Dr. Robert Forto

Chilpa

Michele Forto — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:51:00 GMT

Chilpa

By Michele Forto

A few weeks ago I met a couple and conducted an evaluation on their dog. Victor was very concerned about his beloved german shepherd dog Chilpa. Chilpa had attacked the neighbors dog unprovoked and even though he swiftly paid the veterinarian bills and the neighbor did not contact animal control, Victor being a long time german shepherd owner, decided that he had better contact a trainer.

As I waited to meet Victor and Chilpa, I was excited to meet another german shepherd owner, I was also concerned about the description of the aggression Victor stated that Chilpa was displaying. The time of the evaluation came and went and it was now 15 minutes after the appointment was to take place. I called Victor and asked if he’d like to reschedule, he apologized and mentioned that he had forgotten our appointment and was not able to make it in this day. We rescheduled our appointment for the weekend.

To my surprise Victor, his wife Shirley, and Chilpa kept their appointment and showed up on time. Also to my surprise was Victor and Shirley an elderly couple with a young german shepherd. The evaluation was performed and it was determined that Chilpa has fear aggression. I developed a training plan for Chilpa and explained to Victor my concerns and strategies to help Chilpa get healthy.

Our first training session was the following Monday. I got to Victor’s house, he had told me during the evaluation that he is 92 years old, he met me at the door and said, “what’s the plan?” I explained that I would like to see Chilpa’s environment both inside their home and in their neighborhood. He proceeded to show me around and took me out back where I saw 9 prairie dogs and the neighbor whose dog was attacked. I also saw the little poodle who immediately began barking aggressively at Chilpa who paid him no mind. During the evaluation I had determined by using another dog that Chilpa is fearful to the point of physically shaking when other dogs are around. She has high defensive fight drives and uses this drive to ward off potential attacks from other dogs. Victor then suggested he walk with me around the neighborhood. I tried to be polite and let him know that I could take Chilpa alone, but he insisted. For 92 I’ve got to say I only hope I’m able to still drive my black Cadillac and walk two or three blocks with my dog! During our walk I asked Victor if I could bring Chilpa to my training center on Saturdays as the situation here at his home and in his neighborhood was not conducive to the training I needed to do with Chilpa. He agreed. He then stopped me and complimented me on my passion and genuine attitude toward him and his dog. He then said, “Michele, I’m 92 years old and I’m not going to live forever, I adopted Chilpa for my wife, her health is not good. My son cannot take Chilpa when I die and the retirement village won’t let Shirley keep her either. I need to ask if you would take her and if you would what would you do?” It took me a moment to answer honestly I was floored by what he just asked me to do. I had only known him for 4 days. I placed my hand on his shoulder and reminded Chilpa to sit, and told him that I would be proud to take his dog, that I couldn’t guarantee but I would try to train her for service work or I’d keep her myself for the rest of her life. I promised to always be here to care for her whenever he needed.

Chilpa’s first Saturday of training at the training center started off hectic. I brought her in and she barked at every camp dog staying with us. Nicole and I put her in a crate and proceeded to get things done that morning. We then went back to the van to get Nicole’s dog Qyain. Qyain would be our test dog with Chilpa today. We always just let Qyain loose in the training center because he gets along with all of the dogs and stays out of the way, for the most part. He is a 2 year old german shepherd so staying out of the way is relative! Of course, he found Chilpa in a crate in the office and he immediately went up to the crate and tried licking her face. Chilpa went off barking and lunging. I went and sat next her and called Qyain back over, this time she barked and growled but stopped when I told her to sit. Nicole then put a leash on Qyain and I leashed Chilpa and we got to work with them in the same room moving around the floor performing commands. Chilpa was shaking but as we went along she got calmer. Eventually she showed interest in Qyain so leaving the leashes on Nicole and I let them greet while we let the leashes go. Qyain is very balanced he chased her around and smelled her, licked her face, and tried to get her to play. Chilpa allowed this until Qyain cornered himself and he turned to run away and she attacked him. Nicole said nothing, and I only said Chilpa leave it. She stopped and Qyain began playing again with her and all was fine. They played throughout the day.

The following Monday I brought Qyain to Victor’s house to show him how well Chilpa and him got along. They did well in his backyard and on their walk. Victor was very pleased and I explained to him that this was just one dog and he’s an intact male of the same breed. That I have a lot of work ahead of me with other breeds. He understood.

Saturday training number 2, as I got ready to train Chilpa on leash around other dogs, I took her outside to use the bathroom. I noticed blood droplets, I checked her out, pads, tongue, nose and couldn’t find where she was bleeding. Then she lifted her tail and I saw it, she was in heat! But how could that be? Victor rescued her and he told me she was spayed. No training today, I had to find out what was wrong.

Victor and I decided to have me take Chilpa to my vet and get her checked out. Today, we found out from the first test that it appears that Chilpa was not spayed. We have three concerns here; not spayed, spayed partially and infection set in, a few months ago had a biopsy done on her kidney by Banfield and the records are inconclusive as to what they found or why they performed surgery.

We are awaiting additional blood work and Chilpa is off of the training routine until we find out what is going on with her health.

I decided to write this article today to remind everyone out there that taking your dog to a veterinarian and giving them the best possible care you can is the right thing to do. When you take your pet to a veterinarian no matter if they run their own private practice or you visit them at a big box corporate store, you have the right to get a second opinion if you feel that procedures are being done unnecessarily on your pet.

Also, when you get your pet spayed or neutered or the procedure was done before you rescued your dog, you need to be aware that the surgery may not have been successful. Our dog Ineka is a 12 year old male Siberian Husky who came to us neutered. We later discovered that his neuter was not complete, Ineka made us a great litter of pups for my racing team in 2001. My vet explained that in females if the vet performing the surgery did her incision high on the chest that they can’t always get deep enough to get the entire uterus out so a piece is left. Usually its fine, but there can be complications with infection and “false heat cycles”.

Your veterinarian can perform blood tests and other tests to determine if your spay or neuter is complete. There is usually no concern, but if you notice especially in your female dog any discharge, bloody, mucous, and/or foul odor get her to the vet immediately.

Chilpa does not appear to have an infection but we will know from her blood work in a few days. For now she is at home with Victor and Shirley lounging around and loving her life.

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Michele Forto is the business manager and lead obedience trainer at Denver Dog Works. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Iditarod Musher: Hugh Neff

Michele Forto — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:28:00 GMT

Iditarod Musher Hugh Neff

By Robert Forto, PhD

On my recent trip to Anchorage I had the pleasure of spending time with 6-time Iditarod musher, Hugh Neff. Hugh and I have developed a friendship over the past year since I invited him to come to Denver and speak to my daughter’s school about the Iditarod, mushing and living in the North.

Hugh and I spoke at length about my desire to run the Iditarod in 21013 and what it will take to get to that goal. I had the pleasure of handling for him at the ceremonial start in Anchorage and helped send him and his team off to Nome. What a great honor.

Hugh Neff is not your ordinary musher. He spends a lot of his time speaking to kids all over North America and stresses the importance of education and family values. In this year’s Iditarod, Hugh is doing something special: he is taking part in the National Education Association-Alaska’s first statewide Read Across Alaska celebration. Hugh is helping promote and celebrate the fun of reading. Hugh is carrying the Cat in the Hat book across Alaska in his sled bag. Once Hugh has crossed the finish line in Nome, he will deliver the book to the children of this small village at the edge of the Earth.

Hugh Neff, 42 was born in Tennessee. He gr up in Illinois and attended Loyola Academy and the University of Illinois. He says he moved to Alaska in 1995 to “run down a dream”. Hugh says, “racing is an excuse to play with our beloved beasts all over the North.

Hugh lists his occupation as dog musher and public speaker. He is a member of Mush with P.R.I.D.E and is an Eagle Scout and says he enjoys “making other people smile.”

If you would like to find our more about Iditarod musher Hugh Neff please visit his website Laughing Eyes Kennel at http://www.laughingeyeskennel.com and follow his race across alaska this year on http://www.adn.com Hugh is wearing bib number 56.

Citation: The Official Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Guide

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Dr. Robert Forto is a professional musher training for his first Iditarod in 2013 racing under the Team Ineka banner. Dr. Robert Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.teamineka.com

Mia's Story

Michele Forto — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:10:00 GMT

MIA’S STORY

By Chris Bridge

As I sit here writing Mia’s story, she is lying right at my feet, actually lying on my feet. I have a 90 pound foot warmer! She is never far from my side.

Mia was born April 15th, 2004 and came into my husband and my lives on June 10th, 11 months after we had lost our 15 year old Dalmatian to kidney failure. This little black ball of fuzz came from a litter of 9 puppies and was cute beyond words. We named her “Mia”, short for “Mon Ami”, which means “My Friend” in French. I had forgotten what a challenge training a puppy was, BUT it all came back quickly. I had a puppy that was growing by leaps and bounds, what a bundle of Energy and Joy she was, “Day and Night”. Our darling girl, at 6 months old, was diagnosed with a heart murmur. A quick trip to VRCC and a cardiologist for an Echocardiogram indicated a moderate Sub aortic Stenosis. Her cardiologist at VRCC put her on heart medication and told us that there was hope in her condition, we had caught it early enough, that with treatment, she may have a chance of growing out of the severity of her condition, but she would always have her heart problem. She sent us home and advised us to try and keep her as calm as possible for the next 6 months and we could only hope for improvements. She would see us in 6 months for another Echocardiogram. Now all of us know how hard it is to keep a 6 month old puppy calm….next to impossible, but we gave it our best effort.

I knew in my heart that Mia, our special needs child, had been given to me for a reason, so off to obedience classes we went. We live in Fairplay, 2 hours from Denver, but every Saturday morning we piled into the car and made the trip downhill to Denver for the classes. Mia loved the socialization with the other dogs and took to obedience quickly. At 10 months old, she graduated “Canine Good Citizen.” The trainer that worked with us encouraged us to research becoming a Therapy Dog Team, as he and his Newfoundland were. Mia’s had a tremendous ability to delight and sooth whomever she was around, which needed to be shared with as many people as possible.

At 1 year of age, we went back to VRCC to visit her cardiologist, and had another Echocardiogram. After the test, Mia’s cardiologist told us she was seeing an improvement from her least exam. Because of her improvement and the medication, there was a good possibility of her heart condition NOT to progress in severity, but a recheck in 1 year was necessary to make sure.

My research in wanting to become a Pet Therapy Team led me to Delta Society, which then led me to Denver Pet Partners, which is now American Humane Association. In October, 2005, I went to the TEAM Training class. After completion of the class, I knew Mia and I were going in the right direction. I knew that I had the dedication and commitment, and Mia had the good temperament, skills and true love for people that was needed to make us a GREAT Team. We truly trusted each other.

Evaluation day came and I was scared to death, Mia was as calm as she could be, being only 18 months old and having what I call “only child syndrome” when it comes to being around other dogs, she does tend to get JUST a bit excited. By the grace of God we passed and received our certification on October 29, 2005. We were now a Registered Therapy Dog Team. On our way back home to Fairplay that day, I had a 2 hour drive to reflect back on why Mia truly had come into my life, and was recovering from a heart condition that could have taken her from us at a very early age. I believe that there was a purpose in our lives, and now I truly understand what it meant for Mia and I to be partners. This was going to be the best life choice that I had ever made. I couldn’t wait to get started, but Mia and I hadn’t decided whether our work would be in the hospitals and nursing homes or with children. I knew that Mia would tell me in her own way.

PLEASE return to read my blog next week for “The Rest of the Story”, Mia had the MOST AMAZING way of letting me know where we needed to volunteer. It was and still is the most wonderful experience of our volunteer life together.

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Chris Bridge and Mia are a Registered Therapy Dog Team with the American Humane Association. Mia is a 5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. They volunteer weekly in the Denver area. Chris writes a weekly article for our blog at Denver Dog Works. Chris can be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Learning About Sanitation

Michele Forto — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:58:00 GMT

Learning about Sanitation

By Leah Morse

Sanitation to me is so important so I am going to go into great detail.

So now I have joined the many who feed their dogs a species appropriate diet of raw meat and bones. I want to make sure that I keep my dogs and my family as safe as possible. This new diet now means that I will be handling substantially more raw meat and all the potential dangerous germs that can be associated with that. However, let’s not forget that simple dog food has been found to contain both salmonella and E. coli. I wanted to make sure that how I handled, prepared and cleaned and sanitized afterwards were very thorough. As I work for a major health care insurance company, it has been completely ingrained in my brain the dangers of contaminated surfaces, improper meat handling and how germs are so easily transferred. I think about the commercial that shows how germs transfer so easy from your hands to every surface that you touch. This was going to be a dilemma as I am not a big fan of using lots of chemicals. I do care about the environment and how these same chemicals can soak into our skin and fumes be inhaled.

So I purchased some new spray bottles and filled one with 50% Bleach and 50% Water the other spray bottle I filled with 50% White Vinegar and 50% water. DO NOT EVER MIX BLEACH AND VINEGAR as it is a dangerous and potentially lethal combination. I was not happy with the bleach solution as I ruined my clothes and the fumes were something else. I also did not like spraying the kennels with it as sensitive as a dog’s sense of smell is, the bleach fumes did not seem to dissipate. I had researched (http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Kitchen-Sanitation/Detail.aspx ) environmentally friendly (and subsequently better for us) sanitizers. The best mix that I use is 50% White Distilled Vinegar and 50% water with a few drops of aroma therapy peppermint oil. The peppermint gave the staunch odor of the vinegar a more appealing fresh scent. Once the vinegar dried the smell seemed to dissipate.

I also purchased stainless steel bowls, which are better for our pets anyway as they can be run through the dishwasher and don’t harbor bacteria like porous plastic bowls do. After working in a vets office and hearing over and over again to use ceramic crock bowls or stainless steel to help prevent problems like canine and feline acne, it was not hard to transition to stainless steel.

I purchased 6 stainless steel bowls and 4 stainless steel buckets for water (water should be fresh, clean and always in a clean container), enough to be able to have at least 2 sets. This way I could put them all in the dishwasher to save time and have extra sanitation. After working in a vets office and hearing over and over again to use ceramic crock bowls or stainless steel to help prevent problems like canine and feline acne, it was not hard to transition to stainless steel.

I also purchased, from a local hardware store two remnant pieces of vinyl (5 foot by 6 foot) to put under their 4 foot by 6 foot kennels for easier clean up. The galvanized steel chain link was easily sanitized but the cement floor was not. Having the vinyl floor piece brightened up the kennel area for an added bonus.

Last but not least, I purchased nitrile disposable gloves to wear while I cleaned or handled the meat.

My procedure is to put on the gloves and measure out the meat, veggies and supplements for the meal. Each dog was then fed and allowed to finish. I always pick up bowls as soon as they are done. All go outside to lick and clean each other off, enjoy some sunlight and do their business then back inside. Meanwhile, I am cleaning bowls, cleaning the counter area with vinegar or loading the dishwasher and then quickly cleaning their respective areas with the vinegar solution. Everyone has a clean kennel to come back to and it literally only takes me a few minutes. From Preparation to clean up, it really only takes me about 20 minutes with 3 dogs in the morning and at night. It takes less time if I get it ready the night before. I am very conscience about what I touch and also making sure all surfaces are cleaned. I save used ziplock bags to enclose the meat packaging prior to throwing it away to help keep trash odor down. I also make sure to keep the dog run clean and I frequently am picking up what little my dogs are now leaving. Again it is substantially less (definitely not nearly the amount they are fed) and also seems to break down and decompose very quickly.

Next week: Where do I get the ingredients and what ingredients should I start with.

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Leah Morse is a certified canine trainer and the owner of Rocky Mountain Classic Canine (http://www.rmclassiccanine.com) Leah can also be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Have You Hugged Your Dog Today?

Michele Forto — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:06:00 GMT

Hug Your Dog Today

By Michele Forto

I know Robert has shared stories about our beloved dog, Ineka, but the other day he did something that filled my heart with joy and I wanted to take a moment and share it with you.

Ineka is approximately twelve years old. I remember picking him up from DIA ten years ago this very month. I was excited, oh we had several Siberians that we had rescued and were planning to race, but this was different, this would be the first dog we’d be rescuing sight unseen. We rescued Ineka from Washington and he was flown to us with a description of being white with blue eyes. Well he was black and white as it turned out and slightly older than we had been told. No worries though he quickly proved his worth as a working dog and as a companion.

Ineka quickly earned his place in our home. You see racing kennels rarely allow their dogs to come inside, mostly because they are not house trained. Ineka however, was very respectful of the house.

He has a ritual in the morning, come to my side of the bed and rub his nose and face on my shoulder. Some mornings that nose is way too cold! This was how he would wake me up to start the day. The two of us would then go get the kids up and get them ready for the day. Once Kyle and Tyler were off to school, Nicole, Ineka and I would head out to the kennel to start our day of cleaning, grooming, and training. Ineka would prance around full plume tail talking to the other dogs as I opened their kennels one by one letting all thirty dogs out to play. Ineka would stick to Nicole’s side and ward off the younger dogs who liked to jump on her. Ineka quickly earned a nickname; Sergeant! I truly had the best co-worker, nanny, and best friend in the world.

Ineka was retired from racing in 2002. He has had an active retirement teaching puppies boundaries and bouncing around our training school. About a year ago he stopped waking me up and no longer showed interest in “going to work”. He is in his autumn. He can barely get around the house now although there are days when he will try to chase down our dog Qyain and then gallop up the stairs and then gallop down just to jump from the sixth step! He’s a spunky old guy. The other morning he woke me up the way he used to giving me a hug and not letting go. I was lucky that morning because I was able to sit still and enjoy this moment that my old friend was sharing with me.

Yesterday I came home to gather up some supplies for work, Ineka was at the top of the stairs where he always is greeting us when we come home. I said hello to him and left the front door open so he could go out to our courtyard. I went about my business and then headed into the kitchen to grab a drink, I heard Ineka jump off the stairs and head out the front door. I got sidetracked and didn’t immediately follow him out. About three minutes later I walked into our office and noticed the gate was open! My heart sunk. I immediately ran outside thinking “he’s next door marking the bush” nope! Oh God! Robert is leaving and after 10 years I’ve lost the dog! I ran down the street a neighbor was outside I asked if he saw my black dog he said no. I ran back to the house to jump in my van and realized my keys were inside. I run inside into the kitchen but as I’m running past I catch a glimpse of Ineka at the top of the stairs looking down at me like I’ve lost my mind. I scolded him like I did my kids when they ran out into the street. Gave him a hug and a piece of cheese and said don’t ever scare me like that again; we aren’t ready for you to go yet. I still need my best friend.

I have had many dogs in my lifetime and I’m sure I will have many more. Each has held a special place in my heart. But as I’m sure you can relate, there’s always one that came into your life and helped you through triumphs and tribulations. Who came over and let you hold them until all the tears were cried out. Who encouraged you to get your butt off the couch. Who helped you remember how to be a kid. It’s that dog that makes you a better person. Hug your dog today, whisper in their ear and thank them for taking care of you.

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Michele Forto is the business manager for Denver Dog Works. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Is it Contempt to Be a Dad?

Michele Forto — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:37:00 GMT

Is it Contempt to be a Dad?

By Michele Forto

It isn’t often that the word “rookie” is used to describe my husband and business partner. Recently, Dr. Robert Forto, Ph.D. was encouraged to obtain his credentials toward a press pass and start taking his communications degree to the next level. He also was advised to pursue obtaining his press pass so that he could have access to the start of the Iditarod while he podcasts live to his radio show.

First assignment: Cover the Darrent Williams murder trial.

As his wife, I thought “Wow! That’s a huge responsibility for a citizen journalist with no experience.”

Dr. Forto is receiving a lot of bad press and to be perfectly candid some nasty name calling is going on all because he got a call from our daughter. He did not answer her call; he simply sent a text stating he could not talk. This infraction however, got him detained and questioned by the judge. He was not arrested. He was not read his rights, he was not charged with any crime. He was made an example of for the infraction.

Dr. Forto discovered while being detained that the selected press allowed into the courtroom were there under a lottery drawing. He went through a metal detector and was not questioned regarding a pass to enter. Being a “rookie” he was just following everyone else.

This should not excuse him for his infraction.

I would like to bring the following to everyone’s attention. Just days before Deer Creek Middle School suffered a tragic incident whereas a disturbed individual opened fire on seventh and eighth graders. Our sons attended that school a few years ago so the incident struck us close to home. Our kids know families in that area. What does that have to do with his infraction – everything! Robert is a “rookie” journalist but his first job is being a dad.

We always say Mom’s have the hardest jobs in the world. Well Dad’s do too. My husband chose to do his job as a dad while learning the ropes as a “rookie” journalist which isn’t even his job! He doesn’t get paid to write the article unless it’s picked up. He took the assignment to learn the ropes.

His job is a father first, a business owner second.

For all of those opinions being cast out like stones let’s keep in mind that no matter what your job is, if your child calls you no matter where they are, especially after a recent tragedy, your heart will leap into your throat and you won’t hesitate to answer in one way or another.

I am proud of you Robert for always continuing to learn and challenge yourself but I am the proudest of you for the father you strive to be every day. Your passion in our business flows over into the kids and they are becoming thoughtful young adults. You have taught them the importance of following your dreams and thinking outside the box and to face challenges head on. Go Big or Go Home!

Tags: Robert Forto, Michele Forto, Dog Training Denver, Colorado Dog Training, Citizen Journalist, Denver Dog Works, Dog Training Denver Forum, #dogs #denver #dogtraining

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Michele Forto is the business manager for Denver Dog Works and the host a weekly Radio Program, The Dog Dog Doctor Radio Show heard every Saturday at 9:30 am. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Give a Dog a Bone, Just Don't Take it Away!

Michele Forto — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:57:00 GMT

Give a Dog a Bone, Just Don't Take it Away!

By Robert Forto, PhD

As a canine behvaiorist at Denver Dog Works I see a lot of dog problems. I deal primarly with canine aggression and nothing can be more frietning than a dog that is possessive. I was had a client whose dog was so aggressive if disrupted their entire family's lifetstyle.

The client approached me about two years ago and to this day I will never in my life forget this case: The family consisted of Two Adult Females, two pre-teen girls and two Shiba Inus. One of the Shibas was great but the other was Cujo from You-Know-Where. This Shiba, lets call him Max was so food aggressive that the family litterally had to run upstairs and close the door while he ate. When feeding time came around the family set in motion one of the most elaborate and scary displays I have ever seen.

First they would lock the dogs in the laundry room and one of the adults would prepare the food while Max became more agitated and began to bite and attack the other dog. Once the food was prepared the lady would open the laundry room door with a string attached to the handle and hold a broom to ward off Max. Max would run at the lady full blast with its teeth barring while she fought off the dog with the broom as she fled upsrairs with the rest of the family.

Max did not return to the bowl to eat, instead he would run around the house like the Tasmanian Devil and proceed to tear up anything he could; couch pillows, shoes, chair legs, everything, within minutes.

Max eventually went over to his bowl and ate his food and would calm down. This whole ritual would take about a half an hour. I observed the incident from the deck through the sliding glass doors. I can honestly say that I have never seen a dog more dangerous in my life. Before the feeding exercise Max appeared to be the perfect family pet laying at our feet while we talked and complied a history for the evaluation.

I never heard back from that family and I attempted calling them back several times to no avail.

Possessiveness

Proetecting valued assets is an important part of survival in the wild. While I agree that Canis Familiaris (the family dog) is far from being a "wild" animal they are still intrinsically wired that way deep inside their brains. In the wild, a dog that does not protect its valued assets is more likely to starve to death than one that does. Since possessiveness is normal behavior the owner should not punish the dog for it, instead we need to train the dog to think that good things happen when they give their valuables to us humans.

Some simple exercises to work on possessiveness are (not to be used with the example with a dog like Max, but maybe a dog that wont give up his ball, or looks at you "funny" when you take his bone, etc.):

1. Alow the dog to greet guests only when he is sitting. This is one of the tests in the AKC CGC Test, Accepting a Friendly Stranger.

2. Teach the dog "Give it or Drop it" and "Take it."

3. Teach food bowl exercies (except with a dog like Max, of course) where you can take up the food bowl while your dog sits, you can put your hand in the bowl while he eats, etc.

If you have any questions on canine training or behavior, please give us a call at Denver Dog Works at 303-578-9881.

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Dr. Robert Forto is a canine behvaiorist and the training director of Denver Dog Works. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Go Big or Go Home: Bronco's Darrent Williams Murder Trial Coverage

Michele Forto — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:07:00 GMT

Go Big or Go Home:

The Trials and Tribulations of a Citizen Journalists’ First Assignment

By Robert Forto, PhD

After a full day of nefarious name calling and black-balling I have removed the story that was on this page. It is amazing how many people love to wallow in other peoples misfortune.

To set the record straight: I might be a rookie citizen journalist but I am proud to say that my first job is being a dad.

If you would like to contact me for any interviews please call 303-578-9881 anytime.

Tags: #denver #broncos #citizen journalism, robert forto, denver broncos, citizen journalist, denver dog works, dog training denver. your brand plan,

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Dr. Robert Forto is a citizen journalist for Twine Group Media. Dr. Forto is also the training director of Denver Dog Works and the host of a weekly radio show, The Dog Doctor Radio Show. Dr. Forto can be reached through email at mediahound@twinegroup.com

Raw Diet for Dogs

Michele Forto — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:25:00 GMT

Learning to Feed Bones and Raw Food to Boxers

By Leah Morse

This will be the first of a series of blogs that I want to share my experience with learning to feed raw diet to my dogs. It is a controversial way of providing nutrition for your dogs. I am not suggesting that anyone follow these guidelines that I have chosen to do for my own dogs. I am just simply sharing the information that I have found and where I found it. I have seen some amazing changes in the health of my dogs but this is, by any means, a simple way to feed your dog. It takes planning and work. The days that you are tired and don’t feel like preparing an extra meal, or paying for it, for that matter, you still have to do it. Your dogs can’t feed themselves. I have gotten creative at saving on the cost but again this creates more work. I am thankful to own a Vita-mix blender (http://www.vitamix.com) which saves me time and blends down the veggies, raw eggs and shells to liquid if needed. I am simply sharing my experiences. I am not a veterinarian; I am also not a health care professional. This theory of feeding raw species appropriate diet can have serious health risks associated with incorrect handling, preparing and feeding. NEVER EVER FEED COOKED BONES! Cooking bones changes the molecular structure, they become brittle and may splinter which would injure or kill your dog! Do not feed bones that are frozen either, as they can and will ruin your pet’s teeth. All bones must be thoroughly thawed before feeding. Mixing raw meat with cooked meat can cause digestive problems. If feeding raw diet is your goal read as many books and literature as possible. Find people who are already feeding and have experience to have as mentors. Use your own good judgment, when in doubt, don’t do it. The ideas and opinions in this blog are my own and come from feeding my dogs this way since 2008, unless otherwise credited. I am by no means an expert, just sharing my own acquisition of information and observations from my own dogs. Take any ideas that I present here at your own risk and discretion. I, for one, have found it worth it.

After suffering through the agonizing cancer and liver disease deaths of my late great boxers Bohdi and Leelu, I vowed to dedicate myself to being part of finding a solution rather than just a victim of diseases that plague boxers and many other breeds for that matter. I have tried many different top brand highly nutritious dog foods only to be somewhat satisfied. I have gone to many dog food nutrition seminars put on by Iams, NutroMax, Science Diet and others. I experimented with adding supplements and veggies to these great foods. Then the great dog food recall of 2007 happened and Melamine (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/) seemed to be the main problem. In my opinion it seemed that outsourcing their manufacturing to other countries (or at least procuring ingredients from them), quality control is not the same as in the United States to save on their bottom line. I spent thousands of dollars on drugs and medications for a variety of ailments. Though there are many theories out there I, for one, believe that environment and nutrition quality play a huge role in keeping our furry children happy and healthy. I know that when my husband and I started eating healthier and incorporating more fresh nutritious choices into our everyday meals, we began to feel much better and we did not have trouble with as many ailments.

So I made my decision and decided to experiment with raw diet, B.A.R.F diet (Bones and Raw Foods) with my dogs. I was terrified at first. After being a veterinary assistant for 10 years, 20 years in pet retail and now as a professional dog trainer, where I preached to never feed people food, I was going to go against everything I had once believed. Although the bird nutrition classes have always pushed to feed fresh as it was the best. Still grieving from the loss of Leelu (just shy of 10 years when we lost her to the horror of hemangiosarcoma) I wanted to do everything that I could for the eight year old rescued boxer and the eight month old boxer puppy that we had left. I had noticed that Bohdi’s health was starting to go downhill. So I did due diligence and scoured the internet, I ordered books (Dr. Billinghurst’s book “Give Your Dog a Bone” and “Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats the Ultimate Diet” by Kymythy R. Schultze C.C.N., A.H.I. I joined B.A.R.F chat networks and groups on Facebook. I found these to be quite informative.

I had read that I should keep track of the health of my dogs. In the beginning, both had moderately shiny coats. Bohdi’s energy level seemed to be declining and Story had a normal puppy energy level. Bohdi was on a thyroid maintenance prescription drug, a Glucosamine supplement, pepcid (prescribed for his daily struggle with a sour stomach) and a daily pain relief prescription drug. Both dogs, as many boxers do, suffered us with their flatulence. Bohdi had stained teeth but had just had a dental cleaning done. Much to my surprise the puppy started to show signs of a small amount of tarter building up on her Carnasal molars. I was feeding Blue Buffalo brand food to both, one of the better and more expensive processed dog foods. One of the things that really bothered me about feeding such expensive processed food was that I seemed to feed the same amount that I was picking up afterward in the dog run. I thought that feeding premium foods was supposed to give you less to pick up. I seemed to feed 40lbs of dog food and then I seemed to pick up the same 40lbs in stool.

I finally broke down and purchased chicken wings with the purpose of feeding them to my dogs. I had found that non wait bearing bones were the best and that chicken wings backs and necks had just about the right ratio of bone to meat. I split the dogs up and gave them each a raw chicken wing. It was a strange experience to feel both the excited anticipation of healthier dogs and also the pit in my stomach that said “What did I just do?” I intently watched as the older dog, Bohdi, cautiously sniffed the wing picked it up and gave it a little shake only to drop it again. He then picked it back up and started to chomp through it. A couple of cracks and smacks and the chicken wing disappeared down his throat as he licked his lips. Bohdi looked at me as if to say “Is that it?” I wasn’t comfortable with giving more until I saw how he handled it. Meanwhile, out in the dog run, Story, the puppy, was shaking and licking her chicken wing. It took her much longer to figure out that it was something she could touch and then that it was more than just a toy but she finally got the job done. I kept my eye on both of them the rest of the evening and as gross as it may seem I kept a close eye on their bathroom habits. The morning after my initial feeding of the chicken wings I was anxious to see what the end result would be. I was terrified and had a rough night of sleep, envisioning a quick trip to the local veterinary hospital to extract the bones from my poor dogs. On the contrary, both dogs were fine and had normal stool, yet smaller amounts and much to my surprise I could actually see the digested bone. White dog stool that literally disintegrated as you tried to shovel it up. Another added bonus was that it did not smell nearly as bad. Third bonus was that Bohdi, who usually has an easily upset stomach, was having no digestive issues that I could see, at all. Last but not least, our dogs did not seem to have foul smelling gas. Day one of feeding Raw Diet appeared to go well. Their next meal would, again, be chicken wings with the addition of pureed celery. Now I would start planning meals and start keeping track of the cost. Research where to get the ingredients cost effectively. I wanted to come up with a system that lowered my risk of contamination in the kitchen and that would be the most sanitary for our dogs. I was also going to really educate myself about supplementation. My experiences will follow in future blogs.

If you have any questions for Leah or would like to learn more about feeding a raw diet to your dogs from someone that has first hand experience, please give us a call at Denver Dog Works at 303-578-9881.

Tags: Denver Dog Works, Dog Training Denver, Colorado Dog Trainers, Leah Morse, Canine Nutrition, Raw Diet for Dogs, Robert Forto, Dog Works Training Centers, Rocky Mountain Classic Canine, Your Brand Plan

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Leah Morse is a canine trainer and the owner of Rocky Mountain Classic Canine in Colorado. Leah also is a contract trainer for Denver Dog Works and a former student. Leah can be reached through Denver Dog Works at http://www.denevrdogworks.com

Denver Dog Works Dog of the Week: Gina

Michele Forto — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:02:00 GMT

Denver Dog Works Dog of the Week: Gina

By Michele Forto

Gina came into my life as a potential service dog candidate. She was chosen by my husband and had many possibilities for a two and a half year old female German Shepherd dog. When Robert brought her to our kennel we immediately introduced her to our dog Qyain. Gina and Qyain were fast friends. But we quickly realized that Gina did not like other female dogs. Sadly we had to keep her separated from the other female Boudica.

One day I arrived at work to find that the kennel technician had placed Gina in a kennel right next Boudica. They were fence fighting uncontrollably. I moved Boudica quickly and returned to calm Gina down a bit to discover that she had managed to catch her eye on the kennel. I knew I had to act quickly or this could result in disaster for Gina.

`I utilized my Canine First Aid training by quickly assessing the situation and remaining calm. Gina wasn’t moving but as I moved closer to her she would start pulling and since her skin was caught she couldn’t free herself. I told her to sit and then to stay. She did exactly what I told her to do. She was crying very loudly and breathing hard. As I moved in closer I was able to touch her head and she immediately got still. While talking to her calmly I put my arms around her and gently lifted her up and was able to release her eyelid where it was stuck on the kennel latch. I then carried her inside where I laid her down placed a blanket over her since I knew she was in shock and then proceeded to flush her eye with luke warm water making sure there was no debris inside. I was also able to see that her eye was fine, bloodshot and bruised but not cut or punctured in anyway. Her third eyelid was very bruised and swelling was beginning. I placed an ice pack over her eye and carried her to my truck and the two of us proceeded to the vet’s office where it was determined that she would be just fine. The vet said I had done a great job and wanted to know how I did everything. I told him that I have been working with animals and dogs in particular for over 20 years and that I had taken several canine first aid and CPR courses over the years and that my husband and I teach a certification workshop.

Gina did not need antibiotics and healed nicely in about a week. She gave birth to two sweet females about nine months later. Gina know competes in Schutzhund and is living out her life with her pups in the mountains near Colorado Springs.

I share this story with you because I feel it is very important that every pet owner take a course in canine first aid and CPR. Just as I feel every parent should take the same course to save their child. If you are active with your pet in any fashion or your pet just likes lying around the house, knowing first aid and canine CPR could save your pet’s life in an emergency situation.

If you would like to learn how to take my Canine CPR/First Aid course please contact me via my website at www.denverdogworks.com or become a fan of Denver Dog Works on Facebook and check out the events page for upcoming workshops. The next Canine CPR/First Aid class is scheduled on March 21, 2010 and is an all day event.

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Michele Forto is the business manager for Denver Dog Works and the co-host of the Dog Doctor Radio Show. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Culture of Denver Dog Works

Michele Forto — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:32:00 GMT

Culture of Denver Dog Works: Self Development

By Robert Forto, PhD

This is the sixth installment in a series on the Culture of Denver Dog Works. I am not only doing this to give our readers an idea of what we are about at Denver Dog Works but also as an exercise for us here at the training center to make sure we are all on the same page and delivering exceptional customer service and training a client's dog to be one of the best trained dogs in the world.

The 10 Elements of Culture as defined by Denver Dog Works are:

Integrity

Professionalism

Development

Service Availability and Belief

Character

Self Development

An Event Culture

Structured Activity

Leadership

Fun

Self Development at Denver Dog Works and our Culture:

If you want more you have to require more from yourself--Dr. Phil

Being a business owner is tricky business. It takes a tremendous amount of time and even more risk. It is not for the faint at heart or the ill-prepared. It takes a decade of learning in every decision you make every day but you don’t have time to hit the books or research a topic before making a decision that could mean the difference between success and failure of your business.

At Denver Dog Works we pride ourselves in allowing everybody involved to be creative and chase after what they want in business while we give them the tools to make them the best dog trainers in the world. Its hard to share your trade secrets with others. Many even ask me why I do it. It’s simple. I want to be the best dog training school not just in denver but in the world.

We do this in seven key areas: they are: Working Toward Success, Building a Better Team Acquiring New Skills, Giving Back and Getting Back into Focus, Strive Forward to Fulfill our Company Purpose, Help Others with Professional Development and Balancing Work and Life.

Working Toward Success

Our main goal at Denver Dog Works is to continue to work toward success. Not only in business or in our industry but personal achievement as well. If we continue to build our success through our strengths and recognize and correct our weaknesses we will be a much stronger company in the next year. Our goal is to continue to learn from those who have walked a mile in our shoes and to teach those that are looking for guidance.

Building a Better Team

First and foremost my goal as the training director is to build the right team to grow our business. By training most of our team from within in our canine career courses we harvest new talents to complement our business in different training disciplines and philosophies.

Acquiring New Skills

Our business manager’s mantra is: Learn! We continue to learn everyday from our clients, attending seminars, lectures and CEU’s but also from each other. We strive to coach our team in all aspects of business not just dog training. We encourage daily discussion of challenges and issues and offer advice and guidance on these matters.

Giving Back and Getting Back into Focus

At Denver Dog Works we have a service dog training program. This is one way that we give back to our community but it is also how we get back into to focus. A service dog training program takes approximately two years to complete and in that two years you have to be totally focused on the goals that you want to achieve. By training service dogs it brings everything in our culture to the forefront so we can be the best that we can be.

Strive Forward to FulFill our Company Purpose

At Denver Dog Works we strive to improve communication in every way we can. We strive to have organization amongst our team and complete an ambitious list of projects, maintain a high level of customer service, and coach our clients in training their dogs to be the best.

Help Others with Professional Development

At Denver Dog Works we help our team preserve with integrity and to always encourage continual learning as they strive to reach their goals and vision. This is done by working closely with our team and helping them see what they don't know and helping them over come.

Balancing Work and Life

This is the most important area of Self Development in our culture at Denver Dog Works. There has to be a clear boundary between work and personal lives. If one of our trainers, or even us as the owners, work non-stop it will kill any personal goals that we have. You have to have fun and you have to let loose every once in a while because constant work will burn you out. It will become more difficult to muster the energy to work. If you don’t have the energy to work you wont fill inspired and don't have time to enrich your soul. Work affects life and life effects work.

I encourage any feedback you may have and of course share the culture of your business as well. I can be reached anytime by email at train@denverdogworks.com

Next Week: An Event Culture

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director of Dog Works Training Centers and the host of a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show which can be heard every Saturday at 9:30 am in the Rocky Mountain West or download it anytime. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

The Hidden Nightmare: Animal Hoarding

Michele Forto — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:55:00 GMT

The Hidden Nightmare: Animal Hoarding

By Robert Forto, PhD

On the latest edition of The DogDoctor Radio Show (http://tinyurl.com/dogdoc) I interview Debbie Jacobs, the author of “A Guide to Living & Working With Fearful Dogs”. Jacobs’s book was a finalist in the 2008 Dog Writers Association of America’s annual writing competition. Her work with fearful dogs is dedicated to he rescued friend, Sunny. Sunny was rescued from Arkansas from an animal hoarder.

“Sunny survived a hoarding situation and was brought to one of the hurricane rescue camps in 2005, where I met him. Over the years I have learned about rehabbing a ‘damaged’ dog and wanted to share that information with other scared/fearful/shy dog owners. Working with a scared dog will be one of the most challenging, frustrating and rewarding experiences a dog owner will ever have.” stated Jacobs.

In Sunny’s case he was rescued from a so-called “sanctuary” where a couple had over 300 dogs in squalid conditions, with all the animals brought there under the guise to “save them.”

Animal hoarding is one of America’s hidden nightmares. A typical hoarder suffers from a mental condition in which they fulfill a need to obtain and “collect” animals, often in deplorable conditions. If you have seen the shows on cable television on A&E and Animal Planet’s Animal Cops series you know what I am talking about.

On the show we talk about what is necessary to help these people suffering from this condition. While neither Jacobs or I are therapists we are often the ones that see animal hoarding situations first hand. I speak about three times when I am confronted with animal hoarding in my daily work as a canine behaviorist with Denver Dog Works and Jacobs re-tells the shocking story of Sunny’s life before he was rescued by Jacobs.

Both of us agree that animal hoarding is a societal problem and one that is not going to go away. The recidivism rate is close to 100% for people suffering from this condition and the court systems have no real way of dealing with it. Sure, you can fine these people or put them in jail for a month or two. But what is that going to do? These people need therapy and intervention not a criminal record.

Jacobs and I discussed the need to research and further study and the need for trainers and other people that come across this dire situation to become proactive and intervene.

We will continue to keep you abreast of this topic and figure what resources are needed to do something about it. We welcome you ideas.

Jacobs lives in Vermont with her husband and four dogs and created the Fearful Dogs website ( www.fearfuldogs.com ) to help owners and trainers learn about the most effective and humane ways to work with fearful dogs.

The Dog Doctor Radio Show can be heard every Saturday morning at 9:30 am in the Rocky Mountain West or can be downloaded anytime from our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

If you have a topic or a question for the host of The Dog Doctor Radio Show please email it to live@dogdoctorradio.com

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Dr. Robert Forto is a canine behaviorist and the training director of Dog Works Training Centers and the host of the Dog Doctor Radio Show. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com

Dog Parks vs. Dog Sports? You Decide

Michele Forto — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:32:00 GMT

Dog Parks vs. Dog Sports? You Decide

By Robert Forto, PhD

At my training center, Denver Dog Works and in my behavioral practice most of the problems we face are from dogs not getting enough or dogs getting into “trouble” while at the dog park. For those of you that read my articles you will know that I do not like dog parks. They are an ill-conceived idea by city planners that do not know anything about canine behavior.

Of course some do it right, like the nation’s only indoor dog park in Dallas, TX, Unleashed. They have trainers on staff and run the park more like a dog daycare rather than a canine free-for-all. But these conciseness people are few and far between.

Just this past month, The Association for Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) ran an article on this very issue; Inspiring Dog Owners Into Dog Sports and Out of Dog Parks (Sue Sternberg pg. 10-11). I just want to expound on that article for pet owners than may not have access the magazine.

The Dog Park Madness

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.

Canine Sports

At Denver Dog Works we pride ourselves in being the premiere canine training center in the Rocky Mountain region that specializes in canine sports and working dogs. I have been involved in almost all canine sports at one time or another in my 19-year career in working with dogs. I have been a professional musher, I finished three Siberians in conformation (dog shows) and two as Obedience Trial Champions. I have competed in protection trials and taught many people how to dog sled, scooter and skijor. What does this all mean? It means at Denver Dog Works we can teach you and your dog the true meaning of intrinsic drives and proper exercise and to many dogs the thought of having a “job” to do is reason to celebrate!

As trainers we need to think outside the box a bit and encourage people to try new things with their dogs. In my opinion the dog park should be an option of last resort. What happened to the days of just walking your dog around the block a few times? Instead people are paying thousands of dollars at a doggie daycare because they feel guilty to leave their dog home alone while their child is a latch key kid with a cell phone with mom and dad calling on them every ten minutes to see if they are okay. Insanity.

In fact, most sports that you can participate in with your dog are relatively inexpensive, often less than a cup gourmet coffee a day, if not free.

Where do you go? Denver Dog Works of course. But if you are outside of the Rocky Mountain Region you may want to seek out a training center that offers canine sports classes like agility or competition obedience, tracking or even canine freestyle (dancing with your dog). There is even an organization called Dog Scouts that is like boy/girl scouts for dogs! In the Dog Scouts you and your dog work toward earning merit badges in a variety of sports and activities while promoting good dog training and proper behavior. Dog Scouts even has a camp that you can attend with your dog in Michigan, I think it is.

Give the Dog a Bone

As with any physical activity, the reward has to outweigh the work. Think about it. Is working out at the gym that fun? No. I hate it but the reward of losing weight and training for the Iditarod and feeling good about myself makes me go to the gym every other day.

Canine sports are no different. Once you find a sport that you and your dog enjoy it is easy to get hooked. What a better way to build friendship with fellow dog owners, keep your dog exercised physical and mental fit, and doing something that you enjoy.

“It’s a tough time to be dog. There is so much less access to open spaces, off-leash exercise in secluded rural land, owners have less time, busier schedules and a lot less financial freedom,” says Sternberg.

When an owner and their dog get hooked on to something they love and they excel at this will build a lifetime of bonding, training and community with your dog. This will not only help you and your dog but the community in which you live.

The time is now! Get out and do something with your dog and leave the gourmet coffee to the people that don’t have a dog!

If you would like to find out more about canine sports training or having one of the best trained dogs in the world, contact us at Denver Dog Works at 303-578-9881.

Tags: Dog Training Denver, Denver Dog Works, Denver Dog Trainers, Colorado Dog Trainers, Canine Sports, Working Dogs, #dogs #dogtraining #pets #forto #denver

Citation: The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, Jan-Feb 2010 pg. 10-15 Inspiring Dog Owners Into Dog Sports and Out of Dog Parks by Sue Sternberg.

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director for Denver Dog Works and Dog Works Training Centers. Dr. Forto hosts a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show every Saturday at http://tinyurl.com/dogdoc Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com