SOMETHING TO BARK ABOUT

By DELL ARTHUR

           

New York City features lots of attractions. But one of the most famous is Broadway featuring theatrical shows. It is on this stage that many careers have been launched. Not only actors and musicians but others related to the success of the productions. While the performers take center stage there are many, equally as professional, working behind the scenes that are responsible for the shows becoming Broadway hits.

           

One such person is Rob Cox.

Cox is an artist in his own fashion. He trains animals and he is very good at it. “I’ve been working with dogs since 1998,” he recalled. “I started animal training with Bill Berdoni who is one of the biggest theatrical animal trainers in the business.” As a result of this association Cox has trained animals for such huge Broadway productions as Disney’s “Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Women in White” to name just a few.

           

In one production he was working with 17 birds on stage. In another he was working with a rat. “In this show I worked with the lead singer, Mitchel Ball who played the ‘bad guy.’ Ball had to sing a song with a rat on his shoulder and what we had to do was train the rat that at the finish of the song, when Ball stretched out his arms, the rat had to run from his one shoulder of his outreached hand across to the other hand and then finish by running up to Ball’s cheek and giving him a kiss.”

           

Getting animals to respond is a talent in itself. Early in his life Cox felt an urge to devote his career to working with pets and so began his career never expecting to wind up on Broadway.

“When I was around 24 I was somewhat aimless. I always loved animals and felt a need to work with them,” he said. It was a natural passion. His philosophy is based on the principle of trying to figure out what is it a trainer wants the animal to do. But equally important, what does the animal want to do? “…The problem is how can I make a dog understand what I want?” To accomplish this he must first put himself in the animal’s place he explained. And this is where patience becomes important. With this approach he works at shaping their behavior.

Cox uses a low even-tone moderate voice when working with animals. This was demonstrated when he was working with a shy pup that hid behind its owner. The dog was a “rescue” and obviously had no trust in people. Within five minutes Cox had this same puppy eating out of his hand.
 

In the past trainers used methods that demanded certain results to cues. It was believed that animals responded best to harsh voices and a demanding tone. Often times this type of training proved more repressive than helpful.

“Using the old method of harsh demands there is the risk of breaking the animal’s spirit resulting in an unhappy pup,” Cox said. As a result he believes that positive reinforcement gets better results and he has evidence to the prove it. “Training is all about figuring how to let animals know what you want them to do. Most dogs come from shelters and most of them are dying for love and praise.” This, he said, is important in the first step in shaping behavior

How Cox got into the theater animal training business came about when he met Berdoni at the New York animal society he related. They were both working as volunteers at an animal rescue center in New York and both discovered they both had shared interests and philosophy in working with animals.

Ever since he was a child Cox said he loved working with different animals and when he met Berdoni he was offered a challenge of a lifetime—working on Broadway. And this gave him the opportunity to put into practice his ideas on training while gaining experience working with one of the most talented and most sought after trainers in the business.

He continued working on productions but after a few years living in the “big city” the luster was beginning to wear off. Big city life had its advantages but after working in the theater field he and his wife decided enough was enough. A slower pace was in order. Consequently the couple made a decision.

Moving to Tucson, Arizona, where he was born and raised, the couple settled down and Cox continued working in the training business. The beauty of the desert with its awe-inspiring sunsets, star studded nights and warm weather was far distant from the hub, bub experienced on the East Coast. Also the family relished the slow pace of life in Arizona.

But there were disadvantages as well. There was only so much a trainer could accomplish in the community. Dog care and training centers are unique to most areas of the country and Tucson was one of them. As much as they loved the desert the couple packed up and relocated to the far part of Northwest Washington near the Canadian border where Cox continues training animals. And the move has been more than rewarding. But Cox isn’t finished; he wants to use his experience and talent to accomplish a new set of goals.
 

Next on his agenda is possibly becoming a vet technician and learning more about animal health care. With this he also intends working towards professional certification. This certification will place him with the elite of animal trainers. With his experience Cox’s success is a ticket to unlimited opportunities. And that is something to bark about.