BRLA TRAINING GRADUATES

Turning less than perfect dogs into perfectly adoptable dogs.

So the time has finally come and you’re ready to find the perfect dog for your family. You’ve heard about rescue organizations; even made a few trips to the local pound; maybe a friend told you that Boxer Rescue has over 100 great dogs in need of a good home and you should really consider adoption over purchasing a dog; and you know in you heart it’s the right thing to do. After all, with that many homeless dogs looking for a great family like yours, why would anyone even consider paying top dollar for a brand new puppy? You buy into the concept, you want to help a dog in need, but you hesitate. You hesitate because there’s a part of you that can easily answer that silly question about paying top dollar for a brand new puppy. There’s a part of you that is willing to give up over a thousand dollars, have your house destroyed, and walk out to a patch of grass in your pajamas three times a night to potty train a 10 week old puppy. And why is that? Because a part of you knows that if you are the first one to own that dog, you can make sure that dog is trained. You don’t have to wonder if that dog will have good manners because you’re going to instill those manners from day one. You don’t have to worry if that dog is going to be gentle with your kids because you’re going to demand that from the first day that dog enters your home. And you don’t have to worry that you’re going to have 70 pounds of full-grown, unruly muscle bouncing off your walls because some fool didn’t understand that dogs take work, commitment, and most important to you, TRAINING!

This may surprise you coming from a rescue organization, but we at BRLA understand your concerns. In fact, we have to understand your concerns because fear of a dog’s past and lack of professional assessment and training is the number one reason for buying a puppy instead of adopting a dog in need. We get it. You want to know what kind of dog you’re getting. You don’t want to make an appointment to meet your wonderful new family member, only to be pressured to make a lifelong commitment to the first unruly, untrained, obnoxious creature the rescue throws into your car. You want to know more about your canine; what makes him tick; what are his greatest points and what are the areas that may still need some work? After all, you’re prepared to make a very serious commitment to this dog; and certainly you don’t expect him to be perfect, but how can you help him grow into the family member you want him to be if no one has ever even tried to show him the ropes? If only you could adopt a professionally trained dog…

Here at BRLA, that trained rescue dog you’ve been dreaming about no longer has to be a dream. We’ve made it a reality. Through their relentless commitment to rescue dogs in need and their shared belief that there are no bad dogs, just bad situations, BRLA is privileged to have two top notch professional dog trainers, two intensive training programs with proven results, and most important for you, the eager, yet skeptical adopter, a long list of rescue dogs that have been professionally evaluated, regularly trained, thoroughly assessed, and now patiently waiting for an owner like you; an owner that sees the value in knowing exactly what your dog’s personality is going to be and exactly what you need to do as his leader to ensure his success in your family. Here at BRLA, you have the unique opportunity to adopt a “Training Graduate”.

• So how does it work? What exactly is a “Training Graduate” anyway? Who are these dogs and what grants them this title?

Training Graduates are those BRLA rescue dogs that have successfully completed one of our two professional training programs and are ready for an adopter like you to pick up where the professional left off. We’ve put in the grunt work. We’ve provided the rehabilitation, we’ve instilled the training, and we’ve assumed the risk of professionally assessing a dog with an unknown past. Your role is a lot more fun! You get to adopt a really great dog; a dog that comes not only with a professional session with his trainer to make sure you continue the path we’ve paved, but a guaranteed life-line to that professional as you acclimate the dog to your home. Sound a little more inviting than running out to the grass three times a night in your pajamas to potty train a 10 week old puppy? We think so…

• So who are these training professionals? What training experience do they have and exactly what sort of program do they put these dogs through? Are these just a couple of kind-hearted volunteers or do these guys really know what they’re doing?

Allow us to introduce you to the “K-9 Joe” Training Program; BRLA’s on-site, comprehensive rehabilitation and training program designed and directed by Professional Dog Trainer, Joe Ramirez. Joe comes to Boxer Rescue with over a decade of experience in training dogs; including dogs with a wide range of behavioral issues. Joe has personally volunteered his time with BRLA and specializes in the Boxer breed, so he is keenly familiar with the unique personality traits of the very breed of dog you’re interested in adopting. Joe is an animal lover and is presently a guardian to 4 dogs, 3 cats and a lizard – all of which, of course, are rescues. Joe’s passion is helping dogs; he understands the trials that these dogs have gone through and with compassion and structure, he gives back to these dogs the balance and harmony that they need to be a family member again.

The K-9 Joe Training Program emphasizes positive, friendly training methods; each training session consisting of six critical components:

Leadership/Exercise/Obedience/Discipline/Socialization/Rest

K-9 Joe’s professional training approach is based on positive reinforcement or consequence. Rescue dogs have already suffered enough from being neglected, abandoned, stressed, and at times, abused. K-9 Joe uses positive reinforcement in order to avoid any aversion and create a positive learning environment where a rescue dog can grow into the wonderful canine citizen he was meant to be.

• So why the need for a second training program at BRLA? This K-9 Joe sounds great. Why can’t all the BRLA dogs benefit from this opportunity?

Despite the proven success of the K-9 Joe Training Program, BRLA has grown beyond the capacity that an on-site training program can handle and it has become necessary for our organization to branch out; to work collaboratively with an off-site training program that is capable of producing the same results as K-9 Joe; a program that will assist BRLA in continuing to offer you, the adopter, the opportunity to rescue a professionally trained dog. This is where “Camp Carlos” comes in. Professional Dog Trainer, Carlos Banuelos, is the Founder of Custom Dog Training-Thee Boarding Ranch. Custom Dog Training Thee Boarding Ranch is a fully licensed dog training ranch; proudly displaying a score of 100% and a Grade “A” issued by the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control. Many pets are shipped to the Ranch from across the United States just to enroll in one of Carlos’s highly recommended & sought out training programs. Carlos has trained thousands of dogs for other dog kennels and trainers; ranging from the small “toy” breeds to the “bully” dogs and training is customized to each dog’s particular needs.

BRLA dogs that are sent to Camp Carlos receive, on average, 4-6 weeks of intensive, on-site training at the Ranch. The dogs are trained to master 15 on-leash commands and are also taught socialization with other dogs, people, and children. Because the dogs attending Carlos Camp are residents of Carlos’s property day and night during their 4-6 week training program, any particular bad habits a dog may possess can be identified and rectified prior to the dog’s adoption (i.e. fence jumping, marking, dog aggression, excessive barking, etc.).

• So now you know the dream can be a reality. You know that you can have your rescue dog and professional training too! You like the concept, you understand the programs, but how do you take the first step? Who are these professionally trained dogs and how do you learn a little bit more about them?

This part is easy and this is where the fun comes in! All of our Training Graduates are featured on our web site; complete with head shot and body shot photos, along with a letter from camp telling you a little bit about each of their personalities. K-9 Joe Training Graduates feature a “K-9 Joe” icon and Camp Carlos Training Graduates can be identified by the “Carlos” icon . To read the specifics on the training program a particular dog is enrolled in, simply click on that dog’s profile to link to the training program, complete with program details and photos of the training facility and participants in action. You can link to both Joe and Carlos from their icons on this page.

• So what’s the next step? How do you go about meeting these dogs and how does that process differ from adopting a regular rescue dog?

This is the easy part. All you have to do is complete an online adoption application and be sure to indicate in remarks which dogs you’d like to meet. One of our Adoption Coordinators will contact you to conduct our screening process and schedule an appointment for you. The adoption process for K-9 Joe dogs and Camp Carlos dogs is virtually the same; the location is just different. For K-9 Joe dogs, an Adoption Coordinator will meet you at our kennel; for Camp Carlos dogs, an Adoption Coordinator will meet you at the off-site training facility. Either way, we look forward to introducing you to the rewards of rescuing an animal in need and the unique opportunity to adopt a “Training Graduate”!

Click to see all available Training Graduates.