Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Media, Captain Trips, and the Swine Flu

The Media, Captain Trips, and the Swine Flu
By Robert Forto, PhD

On Monday, April 27th, I was driving my wife to work to Denver Dog Works and I was listening to my regular morning radio on KHOW in Denver with the host, Peter Boyles. He had a short segment on the swine flu and how people are relating it to the Stephen King book, The Stand. The book is an epic thriller in which a man-made flu virus escapes from a government lab and wrecks havoc on the world. The super-flu kills 99.4% of the world’s population and the story is a good-versus-evil struggle that is close to 1000 pages in length. It is a must read if you are a Stephen King fan and a chilling read if you so chose to parallel it to the current panic with the outbreak of the swine flu.

I quickly posted my parallel to the book and the swine flu on Twitter and Facebook (as did a lot of other people I’m sure) it has kicked off a barrage of commentary from my followers on the popular social media sites. I was quickly followed by other twitter users, tweeters as they are affectionately known, that also capitalized on the parallel. One tweeter in particular goes by the name of @motherabigail. Mother Abigail is a key character in the King story and calls on a band of survivors to go to Boulder to start a new society. Another tweeter, @vegaswalkindude is the character in the book known as Randall Flagg. Flagg is the “evil” character in the book and he has his followers in the post-apocalyptic world.

"Captain Trips"

The novel (The Stand) is divided into three parts, or books. The first is titled "Captain Trips" and takes place over nineteen days, with the escape and spread of a human-made biological weapon, a superflu (influenza) virus known formally as "Project Blue" and colloquially as "Captain Trips." The epidemic leads to the death of most of the human population in North America (and the world: it is hinted that General Starkey’s men had released the virus in eastern Europe, China, and the Soviet Union; and Peru and Senegal are mentioned in discussion of post-epidemic deaths due to natural causes).

99.4% of people are susceptible to Captain Trips, and the disease has a mortality rate of 100%. King outlines the total breakdown and destruction of society through widespread violence, the failure of martial law to contain the outbreak, and eventually the death of virtually the entire population. The human toll is also dealt with, as the few survivors must care for their families and friends, dealing with confusion and grief as their loved ones ultimately succumb to the flu, which has inexplicably spared them.

The expanded edition opens with a prologue titled "The Circle Opens" that offers greater detail into the circumstances surrounding the development of the virus and the security breach that allowed its escape from the secret laboratory compound where it was created. (Citation: Wikipedia)

The Media

So just what is this swine flu that we are dealing with and can we equate it to popular fiction such as King’s The Stand? As you may know, the media has prompted us to believe this is a world-wide emergency. A pandemic of epic proportions. One like we have not seen in generations. Sure we have dealt with influenzas before. History will show us that the outbreak in 1917 and in 1957-58 were killer-flu’s of astronomical proportion. But, what about this one? The swine flu as it is being called, started on a pig farm in Mexico about two weeks ago and effectively shut down Mexico City, the world’s largest city because of it. It is rumored that this flu has killed up to 100 people and is spreading worldwide as we speak.

The swine flu has now spread to at least ten states, at the time of this post, and several towns in Texas have cancelled school at least for a week and other events like dog shows and sporting events. But did you know that the common-run-of-the-mill flu that most of us contract every winter kills seven people an hour? Now that is “astronomical proportions” if I do say so myself.
So what has us so worried about it this time? I think that the media and the talking heads think that it is time for us to have a pandemic. We haven’t had one in a long time have we? What I mean when I say that they think it is time is two-fold in my opinion. First pandemics occur kind of like earthquakes and tremors. You get a little blip and then you brace yourself for the big one. California has been bracing itself for decades.

The flu, any kind really, whether it be avian, human, or swine, must mutate before they reach their full potential and their true danger. True, this swine flu has mutated and “jumped” from host to host (pig to human) in this case and that is what scares us. So what is likely to happen? I think that this “version” of the super-flu will peter out and go underground just to resurface. Maybe this winter. Maybe next and we will be faced with a flu virus that we are ready to confront. We will have vaccines in place by then and protocols to deal with a true outbreak.
The second reason I think that the media thinks it is time is: most of the media is based on fear-mongering. They do it to us every day. Think about it. They are doing it with their nightly reports on the collapse of the economy, the foreclosures, the failure of the banks, the unemployment rate. But are any of those situations that bad? Let’s take the economy. Sure our spending as a whole is down but unless you have lost your job, have you really changed your lifestyle that much? It doesn’t look like it. The movie theaters and restaurants are packed and I had to take a number and wait an hour to be helped at the Apple store the other day.

Foreclosures are on the decline. A friend of mine, who is in the real estate business said that foreclosures are down 50% since January. With the banks: only 5% have failed and most of those were bought up by larger banks. Has your bank closed? I doubt it. And the unemployment rate is only up about three percent more than it is from the normal range here in Colorado. What is it 8%? That means that 92% of us still have jobs.

I am not trying to minimize any of this. I am a small business owner and I know that people have changed their spending habits just by looking at my bottom line. We had a much lower quarter that just passed than we did the same quarter last year. But what I am saying is that it is the media hype that has us all scared to death. Whether it is the swine-flu (Captain Trips or the super-flu) or our almighty dollar, the media has us just where they want us.

Why do we read books like King’s The Stand? Watch movies like Outbreak? And read books like The Hot Zone? Watch dramas like The Band Played On? Each of these stories scared us to the core about something that we cannot control. Whether it is Captain Trips, E-Bola or the A.I.D.S. virus. We watch (or read) this stuff because we like to be scared. Think about it. We go to horror movies and ride roller coasters because it is human nature to test our limits and walk out of there as a “survivor” having conquered the monster. Make believe or not.

That is what the media does as well. They provoke these same emotions that are primal in us all. Think about it. When was the last time you watched the news and it wasn’t doom and gloom? What is always the fist story? It’s not the feel good “how much is that puppy in the window” story is it? When the media reports they always report it as a slant. They will say something like: “the economy is rebounding---but---the unemployment rate remains steady” or “The swine-flu seems to have leveled off in Mexico---but there are now confirmed cases in ten U.S. states.”

So I ask you my fellow reader and provocateur of the fear, is this what really scares us or is it just another story in the days of our lives?

I welcome all of your comments and criticisms. Let’s keep the discussion alive while it is still a story and not just yesterday’s news as this story will pass soon enough.
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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. He can be reached through is website at http://www.inekaproject.org or by phone at 303-522-1727.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Price of Personal Liberty

The Price of Personal Liberty
By Robert Forto, PhD

I am sure you know me by now and my dog training school, Denver Dog Works. But I bet you don't know that I am a paralegal and a staunch defender of an individual's personal liberties and freedom. I have studied and became quite fluent in constitutional law and procedures over the years and have written several post conviction motions for those that are incarcerated and seeking relief either by a procedural error in the judicial process or other relief based on their position at the time. I have written articles on freedom of speech, protection of religious freedom, and censorship.

I am not an attorney, nor do I claim to be. I am a researcher and I am quite good at it. I have a keen ability to seek out case law and other documentation that will substantiate an argument and I often testify as a qualified expert witness in myriad canine cases from aggression to breed bans to landlord-tenant disputes. So this article is a little bit different from the normal weekly opinion from the "Dog Doctor" and it concerns my views on personal liberties and freedom based on a bill that is currently under review by the Colorado Legislature. In all honesty I love a good debate and this is one that has caught my attention.

This bill is a seat belt law. While you may ask how does that infringe on a person's liberty and freedom? Well, they want to make it a primary offense for the police to pull you over if you are not wearing your seat belt. Right now it is on the books as a secondary offense. This simply means that if a police officer pulls you over for speeding, an illegal left-hand turn on red, no brake light or any number of other offenses, the officer can then cite you for no seat belt if you are not wearing one at the time of the police contact. A primary offense means just that. They can pull you over for you not wearing your seat belt, even if you are driving like a driving instructor and you are obeying all of the rules of the road.

So why am I so up in arms about this? My first question is where does it stop? If they make it a crime not to wear your seat belt will it soon be a crime not to wear a helmet on your bicycle? Will it cause you to receive a citation if you aren't wearing kneepads on roller-blades? Will the doggie police send you to jail if you don't pick up after your dog?

Among the rights that constitute civil liberty and that the constitution guarantees are intended to protect is the right to individual personal liberty. There is not a specific guarantee, however, of individual personal liberty because it is assumed to be a part of any organized government. Individual personal liberty does not imply that each member of society is entitled to do what he or she pleases, free from all restraint, for that measure of liberty is inconsistent with social order and subversive of the very objectives of government. But it implies that each person shall have as much individual freedom from restraint as is consistent with other members of society. This is not what I am asking for. I am asking for a justifiable reason as to why this law should be enacted.

As stated by one constitutional scholar:

"If each cannot have all the rights he might have as a solitary being, he must have all which are consistent with the exercise of the highest practical rights of others. If there be a conflict, it must be reconciled by such compromise as will attain the best development, the highest happiness and well-being of all. Neither party must seek for itself a greater elevation by the deeper depression of the other; but each must so adjust to a social equilibrium, but the maximum elevation of each be avoided." This is what is happening here with this bill up for debate in the Legislature.
In my opinion, where two conflicting interests are combined in a society, civil liberty will be consistent in the preservation of that equilibrium, where the social rights of each so modify those of the other as to preserve to each the greatest amount of right and freedom consisting with their co-existence in social combination. Does a primary seat belt law in Colorado preserve that equilibrium?

In securing the civil rights of everyone, there must, of course, be some restraints made on personal liberty, which are therefore recognized as lawful. For example, a parent may properly exercise some control over the actions and conduct or his her child, a teacher may exercise authority over a student, those who are unable to care for themselves may be cared for by persons authorized for that purpose, and those who have committed a crime may be confined in pursuance of the provisions of criminal law. Personal liberty, like other civil rights, exists within the laws of the land.

But how can the lawmakers of the State of Colorado attempt to exercise this control over its citizens? I will tell you how. The Federal government made a "deal" with Colorado you see. If they pass this law, Colorado will get twenty million from the Feds. That's the true motivation behind this law. It's not to make the roads safer. Yes, seatbelts save lives but not always. When my brother was three years old he was in the backseat of a small car with his grandmother (He is my half-brother), his uncle, aunt, and another adult friend on a country road in Kentucky. A coal truck ran a stop sign and plowed into the car. My brother was ejected through the windshield and thrown down an embankment. Everyone else died at the scene. When the police showed up they didn't know a little boy was in the car until they heard screams from the steep embankment below. He was carried up the hill and only suffered minor injuries but if he was wearing a seatbelt he would have died. He is now 29 years old and in school to become a police officer in North Carolina.

This is not a crusade to dissuade you from buckling up. To the contrary. I wear my seatbelt, every time I drive my Jeep. It's not to conform to the rules of the road. It's so if I roll over I don't have road rash on my face.

I have no problem with seat belts and I have no problem with citations for not wearing one when you receive a ticket after the police contact you on the road for some other traffic offense. But do we truly need the police patrolling the streets pulling people over for not wearing their seat belts and only for that reason? Do we have the police manpower to adjudicate this offense? Shouldn't our men in blue be fighting crime not issuing a citation for a petty traffic infraction? Shouldn't we have the option of wearing our seat belts if we so choose? As you may know part of the lure of motorcycle ridding is the freedom of the road and lack of restraint. That's why people ride. But they are also totally aware of the dangers as soon as they pull out on the road.

So what is your personal freedom worth to you? Is it twenty million as proposed? How about twenty billion? You decide and let me know.
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Dr. Robert Forto holds a doctorate in communication. Dr. Forto hosts a weekly radio show The Dog Doctor and is streamed on the Internet. Http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dogdoctor. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website http://www.denverdogworks.com/

Friday, April 17, 2009

Look Up in the Sky! Pet-Only Airline Starting Soon
By Robert Forto, PhD
The world has truly gone to the dogs! In a nation that is facing financial difficulty and people are canceling their summer vacation plans, Pet Airways has just announced it is launching the first pet-only airline with flights going to five major cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Denver beginning this summer.

"We believe there is truly a need for this," said Alysa Binder, one of Pet Airways' founders. "Putting your pet in cargo, just isn't the ideal situation, and it doesn't have to be your only choice." A one-way flight is not cheap in terms of dog standards.

It costs around $149.00 and the airline is now accepting reservations for its first New York to L.A. flight on July 14. I just wonder if carry-ons are an extra charge and does the dog's crate exceed size limits? Pet Airways is already talking about expansion. Which airline doesn't? They plan to fly to 25 cities in the next few years and they hope to cater to exotic pets, as well as dogs and cats. I guess it will be like Noah's Ark in the sky. There has been concern for years about pet's welfare on the airlines.

While one AVMA veterinarian notes that "you hear horror stories everywhere you look," he says he has never heard a negative story about a pet flying on a commercial airplane. "Within the last 20 years, there has been a great deal of concern and care over the welfare of pets, and airlines are now very restricted for where they can keep the animals, the temperature of the environment, the length of the flight, and things like that," said Greg Hammer, DVM, of Dover, Del."I think they do a very nice job of taking care of the animals -- they have to."

Yet in a press release, Pet Airways cited a study by the San Francisco SPCA, saying that of the two million pets that fly in cargo each year, approximately 5,000 of them are injured in transit.

This is a major concern for Pet Airways and a deciding factor in starting the airline that has been in the works since 2005. Rest assured, your pets will fly in relative first class by pet transport standards. They will spend time in the "pet lounge" before boarding a seat-free plane which can hold up to 50 dogs or cats. On the flight the animals are with a "pet attendant" at all times. according to Binder, as they are then loaded and secured into carrying cases on the plane. People are watching the pets at all times while they will not be allowed to roam the cabin of course. Their chairs must be upright and seat belts buckled at all times. I just wonder what is next? Frequent Flyer Miles? Web-cams like they have a doggie day cares so you can "view" your pet from your home P.C. or your cell phone? Do they get in-flight snacks, like dog biscuits and cat-nip to ease the anxiety or do those cost extra?

As a business that provides training for service dogs we often have to fly dogs around the country for delivery to their new homes or for training. It is a constant concern for us at Denver Dog Works for the pet's safety and one of our biggest hurdles comes when it is time to fly the dog. You are constantly monitoring the temperature of the airports for which your flight will stop and the times the dogs will be in the cargo-hold or occasionally on the tarmac.

And of course I have a story for you! Several years ago I was a professional musher (dog sledding) and my sponsor had a bright idea for me to run a race on the Italy-Switzerland border. Of course without thinking I gleefully said "Sure!" as I had never been to Europe. What it turned out to be was a logistical nightmare to say the least! My kennel was in Duluth Minnesota, otherwise known as the North Pole in terms of air travel with dogs, so I booked a flight from Duluth to New York and then a trans-atlantic flight from New York to London.

In England is where the fun really started. First off, we had a 7-hour lay-over in the middle of the night and during the lay-over all of my dogs, all 12 of them, went to the cargo area of the airline. I had to go over and feed them and walk them and otherwise clean up after them before our early morning flight. Without any sleep, we flew to Amsterdam and then boarded a train to Rome. In Rome we rented three vans and drove to Northern Italy to the race site. I raced a three day race and luckily don't remember much the race or the trip home. It was a nightmare! A week and a half of travel to come in 32nd place. I didn't see much of Europe that trip, well at least I don't recall what I saw. Would I ever do it again? Doubtful but I hear that it has gotten much easier now and dog sled teams travel from Norway and Germany all the time. Hey, maybe next time I will just fly on Pet Airways or be like a rock-star and rent a private jet. Who knows.

If you would like to learn more on this amazing business venture please listen to The Dog Doctor Radio Show this Saturday at 9:30 am MT or download the show anytime at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dogdoctor.

To read more about Pet Airways please visit their website at Http://www.petairways.com or read an article posted online about the airline at http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/nationsfirstpetairlinetakesoff-1315

Of course we always welcome you comments and concerns. If you have a story about an airline flight with your pet we would love to hear it. Please call our studio line on Saturdays at 9:30-10:30 am MT at (646) 727-2978 or send us an email anytime at train@denverdogworks.com

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director for Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. Dr. Forto is the host of The Dog Doctor Radio Show and he can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Part-time Dogs in a Full-time World
By Robert Forto, PhD

At Denver Dog Works we train people how to become dog trainers. We train them to become the best dog trainers in the world in my opinion, and in doing so we teach our students how to think outside the box and defend their position on a variety of topics. This past week we were discussing Dog Law and I asked my students to search for an interesting story with a legal angle in regards to dogs. One of my students, Christena Pastoor, found an interesting article on renting dogs and we talked about it for the whole three hour session. I found it such an intriguing concept as did everyone in the room. I even posted the question on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter and got an overwhelming response. So I decided it write about it on my blog and talk about it on my radio show this week, The Dog Doctor Radio Show heard weekly on Http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dogdoctor. I welcome your feedback and your comments because this is a topic that is worth exploring.

There was an article written in September by Kathy McManus on the Internet that has really peaked my interest. It was titled: Renting a Dog Barking Up the Wrong Tree? about a service that is offered in New York City, Los Angeles and London where you can “rent” a dog. Yes folk, renting your best…err…temporary friend. You can lease them by the day from a company called Flexpet.

While this is not a new concept as upscale hotels have lent dogs to guests over the years, Flexpet is making a business out of renting dogs. It is not cheap either. According to the company’s website there is a $99.00 administration charge, a $99.00 monthly membership fee, a mandatory $150.00 training fee and orientation lesson and then the customer can rent as many dog day afternoons as desired for a $45.00 fee for day.

Flexpet says that all of their dogs—many of which are from animal shelters—wear GPS tracking collars with temperature sensors and feed “holistic dog food” and all have stable temperaments and between two and five years old. But of course there are many critics over this practice as they see it as promotion of dogs as accessories. If you are a frequent listener of The Dog Doctor Radio Show we often talk about what we call “Paris Hilton Dogs” the small dogs that are carried in purses and adorned with bejeweled collars—of course no disrespect to Ms. Hilton—we see these dogs as more of a fashion accessory than a pet. I mean when did we decide as a society that we should carry our dogs around in handbags? What would our forbearers think from 20,000 years ago when we first added dogs to our lives?

Flexpet is not without controversy of course. The company is banned in Boston after the City Council passed an ordinance making dog letting illegal. “To rent a dog just seems wrong,” said one legislator. “I’m not for legislating morality, but it just seems like cruel and unusual treatment of a poor, defenseless animal.” In the editorial pages in Boston they took issue with what they saw as people “who want the comfort of a pet, but not the full-time responsibility.”

So just who rents a pet? I would assume people that travel a lot, people who live in apartment buildings or high-rises or places that do not allow pets, people that have family members who may not like dogs in the house or people like Sarah Stevenson who moved from the U.K. to New York. “It’s been difficult for me to meet people because everyone in New York just kind of goes about their business,” Stevenson lamented. But when she is out walking a rented pooch named Oliver, “It becomes a nice way to meet people.”

My trainer, Christena Pastoor had plenty to say about this subject. “In terms of legality I can see how municipalities would allow a dog rental business to operate as long as the company can sufficiently prove quality care of their dogs while at their facility and through a screening process of the renters and their homes.” Mrs. Pastoor, who researched Flexpet thoroughly for her project on Dog Law also said, “According to their (Flexpet) website , they provide vet checks every three months, fit every dog with a GPS collar and require all renters to attend mandatory training sessions before taking a dog.”

Of course there are other concerns than the legal ones. Dogs are pack animals that thrive on routine and security. Renting dogs to any number of people for short periods of time does not provide the consistency that they need to thrive. While Flexpet asserts that these dogs do not live in kennels and they stay with a primary caregiver when not being “rented” there is still a constant flux with different dogs at “home” and ever-changing renters. Dogs can become stressed when they do not have a consistent environment and behavior problems are likely to ensue.

According to Mrs. Pastoor, putting a cash value on time spent with a dog automatically makes the dog a commodity in the eye of the renter. It also creates the risk of the dog simply being viewed as an accessory. Dogs are living beings and should be valued as such, not as an accessory that makes people more noticeable.

Of course, many people cannot take the care of a dog on full-time, however there are many other positive outlets for fulfilling a person’s desire for canine companionship. Shelters and rescue organizations are in desperate need for people to walk dogs and spend time socializing them. All dogs in shelters can benefit dramatically from socialization, which may in turn help then find a new home. Fostering a dog is also an option. Many, if not all, shelters are filled to capacity and of course fostering takes a greater time commitment than renting, but it is not a “permanent dog”. Or if a person cannot find time to volunteer to foster, or work at a shelter, maybe they could find friends or neighbors who would be willing to have them spend quality time with their dog that they might not be able to give themselves. As you may know that the number one cause of behavior problems in dogs in lack of exercise and positive stimulation and that is why most dogs end up in a shelter situation in the first place.

I have a little bit of a different spin on it. Of course I love dogs. They are my passion and my livelihood and I cannot understand just how this business of renting dogs is not only morally irresponsible but financially irresponsible as well, but what about people that volunteer for programs such as Big Brothers or Big Sisters? I am sure they do that to “give back” or to enrich a young child’s life. But doesn’t that work the same if you are “renting” a dog? Also what about dogs that suffer from what I call “kennel craziness”, that is dogs that are in a kennel situation and through lack of positive stimulation or people contact begin to pace and bark and spin, very similar to people in correctional institutions. Even a psychologist counters that people that want to borrow a dog usually just want some companionship. “It may be a short bond,” he said, “but it’s a real bond.”

What do you think? Should people rent dogs? Listen to our show this Saturday, 4/18/09 and call in to our studio and tell us your opinion. Our studio number is (646)727-2978 or you can reach us anytime by email at train@denverdogworks.com

Written in conjunction with Christena Pastoor, Student at Denver Dog Works
Citation: Katy McManus’ 9/24/09 article: Renting a Dog: Barking Up the Wrong Tree?
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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director for Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. Dr. Forto also hosts The Dog Doctor Radio Show weekly from his training center. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Friday, April 10, 2009

A Dog Named DASY

A Dog Named DASY
By Robert Forto, PhD

I am sure you have heard. Maybe you haven’t because the national media has not picked up this story and I don’t know why because it is a national outrage. All it took was a gunshot in the middle of the night for former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell to spring to action. You see, he can’t sleep. He is afraid of the dark from the atrocities of what happened to him in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Luttrell was the lone survivor of a dramatic battle in the war torn country in 2005. And when he heard the gunshots outside his house on April, 1, 2009 his training took over and Luttrell began a sweep of the house.

First, Luttrell checked on his mother with his gun drawn and told her to stay put until he came back to get her then he bolted for his front door. He then swept the yard and he found his beloved Labrador Retriever dead in a ditch with a head wound from a .357 magnum. He also saw car lights and heard people laughing--but we will get to that in a minute. You see, the Labrador Retriever was not just a dog, she was a service dog to help Luttrell recover from his own wounds both physically and mentally. Her name was DASY, named after Luttrell’s Navy SEAL team comrades. They all died in the fight one night in Afghanistan where Luttrell was the lone survivor.

“I could tell she tried to get away because there was a blood trail,” Luttrell recalled on a phone interview on Wednesday on The Glenn Beck Show. “When I saw she was dead, the only thing that popped in my head was, I’ve got to take these guys out,” Luttrell said.

In the middle of the night with his service dog dead and hearing laughter in the distance, Luttrell who had just been released from the hospital after another round of agonizing surgeries to mend a bad back, crawled under a fence and sneaked up on four strangers in a car who apparently killed DASY on a whim, for pure sport, for fun! Luttrell said they were unmindful and oblivious as he raised his 9-mm pistol from about two hundred feet away and he had one of them dead in his sights.

Their car pulled away and Luttrell did not fire. It took all he had not to pull the trigger. He was trained to kill. He was the best of the best that the United States Military has to offer but he held back.

Instead, Luttrell jumped into his truck and sped, sometimes over 100 miles per hour, after them through four counties in rural Texas staying in contact with each county’s dispatcher as he sped through the night intent on catching the thugs that murdered his service dog, DASY. Luttrell recalled telling the 911 operator, “You need to get somebody out here before I catch them, I’m going to kill them.”

The killing of such a special dog for the former SEAL played right into Luttrell’s deep wounds. The four-year old Labrador was given to him upon his return from the war to help him heal and return to somewhat of a normal life. Luttrell named the dog DASY after his fallen comrades. The acronym was for his SEAL team members lost in a bloody fight in which they were far outnumbered by Taliban fighters. Luttrell escaped death that night and was taken hostage by the Taliban fighters and worked over pretty good. The enemy then took him to a cave and he touted them to kill him but they did not. He was ready to die for his country that he was trained to fight for. Luttrell wrote a book about the experience, The Lone Survivor and it is a national best seller.

Back to the Chase

Luttrell finally caught up to the murders of his service dog at a police road block and was stopped by the Onalaska Police Department. He exited his truck and approached the men and asked, “Which one of you guys killed my dog?” and then the assailants started talking smack saying that they would get him when they get out of jail.

So far, two of them have been charged with felonies but there is little doubt they will serve much time as the law looks at a dog as “just a dog” in these kinds of cases. Probably just six months in a county jail is all.

In what turns out to be a related story, at least five other dogs have been killed in recent months in the area and they could be linked to Luttrell’s case as well. It looks like these thugs were just killing dogs for fun.

No matter what you think about the war and the politics that follow, Marcus Luttrell loves his country and his comrades that died fighting for our freedom. Luttrell doesn’t want to be a hero. He wants to just be a man, a man that loves his country, and a man that is just trying to take care of his family.

What these people did to DASY was despicable and makes me sick when I think about it. When I heard Marcus speak on The Glenn Beck Show this past week I sat in my truck crying my eyes out. How could people kill a dog in cold blood like that and then laugh about it? How could they take something so near and dear to someone and murder it in cold blood?

Marcus Luttrell is angry and he has every right to be. “They didn’t just kill a dog, they killed a member of my family, she was like my sister,” Luttrell said on the Glenn Beck interview.
DASY was part of his family, but also she was his service dog, a dog specially trained to help Marcus cope with his experiences and be able to live his life again, as a man, not a SEAL embattled in a war.

Denver Dog Works called the producers of The Glenn Beck Show and offered to donate another service dog to Marcus Luttrell, as did hundreds of others. Denver Dog Works trains service dogs for a multitude of tasks including mobility and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which I am sure that Marcus suffers from. If you know of anyone that may be in need of a dog like this or would just like to talk to someone that understands, we can help.

God Bless Marcus Luttrell and his family, and God Bless the United States of America because if it wasn’t for people like Marcus Luttrell this world might be a totally different place.
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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado and is the host of a weekly radio show, The Dog Doctor Radio Show. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The President’s New Pooch
By Robert Forto, PhD

Well folks its is official! President Obama has finally chosen a dog for the White House and First Family, a Portuguese Water Dog. After much anticipation and speculation, the President’s choice is a good one in my opinion. The Portuguese Water Dog (commonly referred to as a P.W.D.) is a good family dog that works is suited well for an active family and with children.

The P.W.D. has been in the news recently and one has a local and a Denver Dog Works connection actually. Talk about six degrees of separation! Rock’O is a P.W.D. that is is trained by a local service dog organization to alert a young child to peanut allergies. Dr. Robert Forto acted as a consultant for awhile in 2008 to Angel Service Dogs, the organization that helped place Rock’O. Denver Dog Works also trains service dogs for children with autism and they can be reached through their website at http://www.denverdogworks.com.

The Portuguese Water dog has been known for centuries along Portugal’s coast and prized for its strength, spirit and soundness. The P.W.D. is a loyal worker and companion. This dog is of medium-sized and is robust, the breed possesses a waterproof coat and the ability to swim all day. Its coat can be curly or wavy and is black, white, or brown, or combinations of black or brown with white. The P.W.D. is also hypo-allergenic and this will help because the President’s daughter, Malia (10,) who has allergies. The dog will require a good deal of grooming. Who will brush the dog regularly? Malia or her younger sister, Sasha who is seven, or maybe the President himself?

Referred to as the Cao de Agua (dog of water) in its native Portugal, the Portuguese Water Dog was bred to accompany fisherman on their boats. An exceptional swimmer and diver, the breed retrieved broken nets, dove for fish, carried messages between boats and to shore, and guarded the boat for his master in foreign ports. The breed started disappearing in the early 20th century when technology made his daily job somewhat obsolete, but Dr. Vasco Bensuade, a wealthy Portuguese shipping magnate and dog fancier, saved the breed.

Is This the Right Breed for You (or the First Family)?

The P.W.D. is an athletic, active breed and the requires daily vigorous exercise. He is very intelligent and responds well to obedience training. His profuse coat is hypoallergenic, but requires regular maintenance. It may be kept in the lion clip (the coat on the hindquarters and muzzle are clipped to the skin) or the retriever clip (the entire coat is clipped to one inch in length and follows the outline of the dog). The P.W.D.is of average size: from 35 to 60 pounds and 17 to 23 inches tall at the withers. He is would excel as a fisherman’s working companion or family pet. Do the Obama’s fish?

The Obama’s have narrowed down a few names for their new puppy. They are Buddy, Fala, Laddie Boy, Checkers, Millie and Barney. Evidently the pup is a rescue. Ordinarily this dogs cost around $2,000.

Temperament

In terms of training and temperament, the First Family will have their hands full in my opinion. The Portuguese Water Dog is an animal of spirited disposition, self-willed, brave, and very resistant to fatigue. A dog of exceptional intelligence and a loyal companion, it obeys its master with facility and apparent pleasure. It is obedient with those who look after it or with those for whom it works. This will make training the new pup necessary in order for proper adjustment and socialization.

My only question is will the new pup have a security escort? The secret service dogs are Belgian Malanois, from Holland they can be quite sociable. Will they get to romp and play together on White House lawn or will it be all work and no play for the ever vigilant Secret Service (and their dogs)?
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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. Dr. Forto hosts a weekly radio show The Dog Doctor Radio Show at http://www.dogdoctorradio.com Dr. Forto an be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Citation: Http://www.akc.org, Http://www.chron.com

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

How to Spot the Best (and Worst) Dog Trainers

How to Spot the Best (and Worst) Dog Trainers
By Robert Forto, PhD

My name is Dr. Robert Forto and I am the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. I also host a weekly radio show called The Dog Doctor Radio Show every Saturday at 9:30 am. Our canine training school is much different than what you may be used to or what you have researched on the Internet. We truly do have the best trainers and we train the rest. We are the only school in Colorado that teaches people how to become expert canine trainers and behavior therapists and our reputation is backed by the simple formula that you can become a dog trainer by learning the ropes from books and television shows and struggling in your career forever, or you can learn the skill-set to become a fully competent trainer and have a very successful training school for not only your clients, but you as well. This article will focus on both the client and their dog, but also the person wanting to do this as a career. I have done it for nineteen years and can happily say this is the best job in the world. I am sure I will get in trouble from my competition in saying what I say in this article but that is okay. I welcome the dialogue. The proof is in the pudding and sometimes you just have to stir the pot.

It is all about the law of averages and beating the odds. Read on and I will explain.

Many average dog trainers teach average group classes, charge you an average price and have average knowledge and skills about dogs, dog training, dog behavior and canine psychology. Most owners do not know better or who do not really care about these facts, and they just settle with such trainers and end up with average results or even worse—NO RESULTS—in training their dogs! In contrast, the trainers I will be describing in this article are not your average dog trainers at all and are known to beat the odds.

So who emerges from the pack? There is an amazing energy and spirit about these individuals which you will notice right away that goes far beyond dog training. In fact, they know it is much more than dealing with dogs, and this is where I will open your eyes to the traits and qualities of the smartest and the most successful dog experts in the business. Because of their knowledge, skill and persona, they are not only making it--but making it with class and integrity. Again, don’t forget that I am referring to the smartest, so you don’t think that they just got lucky for being at the right place, at the right time or by meeting the right person. Even if that was the case for a few to some degree, before you know it, they took over and kept on paddling on their own.

One fact is, and please do not let this discourage you, but you will soon find out that these trainers make only the top one percent of the dog experts in the industry.

In my years of dealing with different trainers, I have known of those who enjoy fine wine and fancy dinners with the rich and famous. I have known those who have gone from groomer to national television persona and have big contracts and sponsorships. I have also known of trainers who only taught group classes and struggled for years. I have known of those who did not care much for going to the next level and settled for just being a part-timer, and of course I have also known of the ones who were very successful, but yet very miserable mentally. These folks, no matter how much money and success came their way, it was never enough. They simply wanted all the business. To them, the glass was always half empty. You could try reassuring them by saying, “Don’t worry. There are enough dogs for all of us and you cannot win them all, nor do you really want to.” These trainers would hear it, but it would not register. Some bombard the search engines with numerous websites and want to eat the whole pizza on their own. You know what the bad thing is about eating the whole pizza by yourself? It’s definitely not healthy for you in the long run! You share, and you shall receive. That’s how the universe works. It is a funny thing about the dog training business. It is such a closed society. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. Why would you distance your peers and their knowledge just because you perceive them as a threat? It seems to me that you should welcome the competition and the additional resources afforded to you by your fellow trainers. I am sure you could teach them something and they could you as well.

The ones who stand out from the others are truly unique in every aspect you can think of. These individuals love what they do. This is why it's so hard to get a hold of them. They are too busy making a difference and often have a waiting list. They are busy teaching, training, running seminars, and promoting themselves, their products, and marketing their businesses. Sometimes it is training others to follow in their footsteps and carry on the torch.

The bottom line is, they get out there and love to be noticed for their message and their mission. I guess what I am trying to say is that dog experts are not any different than the rest of us. Through the years I have noticed that sometimes this simply comes down to hiring the best expert money can buy. The cheapest is rarely the best. Think about other trends in your life. Do you go to a “shade tree mechanic” because they are inexpensive and offer no warranty, or do you go to the repair shop that stands behind their work and have been in business for three generations? I have also learned a lot from the worst-of-the-worst. After all, this is where you learn what NOT to do. After studying those who were considered to be the real deal, I have noticed that they all came from a totally different class and mentality and it's no wonder why their success rate was so hard to ignore. When I put these trainers through the test, they all possessed these ten qualities about them:

1. These trainers care about you, your dog and their reputation
2. Their training method is backed by common sense not just the training fad of the day or what is popular on T.V.
3. These trainers pay attention to details.
4. You will not end up with a “half trained” dog.
5. These trainers’ methods work off leash and at a distance.
6. These trainers will train all dogs not just German Shepherds or Labradors
7. Your dog’s age never matters.
8. These trainers’ method is firm and kind.
9. These trainers let you experiment with different training techniques and tools. They don’t sell you a head halter, shock collar or books you must buy.
10. These trainers rarely give up on you or your dog.

I will explain these qualities on my radio show this week. Tune in and give us a call. If you are reading this article after the episode has aired, no worries. You can download it anytime at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dogdoctor or on iTunes by searching Dog Doctor in the podcast section.

We at Denver Dog Works follow this mantra listed above. We are all certified in canine training and we love our jobs. We work with each client individually and we show results. We welcome you to speak to as many trainers and schools that you can. Ask questions and check their references. Are they the ones that just want your business or do they want to retain you as a client? A client that they can work with over the long haul. A client that will come to your school over and over again. A client that will recommend you to their peers. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it?

Give us a call. We offer an initial no-cost evaluation and we can show you why we have the best and train the rest. We can be reached anytime at 303-752-2818 or through our website.

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado and hosts a weekly radio show The Dog Doctor Radio show every Saturday live at Denver Dog Works. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com