FWD meets Chris Wolf, a qualified canine trainer who has made the impossible possible; he has successfully tamed a wild beast with only endurance and perseverance as weapons. 

Chris is no ordinary dog trainer, he is a behavior specialist for canines, who has undergone intensive and advanced methods of dog training from Germany. He has the unique experience of taming a cheetah in Bahrain. Talking to FWD Chris revealed his plans to open a Big Cat Boarding and Training centre in Dubai by 2015.

Chris as a canine trainer and your accomplishments…..
As a trainer I’m known for fixing dangerous behavioral disorders in canines, tactically training dogs of any age, breed and personality for personal protection. We are the first dog training institute to start k9 security services in the state and bring
in the concept of bouncer dogs in the country through the famous celebrity cricket league, Wolf n Pack also introduced private training school for canines and drug detection dogs for the Kerala police. But the greatest accomplishment came when I got to tame a ferocious big cat in the Middle East.

The experience of getting trained in Germany and the experts in this field whom you got to interact with……..
I got the opportunity to get trained and work in Germany under trainers who use the traditional and advanced methods of
dog training and so I consider myself lucky to be exposed to most of the techniques early on in my career. Since Germany is origin of most of the dog breeds and techniques in canine training, I had the chance to work with the finest trainers on the planet. During my stay there, I was also actively involved in training German police dogs in Hamburgh for the sport of shutzhund (protection dogs). And also as my teacher there trained the US marine cops, I was lucky enough to get updated with the advanced training techniques.

A comparative analysis on the methods of dog training being followed abroad and in India…
Unlike the outdated British methods of dog training practiced in India till around 2012, lot of changes has occurred in training
methods and even in the pet industry. They happened because the dog owners were getting educated about training methods. Moreover in most of the countries, owners themselves were training their dogs and if they need any professional help
in between, they approach an expert. The difference felt in India is the lack of evaluation of the drive temperament and energy of dogs before training, when compared to training protocol followed abroad. One of my co-trainers from Germany, during his visit to India was coaxed by me to enlighten a couple of dog owners here. He returned with some interesting observations. “I trained some
dogs and took back the art of yoga from this great country”. So the country has to offer its part in each subject, I am working hard towards that goal.

To train a big cat in the Middle East, what made the royal family search for a trainer in India and that too from Kerala?
India has a big place among the people of the Middle East, especially those who tame leopards and use them as pets as Indians have been doing so from the time of Akbar and Humayun. They used to tame leopards or wild animals and keep them as pets or use them for hunting. Over here what had happened was the Royal family had employed 8 trainers from different parts of the world and finally thought of looking for someone in India. There were no leopard trainers. But they found someone who trains aggressive canines, and contacted me. I took their offer and flew immediately.

How was it to live with a wild reactive 4 year old cheetah for 29 days? For her, does the bond she shared with you remain for a life time, just as in dogs?
My days with the wild animal unveiled my true weaknesses and my inner strength; I will try to depict my emotions during the
period like this… I was relishing the novelty and excitement of a child, weakness of a hostage, pleasure of a smuggler, pride of a
gangster and the thrill of a teenager, with no more fear left to experience. Animals always put two things together and try to understand the situation. Towards the end of training, she started associating feelings of trust, comfort, play, happiness, hunger, respect and taste with my scent, voice and looks and submits to it. This association made our bonding strong, similar to what we experience with dogs. This association will be permanent as it is in a part of her brain from where she can recollect it.

Was the cheetah encounter an encouraging factor for you to start a Big Cat Boarding and Training Centre in Dubai supposedly by 2015?
Yes it’s true that the cheetah encounter was a big milestone in my career. This international recognition helped me gain confidence of the big cat owners in the Middle East, especially in Dubai …and since it’s a new trend in Dubai to keep leopards and panthers as a prestige symbol and taking them for a ride in their Ferrari is a cool thing to do, it surely did boost my progress.

There are a lot of trainers who are not aptly skilled. How can one determine whether a dog is send to the right trainer?
Dog owners need to have knowledge about the popular dog trainers and training schools in the country. They need to Check out the trainers who are accessible as to whether they carry a reputed background. Once you are sure that the person is a certified trainer, contact at least five dog owners with whose dogs he has worked on. Keep in mind that the dog owner with whom you are verifying should have been actively involved in the process of training, for want of a studied opinion. If not ask for another contact. When the dog owner is not showing necessary interest/ involvement in the process, we can never blame a trainer for a disobedient dog.