Who are the Trainers?

Val (my wife) and I have been dog lovers all our life, and we both share a passion for wolves. When I look at a wolf I see a dog, when I look at a dog I see a wolf. One day I realized that it would be easier to study where dogs came from, to better understand their behaviour. I decided to explore the source for the answers and there has been no turning back. This was the turning point in my career in dog training, with a new outlook and new goals.

As I discovered new ideas, I tested them in an environment that I feel most at home, the great outdoors. We spend a great deal of time in parks, in the forest and at our cabin at the lake. One of my dogs who is half Timber Wolf, has given me a birds eye view of different behaviour patterns that has help me clarify many discoveries and beliefs. The closer you study the source, the more clear and accurate your data will be. I knew I was heading in the right direction when I was able to communicate in dog language and earn respect as a high-ranking member of the pack (as they see it) and have them obey and follow my direction based on that respect.

... one cold winter day as we were walking down a trail, a rabbit jumped in front of us and ran like there was no tomorrow. Without a blink of an eye my wolf dog took chase. My immediate thought was, she is gone and there is nothing I can do about it except hope she will come back after the chase. I felt that her hunting instincts would over power my authority. We only had her for approximately 4 months at this point. I reacted with a stay growl and my wolf dog stopped looked at me and did not move until I called her to me. When she returned to me I was very surprised and praised her to show I was pleased. This happened again about one year later with a coyote and we shared to same result. I found that the more you learn their language, the closer your relationship will be. That is why I chose not to use treats in training. I found that the dog finds the food more interesting than you, therefore preventing the bond to grow to its full potential. Over the years I discovered that there are different types of growls that your dog responds to in different situations, like the stay growl.

At a park when we are meeting other dogs, my wolf dog will crouch to be less visible and wait patiently watching the approaching subject and looking back often at the rest of his pack (my wife and I and our other dog make up our pack). The wolf dog will not give chase until our other dog breaks away. If I use the stay growl she will stay with the pack until I release her. If I direct my other dog to stay with the pack, the wolf dog will stay longer on her own before giving chase.