PRESS RELEASE
2014 Caribbean Seminar with Andres Aportela.
2014 IPO2 NORTHEASTERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Pro Canine Center and North Jersey SchH and Police Assoc., will like to congratulate you Susan, for all your hard work and great performance. Keep up the good work
The Pattenburg Volunteer Fire Company Search and Rescue Team in Clinton, NJ lead by Fire Chief Dan Van Fossen would like to extend heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our Trainer/Director Andres Aportela for sharing his superior knowledge and expertise in the field of tracking, schutzhund, and training working dogs. As Master Trainer/Director of the ProCanine Center in Frenchtown, NJ, Andres imports, breeds, and trains European German Shepherd working dogs. For over 25 years, he has been a licensed canine DEA Narcotic Certified Instructor and has trained numerous students that have competed in regional-, national-, and world-level events. Since 2007, Andres has qualified five times for the tracking FH World Championship and has served three times as FH World Team Captain. His dog Franka Vom Wallerhorst made history as the top-scoring female representing the United States in the 2009 FH World Championship held in France, and his dog Benga Aus Kingston Village was the highest scoring tracking FH dog in 2010. Andres’ dog Benga lends a helping paw to the community by assisting the Team with searches when needed. The Search and Rescue Team dogs, Bondi Aus Kingston Village and Timmy Vom Ortenberg, trained by Andres hold the highest level tracking and search and rescue titles with testing scores in the excellent category. Both dogs have exceeded expectations and are credited with numerous finds of lost individuals across the region.
Apprehensive protection demostration on Jan 09/2014 for the La Salle University vs George Washington basketball game televise by NBC Sport. Instructor: Andres Aportela Dog: IPO3 German Shepherd female Nely
CNN K9
11 December 2013
Andres Aportela appeared on CNN as part of an expert panel regarding a North Carolina police K9 incident. His insight and opinion based on many years
of relevant law enforcement training expertise was well received and a valuable contribution to the conversation.
Pro Canine Center in Robb Report
Search dog at Bethlehem Twp. ceremony honoring his late handler
ByTerry Wright/Hunterdon County Democrat
on December 22, 2012 at 9:12 AM, updated December 22, 2012 at 9:13 AM
Tim Vom Ortenberg (AKA: Timmy ) was there, sitting or standing quietly as the ceremony went on. He didn’t know what all the fuss was about at
the Bethlehem Township Committee meeting Thursday night. Timmy is a 6-year-old German shepherd, present because his handler was being honored. But William Hardenburg wasn’t there. The longtime fire and rescue volunteer was killed at the age of
67 in an accident while working for a contractor cleaning up storm damage after Hurricane Sandy. Hardenburg and his stepson, Chief Dan VanFossen of the Pattenburg Fire Company, acquired Timmy two years ago and had him trained as a search-and-rescue dog
for the fire department, to help find missing people, such as persons with Alzheimer’s disease who wandered off. VanFossen thought it very appropriate to bring Timmy to the township’s Holiday Celebration and award ceremony. Besides Hardenburg,
three other people were honored: longtime recreation volunteer and coach Cliff Tanzler— who also died this year — and Richard and Jill Prakopcyk. He is noted for the township’s thriving lacrosse program, the Warriors, and she for constantly
volunteering for the town, her church, the North Hunterdon Booster Club and many other groups. 
Mayor John Graefe told of how Hardenburg “loved
being a resident and to help protect the residents.”He was township Office of Emergency Management coordinator the past four years. After Sandy, he ran the area emergency center for four days, 24 hours per day during which he answered innumerable
phone calls and responded to many incidents. As a volunteer with the Pattenburg Rescue Squad, “Bill went on 345 calls over the past two years as a first responder” and was also volunteer with the Pattenburg Fire Company, Graefe said. Over
the past five years he answered more than 2,000 fire calls. Both volunteer agencies help cover Bethlehem. “Bill was on call 24-7, 365 days per year for the fire company, the rescue squad and the township OEM. Bill would try to help anyone at any
time ,” Graefe said. And he “helped many elderly Bethlehem Township residents by fixing their broken equipment — anything from sump pumps to generators to cars,” the mayor added. His wife, Cathy, and VanFossen accepted the award
in remembrance of Hardenburg. VanFossen on Wednesday night had taken both Timmy and his their other tracking dog, Bandit aus Kingston Village (AKA: Bandy), to the Union Township Committee meeting. The fire company, based in Union, serves parts of both
townships. Cliff Tanzler died June 16 at the age of 51. The community lost a member whose kind, gentle, generous and caring ways touched so many,” said Tom Berger and Cindy Szokol, close friends of Tanzler. They both spoke of his many accomplishments.
Both Cliff and his wife, Sharon gave so much freely and willingly for the betterment of the community, they said. They were early on in the township recreation program and while she started and ran the snack shack concessions to raise money for the ever-growing
program, he began coaching girl’s sports when his daughter Julia was a kindergartener. For more than nine years he coached soccer and softball and several years coached two teams at once when not enough coach volunteers stepped up, Berger noted.
“Cliff cherished the opportunity to positively influence kid’s lives through his sense of kindness and lessons
of sportsmanship and community.” In addition to running his own business, Critical Path Project Management, he taught engineering and business courses as an adjunct professor at Lehigh University. He helped build the Heritage Park playground in
2003 and was always on hand to assist with the Hoppock School play, whether helping to paint the stage or assist with the prop construction. Additionally he devoted many hours as a vestry member of the Church of the Holy Spirit and volunteered his expertise
with Mr. Fixit of Hunterdon County. Richard and Jill Prakopcyk are well-known for their involvement in both sports and other activities A standout lacrosse player at Hunterdon Central High and Rutgers, he was cited for helping start Bethlehem’s
program in 1998, one which has grown tremendously. According to Graefe, “his leadership and mentorship brings boys to the program, not just from Bethlehem Township, but from all the surrounding towns. His reputation is fantastic and the head coaches
and commissioners who work with him have also stayed on through the years." He donated his time designing and helping with the original plans for Huczko fields and also gave his services designing the national lacrosse monument to be erected in Baltimore.
“Rich has taken his passion and passed it on to hundreds of children. His dedication to the program has brought accolades to our town,” Graefe said. “Richard and Jill are always thinking of the importance of serving others and ensuring
that they have a meaningful and enjoyable experience,” the mayor said. Jill received praise for her extensive involvement in township recreation, implementing the annual Holiday Luncheon for senior citizens and for continuing to serve as NHHS Booster
Club president even tough her youngest son graduated two years ago.
Pro Canine Center / Von Apoll Kennel was the importer and trainer of Tim Vom Ortenberg and Bandit aus Kingston Village.
FLEMINGTON — Although most people have heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how many veterans of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer with it, many civilians still have trouble truly appreciating how difficult it is for these veterans to adjust to everyday life when they come home. One veteran, Lauren Cust, came home from Afghanistan terrified to live a normal life. To protect herself from snipers, she painted all the windows in her Connecticut home black, much to her civilian husband’s discomfort. She was afraid to go out alone. She struggled with suicide. But when her daughter, Mary, was born last year, Cust knew she had to heal. One option that was open to her was the new Canine Battle Buddies program, started by local resident J.T. Gabriel. The program matches service dogs, all specially trained German Shepherds, to veterans, training the warriors with online college courses and hands-on training to care for their dogs. “The Veterans Administration doesn’t pay for service dogs,” Gabriel explained, “but they will pay for college credits. So we have a program set up with Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa., whereby the veterans can earn 10 college credits in canine care. The first four credits are online courses that veterans can take at their own pace. When they complete those, they come to Pro Canine in Frenchtown, where they get hands-on training with world-renowned dog trainer Andre Aportela, and he matches them to one of his dogs.” Cust wasn’t sure she wanted a German Shepherd, but she thought if she had to have one, it should be a big, burly male. But as she worked with several of Aportela’s males, the matches didn’t seem to be working out. Then Aportela brought her a smaller female, a dog named Dorothy(Xena Vom Ortenberg). According to Gabriel, Dorothy took one look at baby Mary and fell in love with her, and the rest is, as they say, history. “Dorothy saved my life,” said Cust. “She gets me out of the house, and now I feel safe going to the park. She wakes me up and licks my face when I have nightmares. When I get nervous, she licks my hands. She makes me feel more secure. I get nervous in line, and she will block people who make me uncomfortable.” Not long after Dorothy came to live with the Custs, all the black paint came down off the windows. “My husband was very happy,” Cust said. “And Dorothy not only saved my life. She also saved my daughter’s. Now she will grow up with a normal mom.” “PTSD dogs are a relatively new thing,” Gabriel said. She herself got interested in matching returning warriors to dogs after sending canine supplies to dogs on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan through her K-9 Soldiers charity for several years. “We noticed that handlers would rather be down range with a dog than another human being,” she said. She added that handlers often came home with less stress and were better adjusted than other soldiers. She felt sure that dogs could help the PTSD sufferers as well. “To be a service dog, the dog must do at least three tasks specific to the handler,” Gabriel said. “These dogs may wake the veteran from nightmares, interrupt their thoughts during a flashback, block strangers from getting too close — especially in a crowd, and get them out of the house. And petting a dogs is very calming. The dog is a reassuring presence.” After interviewing many trainers, Gabriel chose Aportela to train the dogs, not only because he was six miles away, but more importantly because of his intimate understanding of dogs and how he teaches people to think like a dog. She said this training, which is part of the college-credit program, greatly contributes to the success of her Canine Battle Buddies program. Andre Aportela, left, commands Cliff the German Shepherd to give him his full attention. / Pamela MacKenzie/staff photo Now, Gabriel and Aportela are taking the program a step further. They are working with members of Congress, including Representative Leonard Lance, to establish a veteran’s canine tracking team that will represent the United States in international competitions. She said tracking comes naturally to combat veterans and the dogs alike, so it’s a constructive activity they really enjoy. And, Aportela has already trained many champion trackers. He will work with the veterans and their service dogs to compete to win. Gabriel wants to open this activity to any interested veteran, and she’s seeking corporate sponsors to raise the $30,000 to $50,000 needed to cover the frequent training and travel expenses involved. Gabriel is encouraged by the interest that she’s already received from a few corporations, but she said they’ll need a lot more support. “I don’t want the veterans to pay for anything,” she said. “They’ve served this country well, and now it’s our chance to show our appreciation and give back.”
Courier News 07/12/2012
Canine Battle Buddies bring healing to PTSD veterans
Written byPamela MacKenzie@pammackenziemcj
Andres Aportela's workshop for Animal Alliance volunteers January 13,2008 Andres Aportela, world-renowned dog trainer and Owner of Pet Country Club/Professional Canine Center in Frenchtown held a workshop for Animal Alliance volunteers at Susan's Houndstooth Inn in Lambertville on Sunday,January 13, 2008. Andres contributes much of his time and expertise throughout the year to Animal Alliance, and donated the proceeds of the event to the organization. The goal was to better educate the Animal Alliance volunteers in all aspects of evaluating and the subsequent rehabilitation of dogs with issues prior to adoption so they will be great pets. Socialization and neutralization of all types of aggressive behavior was discussed. The dog must always think of its human as the "Alpha" by being their "Security point of trust," and the human must "never reinforce negative behavior." Susan Masinda an Animal Alliance volunteer and student of Andres demostrated how Rusty, a formerly " stranger aggressive" dog has learned to trust through obedience training, and is now ready to be adopted. Another dog, Davie, whose initial assessment by Animal Alliance was that he had some aggression issues, was brought in as a demonstration dog. In five minutes with Andres' expert analysis and coaching, Davie was being walked by different members of the group, sitting on command, and all were able to pet and walk him with no worries. Andres explained that Davie needed a job; he had lots of energy and just needed it redirected to something positive. Training and breeding German Shepherds for over 25 years at his sprawling and state of the art facility, Andres has spread his knowledge throughout the world to places such as Puerto Rico, Germany, Italy, South America and many parts of the United States. Andres says, " All dogs are capable of learning basic obedience. All dogs are also capable of learning how to stop behavior problems. The most important thing in training a dog is to continue the training when he or she is home." Visit www.procaninecenter.com and discover how you can have a well- trained dog. Andres does specialty consultations on behavioral problems as well as obedience classes, and master's classes for experienced handlers and dog trainers. Susan's Houndstooth Inn offers safe and fun daycare and boarding for dogs with individual "suites" instead of metal cages or runs. Through a community partnership with Animal Alliance, Susan's Houndstooth Inn hosts pet adoption days, trainings, and small fundraisers to benefit Animal Alliance. See www.susanshoundstoothinn.com to learn more.
Photo L to R: Susan Masinda with Rusty, Heather Edwards, Mary Rudder, Susan Manks, Chelsea Manks, John Rudder, Nancy Remler with JJ Parker, Anne Trinkle, Hana Dariusova, Susan Brown, Andres Aportela.
Animal Alliance, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit charitable organization, is a volunteer organization that rescues animals in immediate danger of euthanasia from several animal shelters.Animal Alliance places animals removed from the shelters into foster homes where they are rehabilitated, spayed/neutered, restored to health, and readied for a speedy adoption to carefully chosen adoptive families. Animal Alliance finds euthanasia to be an unacceptable fate for adoptable animals, and strives to educate the public about the surplus of adoptable animals in shelters, the critical importance of spay/neuter, and responsible pet ownership. Visit www.animalalliancenj.org to see pets currently available for adoption.
Andres Aportela's Seminars with Animal Alliance.
"World- Renowned Dog Trainer Andres Aportela conducts Dog training Clinic for Animal Alliance."
Animal Alliance volunteers brought their adopted and/or foster dogs to Andres Aportela's Dog school in Frenchtown this past August to attend this special clinic. After a short lecture on dog behavior in general,Andres worked with each dog and handler in turn. It was thrilling to watch him do a quick,insightful evaluation of each dog's issues,then explain how these issues had developed and what would be necessary to correct them.We watched in amazement as timid dogs became braver, aggressive dogs became disinterested in their "prey" and hyper dogs became focused. All the Volunteers were very impressed by Andres' talents. some came away with more insight into their dog's behavior and how to modify it, some will be returning to Andres' school for further training. Many thanks to Andres for showing our volunteers how to turn our rescue dogs into stable, confident, trusting and loveable companions!
...From Animal Alliance of NJ Web
...From Readington News at September,2006
Dear Andres,
Animal Alliance gratefully acknowledges your donation of a Master's Level Dog Obedience private training class, valued at $3,000. This generous donation allowed "Margo", a once troubled, almost unadoptable, but potential- filled Rottweiler mix to attend your private dog training class "on scholarship." As you know, Margo rose to a high level of obedience and performance after training with you over several months and is now highly adoptable to anyone that wants a devoted, obedient, perfectly trained dog!
Animal Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, is a volunteer organization that rescues animals in immediate danger of euthanasia from several animal shelters. Animal Alliance places animals removed from the shelters into foster homes where they are rehabilitated, spayed/neutered, restored to health, and readied for a speedy adoption to carefully chosen adoptive families.
Animal Alliance finds euthanasia to be an unacceptable fate for adoptable animals, and strives to educate the public about the surplus of adoptable animals in shelters, the critical importance of spay/neuter, and responsible pet ownership. Each year, Animal Alliance places approximately 500 animal into adoptive homes, all of whom are altered prior to adoption. A pediatric spay/neuter initiative ensures that even animals as young as 8 weeks are altered as well. Animal Alliance routinely acquires animals with special medical and surgical needs and provides top notch veterinary care to them. On average, Animal Alliance has 75 dogs and 50 cats in foster care at any given time. To learn more about Animal Alliance visit our website at
www.animalalliancenj.org
Your generous donation made in honor perpetuates kindness and goodwill to animals.
Sincerely,
Anne J. Trinkle : Founder and Presiden
...From The Beacon at November,2006
From MidEastern Regional Championship
(Japanese) 犬の訓練を通じて、自己を磨く 「褒 美を与えてスキルを覚えさせる」というアプローチではなく「いいところはきちんと褒める一方で、間違った行動をしっかり直す」。つまり、「褒美の為だけで はなく、飼い主の意図を理解させて行動させる」という犬の本能を生かしたハイレベルの訓練が、ヨーロッパ式の犬訓練法「Ｓｃｈｕｔｚｈｕｎｄ＝シュッツハ ウンド（ドイツ語で防衛犬という意味）」だ。犬の持つ精神的安定性、忍耐力、嗅覚力、意志力、勇気などを実演・評価するシュッツンハウンド競技会はグロー バルに開催されているが、この競技会での腕前をご披露できるプロの犬訓練士を養成する学校が「ペットカントリークラブ」だ。 マ ンハッタンから車で約１時間。ニュージャージー州とペンシルバニア州の境界にある、緑に囲まれた広大な施設では、犬訓練士養成学校に加え、家庭犬／警察犬 などのトレーニング・サービス、犬の預かり&グルーミング・サービス、ジャーマン・シェパードの販売なども行われている。 同クラブ・オーナー のアンドレス氏は、「Ｎｏｒｔｈ Ｊｅｒｓｅｙ Ｓｃｈｕｔｚｈｕｎｄ ＆ Ｐｏｌｉｃｅ Ａｓｓｏｃｉａｔｉｏｎ」クラブのリーダーでもあり、２５年以 上の実績を誇る犬訓練のベテランだ。同校のインストラクターでもあり、体験に基づく最上級のスキルやノウハウを実践的に指導している。「特に入学時期や規 定カリキュラムなどはありません。犬と学生のニーズやレベルに合わせてパーソナライズしたトレーニングを提供しています。犬が好きで、犬の気持ちを理解 し、トレーニングへのモチベーションがあれば、初心者でもチャレンジ頂けます。」とアンドレ氏。 クラスは火、木、土の週３回だが、パートでも受講も可 能。コマーシャルコースとマスターコースと２種類あるが、卒業にかかる期間は、犬の年齢やスキル、学生のレベルやペースによって異なる。平均的には、コ マーシャルコース卒業には、平均約２年～２年半（約２０００時間）、マスターコース卒業には平均約３年～３年半（約４５００時間）かかる。コマーシャル コースのゴールは、ベーシックな従順訓練法の習得であり、家庭犬の問題行動のしつけやトレーニングなどをきっかけに始める人が多く、卒業後は、訓練士とし てビジネス、ドックシッティング、ケンネル勤務などのキャリアの道が開けてくる。一方、マスターコースは、従順訓練に加え、犬が人間の跡を辿るトラッキン グと防衛トレーニングが加わる。犬の性質や行動までじっくりと訓練するので、独自のケンネル経営など、本格的な開業も夢ではない。この他、警察犬、麻薬検 出、操作救助などのトレーニングもオプショナルで受けられる。両コースとも卒業後は卒業証明書が発行され、学費は犬の年齢、レベルに合わせて、アンドレス 氏と相談の上、決定される。 犬の訓練士に問われる性質について、「犬は生き物ですから、機嫌や調子が悪かったり、攻撃性になったりする事もあります。だ からこそ、辛抱強く犬と向き合う忍耐力と、状況に速やかに対応する能力が必要になります。」とコメントする同クラブの日本人スタッフクミコさん。犬の訓練 は子育てのようなもの。だからこそ犬への訓練を通じて学ぶことは無数にあり、愛犬を通じた自己発見もありえそうだ。まずは無料見学コースで、実際にトレー ニングの雰囲気を体験してみて欲しい。 http://www.iseeny.com/study/sikaku_vol5.php ~~~ by Michiko Yoshifuji(2006) 記事提供 ：iSeeNY.com |
Intrnational Internship Programs
（Japanese) 私 が、 ドックトレーニングのカルチャーインターンとして、ここ「Ｐｅｔ Ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙ Ｃｌｕｂ（以下ＰＣＣＩ）」に来たのは、２００１年３月末でした。ここ は、家庭犬の他に、ペットホテル、グルーミング、ヨーロッパのスポーツである「Ｓｃｈｕｔｚｈｕｎｄ」と訓練士育成教室があり、大型の施設を備えていま す。私は４年半の間に１５０頭以上の犬をトレーニングし、現在は４頭のジャーマンシェパードを飼っています。初めてＰＣＣＩに来た時は、家庭犬のトレーニ ングだけに興味があり、スポーツを楽しむ人達のシェパードの大きさにオロオロして遠くから見ていました。ある日、経営者兼ヘッドトレーナーのＡｎｄｒｅｓ Ａｐｏｒｔｅｌａと彼の犬「アスタ」の息のピッタリ合った服従訓練を見た時は感動は今でもはっきり覚えており、私のトレーニングの目標となっています。 研修期間は、トレーニングを教わる代わりに、犬のグルーミングの手伝いや、ペットホテルの犬の散歩、事務の雑用などをしました。犬のトレーニングはタイミ ングを必要とするので、英語力が海外旅行程度しかない私は、タイミングを逃してしまう事が多く、失敗の毎日でした。８ヶ月目を過ぎた辺りから、 Ａｎｄｒｅｓから、ビザを延長してしっかりトレーニングを学んだ方がいいと進められ、ビザの延長を申請しました。この頃からスポーツの Ｓｃｈｕｔｚｈｕｎｄのトレーニングもするようになりました。そして、こちらに来て２回目の夏が来ようとした頃、突然Ａｎｄｒｅｓが私とアスタとペアを組 ませ「Ｎｏｒｔｈｅａｓｔ Ｒｅｇｉｏｎａｌ Ｃｈａｍｐｉｏｎｓｈｉｐ」に参加させると言いました。ほとんどスポーツについてもドックトレーニングにつ いても知らない私に何故？！と驚きもありましたが、うれしくもありました。Ａｎｄｒｅｓは、毎日私とアスタをトレーニングしました。アスタは既にトレーニ ングされていても私の指示には従ってくれず、Ａｎｄｒｅｓの声はだんだん荒くなります。私はただオロオロするばかり、トレーニングが終わると、「自分には 向いてないんじゃないか」と泣く日が続きました。９月末、ワシントンＤＣで「Ｎｏｒｔｈｅａｓｔ Ｒｅｇｉｏｎａｌ Ｃｈａｍｐｉｏｎｓｈｉｐ」は、行わ れました。完全なペアとは言えない私達をＡｎｄｒｅｓは、凄く心配していました。ところが私は「なるようにしかならない」と緊張せずに大会に臨みました。 ３種目すべての種目が終わり、閉会式に出るように言われアスタを連れて参加しました。結果発表が始まり、なんとわずか１位と１点差の２位！驚きました。そ れから３年後、アスタは癌が体中に移転し、私の腕の中で亡くなりました。アスタから終わった事がたくさんあり、アスタのような動きをする犬を自分でトレー ニングしたい！と思うと多少辛くても頑張ろう！と言う気持ちに変わります。今の目標は、スポーツの方では、仔犬からトレーニングし全米の大会に入賞した い。家庭犬では、どの犬種にも対応できる訓練士になりたい。研修中は楽しい事ばかりではありません。辛い事も多くありました。意思のすれ違いで、悲しくな る事もありました。でも、自分をしっかり持ち、目標をきちんと持っていれば、誰かは必ず見ています。そしてきちんと助けてくれます。結果も報われます。文 化の違い、言葉の違い、考え方の違い。悪い事が起きても、私は常に「きっと私には乗り越えられる試練なんだ」とプラスに考え泣いて寝る。案外次の日は気持 ちが楽になり楽しかったりします。 http://www.clubiip.com/pro/dog/index.shtml ~~~~ by KUMIKO (2005) work & Culture intern iip |
