Meet the Kindred Dog Team!
Ruben Montes.
Since 2014, Ruben has completed several week-long shadow programs with Blake Rodriguez of Dream Come True K9, and Ted Efthymiadis of Mango Dogs, and recently completed a 3-month internship program with the Good Dog team in LA.
Keep reading to learn more about Ruben’s journey into dog training.
Ruben's journey to dog training began when he adopted Oso, a two-year-old Boston terrier, French bulldog mix from a shelter. Oso's description mentioned that he couldn't interact with small children, cats, or other dogs. However, Ruben already had another dog named Maayawa, and he was determined for them to meet and live harmoniously. He introduced them armed with all his learned techniques, and the meeting went surprisingly well. But, despite this meeting, Ruben soon discovered that Oso had many other undesirable behaviors, such as food aggression, leash reactivity, people aggression, and dog aggression.
Over the next few months, he worked with Oso daily to improve his behavior, and it was working! So much so that his family and friends started to ask for advice. They also started seeing results, and the request for advice kept coming! Although Oso had dramatically improved, one thing did not: his leash reactivity.
Nothing was working, but Ruben didn't;t give up hope. That's when he discovered balanced trainers Blake Rodriquez and Sean O'Shea. After deep diving into their methods, Ruben attended a week-long training for dog trainers in Santa Cruz, California. Through their training, guidance, and mentorship, I found the right tools, techniques, and strategies to help any dog with any problem (Including Oso!)
Shane Montes.
After his move back to Portland in 2016, Shane immediately began handling all types of dogs. He started with potty breaks and walks while simultaneously being slowly introduced to the training process. During this time, Shane learned the business's ins and outs. In 2017, Shane attended the 'Train the Trainers' and the Lucas Agnew 'The Missing link' workshop, where he and his dog Pulga worked side-by-side with well-known trainers Cheri Lucas and Brian Agnew seminar to further his knowledge. Returning from the seminar, he took a more significant role in the training process and day-to-day operations. As a result, Shane continues to grow as a trainer and continues to learn.
Keep reading to learn more about Shane’s journey into dog training.
After adopting a rescue dog in Mexico, Shane started finding his love for dog training. When Shane met Pulga at the adoption center, she was cool, calm, and collected. Pulga was lying down, unbothered by the chaos surrounding her. After interacting with her for a while, Shane felt she was the dog for him. The next day the rescuers brought Pulga to his house, and to his surprise, she was far from the dog he had seen the day before. Instead, she pulled like a sled dog, was completely tuned out, and every piece of furniture was something to jump on. It was pretty obvious his hand were now full. However, he was determined not to give up hope on her. They started training, and all of Shane's friends were impressed by how much progress she was making. Then, during a trip home to Portland and being around Kindred Dog and the team, Shane decided to start dog training in Mexico, but he soon discovered that it wasn't really something at the forefront of people's minds there. So, in May of 2016, Ruben's business had been growing and needed extra help, which was an opportunity for Shane to get more hands-on experience.