ABODEE ABOD
The final in our annual three-week special section on the home, garden, and good livin’
LEADER
Dogs need mental as well as physical exercise, Livingston stresses. At Newdogday, he takes dogs on unleashed runs through the property with a snowmobile in winter.
OF THE PACK Meet Jose Livingston, known to many as Wausau’s dog whisperer by Gina Cornell
The Bublik family fell in love with their German Shepherd puppy when he arrived to their home over four years ago. Misha soon grew into a 70 pound adult dog, and that’s when they began having problems. “We loved having him around but my family felt like he was the reason why we couldn’t have anyone visit. He was like a wild beast,” says dad Jan Bublik. “If somebody came to the house, Misha would bark and jump, scaring them.” Misha became harder and harder to control. “We were getting different advice on what to do, what not to do, like if the dog was a machine that wasn’t working properly,” Jan says. While he could handle Misha better than the rest of his family, Misha still acted overly protective and barked a lot. “He was aggressive when we would meet a dog, he would snarl, his hackles would be up,” says Anita Bublik. Neutering Misha didn’t change his behavior. They built a fence on their property so he could run outside. Nothing seemed to work.
One day Anita was talking with a neighbor whose own dog was trained by a man her friend described as “the dog whisperer”: Jose Livingston. He and his kennel and training business Newdogday have come to be revered by many local dog owners in just the two years since opening. After a home visit, Livingston recommended that Misha be “re-educated” in a pack setting. The Bubliks sent Misha to Livingston’s on-site, intensive 30-day rehabilitation training program and he came back a completely different dog, says Jan Bublik. The family’s approach to Misha also changed. “He has a job to do and a schedule, he needs the exercise to burn the excess energy,” Jan explains. The Bubliks know how to introduce Misha to other people and dogs, and they better understand what their furry family member needs. “He’s no longer dominant in the house,” Jan says. “He still barks at the neighbor’s dog, but my kids and Anita can easily control him… He is very friendly with people in the house and doesn’t try to kill the FedEx guy anymore.”
Livingston says aggressive dog behavior can be the result of pent up energy—mental and physical.
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April 23–30, 2020
GUIDING YOUR OWN PACK Holly Briquelet Miller’s family got their now two year old Portuguese water dog right before her husband, Kevin, unexpectedly had a major surgery. “It was a tough time to give any attention to puppy training, and after a few months, Oliver had grown into a very loving and affectionate, but wild dog,” Holly says. “It was tough to handle him.” The family met with Jose Livingston of Newdogday to define goals for Oliver. “Oliver spent two weeks with him and it was an incredible transformation,” Holly says. “He helped find the appropriate activities for the amount of energy that Oliver needs to get out each day and got him acclimated to the pack mentality, and then worked with us — because we needed training, too — to learn how to make it a smooth transition back home.” Oliver’s transformation felt like a miracle. “Oliver is attentive and follows commands and is still just as affectionate and loving,” she says. “His approach made such a positive difference in how much we are able to enjoy having this furry member of our family around.” Livingston helped the family understand that Oliver needs to feel like he’s “working” since his breed was bred for helping sailors. “So Jose taught us his ‘buddy bond’ system of having Oliver connected to us by a leash worn around our waist throughout the day,” Holly says. As Oliver follows them around, he feels like a helper. “On longer walks he wears a weighted vest and he takes the task of carrying his ‘cargo’ very seriously.” Though each dog has different needs and perhaps challenges, Oliver’s story illustrates three basic tips Livingston offers for us humans: Become partly dog It’s hard to grasp just how much dogs communicate nonverbally, says Livingston. “Within the pack, a simple tilt of the head, position of the tail, or even the length or intensity of a gaze can communicate volumes,” he says. “To better understand your dog, start by observing and then emulating.” Refrain from using words, treats, or toys. Instead try physical cues: avert your gaze, lower your body, kneel, or sit on the floor. “The fewer words you use, the more you’ll notice your dog tuning into you.” Mental exercise A dog’s brain has evolved to negotiate a complex social structure, says Livingston. As you interact with your dog, keep in mind their incredible mental capability and include it in your physical exercise, he says. “If your dog knows the verbal command for sit, consider teaching a hand signal.” Or, when out walking, insist that your dog heel for the first ten minutes. A weighted backpack for the dog taps your dog’s “work” brain. Who’s the boss? Above all, dogs crave a sense of organization, calm and assertive leadership. To establish, or re-establish, your pack’s hierarchy ditch the treats, the toys, the “free-feeding, the praise, and focus on what your dog needs, he says. “When your dog needs a job, take them for a working walk.”
