeted, adjustable stimulation.

Cons: Requires surgery with risks like infection and brain damage.

Real World Inspiration: DBS is used to treat conditions like Parkinson’s and severe depression, showing its ability to enhance specific brain functions.

2. Insulin Pump-like Device Administering Euphoric Drugs

Mechanism: This device would release small doses of a euphoric drug into the bloodstream.

Control: The trainer can control dosage and timing to reinforce positive behavior.

Pros: Easier to implement than brain surgery, easily adjustable.

Cons: Risks of addiction, tolerance, and side effects.

Real World Inspiration: Think of insulin pumps but for mood-enhancing substances. While not perfect, the concept of continuous, controlled substance delivery is pretty similar.

3. Insulin Pump-like Device Administering Neurotransmitters

Mechanism: Releases neurotransmitters directly into the brain, affecting mood and behavior.

Control: Like the drug pump, it’s remotely controlled for precise neurotransmitter release.

Pros: Direct and potentially faster-acting than drugs.

Cons: Requires precise control to avoid imbalances and side effects.

Real World Inspiration: Current research on neurotransmitter modulation in psychiatric treatments.

Now… Imagine This:

The whumpee is unaware of the implant. Every time they follow an order or please the whumper, the button is pressed and they experience a wave of pleasure. The sense of joy and satisfaction becomes so intertwined with their compliance that eventually the button may not even need to be pressed. In Whumpees mind the wave of pleasure comes directly from obedience.

** Whumper glanced up, catching Whumpees eye. “You’ve done very well today. I’m proud of you.” Whumpees chest swelled with warmth at the praise. They didn’t fully understand the source of their happiness, but in that moment, it felt perfectly aligned with their purpose. The sense of joy and satisfaction was so deeply intertwined with their compliance that they couldn’t imagine anything else.**

**Whumper called out gently "Could you please tidy up the coffee table, dear? It looks a bit cluttered." Whumpee "Of course!" They move swiftly to the coffee table, clearing away magazines and placing them neatly in a stack. As they work, they hum softly, a look of contentment on their face. The moment they finish, a wave of pleasurable warmth washes over them, originating from deep within their mind. They feel a sense of happiness and fulfillment, a smile spreading across their face as if they had just accomplished something truly meaningful.**

I feel the subtlety of influencing the whumpee’s emotions makes this concept all the more intriguing (and creepy). Sure, the whumper could crank up the remote to enforce submission, but the quiet conditioning might be even more satisfying.

Honestly, maybe it's a good job that I never actually qualified as a doctor what this is the sort of thoughts I have while stood in a gym yelling at someone on a treadmill 😂.

Mandatory science dump Under the cut

Key Neurotransmitters and Their Functions:

Dopamine:

Function: Often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, dopamine plays a crucial role in reward, motivation, and pleasure. It also influences movement and emotional responses.

Theoretical Effect of Artificial Addition: Increasing dopamine levels can enhance feelings of pleasure and reward, potentially improving mood and motivation.

Too much = addiction and psychosis.

Serotonin:

Function: Serotonin is involved in regulating mood, appetite, sleep, and memory. It has a calming effect and helps maintain a balanced mood.

Theoretical Effect of Artificial Addition: Boosting serotonin levels can improve mood and reduce anxiety and depression.

Too much = serotonin syndrome.

Norepinephrine:

Function: This neurotransmitter is involved in the body’s “fight or flight” response. It increases alertness, arousal, and attention.

Theoretical Effect of Artificial Addition: Enhancing norepinephrine can improve focus and energy levels.

Too much = anxiety and high blood pressure.

GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid):

Function: GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. It helps reduce neuronal excitability and promotes relaxation and calmness.

Theoretical Effect of Artificial Addition: Increasing GABA levels can have a calming effect, reducing anxiety and promoting sleep.

Too much = excessive sedation.

Acetylcholine:

Function: This neurotransmitter is involved in muscle activation, memory, and learning.

Theoretical Effect of Artificial Addition: Enhancing acetylcholine can improve memory and cognitive function.

Too much = Muscle cramps.

Key Brain Areas for DBS for this purpose:

Nucleus Accumbens (NAc):

Function: The NAc is a central part of the brain’s reward circuit. It plays a crucial role in processing pleasure, reward, and reinforcement learning.

Theoretical Effect of DBS: Stimulating the NAc can enhance feelings of pleasure and reward, potentially improving mood and motivation. This area is often targeted in treatments for depression and addiction.

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA):

Function: The VTA is involved in the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.

Theoretical Effect of DBS: Stimulating the VTA can increase dopamine release, enhancing reward-related behaviors and potentially improving mood.

Medial Forebrain Bundle (MFB):

Function: The MFB is a pathway that connects the VTA to the NAc and other brain regions involved in reward processing.

Theoretical Effect of DBS: Stimulating the MFB can modulate the entire reward circuit, potentially providing a more comprehensive enhancement of pleasure and motivation.

Central Amygdala (CeA):

Function: Traditionally associated with fear, recent studies have shown that the CeA also has neurons involved in reward processing.

Theoretical Effect of DBS: Stimulating the reward-related neurons in the CeA can promote positive behaviors and enhance feelings of reward

A few real world related technologies and research that explore similar concepts:

Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) Systems:

These systems combine insulin pumps with continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to automatically adjust insulin delivery based on real-time glucose levels1. The technology and principles behind these systems could be adapted for neurotransmitter delivery.

Neurotransmitter Modulation in Psychiatric Treatments:

Treatments for conditions like depression and anxiety often involve modulating neurotransmitter levels using medications such as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) to increase serotonin levels2. While not delivered via a pump, the concept of adjusting neurotransmitter levels to influence behavior is similar.

Research on Neurostimulation and Neurotransmitter Release:

Studies have explored the use of electrical stimulation to influence neurotransmitter release in the brain. For example, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can affect dopamine levels, which is relevant for treating Parkinson’s disease.

[sheepdog-and-fakegoldenretriever]

Today has been a roller coaster of emotions....

I've cried, I've laughed, I've been sad, I've been happy.

I'm just glad everyone in my job is unbelievably supportive because I couldn't have survived without regular check ins.

Today was tough.

I'm so thankful I can come home to my dogs and just be there with them and know they are happy.

[bambisbraingoespop]

In Worship to Him

He was a masterpiece, and every time my lips met His skin, I knew that even my entire existence would not offer enough time to worship Him as He deserved.

His words were a melody, a siren – a triton – calling me into His thrall, ensnaring my mind with whispered promises of the pleasure I'd find in obedience to Him.

His touch wasn't just electric, it was starlight, each caress a new inducement . . . of my obsession, of my addiction.

My every panted breath remained a silent prayer – a desperate plea – to grant me just one more second in His presence. Or at his feet. Or in service to him, in some way.

My devotion became part of my very existence, and I'd eagerly reshape myself to better suit Him, to be worthy His magnitude.

My mind surrendered my soul, heart, and body, my very essence, to His will. And I embraced a life filled with purpose and satisfaction under Him.

[quotesfrommyreading]

Each year, some fifty thousand adolescents in the U.S. are sent to a constellation of residential centers—wilderness programs, boot camps, behavior-modification facilities, and religious treatment courses—that promise to combat a broad array of unwanted behaviors. There are no federal laws or agencies regulating these centers. In 2007, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that, in the previous seventeen years, there had been thousands of allegations of abuse in the troubled-teen industry, and warned that it could not find “a single Web site, federal agency, or other entity that collects comprehensive nationwide data.” The next year, George Miller, a member of Congress from California, championed the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act, which tried to create national safety standards and a system for investigating reports of abuse and neglect at the schools. But the law never passed the Senate. “Some schools are fraudulent in the kind of data they present to state agencies that theoretically have control over them,” Miller told me, “and they are fraudulent to parents about the level of punishment they impose.” There is a dearth of long-term mental-health-care facilities for youth, and, he said, the industry “off-loads a problem that the public system can’t manage.”

Versions of Miller’s bill have been introduced in Congress eight more times, but the legislation has never passed, and the basic problems with the industry remain largely unchanged. Malcolm Harsch, an attorney who is coördinating an American Bar Association committee devoted to reforming the industry, told me, “When programs get shut down because of allegations of abuse, they tend to disappear and then pop up again with new names, as if they were new facilities.”

—   The Shadow Penal System for Struggling Kids

[marcowalker148]

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[oddsconvert]

MY BOYSSSS, MY SWEET SWEET BOYSSSSSSSSS

THEY'RE DOING LEGO TOGETHER - EVERYONE LOOK, IT'S SO CUTE I COULD CRY <33333333333333333333

"Was it too much to ask?"

For the five sentence fics!

For Jacky and Joe, early recovery in the regular timeline.

Was it too much to ask? 

Jack doesn’t say the words out loud, but they echo in his head like he’s screamed them. He watches Joe, uncertain if he should say anything else, but Joe doesn’t move. He just stares at Jack, his mouth hanging very slightly open. 

“Are you–are you sure?” Joe asks. 

Jack stares down at the box of plastic bricks on the table. His cheeks burn, and he isn’t sure why. Maybe it’s because he can feel Joe’s eyes on his face. It’s been a while since Joe has looked right at him. “Yeah. I, uh–I thought we could do it together, Joe.” 

“You want me to help?” 

“Please. Joe.” Jack’s voice is soft, and it wraps around Joe’s name with a warmth that seems to surprise them both. “I want you to help.” 

Joe’s face breaks into a smile. He sits across from Jack, folding his hands gently on the table top. “What are we making then?”

[in-sightjournal]

Ask A Genius 1050: The Paul Cooijmans Session 2, Extended Thoughts

Rick Rosner, American Comedy Writer, www.rickrosner.org Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Independent Journalist, www.in-sightpublishing.com Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is Paul Cooijmans, session two. Go ahead.  Rick Rosner: So I asked an AI, which is called Claude 3.5 Sonnet, what would be some ways to check if AI has become conscious? And it responds: “Determining whether AI has consciousness is a…

[courtorderclasses77]

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[bubblegumgothglados]

How to actually train a submissive, a how to guide

+Thoughts on the pervasive misinformation surrounding punishments and their usefulness.

Step 1. Make sure your submissive actually want to be trained. I'm into dom breaking, I'm into kidnapping, I'm into all types of situations where you forcibly change a person into the perfect submissive. But that's all fantasy, and they're fun fantasies to play out with willing participants. (Yeah i know this is pretty obvious stuff, everyone should know this already, but it is an important first step and it cant hurt to repeat)

Step 2. Pick a goal. The perfect example is getting them to take their pills at the same time each day. Its something they already want to do, its something that will benefit them greatly, its something that's very obviously pass/ fail, and its simple. Those are the criteria for a good behaviour to modify (with "want to do" flipped to "don't want to do" if its a behaviour you're trying to stop). The fewer of those things are true the more difficult its going to be to get the desired result, not impossible mind you but more difficult. As you and your submissive gain experience and become more comfortable with this process you can begin to modify more complex behaviours, but keep it simple to start.

Step 3. DO reward success, DO NOT punish failure. I'm gonna let myself rant about this at the end of this guide but for the moment just believe me when i say punishments are not a useful tool in training. So reward them every time the succeed. The best rewards are small things that stimulate the pleasure centre of their brain. Praise is a great place to start, stickers, snacks, tiny animal erasers, maybe shiny treasures if they have corvid like proclivities. Whatever it is make sure you give it to them personally, make sure you show you're genuinely happy with them, and make sure its something they cant get or aren't allowed to have otherwise. If the do fail (and they will sometimes) don't reward them, don't punish them, and don't let them punish themself. They want to be good for you, they will take failure hard. You need to make sure they know failure isn't a bad thing, everyone fails sometimes especially when starting to learn something. You need to reassure them that you're not angry or sad or upset and especially not disappointed.

Step 4. Be consistent. Reward them every time until they have a perfect record for a significant period of time. The specifics of this depend too much on the specifics of the behaviour and the reward so i wont try to give guidelines. Once they have that perfect track record start reducing the frequency of the rewards, stress to them that this isn't a punishment this is a really good thing. It means the training is working and they should be proud of themself and you are proud of them. Once you've weaned them off of the reward all together give them a big reward as a congratulations. And then sporadically reward them as a reminder that you're proud of them and to keep the habit strong. If the behaviour begins to drift you might need to go back and start rewarding them again, this shouldn't be seen as failure, its a normal part of training.

Step 5. Start again. Do they still want to be trained or are they happy with where they are? Is there another behaviour you want to modify? Is it time to try a more difficult modification? Do you need to switch up the reward to keep them motivated? Do you have the bandwidth to be consistent?

A note on brats. Specifically type 3 brats as described in THIS post. None of my advice changes. They still want to be good for you they just also want to play a fun game with you. Enjoy the fun game and train them to improve their lives. Just, don't try to train them out of being a brat, they're enjoying their game don't take away something that they enjoy, if you don't want a brat don't get with a brat.

Finally here is the as promised rant about punishment.

To the submissive reading this. You don't deserve to be punished, you never deserved to be punished. Even if you were a "problem" child you didn't deserve to be hurt for it. You still don't deserve to be hurt in ways you don't want to be. To the dominant reading this, yes you can rule through fear it is possible, but gods why?! If your ultimate goal isn't for your sub to be as happy and self fulfilled as possible, whatever that looks like for them, then what the fuck are you doing. And aside from that punishment isn't even an effective method of training. A dog kicked whenever it barks will learn to fear you and wont bark around you. A child spanked whenever you feel they've done something wrong will learn to resent you and will hide everything from you. An adult punished for stealing will learn to steal more effectively. Your submissive is no different from any of those examples. Kill the cop in your head, stop thinking of punishment as a legitimate means of control.

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

Let's talk about zoo animal welfare for a second...

(And I want to preface this by saying I have a 4 year Bachelor degree in Animal Science (focusing in welfare and behaviour with a major in Canine and Equine Science) before I got sidetracked into zoo animals and did 3 internships working with wild canids, ungulates and marine mammals - this involved both hands on behaviour modification/desenitisation as well as hands off behavioural observation and welfare study. I worked for 2 years as a marine mammal specialist and worked specifically in facilities to improve husbandry, behavioural training and welfare practises.

I also worked in a facility in the Asia Pacific, working to improve welfare standards for bottlenose dolphins and continued to work with cetacean welfare researchers after this. I also did a course in zoo management, husbandry and welfare and this involved working in an accredited zoo facility learning things like exhibit design, behaviour management and husbandry with multiple species.)

So a few points to say about zoo animal welfare when discussing zoo standards and practises:

The average person does not have the expertise to do behaviour observation and welfare evaluation in zoo animals - that's why when the general public visits a zoo and says "the animal looks sad" it's worth being skeptical of that claim. But it doesn't mean a gut feeling about a zoo's quality can be completely invalid. Just that it might be worth researching further or seeking more information.

However, with experience, it is possible to analyse behaviour in the context of welfare. And context to that behaviour is always important (for example, Moo Deng showing stress related behaviour towards the specific context of being touched or followed around by her keeper - very much an indication of poor handling practises)

Poor animal husbandry and welfare is not limited to specific countries or regions, however it can be more normalised and accepted under the influnce of cultures and laws. Or even just the culture of the zoo itself such as the "this is the way we've always done it" places.

Being an accredited zoo is a start to good welfare, but it doesn't make any sort of welfare concern obsolete. And accreditation is supposed to ensure that welfare concerns are addressed but because they are mostly run as a volunteer based organisation, they often don't have resources to check into every concern (unless it's a government funded organisation)

A zoo contributing to conservation research is great, but not if it is at the expense of the animals' welfare - welfare should always be prioritised, with research and conservation efforts to follow.

Welfare is a state that is in flux. So a negative welfare state can move into positive welfare state under different influences.

There are multiple factors that influence zoo animal welfare: enclosure/habitat, expression of natural behaviour, guest interaction, diet, enrichment, water quality, hygeine ect. It'll rarely just be one factor, though it does depend how salient that factor is.

Just because a keeper or management of a zoo have been there for a long time, doesn't mean they can't be criticised - it is possible to be still using outdated practises and believing in methodologies and management practises that need updating - that's the whole point of continued education

Having limited resources can often impact welfare. Giving a facility the resources they need to improve is a good start to improving welfare.

Even if an animal is being handled in an inappropriate way for a short time, that doesn't mean that can't have long term implications for welfare eg. if every time your dog jumped on you when you got home and you smacked him in the face once before going on with your day, that doesn't mean that your dog won't learn negative associations with your arrival just because it was one time.

Best practise husbandry of zoo animals involves:

Use of positive reinforcement based voluntary husbandry and health care

All interaction based on choice and voluntary interaction that is reinforced with primary reinforcement such as food

Mostly hands off approaches for the species that require them (ungulates, large primates, large carnivores)

Relatively stable social groups with aggression only in specific situations/contexts that are normal for the species

Back areas for animals to rest outside of public view

Species appropriate habitats to meet species specific behaviour requirements

Five freedoms of welfare being met but goes above and beyond the bare minimum

Poor zoo animal husbandry involves animals:

Being forced into anything such as presentations, education programs, medical procedures/gating

Any use of physical punishment such as chasing, slapping, pushing or poking - negative reinforcement such as bull hooks are also fairly outdated in handling species like elephants

Being excessively handled, chased and touched/restrained for no reason (eg. for social media videos)

Showing signs of avoidance and aggression constantly towards their keepers

Have constant conflict happening in their social groups

Are living in enclosures that are not suitable for their specific specific needs - size is only one factor in this. Substrate, habitat design, water quality ect. are also things to consider.

Are too close to the public/at risk from the public

Have no areas to retreat from the public/rest away from potential stressors

Have no enrichment program/no daily enrichment

Those are all flags that there could be some poor welfare happening and that a zoo is not prioritising welfare

Okay there's the ramble of the day done. Feel free to ask questions for further clarification if needed.

[ellecdc]

Matched

Finnick Odair x fem!victor!reader who are constantly introduced to each other [1.2k words]

CW: people trying to introduce Finnick and reader, Capitol behaviours (body modification, eating-purging-eating, no sense of propriety), fluff, a surprise

You’d come to expect a lot of things to happen when attending a party in the Capitol.

There would be people dressed to varying levels of near insanity. There would be people literally eating until they were sick, then forcing themselves to be sick so that they could continue eating. There would be people approaching you, asking you questions, and running their hands over your clothes or hair or jewelry or body as though having seen the most traumatic moments of your life aired on TV from the safety of their homes made you friends.

And there would always be people trying to introduce you to or set you up with their favourite victor; the Capitol’s darling.

“There you are, darling!” A rather reptilian looking woman you knew to go by Komoda greeted you as she approached; arm aggressively interlocked with another’s who didn’t appear to be all that willing to be there. “There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”

You plastered on your show time smile and offered your hand to Capitol Darling Finnick Odair who accepted it readily, bowing his head slightly as he met your gaze.

“Lovely evening, isn’t it?”

“It always is in the Capitol.” You volleyed, smiling back over to the Capitol citizen who seemed very excited to be seeing two of her favourite victors intermingling. “Finnick and I have met a few times, actually.”

Komoda seemed rather bemused at the fact that the two of you had met and not immediately jumped each other's bones. “Oh… oh! Really?”

You hummed in the affirmative.

“Every year when we mentor new tributes.” Finnick explained.

Komoda tried to laugh. “Well, I just think that the two of you would get on rather well.”

“We get on fine.” You continued, feigning ignorance.

“The two of you would make a very handsome couple!” One of her friend’s chimed in, earning him nods of approval from the quickly forming group of spectators.

“Well, looks aren’t everything, are they?” You tried, and a few of the more…altered individuals seemed rather perplexed at the thought. “The two of us might not have anything in common.”

“That’s very true.” Finnick agreed. “Let’s see; how do you feel about the beach?”

“Too much sand; I’m shaking it out of everything I own for far too long afterwards. What’s your favourite pastime?”

“Swimming.” He answered.

“I never learned how.” You continued with pursed lips. “Least favourite season?”

“Winter. What’s your favourite holiday?”

“Christmas.”

Finnick hummed in displeasure before continuing. “Favourite animal?”

“Cats. Yours?”

“Dogs.”

You hummed in displeasure. “How do you feel about white chocolate?”

“Love it.” He replied easily; you scrunched your nose at him before he carried on. “What’s a dealbreaker for you?”

“People who like white chocolate.”

He pressed his lips into a flat line and nodded his head in understanding. “Very fair.”

You looked back over at Komoda and her friends to see them all gaping at the two of you.

“Sorry to disappoint, folks.” Finnick apologized with a shrug of his shoulder. “It’s apparently just not meant to be.”

“But…” Komoda started, looking rather crestfallen. “I…I was so sure!”

“You’re not the first to try to set us up.” You placated, placing a gentle hand over the scale-like jewels on the shoulder of her gown. “You probably won’t be the last, either.”

“Maybe the 29th time will be the charm, hm?” Finnick offered you with a wink, causing you to roll your eyes at him.

“Don’t hold your breath, Odair.”

“I can hold my breath for a very long time, sweetheart; I’m a world class swimmer, afterall.”

“Oh, you’re something alright.” You laughed as you turned to walk away, deciding then to begin your rounds of goodbyes before heading back to your suite.

You held the towel to your face for a few seconds, just taking a moment to breathe and enjoy the quiet, warmth, and serenity of your post-party ritual.

You were just about to pull the towel away when you felt gentle hands slide around your waist before you were being embraced between two strong arms.

“Long night?” He murmured into your shoulder before pressing a kiss to it.

You hummed in agreement and pulled the towel away from your face, smiling at Finnick in the reflection of the mirror.

“It always is in the Capitol.” You replied.

He offered you a knowing smile before pressing another kiss to your shoulder.

“Missed you.” He said before reaching around you to grab some makeup wipes to begin removing the work his own stylists put into his appearance tonight. “Anything interesting happen?”

You hummed noncommittally as you smoothed cream over your skin. “Not really. Someone tried setting me up with this guy again.”

“Really?” Finnick asked, feigning intrigue. “Was it a match made in heaven?”

You made a so-so sound. “He was pretty cute,” you allowed, “but I don’t know if it would work.”

“No?”

“No. I mean, for one, he didn’t start drooling the second he saw me. Huge red flag I think.”

With that, Finnick theatrically slammed his hand down on the countertop and levelled you with a disbelieving look. “You mean to tell me that he didn’t immediately fall to his knees in worship?”

“No!”

Finnick shook his head; simply aghast. “You can do so much better, honey.”

Your smile turned soft as you watched him lather some of his face wash between his hands before bringing them to his face. “I think so too.”

By the time he was done with washing his face, you were sitting on the counter with Finnick standing between your legs as you massaged some moisturizer into his skin.

“They don’t know what you deserve anyway.” Finnick states suddenly.

Your brows scrunched in confusion. “Who doesn’t?”

“The Capitol people; they don’t know what kind of partner you deserve.”

You stayed quiet as you finished working the product into his skin, pressing a kiss to his lips to alert him to the fact that you were finished. You felt rather shy when he opened his eyes and you found yourself pinned beneath his sea green gaze.

“They’d be sorely mistaken if they thought Capitol Darling Finnick Odair was all you deserved.”

You smiled softly at him before pressing another softer, lingering kiss to his lips.

“I’m rather fond of this Finnick Odair.”

You relished in the slight pink dusting of his cheeks as his smile grew wider before he pulled you in, cradling you to his chest.

You’d come to expect a lot of things to happen when attending a party in the Capitol.

It would take your stylists three hours to prep you for the party. It would take you forty minutes to disassemble yourself after the party. The outfits and jewelry you wore would cost more than most District families saw in years.

And there would always be people trying to introduce you to or set you up with their favourite victor; the Capitol’s darling.

The best part was that no one knew you and Finnick Odair have actually been dating behind closed doors for four years now.

[muttsmischiefacademysblog]

Medical check first!

This will be a mini series of weekly blogs, to create a true understanding and to give as much information as possible.

If you work with a behaviourist the very first question should be have you had a veterinary check. Which details what the vet check should have explored. This will also be within your behavioural consultation pack prior to the appointment.

A Vet check with an integrative vet can ensure that there is nothing going on medically, and that there is no pain causing the behaviour that you are struggling with. This will help to narrow down the why of the behaviour and help the dog with triggers or in beginning the journey of identifying the why of the behaviour.

We highly recommend a Vet check with an integrative vet to ensure that there is nothing going on medically and that the behaviour you are struggling with is behavioural and not medically related as pain is fluid and vets tend to simply look at isolation pain and not chronic pain or unwellness. An integrative vet will see your dog as an individual and do a blood panel, possibly a pain trial and ask you lots of questions to get a better picture. Recording videos of your doga movements and behaviours can also be a great starting point for the vets.

Just as we respect individuals with invisible disabilities we should also respect that we don't know what is going on internally within our dogs bodies.

Not all invisible conditions cause symptoms that we can see such as vomiting, changes in stools, limping, lethargy. During the chronic pain symposium - the ‘Prevalence of radiographic appendicular oa and associated clinical signs in young dogs’ with - Dr. Duncan Lascelles, I witnessed a dog from his study of a year old dog with arthritis in comparison to an older dog with arthritis both going up a set of steps. The older dog showed physically signs of struggling, the young dog did not but to their trained eyes an altered gait.

Another research paper looked at the impact of unwellness in dogs of all ages and the impact on owners and found that the owners of elder dogs were resigned to their dog becoming arthritic whereas owners of younger dogs couldn't believe it as they didn't see any obvious symptoms. (1)

This is why it is so important to seek out an integrative vet who will spend a good amount of time with you and your dog, observe their movements and want to know every detail about your dog to make a diagnosis or clear them. Which I will expand on in the next part of the series.

I just created a post about how to find an integrative vet as unfortunately most do not have their own practices and tend to work in a traditional vets with allopathic medicine. Allopathic medicine is pharmaceutical based medication for those who don't know.

Being holistically based, if you find yourself working with a holistic practitioner we prefer to work within an integrative team, so the other professionals within the team maybe wholly holistic such as hydrotherapy, chiropractors, physio, acupuncture but the vet will most often be integrative. We acknowledge that conventional medicine has its place but so does holistic.

Reflect for a moment if you still don't quite understand holistic, whichever dog food you feed whether you are BARF die hard or a kibble connoisseur most likely now in your cupboard will be salmon oil, some form of herbal supplements. You may also use Pet Remedy and Dorwest herbs for problems you feel confident in handling yourself.

Until the industrial revolution in the 1800’s pharmaceutical was the snake oil, until Beechams became popular in the mid 1800’s, we didn't have aspirin until the early 1900’s and until the first and second world war there was no insulin or penicillin.

In 1957 this is when the NHS in England as we kind of know the shell of the original NHS, wasn't entirely built so the poor could afford healthcare as was the original purpose. But to fund the exciting new world of pharma. (2)

In the early 1900’s the idea was to close medical schools which did not jump into pharma and still focused on herbal medicine as pharma was discovered as the cash cow. By the 1930’s there were no more medical schools that could teach unless it was pharma based.

Herbalist’s have been famous throughout history and also key people from ancient times to now such as Hippocrates. The hippocratic oath is recited by medical professionals still today!

Herbal medicine has also played a vital role in many cultures and for the empowerment of women too, which Hollywood coined and turned into snake oil peddling. All sorts of clever techniques will be used by capitalists to make cash fast.

The last homoeopathic school in the US closed its doors in 1920 because all of the medical students wanted to work with the exciting and revolutionary new pharma. However in the 1970s only 30 years after the boom of pharma going mainstream, homoeopathy made a comeback.

Sadly like the dog training industry pre 1970s many people turned to homoeopathy because like dog training there were no regulations and anyone could set up as a homoeopath and peddle snake skin oil and liver pills.

This all changed with one doctor called Dr. Samuel Hahnemann of Germany. From studying on himself he quickly found that medicating a well person could cause the symptoms of unwellness to a lesser degree and used the cowpox vaccination to cure smallpox with the famous term "like, cures like" or "Principles of similars." (3)

When the 1950’s began to see a revival in herbalism as soon as big drug companies realised this was another way to grab another section of the market they did that too, but had to now convince people it wasn't quackery and also they have decimated many plants and endangered species as well as contributed to species becoming extinct in the name of greed.

The European Union brought in new measures to decree that herbal medicines had to meet similar criteria to that of pharma medicines in 2011. (4)

So holistic doesn't necessarily mean herbalism and plants all the way or hoodoo, as it is sometimes referred to as. Herbalism is deeply rooted in science because it has had to prove it's worth to come back into circulation alongside pharma.

Holistic means an individualised focused approach to that one individual working within a multidisciplinary team, sure there maybe herbalists or aromatherapists involved or even elements of zoopharmacognosy elements because animals teach us so much about their needs through their own self selection both in the wild and domestic settings.

So this is why we rely on integrative vets, they have studied the path of pharmacy first, become qualified, practised and become seasoned and then evolved into their own practitioner based on their scientific learning. You can hear this directly from an integrative vet herself here following the link! https://canineflow.com/insights/how-to-find-a-holistic-vet-in-the-uk

References

Belshaw, Z., Dean, R. and Asher, L. (2020). ‘You can be blind because of loving them so much’: the impact on owners in the United Kingdom of living with a dog with osteoarthritis. BMC Veterinary Research, 16(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02404-5. ‌

Pharmaphorum (2020). A history of the pharmaceutical industry. [online] pharmaphorum. Available at: https://pharmaphorum.com/r-d/a_history_of_the_pharmaceutical_industry.

Loudon, I. (2006) A brief history of homoeopathy, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1676328/

Anon, (n.d.). Legislation | British Herbal Medicine Association. [online] Available at: https://bhma.info/legislation-on-herbal-medicines/#:~:text=Traditional%20Herbal%20Registrations%20(THRs)