Robert Forto

Opening Day 2012: Who You Rootin’ For?

April 7, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

It’s opening day for Americas past time. 2430 games on tap this season. Sure the NFL is now America’s game, at least on TV. Even with an annoying Collinsworth on NBC it is hard to beat Sunday Night in America. But there are a lot of baseball fans out there. Games are on almost every night on ESPN and a bevy of local sports networks throughout the land.

But before I get much further I must admit I am a diehard hockey fan first, a football fan second and a baseball fan a distant third, ranking somewhere close to my infatuation with the Olympics. How can you be a hard core fan of the Olympics anyway–they only come on every two years (winter and summer).

Well, except for beach volleyball…

Being up in Alaska everyone roots for the Mariners. They haven’t had a good season since Ken Griffey Jr. back in the day. But without a home team that’s what we get on the radio. That’s a story for another day.

Think about it– Is there any way better to spend a warm summer’s night than at the ballpark? Coors Field (home of the Colorado Rockies) is one of the best parks ever to watch a game in. I love sitting in the nose-bleed 300 section seats right behind home plate, watching the sunset and the mountains to the west. Drinking a beer and a brat with my sweetie on my side and my iPhone’s twitter app flowing like a mountain stream.

But wait a second. I am a Braves fan! I have been since Uncle Ted bought the Superstation and they played every night on TBS. I cut my teeth on that station in the days before multi-ESPNs and 100 dollar game packages on Direct TV. I rushed home from school to catch Leave it to Beaver and Little Rascals before the game.

I watched Chipper and Smoltz and Andruw. I watched the greatest manager the game has ever seen: Bobby Cox–as he stormed the field and cussed like Popeye to the umpires. On more occasions than I can count ole’ Bobby walked out to the mound and nonchalantly put out his hand to countless struggling pitchers as they handed him the ball…

This is Chipper’s last year. He’s had a good run. I will still be a fan. Even if it’s not always fair weather.

Who are you rootin’ for this year? Who is your team?

Who will be the The Cards without Albert, the Miami Marlins with their fish tank stadium or the old stand-by Yanks?

Even with (near) billion dollar payrolls of the Yanks, our Prez P-BO sportin’ a White Sox cap, star spangled banners, 7th inning stretches, Boy Scouts, funky mascots, game day schwag, and fireworks–all of us grew up with with a pack of Big League Chew and fantasies of home runs.

This is why we love baseball. This is why when everything else in the world seems to be in near chaos a three hour escape at the ball park is all we need.

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Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and Dog Works Radio Shows

Written on my iPad

Vintage 1971

March 2, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

Like a great whiskey, fine wines, and maybe prime beef, they say things get better with age?

But do they? I am 41 years old today. At 9:05 pm over four decades ago I came into this world to two parents full of hope and optimism of great things to come. I was their first child born shortly after the the worst of the Vietnam war and before disco, free love and the Brady Bunch.

My mom and dad where working folks, attending college when they could and trying to make their place in the world. They were middle class and sure, they had their struggles, they always managed to provide for my brothers and I.

Throughout the years I have had more than my fair share of up’s and down’s. But I have lived life to the fullest and while there are many things I regret there are few that I would change.

I believe that we are put here to follow a path. Good, bad, or indifferent, what we choose to do, learn and teach on this path is what makes us who we are.

A Native American elder once told me, “live you life as if it was an eagle feather.”

I have and I do.

As I sit here in my cabin in Alaska thinking back on the last 40+ years I realize this is exactly where I should be. I am doing what I set out to do almost 18 years ago when I first got into mushing. Funny thing is, until now I had not noticed that it has been almost equal time chasing this dream as had not.

I don’t know what tomorrow brings and honestly I don’t worry about it too much. Like Iditarod champion Martin Buser says, “dogs don’t care about what’s around the next bend in the trail…maybe we should live a little more like them…”

If I sit here and wonder and plan and calculate and analyze will things change? I doubt it. The only thing I can do is keep following my path and things will come. Good or bad I know that I have lived my life and gained enough experience to meet them head on.

So today, like any other, I will follow the advice of someone else that I have come to admire. No its not some great philosopher, poet, preacher, or teacher. It’s the great Ferris Bueller.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

So today I guess I become a bit of a vintage. I just wonder what year it will be before I’m old?

I’m a 1%er!

January 22, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

I’m a 1%er! No, not an outlaw biker gang member that uses the moniker to distinguish themselves as the bad of the bad.

Actually I am a 1%er in the eyes of the State of Alaska. In 2010, Alaska’s population grew by 1.7%. Of Alaska’s 29 boroughs and census areas, 24 grew between the 2010 Census and the 2011 estimate.

The largest population increases were in the Municipality of Anchorage (4,371), Matanuska-Susitna Borough (2,702), City and Borough of Juneau (1,015), Kenai Peninsula Borough (969 and the Bethel Census Area (535).

I know it is not much a big deal to be one of the 2,702 people to move into the Valley, but to me it is something that my family and I have dreamed about for a long time.

I would bet that less than one percent of people’s dreams do come true. Has yours?

Holiday Pet Safety

December 15, 2011 by robertforto Leave a Comment

My name is Robert Forto and I am the training director of Denver Dog Works and Alaska Dog Works. I am asked all the time about holiday do’s and don’ts from pet owners. While I always offer an article right around Christmas about training Christmas puppies I thought it would be wise to offer some tips to pet owners on holiday safety before the season’s festivities reaches a crescendo. While most of this is common sense, it is the little things that we overlook during this busy time of the year that can turn a joyous season into a nightmare for your pet if you do not take some steps to ensure their safety.

The holiday season can get pretty hectic, and with the decorations and extra goodies around the house, there is a lot your pet can find to get into. Here are a few safety tips to help keep your pets safe and happy during the festivities:

Christmas trees

Firmly secure the tree in its stand, and consider wire or twine ties attached to the wall to help secure the tree. You’ll want to make sure the tree doesn’t topple over if, or more likely when, kitty tries to climb the tree.

Dogs and cats will often try to drink water from the reservoir in the stand. The sap from the tree itself may irritate your pet’s stomach, and preservatives added to the water may be toxic. Devise a cover to fit around the base of the tree—even a towel wrapped around the trunk covering the stand will do.

[ Rewind: Christmas Puppies? Maybe Not. ]

Research also shows that the chemicals used in producing artificial trees contain chemicals that can be harmful or even fatal if ingested by your pet. While there are many pro’s and con’s to having a natural versus an artificial Christmas tree, this fact alone should make the decision a little easier.

Ornamentation is very attractive, especially to kittens, cats and puppies, but may be deadly. The tinsel, ribbon and glitter can cause intestinal blockages. Protect your pet by placing these items high enough to be out of reach. Packages under the tree may offer the same threat—the ribbons are just too hard to resist, and your pet may end up chewing on them while playing.

Those wonderful goodies

Holidays are the time for lots of baking, and receiving of baked gifts. These items smell just wonderful to your pet. Your dog may help himself to the candy, cookies, or part of the holiday meal if you are not looking. Eating people food may lead to indigestion, diarrhea, or worse. Remember, items containing chocolate can poison a dog, even if it is a small amount.

Remains of the holiday meal left on countertops, tables, and even in the garbage will entice your pets. If there is a way to get to it, be assured your dog will certainly try. Bones from turkey, a roast, or ham may splinter if eaten. Older garbage may even contain enough bacteria to poison a pet. Be careful where the trash is held while waiting to be disposed of.

And of course I don’t need to remind you that begging at that table can cause major behavior problems in the future…

Other Decorations

Plants, especially poinsettias, are often used for decoration in November and December. Some of these plants contain toxins that can irritate your pet’s gastrointestinal tract if chewed on or eaten. Eating enough of some plants may poison your dog or cat. In some cases it may be the leaves, in others the stem, berries, or roots. Your veterinarian or behaviorist can help guide you, or you can do a bit of research at the library or online to see if any of your holiday plants may be harmful to your pets.

Toys

On Christmas morning when all of those toys are being played with (and soon forgotten, I might add) they contain many hazards for pets. Small toys, balls, marbles, board game pieces, BB’s from the Red Rider BB gun with the compass in the stock that your son just had to have!, and electric cords are all dangerous to your cat or dog.

Taking a few minutes to set some family guidelines and spot potential safety hazards could keep this holiday season from having serious consequences for your four-footed family member.

In the coming weeks Forto will be publishing and article on training Christmas puppies. His position is that you should never give a puppy for a Christmas present but thousands are given as gifts each year. In this article Forto will discuss when to train your dog, how to properly care for him and who should be in charge. Just remember that shelters are full of dogs that were once bundles of Christmas morning joy that grew up too fast and were not trained. Forto and his certified trainers at Denver Dog Works are here to help.

This article is provided as a general overview of the topic. Always consult your veterinarian or behaviorist for specific information related to diseases or medical care for pets.

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Robert Forto is the host of The Dog Works Radio Show and is the training director of Alaska Dog Works. Robert Forto can be reached through his website at www.alaskadogworks.com

A Christmas Puppy for a Gift? Maybe Not

December 14, 2011 by robertforto Leave a Comment

A Christmas Puppy for a Gift? Maybe Not

Events of this Christmas will have a profound impact on the dog training industry in April.

All those cute puppy-in-a-stocking photos prompt unsuspecting people to give dogs as gifts, inevitably resulting in a high rate of premium business for me and my colleagues.

A Christmas Puppy? Maybe Not

“Christmas puppies” often are impulse purchases, in a spirit of love and giving and generosity that goes with the season, but without the hard self-assessment that goes into asking oneself if one has the time and the energy and the inclination to give the necessary commitment to raising and socializing and educating that puppy. Better to get that new puppy at a less emotionally charged time of the year, when the decision to add a dog to the family is a less impulsive and more carefully considered one, uninfluenced by seasonal generosity of spirit, which might just fade a bit after the tree comes down and the lights are put away.

Realistically and sadly, Christmas puppies tend to be older puppies at the pound a few months later, or that nearly year old dog getting euthanized because someone bought a dog as a “toy” for a child that has no legitimate responsibility for that animal and loses interest. Also, some people have no idea that dogs grow and get bigger, or at least bigger than they expected. Nor do they consider that the dog will require training and they bring them to me at arm’s length saying, “Fix my dog!”

Every April I see frenzied clients at my training center at wits end with their now-adult sized dogs that are totally out of control. They have no leash manners, refuse to come when called, hyperactive from a lack of exercise, obese from too many treats, and unwilling to even acknowledge their name.

Most people think that cute little puppy that was under the tree on Christmas morning will stay that way. On the contrary, they grow up and they grow up quick. Think of it this way. Could you go from the crib to high-school? No way! Puppies need exercise, discipline and affection—in that order. The best gift you can ever give that Christmas puppy is obedience training. This will not only build a lifelong bond but give you the control, leadership and routine that your dog so much desires.

If you are absolutely set upon getting your family a puppy for Christmas, consider this alternative instead: Purchase a leash, a collar, a good book on raising a puppy, a gift certificate for a veterinary checkup, a gift certificate for puppy socialization classes from one of the local obedience instructors, a book or video tape on the topic of how to select the right dog for your family (there are several, including even a computer program that purports to help you do this), or a gift subscription to one of the dog-oriented magazines.

Wrap these up and put them under the tree. As family members unwrap the various pieces of the “puzzle”, their delight and anticipation will grow. They will gradually understand what this present is! Then, after the Christmas tree is taken down and the frenzy of the holiday season is behind, the family can once again enjoy together the anticipation and excitement of discussing and selecting a breed, selecting a breeder, selecting an individual pup, and so on. This will increase the family’s mutual commitment to, and investment in, the well-being of the newest family member. It will be a project the family has done together, which is a wonderful way for any adoption to commence. This will not decrease the enjoyment of your new puppy; I guarantee it. It will increase it by many fold. And it will be a better start both for the puppy, and for the long-term relationship between dog and owner(s). A dog with a good introduction to its adoptive family is much more likely to become a long term companion rather than just another tragic statistic.

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Robert Forto is the training director for Dog Works Training Centers and hosts a weekly radio program, The Dog Works Radio Show, every Saturday. Forto can be reached through his website at https://robertforto.com