Get A Quality Education At K-9 U
By Lynn Duvall, La Cañada Valley Sun

Jean Brenner, a tiny, retired woman, fell in love with a feisty dog. She rescued Buddy, a chow-shepherd mix from the Pasadena Humane Society.

Buddy joined Jean's boxer and two cats at home in La Crescenta.

"I wish I could take every animal into my home, but of course I can't," Jean said. "I couldn't resist Buddy. He's such a loving dog."

Life with Buddy proved to be more difficult than Jean expected. "I couldn't take him for a walk. I'm only 90 pounds. He's 100 pounds. Buddy pulled so hard, I fell over," said Jean.

At home, Buddy's protective instincts ruled. He wore out the bricks in front of the living room window, barking and lunging at animals or humans outside. Jean took him to a trainer, who found Buddy uncontrollable and suggested Jean return him to the pound. "I was desperate," Jean said. "My friends and neighbors told me to give him up."
 

Jean's groomer came to bathe the animals, heard Jean's sad story and referred Jean to another trainer - Scott Williams of La Cañada. Scott helped Jean learn to control Buddy in private sessions at home. Then, Jean and Buddy joined Scott's weekly group training class. Now, Jean beams with pleasure over Buddy's excellent behavior.

I met Jean and Buddy last week one late afternoon in La Cañada, along with other dog owners who came for Scott's group class on a local field.

Jackie Steely of La Crescenta arrived with her daughters Allie and Anna. The girls were proud of the progress their 8-year-old chow, Nina, has made. Jackie said that Nina would shoot out the front door at home and terrorize the neighbors and the mail carrier. When she saw a banner advertising Scott's firm, Beyond the Leash, on Foothill Boulevard, she noted the phone number and called for more information (957-DOGS [3647]). Nina became Scott's student.

"Nina's stubborn but she's doing great," Jackie said.

Beth Lynch of La Cañada brought her black standard poodle, Bella, to her first group class. Bella was more difficult to control than other dogs Beth has owned.

"No one wanted to walk her. She pulled and pulled," Beth said. She felt that family distractions made it harder to devote individual attention to Bella. When visitors came, Bella jumped on them and had to be removed from the room. "That's not what I want," Beth said. "We want Bella to be part of the family." Bella made a move to jump on me, but she stopped immediately at Beth's command.

During the class, Scott's two sons acted as his assistants. Both boys attend Palm Crest Elementary School. Alex, 7, passed out treats to the dogs.

"I gave them little bits of left-over steak," said Alex.

Nicholas, 11, answered my questions. Nicholas is an aspiring actor. He has an agent and recently had a featured role in an American Film Institute production.

"I go on a lot of auditions," he said. Alex considers himself more experienced than his older brother and takes great pride in being paid for his work

"We get paid on Fridays," Alex said.

Scott recommended remote collars for all three dogs. He learned how to use this tool with Fred Hassen in Las Vegas. I know Fred by reputation, and from his posts on the message board of a national dog trainer on Yahoo! Groups. He is considered by his peers as one of the top experts in electronic collar training. As the Scotts' training session ended, he got a call on his cell phone from Fred.

I spoke briefly to Fred, who said, "Scott is one of my most successful graduates. Scott has a lot to offer your community."

At this time, Scott is only one of two Los Angeles trainers fully certified by Fred's school.

Because I have spent two years reading thousands of messages on the subject, I know a lot about electronic collars. They are only one tool in an arsenal of training techniques, but they may have an advantage over other methods: speed. Electronic collars aren't right for every pet. For dogs whose behavior puts them at risk of losing their loving human families, the electronic collar can literally be a lifesaver.

Using an electronic collar is not a do-it-yourself project. The collar should be fitted by an expert. The owner must be trained to use the remote signal device. The device is similar to a television remote control. It sends a weak electric signal to the collar. Dogs properly signaled by their owners will respond with amazing speed. Many trainers use the collar to teach the complex, intricate tasks dogs must learn to compete in American Kennel Club obedience trials.

Scott's one-hour class passed so quickly. Each dog practiced "sit," "down," "stay" and "place" commands. They all seemed to be A students.

I complimented Scott on the class. "Helping people get control over their dogs gives people and dogs more freedom," he said. "I enjoy the challenge of motivating dogs and sometimes saving them from being given to the pound."

Beyond the Leash is only one of many fine training organizations in our area.

Have you had a positive experience with another talented local trainer? Please send me a note, so I can share your story with our readers.