AMADO.- Ayda Sandoval vive entre perros y se describe como "la que manda" en su casa.
La familia de Sandoval consta de 13 perros, seis chihuahuas, dos labradores y cinco border collies.
"Ellos saben que yo soy la que manda y me muestran su respeto", dice Sandoval, de 34 años de edad, quien se mudó desde Brownsville, Texas, al Sur de Arizona en 1997.
Cuando no está entrenando a sus perros a obedecer o a bailar, está trabajando con otros perros y sus dueños, o está en la Sociedad Humanitaria Santa Cruz en Patagonia. Allí dirige un programa de obediencia canina de seis semanas.
Sandoval trabaja mayormente en las áreas de Sahuarita, Nogales, Patagonia, Río Rico y Green Valley.
Durante el verano, Sandoval se sumerge a trabajar tiempo completo con animales. Pero durante el año escolar, reduce el ritmo porque tiene una plena carga como maestra de inglés en Río Rico High School donde también es consejera para el K-9 Club.
People are also reading…
Ella fundó el club y enseña a los estudiantes sobre comprensión, cuidado, entrenamiento y razas de los perros. Los estu- diantes traen sus perros todos los viernes después de la escue-la a la reunión del club.
La semana pasada, Sandoval trabajó con un cardigan welsh corgi de tres años llamado Bob. "Bob necesita aprender habilidades sociales y a ser más calmado", dice Sandoval. "Le estoy enseñando habilidades de obediencia, y a enfocarse. Necesita aprender esto antes de avanzar a las habilidades de baile".
Rori Wailes, dueño de Bob, espera que Bob pueda aprender a bailar al son de una canción de Elvis Presley, posiblemente "All Shook Up".
Sandoval también trabaja con su perro, Caballo, una mezcla de border collie de dos años, a quien comenzó a entrenar cuando tenía apenas 12 semanas. Ella lo adoptó en FAIR, la Fundación Para Animales en Riesgo (Foundation for Animals in Risk), una organización de rescate animal sin fines de lucro.
Caballo, un perro obediente que sabe abrir puertas, recibe 40 minutos de lecciones de baile diariamente. Ella parte las lecciones en tres sesiones, la primera comenzando a las 5:30 a.m., luego otra usualmente en la tarde, y la última a las 9 p.m.
Ella tiene a Caballo entrenando y espera meterlo a competencias de baile el próximo verano en la categoría de caninos principiantes estilo libre.
La representación puede ser entre uno y dos minutos. "Caballo entiende 40 instrucciones y le encanta bailar 'Banda Dominguera', del Grupo Control", comentó Sandoval.
La movida cumbia tiene a Caballo volteándose y moviendo sus patas traseras de atrás hacia adelante, mientras sus patas delanteras descansan en la espalda de Sandoval. También camina entre las piernas de Sandoval.
En este numero, Caballo luce una pañoleta roja, blanca y verde alrededor de su cuello, y Sandoval se viste en un traje a la medida de los mismos colores.
Caballo también puede bailar una pieza rápida de mariachi, del Mariachi Vargas de Tecali-tlán. Para este número lleva una bufanda negra alrededor del cuello y Sandoval viste un traje de charro negro.
"Caballo es muy coordinado, pero necesita sentirse cómodo rodeado de gente y otros perr-os", dice Sandoval, quien ha tomado clases de obediencia y baile caninos con Janet Galante y Loren Jensen-Carter, respectivamente. También ha tomado ideas de la lectura de libros y de estudiar videocintas.
Además de Caballo, la entrenadora de perros está preparándose para inscribir a México y a Corazón, border collies de 7 semanas, en clases de obediencia para cachorros. "Espero tenerlos listos para la competencia de baile del próximo año, también", dijo Sandoval.
"Me gusta su energía. Su energía es una locura. Es como la mía", comentó.
ENGLISH VERSION
Por Carmen Duarte
LA ESTRELLA DE TUCSÓN
AMADO, Ariz. — Ayda Sandoval lives among dogs and describes herself
as the "top dog" in her home.
Sandoval's family consists of 13 dogs — six Chihuahuas, two
Labradors, and five Border Collies.
"They know I am the top dog and they show me respect," said Sandoval,
34, who moved from Brownsville, Texas to Southern Arizona in 1997.
When not training her dogs in obedience or in dance, she is working
with other dogs and their owners, or at the Santa Cruz Humane Society
in Patagonia. She runs a six-week obedience program there.
Sandoval mostly works in the Sahuarita, Nogales, Patagonia, Río Rico
and Green Valley areas.
During the summer, Sandoval immerses her life full-time in working
with animals. But during the school year, she cuts back because she
has a full load as an English teacher at Río Rico High School where
she also is the adviser for the K-9 Club.
She founded the club and teaches students about dog appreciation,
grooming, training and breeds. Students bring their dogs each Friday
after school to the club meeting.
Last week at her home, Sandoval worked with a 3-year-old Cardigan
Welsh Corgi named Bob. "Bob needs to learn socialization skills and
to be calmer," said Sandoval. "I am teaching him obedience skills,
and how to focus. He needs to learn this before we move on to dancing
skills."
Rori Wailes, Bob's owner, is hoping that Bob can learn an Elvis
Presley tune, possibly "All Shook Up."
Sandoval also is working with her dog, Caballo, a 2-year-old Border
Collie mix who she began training when he was 12 weeks old. She
adopted him from FAIR, the Foundation for Animals in Risk, a non-
profit animal rescue organization.
Caballo, an obedient dog who can open doors, receives 40 minutes of
dance lessons daily. She breaks the lessons into three sessions, the
first beginning at 5:30 a.m., then another usually in the afternoon,
and the final at 9 p.m.
She has Caballo in training and hopes to enter him into dance
competition next summer in the category of beginner canine freestyle.
The performance can be from one to two minutes.
"Caballo knows 40 commands and loves to dance 'Banda Dominguera' by
Grupo Control," said Sandoval.
The fast-paced cumbia has Caballo turning, and moving back and forth
on his hind legs while his two front paws rest on Sandoval's lower
back. He also walks in between Sandoval's legs.
In this number, Caballo would wear a red, white and green scarf
around his neck, and Sandoval would dress in a a custom-made suit
with the same colors.
Or, Caballo may dance a fast-paced mariachi tune by Mariachi Vargas
de Tecalitlan. Caballo could wear a black scarf around his neck and
Sandoval may dress in a black charro outfit.
"Caballo is very coordinated, but he needs to get comfortable around
crowds, noise and other dogs," said Sandoval who has taken dog
obedience and dog dance classes with Janet Galante and Loren Jensen-Carter,
respectively. She also has picked up tips from reading books and
studying video tapes.
In addition to Caballo, the dog trainer is gearing up to enroll
México and Corazón, 7-week-old Border Collies, into an obedience
class for puppies. "I hope to get them ready for dance competition
next year, too," Sandoval said.
"I like their energy. Their energy is crazy. It is like mine," she said.
● Contact Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or by e-mail:
ENGLISH VERSION
AMADO, Ariz. — Ayda Sandoval lives among dogs and describes herself as the "top dog" in her home.
Sandoval's family consists of 13 dogs — six Chihuahuas, two Labradors, and five Border Collies.
"They know I am the top dog and they show me respect," said Sandoval, 34, who moved from Brownsville, Texas to Southern Arizona in 1997.
When not training her dogs in obedience or in dance, she is working with other dogs and their owners, or at the Santa Cruz Humane Society in Patagonia. She runs a six-week obedience program there.
Sandoval mostly works in the Sahuarita, Nogales, Patagonia, Río Rico and Green Valley areas.
During the summer, Sandoval immerses her life full-time in working with animals. But during the school year, she cuts back because she has a full load as an English teacher at Río Rico High School where she also is the adviser for the K-9 Club.
She founded the club and teaches students about dog appreciation, grooming, training and breeds. Students bring their dogs each Friday after school to the club meeting.
Last week at her home, Sandoval worked with a 3-year-old Cardigan Welsh Corgi named Bob. "Bob needs to learn socialization skills and to be calmer," said Sandoval. "I am teaching him obedience skills, and how to focus. He needs to learn this before we move on to dancing skills."
Rori Wailes, Bob's owner, is hoping that Bob can learn an Elvis Presley tune, possibly "All Shook Up."
Sandoval also is working with her dog, Caballo, a 2-year-old Border Collie mix who she began training when he was 12 weeks old. She adopted him from FAIR, the Foundation for Animals in Risk, a non-profit animal rescue organization.
Caballo, an obedient dog who can open doors, receives 40 minutes of dance lessons daily. She breaks the lessons into three sessions, the first beginning at 5:30 a.m., then another usually in the afternoon, and the final at 9 p.m.
She has Caballo in training and hopes to enter him into dance competition next summer in the category of beginner canine freestyle. The performance can be from one to two minutes.
"Caballo knows 40 commands and loves to dance 'Banda Dominguera' by Grupo Control," said Sandoval.
The fast-paced cumbia has Caballo turning, and moving back and forth on his hind legs while his two front paws rest on Sandoval's lower back. He also walks in between Sandoval's legs.
In this number, Caballo would wear a red, white and green scarf around his neck, and Sandoval would dress in a a custom-made suit with the same colors.
Or, Caballo may dance a fast-paced mariachi tune by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. Caballo could wear a black scarf around his neck and Sandoval may dress in a black charro outfit.
"Caballo is very coordinated, but he needs to get comfortable around crowds, noise and other dogs," said Sandoval who has taken dog obedience and dog dance classes with Janet Galante and Loren Jensen-Carter, respectively. She also has picked up tips from reading books and studying video tapes.
In addition to Caballo, the dog trainer is gearing up to enroll México and Corazón, 7-week-old Border Collies, into an obedience class for puppies. "I hope to get them ready for dance competition next year, too," Sandoval said.
"I like their energy. Their energy is crazy. It is like mine," she said.
» Ayda Sandoval, maestra de inglés en Río Rico High School, está planeando certificarse este verano como entrenadora de perros profesional en el Colegio del Comportamiento Animal (Behavior Animal College) en Northridge, California.
» Además de enseñarles habilidades de obediencia, también enseña a bailar a los canes. Las clases comienzan desde $35 por hora. Sandoval, quien vive en Amado, puede ser localizada en el teléfono 1-520-591-2208.
» Ayda Sandoval, an English teacher at Río Rico High School, is planning to become certified this summer as a professional dog trainer from Animal Behavior College in Northridge, California.
» In addition to teaching dogs obedience skills, she also teaches the pooches how to dance. Classes begin at $35 an hour. Sandoval, who lives in Amado, can be reached at 1-520-591-2208.
