So You Have a New Pet

So You Have a New Pet
By Robert Forto, PhD

Congratulations on adding a new family member. We like to see happy, well-adjusted puppies added to a family, so here are some tips for introducing a new pet.

New puppies go through developmental stages early in life. Between 3-16 weeks of age they learn to accept and trust (or mistrust) humans, acceptable dog behavior, and specialized breed behavior (sheep herding instincts in Border Collies for example). During this critical period the temperament and basic behavior patterns of your new pet will be formed. It is important to socialize the puppy to people, introducing them not only to family members but also to strangers.

It is also important to teach the young pet what you expect. Now is the time to handle feet and toes so they are not afraid of having the feet handled, to look into ears and open the mouth. If the pet resists, speak in a calm, quiet voice and repeat the act whenever possible. Make a practice of touching the pet all over its body during play or at rest.

If you have adopted an older pet, then most of its behavior patterns will already be formed. This pet will need time to adjust to new surroundings and people, and its true personality may not be apparent for a few days or several weeks. Issue a gentle correction for undesirable behavior. Attending basic obedience classes with a new dog will help establish the owner's dominance as head of the household, and aid in creating a bond between pet and owner.

In general, new pets should not be left alone with unrestricted space in the house. Crate training puppies helps with house training, and gives the pup a safe haven to crawl into.

Adopted older pets should be supervised with children and other pets until the pet owner is sure that safety is not an issue.

This article is provided as a general overview of the topic. Always consult a certified canine trainer or your veterinarian for more information. If you would like to speak with us concerning our puppy classes, our basic obedience programs or our breed referral service please contact us any time at 303-752-2818 or by email at train@denverdogworks.com

Citation: ABKA

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works and the host of a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Mushers Workout

Mushers Workout
By Robert Forto, PhD

If you don’t already know, my name is Dr. Robert Forto and I am the training director and owner of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. I am also a professional musher (dog sledding) and motivational speaker. I have been out of mushing for the past several years because, I like to say, life got in the way. I followed my wife, Michele, to Colorado for her to pursue a career as a paralegal, which she hated and now works with me at my dog training school, but I also retired because frankly there is no snow in Denver, despite what you see in those famous beer commercials. The closest place with considerable snow, at least enough to run a dog team, is two hours away in the mountains and if you plan on going up to run during ski season plan on tacking on at least two more hours on your trip home.

But despite those odds I have announced my intentions on running the Iditarod in 2013 but first things first, I need to get back into shape. The past few years I have had at least two surgeries, one on my groin and one on my wrist and being a small business owner I got lazy and ate on the run without any structure or plan.

Many people have asked about my mushers workout and I am here to share it with you. Use the parts that you like and hybridize it if you must. I can assure you it will get you in the best shape of your life, especially if you plan to run with a team of Siberian Huskies.

Mushers Workout

Day 1
10 minute Warm-Up - Cardio
4 Sets (10 reps) each of the following:
Squats – Lat Pulls – Dumbbell Rows – Standing Calf – Seated Calf – Leg Curl
20 minute Cool Down - Cardio

Day 2
10 minute Warm-Up - Cardio
4 Sets (10 reps) each of the following:
Bench Press – Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
3 Sets (15 Reps) each of the following
Incline Press – Seated Shoulder Press – Triceps Press Down
20 minute Cool Down - Cardio

Day 3
10 minute Warm-Up - Cardio
4 Sets (15 reps) each of the following:
Squats – Seated Row – Barbell Curls – Lateral Rows
3 Sets (25 Reps) Walking Lunges
20 minute Cool Down - Cardio

Day 4
Bike Cherry Creek Trail approximately 20 miles or swim 1 mile in pool

Sports

Continue to play indoor lacrosse and hike Colorado 14ers as a team building exercise for Denver Dog Works.

Diet: Starting June 4, 2009

Goal: weight loss and muscle gain. Loss 30 pounds before the snow starts this winter.

Starting weight: 214 pounds on May 27, 2009

A Sample Day

7 am
Breakfast: a bowl of instant oatmeal or one or two eggs

10:30 am
Snack: Fiber One bar

12:30 pm
Lunch: Lean Cuisine

3:00 pm
Snack: Orange, yogurt or pretzels

6:30 pm
Dinner: Lean protein less than a fist size, one green vegetable and/or salad and sometimes a potato or pasta

8:00 pm
Run, Bike, Swim or Mushers Workout

Diet Downfall:
I love coca-cola and I am on my way to totally quitting. I will enjoy water or low calorie juices.

I encourage all of you to follow me on my journey. I will post my progress on my blog and you can track my progress on facebook, twitter, youtube and my websites. If you would like me to speak at your event or if you need a training session for your employees on team building, motivation, leadership and goal setting, give me a call at 303-522-1727.

My motto is: “Never Forget Your Dreams”, I will see you on the trail!

Regards,

Robert Forto
Robert Forto, PhD
Denver Dog Works

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. He is training for the Iditarod in 2013 and is available for speaking engagements and sponsorship requests. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

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

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

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

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

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

Dog Parks: Does Denver Need More?

Dog Parks: Does Denver Need More?
"Why I don't Recommend Them"
By Robert Forto, PhD

I have been a canine behaviorist for the past nineteen years and I have to go on the record and state that I do not like dog parks. I think they are an accident waiting to happen. Many people, especially in Denver, Colorado love these parks and they think they are a tranquil place for their dogs to run, romp, and play with other dogs.

After dealing with aggressive and violent dogs my entire career this is the furthest from the truth. I deal with aggressive dogs every day. It is my specialty. While it may be true that many, and maybe most, dogs will do fine at the dog park, with little if no incidents of a problem, you are just bidding your time. A dog park is not a natural place for dogs to be.

In the news this week, the city of Denver (Colorado) is trying to devise a plan to increase the number of dog parks. There are seven in the city right now and they cannot keep up with the rising demand of dog owners and having a place for their furry friends to run off leash. This is only going to lead to disaster!

If I may quote an article placed on CBS4’s website: “So many people have dogs. I think it’s a good place for bringing dogs,” one owner said on the website. “People who live downtown have dogs in small apartments. They bring them to the dog parks and they learn a lot of necessary stuff from other dogs like how to play, you know when to be rough or when not to.”

Are these people crazy! This couldn’t be farther from the truth! I published this article about this same time last year in the Rocky Mountain News’ Your Hub section and I received an overwhelming response from readers agreeing with what I said.

So I encourage you to read this article from the perspective of the dog, not an owner that needs their dog to have a place to “play”. I welcome all comments and of course criticism. But in my opinion, dog parks, especially more of them, are a bad idea.

The Dangers of Dog Parks

Almost daily I get a call or an email from someone telling me about the problems they have with their dog because they think he is aggressive, or a story about how their dog was attacked when they were on walks or running loose at a local dog park. I have even addressed this problem and have a class that meets on Saturdays. I call it my Growl Class. You would be surprised of how many people have signed up for it. Not just owners with Colorado’s classified banned breeds. We've had everything from miniature poodles to Old English sheep dogs.

People ask me how to deal with overly aggressive dogs that belong to other owners. They ask me to show them how to handle their dog so that they can "teach" someone at the dog park how to handle their dogs. They ask me questions about their own dog not trying to stick up for or defend themselves when they are approached by an aggressive dog. Many people have watched television shows and they were told that the dogs need to work it out for themselves. I say--so far from the truth!

The concept of dog parks was well intended but not a researched enough idea by the local, state, and city governments. The idea of a park is to bring people and families closer together-not to build internal strife and conflict that sometimes resembles doggie gang warfare! Many dog parks allow dogs to run off-leash in lush acreage of surrounding utopia--what a disaster. The main problem stems from people who just do not understand canine pack structure. The City Council's that set up these open space wonderlands are politician's not canine handlers--they should have consulted an expert. What it equals is that the dogs in these parks are out of control. Too often as well, the owners are completely oblivious as to what their dog is doing at the dog park. The owners are often observed using cell phones or doing other things that distract them from monitoring their own dogs' actions.

The average dog owner does not take the time to understand, much less install, pack structure. They do not know how strong the pack instincts are in their family pets. These drives can, and often do, click into high gear when a dog is taken into a park with strange dogs. I meet with people every day that come into my training center and they say that this dog is the alpha dog because he is the male, or he is older, or he is stronger, or he is my favorite. Canine pack behavior is a very complex dynamic that should not be under-estimated. I spent the better part of my career studying pack structure with a team of thirty-five Siberian husky sled dogs. I lived and slept with these dogs. I became a part of their pack. I learned many life lessons from them. The most important one: do not under estimate at dog's potential—ever.

When a new dog comes into a park that other dogs visit every day the new visitor is often seen as an intruder into "the personal territory" of the regular visitor. More often than not they are not seen as a new found friend. This often leads to either territorial aggression, dominance aggression or fear aggression. Instincts kick in and pandemonium develops. Owners are running and screaming towards their dogs, a fight breaks out and the utopia is now in chaos. Someone inevitably gets hurt.

DOG PACKS in the PARK

When a group of dogs, three or more, are allowed to run together in an area where there are no strong pack leaders (human pack leaders), they instinctively try to establish a rank order, or pecking order. If there are several dogs that want to assume a certain rank within this new pack there are often problems. Too often, this results in dog fights to determine what rank a dog will assume.

It is a mistake to assume that every dog in the park is a well-mannered, well-trained pet. Just because its playing with other dogs does not mean that it will play with your dog. The issue of rank has already been settled with these other dogs and the game may be going according to their rules. Your dog will not know the rules and can easily get into trouble. Too often when a fight breaks out between your dog and the leader of this pack the other dogs in the pack will also jump in and go after your dog.

The vast majority of dogs do not want to be pack leaders. They are perfectly happy with their owners assuming the position of leader. As such these dogs expect their pack leader--their owner-- to protect them. That's why these dogs will run to their owner when they fell threatened by another dog. When an owner does not protect his dog the dog is in conflict and loses confidence. When the owner ignores the perceived threat their dogs often move into fight or flight.

When you stop to think about it, normal people would never expect their young children to fight adults that were threatening their home. So why do people expect their young dogs to show aggression to older dogs? In most cases, the owners simply lack the understanding of pack drive and dog training. People get caught in the trap of thinking they have a German Shepherd from working police bloodlines and it should be tough!! Well, it doesn't work that way.

When new owners assume the position of pack leader and they do everything right when their pup is young the dog will grow up to be a confident adult dog. When owners drop the pack structure ball their dogs grow up to be dogs with aggressive issues (either overly aggressive or fearful). This is the primary focus of my work and why my aggression management classes are so successful. Canine training is not about training the dog. It is about educating the owner. I have been known to say that dog training is 90% people and 10% dog. I wholeheartedly believe that. I have conducted many seminars called "Leader of the Pack" and there is a weekly show on cable that promotes "Be a Pack Leader." But do you really know what that means? Do you know how much work, how much time and energy, how much of a commitment it is going to take to give you that empowerment? Being a pack leader to your dog can not, and should not, be compartmentalized in a 30-minute program where the magic of television makes everything alright.

Dog fights are scary business. They could literally mean life and death. I am sure you have heard the horror stories. Is this something that you are ready for? I have been bit hundreds of times--often by the cutest dogs in the neighborhood. I have respect for all dogs. And I make it my business to earn theirs. Aggressive dogs need to be dealt with by a professional. Not an arm-chair quarterback at a dog park shouting "leave it!" because they read a book, or watched a show or attended a chain store puppy class.

My Growl class is a course out of necessity. People love their dogs and they love the outdoors. But dog parks are a plethora of chaos. Research shows that three out of four dogs are not trained. My definition of training has always been: "Control for you, routine for your dog". If you have a dog that needs work with aggression. If you would like to better understand canine pack structure or if you are tired of your dog getting into fights at the dog park give me a call and we'll talk about it.
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Robert Forto, PhD is the training director for Denver Dog Works in Colorado and the host of a weekly radio show, The Dog Doctor Radio Show. He specializes in canine aggression. Please check out his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com/. He can be reached anytime at 303-752-2818.
Citation: http://www.CBS4denver.com March 23, 2009