If you have ever visited an animal shelter, you may have noticed some dogs “hiding” back in the corners of their pens or loudly and aggressively barking. Unfortunately, these types of behaviors and others can result in an almost certain death sentence. People coming to the shelter to look for a pet don’t usually adopt misbehaved dogs, and after a certain length of time, so-called “kill” shelters “put down” the ones that haven’t been adopted.
When well-known Malibu dog trainer Robert Cabral visited a local shelter for the first time, he immediately recognized that certain dogs were probably not going to be adopted because of their “bad” behavior and knew that it wouldn’t be that difficult to turn those dogs into desirable pets.
“Millions of dogs are killed in our shelters every year for very bad reasons,” Cabral said. “Dogs get overlooked because of personality issues that are often caused by being in a shelter or a lack of structure from their previous homes or owners; and these are things that are often a death sentence for a dog.”
In 2007, Cabral started his own nonprofit organization, “Bound Angels,” which provides expertise to shelter managers, employees and volunteers on understanding canine behavior in that environment, and the training techniques most effective in turning problem dogs into sociable companions and playmates.
“Dogs in shelters are often misunderstood — their aggression may come from fear or confusion,” Cabral said. “Bad behavior isn’t always as it seems. Helping people better understand canine behavior is at the core of my mission.”
With Fourth of July fireworks coming up, Cabral offered some advice to dog owners on how to keep their pets safe and calm.
“Keep the dog in the house with all doors and windows closed and locked, because they will escape,” Cabral said. “Keep the dog in a room, preferably in the middle of the house. The room should be made cooler and darker with a TV or radio turned on, with a small amount of lavender aromatherapy for a calming effect.”
Cabral continues to make strides toward saving shelter dogs.
Just this year, Cabral formalized his shelter training program into a three-day workshop he calls “Bound Angels University,” which is held at, and in cooperation with, L.A. Animal Services. The sessions are free whenever possible, and are offered once a month to a total of five shelters, SPCA chapters, humane societies and dog rescue organizations. So far, every month has “sold out,” with some shelter employees coming from across the country at their own expense, as well as locals from Ventura County, Agoura and LA
Besides curbing general aggression and fear, Cabral’s Bound Angels University also teaches how to properly introduce two “power breed” dogs to each other without starting a fight, how to socialize dogs into play groups, how to handle dogs fearful of being touched by humans, how to stop a facial attack, how to stop dogs from jumping up on people, overcoming past abuse, and understanding dog body language and social signals.
Cabral said that sometimes the shelter employees themselves would declare a dog to be “unadoptable,” not even giving the public a chance. Therefore, the more he can teach them about dog behavior and how to easily overcome certain problems, the fewer dogs will be put to sleep.
“If the staff can’t handle the dog, it’s not going to get adopted,” he observed.
Before becoming a full-time dog trainer, Cabral earned a third degree black belt and senior master credentials in the martial arts and ran his own school for a number of years, where he became adept at teaching children. He has also been a bodyguard and a professional photographer.
In 2002, Cabral adopted his first dog from a shelter, “a Shar Pei that was out of control,” and training his own dogs became a hobby. Eventually, other people took notice of his talent, including a local veterinarian.
“Dr. Lisa [Newell] said I should be a dog trainer, and she talked me into doing it,” he said. “She kept having people call me.” Although Cabral never formally studied animal training in school, he studied with some of the best dog trainers in the business.
“I refer him regularly as a trainer with amazing dog intuition and someone who can get the job done,” Newell said.
As a public service, a library of dozens of Cabral’s dog training videos are available on his websites for free at robertcabral.com and boundangels.org. He has also written two books to help shelter employees: “Selling Used Dogs” and “Desperate Dogs Determined Measures.”
