Who are you, Robert Forto?

Edited by Michele Forto

We are members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and they have one of the best dog training journals around, especially for us in the canine training industry, The APDT Chronicle of the Dog. Each month in their highly acclaimed magazine, they have a member profile edited by Nicole Wilde.  Although we haven’t been featured in this column yet, I believe it would be beneficial to introduce each of our trainers over the next few weeks, allowing you to get to know us and understand what we stand for.

This week, I will be interviewing Robert Forto

Let’s get to know Robert.

Business Name: Alaska Dog Works

Location: Willow, Alaska (Anchorage area)

Phone: 907-841-1886

Email: leaddog@teamineka.com 

Website: www.alaskadogworks.com

Years in Business: 15 in Alaska, 31 years as a canine obedience instructor and behaviorist

Personal Training Philosophy: Know Yourself. Know Your Dog.

Our training philosophy at Alaska Dog Works is not a procedure but a lifestyle.

I have learned that the twenty-three years of living with a pack of dogs and on the sled dog trail have offered me a unique perspective. There, I was forced to examine my attitude about everything, including my dogs. I was constantly challenged to become more open to the language dogs use to communicate with us. This experience confirms our deepest intuitions about the relationship of human beings, not only with their dog but with every aspect of their lives.

I aim to support my clients by providing a comprehensive understanding of the environment in which they live. I hope to foster a more realistic sense of their dogs and increase awareness of the benefits of their companionship.

Drawing on my experience as a kennel owner of many Siberian and Alaskan Huskies, I will teach my clients that dog training extends far beyond basic obedience, encompassing a whole new attitude and lifestyle with their dog. It must touch on the levels of a dog’s own life that are often ignored.

I will bring my client into the world of a dog musher, canine behaviorist, and father of three by using my experience as a lens through which they may broaden their understanding of their dog. The stage will then be set for a balanced, lasting relationship between them and their best friend.

How long have you been in business, and what types of services do you provide?

I have been training professionally since the summer of 1994, when I attended my first “certification” course. Also, in 1994, I started my Siberian Husky sled dog kennel in Duluth, Minnesota, on my hobby farm. I began training clients’ dogs in local parks through a Canine Good Citizen-type program and offered in-kennel board and train services to clients.

In 2000, I went back to school to earn an advanced degree and began research on human-canine communication in the sport of dog sledding, and I took a hiatus from dog training for clients. In 2006, my family and I moved to Denver, Colorado, and I sought employment as a canine trainer. I sent out three resumes, and one person called me back. I interviewed for the job and presented him with a stack of certificates and degrees. The owner of the school then said, “I don’t care about paper, I want to see how you train dogs.”

I went back into his kennel, got a dog, took it to the training room, and showed the owner how I could work the dog through an obedience routine. He hired me the next day and shortly thereafter offered me the training school to lease. In January 2007, we opened Denver Dog Works. In August 2010, we moved to Alaska to chase a crazy Iditarod dream and opened Alaska Dog Works. We have been here ever since.

How did you get started?

As I mentioned earlier, I have been training dogs since the 90s in competition obedience and conformation with Siberian Huskies, often considered by some to be the toughest breed to train. However, my work with canines took off after I moved to Minnesota. I lived with a pack of 35 sled dogs 24 hours a day. We ran teams all night on the snowmobile trails in the Superior National Forest, and then I would come back and take care of the dogs, interact with them, and study their behavior. While there is much to be said about pack-based training theory today, I learned so much about those dogs that I became an expert in canine body language and communication.

In 1997, I was allowed to attend a wolf migration study in Alaska, and we conducted research by dog sled and helicopter. That was when they still used radio collars on the wolves and antennae, unlike today, where they track them via GPS. I worked on that study for 17 months before returning home to run my sled dog teams for sport. I learned so much about the two species and how to compare and contrast them. Shortly after my return, I was thirty years old, and I began to read every book I could get my hands on. I took several courses in canine training and behavior. I attended seminars, lectures, and took exams to become a certified canine trainer.

I have received many awards over the years for working with aggressive dogs, fearful dogs, banned breeds, and more.

Are you involved in any dog sports or activities?

I am heavily involved in canine sports. I am currently working with several clients in confirmation classes and competition obedience. I am a professional musher and am in training for my first Iditarod and several long-distance expeditions. I plan on running an Alaskan Husky team under the Team Ineka banner.

How do you get business, and what is your relationship with veterinarians in your community?

Most of our business comes from referrals, our website, Alaska Dog Works, and word of mouth. Alaska Dog Works is often sought after as a last resort for dog owners who have tried other training schools and failed for one reason or another.

I am sought out often for canine aggression cases and behavior modification. We take full advantage of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others. Of course, we do offer a lot of canine sports and working dog programs as well.

Do you belong to a trainer networking group, or do you consult with/refer to other trainers in your area?

I belong to several trainer associations and clubs throughout North America. I have found that many trainers in Alaska do not refer clients to each other. I don’t know why. I speak to a lot of people through networking events, and I host a weekly radio program, Dog Works Radio, where we discuss everything related to dogs.

What do you believe are the three most important things to teach a dog?

Loose leash walking, Come (recall), and manners. As I tell my clients all the time, a dog that does not know how to walk on a loose leash is the first candidate for a shelter. Why? If the relationship between owner and dog is strained on walks (pardon the pun), the owner does not want to interact with the dog; hence, that equals a lack of exercise, which equals destructiveness. Regarding the recall command, I tell my clients, “Who cares if your dog will sit and down on command in your living room? If he won’t come to you at the park, you will have a big problem.”

What types of cases do you find the most challenging and why?

Dispelling people’s myths about dogs is the most challenging part of my job. I routinely discuss canine evolution, anthropomorphism, and proper relationships with our canine companions.

What advice would you give to other trainers about working with dogs and their owners?

Patience. Just one word, Patience.

Can you offer a specific tip or trick for working with dogs or owners that other trainers might find helpful?

Take the time to listen to your clients and encourage them to think creatively about their dog and their training goals. Also, turn off the TV and go for a walk with your dog. That will teach them more about their canine companions than any book or TV dog training show.

What was your scariest moment with a dog (or client)?

I have been known to say that I have been bitten by the best and trained the rest. In all honesty, I have never had a scary moment with a dog, but witnessing my wife being attacked by a Dutch Shepherd that we had in training scared me to death.

What would you say are the top three things you have personally learned as a trainer?

1. Patience. 2. Dogs make better clients than people, 3. and that fear and punishment are the least effective ways to get a dog to do what you want.

What was the last training-related seminar you attended?

I recently attended a seminar on people’s misconceptions about how dogs behave in dog parks. I was the featured speaker at a conference with several HOAs and the city of Denver, where the debate centered on whether Denver should add more dog parks.

Are there any specific books, authors, or DVDs that have influenced you as a trainer?

I have read so many books on canine training, behavior, evolution, and origin that I can’t list them all. Some of the most influential books have been written by the Monks of New Skeete, including the book Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution. The three book series by (Lindsey) Darwin’s Origin of the Species, Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot the Dog, many psychology courses and learning theory, hundreds of business books and articles, countless hours of research for my dissertation, and the thousands of miles on the back of a dog sled and in my kennel have been my greatest teacher.

Anything else you would like to add?

In my opinion, our relationship with our dogs is our greatest gift. I say that not only as a dog trainer and a business owner but also as a father of three teenagers. Our dogs have taught us so much about life. My work with canines is dedicated to my friends of friends, “Ineka and Rutgrr,” who have taught me the definition of unconditional love.

In addition to all other sled dog pups that have unselfishly provided comfort, compassion, and unparalleled commitment to humans. This dedication is generally without a measure of our right to such gifts or of our commitment to reciprocate.

This affection has given me the ability to survive, with relative sanity, in an often difficult world. The power of this unconditional love has inspired this dissertation and the project that produced it. May this project empower those who strive to chase their dreams? May this project also give us a better appreciation for the creatures we share the earth with.

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Michele Forto is the business manager, trainer for Dog Works Training Centers, and the co-host of a weekly radio program, Dog Works Radio. Michele can be reached through her website at www.alaskadogworks.com