Teaching New Tricks: Training dogs with Mike Pind

Mike Pind has loved dogs since he was a young boy. Born and raised in Cape Girardeau, he grew up watching “Lassie” on television and tried to imitate her skills with his own childhood dog, Chip. Together, they’d head to Capaha Park or go fishing, and he knew dog training was in his future. He didn’t even care what kind of dog; that is, until he saw his first labrador retriever.

At 15 years old, his brother’s friend took him hunting for the first time, and he was able to see retrievers in action. Shortly after that trip, he bought his own labrador retriever and started working with him.

“I was absolutely crazy about retrievers,” says Pind, who couldn’t wait to get out of school and work with his dog. “It’s funny how God works sometimes. He had a plan, and I continued to excel.”

Within the year, Pind entered his eight-month-old retriever in the young dog division at a field trial in St. Louis, a competitive event for hunting dogs to assess their skill level in training and retrieving. Pind and his dog, Duke, won their division.

Back home, as word spread, Pind began training three to four dogs at a time. He would pick them up in the morning and return them in the evening. Occasionally, he would keep them on the weekends. He was doing what he loved and earning money at the same time. So, after high school, as his friends were heading off to college, Pind looked for a way to grow his new business.

“I spent a whole summer looking in a magazine called Retriever Field,” says Pind, who read it from cover to cover. “It had all the dog trainer info and news about which dogs were winning.”

Mike Pind works with Rover, a golden retriever from Houston. Pind says he loves getting to work outside, and works at training the dogs 365 days a year, no matter what the weather is like.Photo by Megan Casasola

Mike Pind works with Rover, a golden retriever from Houston. Pind says he loves getting to work outside, and works at training the dogs 365 days a year, no matter what the weather is like.Photo by Megan Casasola

After finding out Joe Schomer, a well-known trainer, was going to be in the Chicago area, Pind packed a duffel bag and caught a ride up north. The two hit it off, and Pind ended up working with him for the next three years, traveling from Texas to Canada, training and running field trials on the weekends. Schomer traveled with 20 dogs at a time. Pind was in charge of throwing birds, as well as feeding and exercising the dogs. When that gig was up, Pind trained three more years with Robert Milner, a British dog trainer out of Grand Junction, Tenn. It was there he learned more about customer service and working with people.

Not too long after, Pind met his wife, Jan, at a field trial in St. Louis. She was attending as a spectator, but both shared a love of dogs. After they married, the couple moved to Houston, started a thriving kennel business and had a daughter, Carly, who grew up with the dogs. After Jan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her health began declining, their family moved back to Cape Girardeau. Jan passed away in 1998.

Since that time, Pind has let go of the kennel business, but he continues to train dogs, approximately nine at a time. The dogs live in his home, each in their own crate, and many stay with him for several months. It’s a 24/7-365-days-a-year job Pind plans to work at until the day he no longer can.

“This is my office, and I thank God every day,” says Pind, while sitting in an open field. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t look forward to the challenge. I get out every day, whether it’s 100 degrees or snowing and sleeting. My boots are always wet.”

Over the years, Pind has trained more than 30 breeds of dogs and noted that whether it’s a chihuahua or a great dane, their behaviors are the same. Creatures of habit, dogs need attention, and they need a job, something to keep their mind occupied. And while Pind says it’s easier to start training when the dog is a puppy, older dogs can be trained, too — it just takes longer.

While Pind has been known to work with local dogs and owners, he frequently trains dogs from out of state, some from as far away as Alabama and Alaska. Keeping the owners updated is a little more difficult when long-distance, but with the use of technology, Pind is able to communicate and teach by phone and video. Ideally, Pind wants to see the owner in person, because training a dog comes down to training the dog owner.

“I can’t train a dog for four or five months and say, ‘See ya,’” Pind says. “Other trainers don’t want you to come out; I do. I really enjoy training people.”

While some dogs require a lot of training, others require very little. Pind wears a whistle around his neck to get the attention of his retrievers, but only when they are way off in the distance. In any other situation, Pind speaks to the dogs as calmly and even-keeled as he would speak to a human. And when they master a skill, he showers them with praise.

“Always be good to them,” Pind says. “Have fun, and love them.”

Jet splashes out of the water during a training session with Mike Pind. Pind trains approximately nine dogs at a time.Photo by Megan Casasola

Jet splashes out of the water during a training session with Mike Pind. Pind trains approximately nine dogs at a time.Photo by Megan Casasola

__3 Tips for training your dog__

From dog trainer Mike Pind

1. Do your research, and make sure you have the time to commit.

“Shelter dogs are great,” dog trainer Mike Pind says. “If you’re going to get a purebred dog, make sure the breeder is reputable. Your dog will be with you for 15+ years, and your kids will grow up with it. They are all cute and cuddly on day one, but then they tear up your shoes or rip a hole in your pillow. Raising a puppy the correct way is as much work as raising a human.”

2. Get an appropriately-sized dog crate, and place it somewhere out of sight.

“Train them to love it, and they will,” Pind says. “Dogs are den animals, and they assume the kennel is their house, but that doesn’t mean they need to be locked up in there all day. Dogs need to walk, run and play, as well.”

3. Get a lead and a collar.

“Train the dog to walk on lead, without pulling and tugging,” Pind says. “Once you have mastered that skill, teach them to sit. The key is to teach one thing at a time until it’s instant. You can’t skip ahead.This won’t happen in two days, but you’ll know when you get it. The dog knows, too.”

If you’re struggling with any of the above, Pind says, “Send them to me.”

Mike Pind showers a dog he is training with praise. He says it's important to have fun with the dog while training them and to love them.Photo by Megan Casasola

Mike Pind showers a dog he is training with praise. He says it's important to have fun with the dog while training them and to love them.Photo by Megan Casasola