Remembering an animal training pioneer who helped others bring out the best in their dogs.
Commentary
I recently had the pleasure of watching a near-hour-long documentary, “Dog Man,” about a fascinating person named Dick Russell. This gentleman not only had a very unique personality, but also a profound love for animals, which he trained throughout his life.
The filmmakers include a plethora of interesting interviews with many people who knew Russell, including the owners of the many dogs he trained, fellow trainers who learned a wealth of information from him, his neighbors, his brother L.H. Russel, and others.
Interwoven with the interviews are a bevy of newspaper articles, old photos, television clips featuring Russell showing off his training techniques, and lots of scenes from both his six-week dog obedience training course and his expansive field socialization courses (more on that later)….