The Barking Zone Training Manual

By Rick Clark

This is a training guide to have a dog that will listen to you, come when called, walk proper, stop bad behavior and learn to relax.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Dec 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781684713561

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CLARK

Copyright © 2019 Rick Clark.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1357-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1356-1 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 11/18/2019

Approaching Every Single Day Creatively

I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. My first dog was a golden retriever named Sandy. Together we roamed all over, from Knightsbridge Road, down dirt roads, and into the baseball fields. As I reflect on my childhood spent with Sandy, it seemed as though I was just a boy, taking adventures with my loving, well-mannered family dog. At the time I did not know that my humble beginnings would lead me to help my clients develop a deeper, more meaningful connection with their family dog, similar to the relationship I shared with Sandy.

Like many young musically talented men, I had big dreams of becoming a professional drummer. Entertaining people by bringing an immediate sense of joy into their lives filled me with an incredible sense of purpose. In junior high school, with my twin brother as the guitarist, we started a band called 7 Till. We jammed together straight through college. It was a fantastic time in my life.

Before attending college in 1996, I happened to see a television show which featured a dog daycare. The concept seemed phenomenal to me. The idea of approaching every single day creatively, where I could provide people with a sense of joy by partying with their dogs seemed like a fantastic idea. I knew instantly that one day I would open an awesome dog daycare. Understandably, my father encouraged me to focus on selecting a more stable career than drumming, and although I initially attended the University of North Alabama to study music, I soon changed my major. In 2001, I graduated with a degree in marketing. Still filled with enthusiasm about establishing a dog daycare facility, a day after my college graduation, I began my search for the future location of The Barking Zone.

The Barking Zone

The First Daycare Facility Was Born

In September of 2003, after encountering two solid years of setbacks pertaining to my efforts to locate the safest and most convenient location for my dog daycare facility, Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic accepted my proposal to open The Barking Zone on their land. The operation was a success! The Barking Zone essentially makes going to the veterinary clinic a fun thing to do. There is the aspect of positive socialization and boarding, coupled with the security of having a veterinary staff available at a moment’s notice. Ten years ago, I began franchising The Barking Zone with other veterinary clinics. The BZ Franchises are currently located in Jasper, Alabama and Montgomery, Alabama. I realized after opening a few new locations that dog training was more important and fun for me and stopped working on opening new locations.

Becoming A Dog Trainer

Recognizing The Need From My Clients

Establishing an impressive dog daycare facility was indeed a pleasure, but my ambitious nature left me craving more information about dog behavior. Through my years of working with some truly dedicated, loving dog owners, I watched frustrated clients struggling to cope with their dog’s bad behavior. I recognized