MAIN STREET — Joel Zucker’s yellow Labrador, Bailey, is more than just his version of man’s best friend. The well-trained pooch is also Zucker’s little champion, for Bailey was ranked one of the top 12 dogs in the world in 2004. Bailey is a regular competitor in events held across the country that test a canine’s strength, agility and ability to obey and perform when the pressure is on. Last weekend, Bailey took first place in a Frisbee-throwing event in Riverside, where he was judged on his quickness in retrieving the disc, as well as for the height at which he jumped to grab it. The victory landed him a spot in the world championships, to be held later this year.
“This is his love, his absolute love,” said Zucker, 38, during an interview at a park on Ocean Avenue, where he tossed a few Frisbees for Bailey to snatch out of the air. “Obviously it’s a competition and you want to do well, but the most important part is that Bailey enjoys it and has so much fun. He really has a blast out there and just loves the attention.”
Zucker, a researcher at UCLA who is studying how humans can better communicate with animals, said he and Bailey fell into the world of dog sports by accident two years ago when Bailey was still a young pup. While attending a competition, Zucker said some friends talked him into entering Bailey in the amateur Frisbee throwing contest. He did, and to his surprise and delight, Bailey won.
“It’s kind of in his nature to go and get things since he’s a retriever,” Zucker said. “So I got one of those soft Frisbees, and we started playing with it, and I noticed he was really good at catching it. At three or four months old, he was already running it down and bringing it back … He was just amazing, and it took off from there.”
Out of 12 teams in the world, Bailey and Zucker were selected to participate in the 2004 ESPN Great Outdoor Games in Madison, Wisc., where Bailey finished sixth. The two have gone on to compete in other events, most held outside of Santa Monica and Los Angeles — much to Zucker’s disappointment.
“It’s so hard to get permission for any events like this,” Zucker said. “We attend like 10 to 15 competitions a year throughout California, and we have never had an incident. It’s always a great event, the community loves it, and it’s fun for the people to come out. They’re usually free, but I guess LA County is just worried about dog-related incidents.”
As a member of Disc Dogs of Southern California, an organization of dog owners who love to compete, Zucker hopes to change that by hosting more events, which show communities that competitions can be safe, fun and provide family-friendly entertainment.
Zucker is also interested in having City Hall reward responsible dog owners by allowing them to certify their dogs as “park safe,” or “off-leash safe,” with money from permits going toward monitoring and testing to see if dogs are capable of following direction.
The Daily Press spoke with Zucker about his efforts, Bailey and his work at UCLA’s Cognitive Science Research Center.
How did you and Bailey get together? “A friend of my father’s … did a onetime breeding, and I was one of the first people he called. He asked me if I wanted a dog, and I was kind of reluctant, but after I saw him I just couldn’t say no. It was either go with the yellow one, who was kind of all over the place, or the mellow one, so I chose mellow. And now I got this Frisbee champion dog!”
What events do you two usually compete in?
“There’s different categories for different dogs. There’s dock diving, where there’s this pool of water and the dock sits about 2 or 3 feet above the water and your dog just races as fast as he can and launches himself off to see how far he can go. It took a while for Bailey to get into it. He would run to the end of the dock and go ‘Wait a minute, you want me to jump into that?’ After a while he got used to it, not championship quality yet, but he loves it. He gets out about 17 feet, so that’s not bad. Winners are usually 21 to 22 (feet) … So there’s dock diving, something called fly ball and disc dog. Fly ball is like a relay with four dogs where each has to jump over these hurdles, get this box at the end of the run, and a tennis ball pops up. They pick it up, jump over the hurdles again and pass it off to the next dog. It’s a lot of teamwork, very cool.”
Are you trying to set up a dog competition in Santa Monica?
“I would love to get a competition down here in Santa Monica, but it’s just so difficult. None of the dog parks here are suitable because most dog parks are usually covered in dirt and wood chips, so you can’t do a Frisbee competition, and they’re not geographically suitable. One is up on a hill, another is just too small. Dog parks are really difficult.”
What is your idea for off-leash dogs in Santa Monica?
“My proposal would be to a certification program administered by the city to certify dogs as park safe, or off-leash safe. There could be stringent testing regiments one would need to go through to satisfy the certification process. The city could make revenue by charging a certification testing fee and or a licensing fee. The ultimate responsibility would still lay with the dog owners, but the community could now reward responsible dog owners, rather than punishing them.”
How long have you lived in Santa Monica? “For a little more than three years or so. I was born in Culver City and grew up in Huntington Beach and then came back here to UCLA for my undergrad.”
Why Santa Monica? “I just wanted some place where I could go out my door and have stuff around me, and I found it here. Santa Monica is just so laid back, so much to do, the beach. I knew Bailey was going to love it, and you can’t beat this (Main Street). I walk out my door, and I’ve got Main Street, everything I need here. I don’t drive that much anymore … I love to hang out down here on Main Street. There’s a bunch of coffee shops where I can just kick back with Bailey, enjoy a cup of coffee and talk with people, and Bailey can get all the attention he wants … Rick’s Tavern, they’re really cool. They have a patio out front Bailey likes and everyone’s really cool to him. Main Street’s pretty great. I don’t really go anywhere else.”
What’s the technique to teaching a dog to obey?
“I can teach a dog how to do whatever you need him to do literally in minutes. Walk, heal, lay down, it doesn’t take very long because dogs are very ready to please. If you explain to them in the right way what you want, they’ll be happy to do so. It’s all about teaching humans how to take on that pack leader role. Dogs are pack animals, right, so they want to be part of a pack. And the nature of a pack is hierarchy. You have someone who is the leader, and then you have the rest who follow. You need to take on that role, that’s what I teach, to place that dominant role. And it’s not physical dominance, like threatening or tugging on leash. It’s really about energy, your tone, conviction for what you are saying to your animal. Dogs are very much about reading body posture, they sense energy, can hear a change in inflection in your voice. So if you are confident and positive about what you expect of them, they’ll buy into that. It’s a lot easier than people think. It’s just about taking the time to play that role. People mostly buy dogs for themselves and don’t take the time to learn the dog’s needs.”
Are you a dog owner or a dog guardian? “Wow, I never really thought about that. Dog guardian, I don’t like that. I don’t have a problem with being a dog owner because you really have to have a bit of that mind-set because a dog isn’t a human. If you treat them like a human, you are going to have problems. He’s a dog, and you have to take responsibility. I’m a dog owner.”
What do you think about laws banning certain breeds of dogs?
“It’s an unfortunate thing that doesn’t need to happen if people understand how to interact with dogs. A dog is a dog first, if you communicate with them properly, you shouldn’t have a problem. Breed does play a role in defining characteristics, such as dogs that are bred for fighting, but if you communicate right, no dog is really an issue. Like humans, there are dogs who have psychological problems because of what they have been through. But no matter what, like humans, dogs can be rehabilitated … A pit bull or rottweiler, whatever, they can be the most gentle dogs if you just raise them right.”
There has been a lot of lawsuits around dogs attacking others, some owners actually serving prison time for deadly attacks. Your thoughts on these penalties?
“You live in a city, so you have to take on the responsibility of living with a lot of other humans who live in the city themselves and don’t necessarily deal with animals regularly. So you have to be aware of that. The reason I teach what I teach is to get your dog to understand what is expected of them. But ultimately, if your dog does get out of hand, then you should be held responsible for that.”
What is it that you are doing at UCLA? “I am a UCLA cognitive science graduate and hope to continue my studies in the PhD program next year. I am applying my understanding of how information is perceived and processed by the brain towards better methods of communication with animals. My philosophies are also derived from my work with animals through rescue groups and specific training received via dog gurus such as Cesar Milan from “The Dog Whisperer,” and Brandon Fouche, a dog trainer for over 30 years. I refer … to the training I provide as instruction in dog psychology. I train people how to project a pack leader energy for their leadership craving companions.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 10, 2006. Read the original PDF.