Anthony Bruins, ‘Dr. Pawsitive,’ helps dogs (and people) reach their potential
2015-12-08
Anthony Bruins, a NASA Johnson Space Center veteran of 30 years, is a systems engineer, scientist and innovator in his day job. What he does for the community in his spare time, though, is unique: He’s also a “dog psychiatrist/dogchologist.”
“I work on educating dog owners on how to see the world the way the dogs sees it,” Bruins said. “I teach humans how to think and act like a dog on a scientific and psychological level.”
People make the common mistake of attributing human characteristics to dogs—treating them more like their human companions. When this occurs, problematic behaviors can develop. Usually, the dog is the one that ends up being labeled a “bad dog,” abandoned, or even worse—losing its life.
It’s why Bruins said he is “a human trainer—as well as a dog trainer.”
Some of Bruins’ services have helped wounded veterans and police officers. His first veteran student was Derrick Malbrough, a quadriplegic. That experience helped him understand how dogs can benefit wounded soldiers psychologically and provide unconditional love, which is vital to wounded warriors’ lives and proven to reduce stress and the risk of suicide. The experience with Malbrough showed Bruins how a dog will give a person a reason to live another day, to fight another day, and something to look forward to: joy, happiness, peace of mind, value and substance.
“Love heals and conquers all,” Bruins said.
Bruins’ book, “The 5 Minute Dog Trainer,” lays out how dogs see the world differently than us. In order for communication to occur, there must be horizontal/vertical integration. While dogs view the world horizontally, people see the world vertically—much like when we meet someone for the first time and “look each other up and down.” A dog will do the same thing; however, the information that they receive is from left to right.
To help others understand dogs better, Bruins is “always seeking to explore, create, recreate and make things better,” he said. He knows that although there are 18 to 20 million dogs killed each year because of difficult canine behavior, the issues don’t lie with the animals. Equipped with these sobering stats, Bruins had the vision to “save dogs lives and humans hearts” by educating the owners.
Bruins works in the Flight Operations Directorate, leading and managing the teams who are developing technologies to support the new Mission Control Center. He also mentors young engineers and creates partnerships within his organization at JSC, as well as external organizations and other NASA centers.
Bruins graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in mechanical engineering and has spent 21 years studying and analyzing dog behaviors.
Jamaal Uzziel
NASA Johnson Space Center
“I work on educating dog owners on how to see the world the way the dogs sees it,” Bruins said. “I teach humans how to think and act like a dog on a scientific and psychological level.”
People make the common mistake of attributing human characteristics to dogs—treating them more like their human companions. When this occurs, problematic behaviors can develop. Usually, the dog is the one that ends up being labeled a “bad dog,” abandoned, or even worse—losing its life.
It’s why Bruins said he is “a human trainer—as well as a dog trainer.”
Some of Bruins’ services have helped wounded veterans and police officers. His first veteran student was Derrick Malbrough, a quadriplegic. That experience helped him understand how dogs can benefit wounded soldiers psychologically and provide unconditional love, which is vital to wounded warriors’ lives and proven to reduce stress and the risk of suicide. The experience with Malbrough showed Bruins how a dog will give a person a reason to live another day, to fight another day, and something to look forward to: joy, happiness, peace of mind, value and substance.
“Love heals and conquers all,” Bruins said.
Bruins’ book, “The 5 Minute Dog Trainer,” lays out how dogs see the world differently than us. In order for communication to occur, there must be horizontal/vertical integration. While dogs view the world horizontally, people see the world vertically—much like when we meet someone for the first time and “look each other up and down.” A dog will do the same thing; however, the information that they receive is from left to right.
To help others understand dogs better, Bruins is “always seeking to explore, create, recreate and make things better,” he said. He knows that although there are 18 to 20 million dogs killed each year because of difficult canine behavior, the issues don’t lie with the animals. Equipped with these sobering stats, Bruins had the vision to “save dogs lives and humans hearts” by educating the owners.
Bruins works in the Flight Operations Directorate, leading and managing the teams who are developing technologies to support the new Mission Control Center. He also mentors young engineers and creates partnerships within his organization at JSC, as well as external organizations and other NASA centers.
Bruins graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in mechanical engineering and has spent 21 years studying and analyzing dog behaviors.
Jamaal Uzziel
NASA Johnson Space Center