Dog trainer opens 11,200 square foot facility

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BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As a new pet owner, Chris Pelle wanted to train his young German Shepherd for personal protection. At rst, he did it as a hobby, working with friends and acquaintances.

“I’ve always been very business minded and saw a potential need for it,” Pelle said. “I developed my skill set and started taking clients, working for free with family and friends.”

No longer a hobby, Pelle celebrated the opening of his Complete Canine Training at 695 N. 7th Ave. in Brighton Jan 26.

Pelle initially took to dog training as a side job, perfecting his skill set and expanding a client base which turned into a full-time job working on his property.

His training facility is 11,200 square feet and fully equipped with a training room for K-9 police dogs not only for obedience but also nose work – sniing out drugs and tracking to locate missing humans. e facility has a large kennel, several training rooms and outdoor training spaces to take the dogs on runs. He is also building a 7,000 square foot’s agility training center, he said.

But Pelle said they also do general pet obedience and other issues dog owners have with their furry friends at home, including urinating on the carpet or not listening.

“We do behavior modi cation so bad behaviors such dog reactivity, or some light dog aggression,” Pelle said. “We can rehabilitate the dog to change their behavior set, so they understand that those behaviors are no longer acceptable. en we move into teaching them acceptable behaviors and how to win at life.”

Tips from a trainer

Pelle said high-energy dogs are hard to control in the home, so putting an obedience foundation brings it down to a manageable level.

“A timid dog rebuilds con dence through obedience, so once the dog understands the structure and how to win, they sit down they get paid,” Pelle said. “Once they understand how to get paid, and you start winning their con dence level and it increases, by creating structure around it.”

Pelle said owners can correct destructive behaviors, such as a dog jumping, by not giving a ection, love, or attention.

“To correct the behavior, tell them no, as they are coming towards you, command them to sit then they get paid,” Pelle said. “We start paying them with food and then we pull food away throughout the process, then give the pets and praise and a ection.”

Pelle was never able to rehabilitate the dog fully; training only goes so far, coupled with owner management.

“ ose two combined can limit or minimize the chances of something negative happening. But at the end of the day, there’s always the possibility because they are animals, and going to make their own decisions with what suits them best in their brain at that moment,” Pelle said.

Training only goes so far

Pelle said the genetics of breed plays a factor in behavior and some dogs’ breeding is for something other than a pet. Some breeding is for working dogs, herding, or hunting because it is their original purpose.

“So those genetic factors come out di erently in every single dog. Some Labrador retrievers are great hunting dogs and other labs are terrible hunting dogs, depending on how their genetics have been modi ed over the years,” Pelle said.

Pelle said, always get a dog that suits your lifestyle. For example, getting a working dog, such as a cattle dog, for an apartment is not a good t genetically.

“If you work at home all day, and never get out of the house, don’t get a Belgian Malinois, they are going to run you crazy inside the house. Get an English bulldog, who’s happy to lay down on the couch next to you while you work at your desk job,” Pelle said.

On the other hand, Pelle suggests that super active owners should get a super active pet like a Malinois that can keep up with you, and not an English bulldog. ey’ll never keep up with you trying to hike a Fourteener, he said.

“So nd the dog that ts your lifestyle, not the doggies you think are cool, because it’s ultimately its a disservice to the dog if you get the wrong dog,” Pelle said.

Pelle said it is also s all about communication; we have to learn how to communicate with our dogs, and they have to understand how we communicate.

“ e dog will not change their language. ey speak dog. So we have to teach our owners how to speak dog, and each dog has some di erences,” Pelle said.

“ e best training is through clear communication. It’s not necessarily any one speci c training methodology is going to work with that dog or the next dog. We have to understand how to communicate to dogs, so they get it and then we can then teach the clients how to work with the dog.” later and invite not just the County Commissioners but the community partners for the huge administrative lift and cooperation needed to make this possible.” e new department has ve o ces, in Brighton, Commerce City, Denver and Westminster. e department’s administrative o ces will be located at the County Government Center, 4430 S. Adams Parkway in Brighton. e o ces at 30 S. 20th Ave. in Brighton and 7190 Colorado Blvd. in Commerce City will focus on nutritional help and administering the Women and Infant Children food program. e Commerce City o ce will also be the location for County Vital Records and for environmental health services.

Pelle and his team’s focus is to educate owners and train dogs. Once the dogs complete the training program, the owners gain knowledge and education because each dog has di erent issues, problems, or personalities. To e ectively train the customers, they ensure that the clients understand the dogs relaying information to the customers and the best management techniques.

“ ere are several ways to interact with this dog, some dogs are food motivated, some dogs are praised and a ection motivated or a dog is not motivated- give him a hot dog- pet him,” Pelle said.

Our Family Helping Your Family

HAMMERLUND e o ces at 7000 Broadway in Denver and 1401 W. 122nd Ave in Westminster will host sexual health services. e Westminster o ce will also be the location for immunization services.

“Investing in public health is not just a moral imperative, it is an investment in the future of our society,” said Executive Director Dr. Kelly Weidenbach. “We are excited to launch this new department and are con dent it will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of our residents for decades to come.”

Specific needs e Adams County Board of Commission ended its partnership with TriCounty Health Department in October 2021 and began work designing a new health department to provide services to 520,000 residents and businesses in Adams.

“ is new structure will give us the opportunity to focus on the speci c needs of our community for our residents and invest dollars where we think we need it most,” Commission Chair Steve O’Dorisio said at the grand opening ceremony. “For too long, Adams County was part of a health department that was a one size ts all approach. Now we can conduct targeted outreach and education for our folks. We can invest in programs and services speci cally designed to address the health concerns of our community.” e department will focus on a wide range of public health issues, including disease prevention and control, maternal and child health, mental and behavioral health, food access and environmental health. e department will also work closely with community partners to address speci c health concerns and improve overall health outcomes for residents.

24-Hour Phone Lines 303-654-0112 • 303-857-2290

Brighton: 75 S. 13th Avenue

Obituaries, Arrangements and Resources Online at taborfuneralhome.com

George Hammerlund

April 8, 1924 - December 4, 2022

George H. Hammerlund of Brighton Colo. He was laid to rest along with Harriet Hammerlund Dec.27th 2022 at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

George and Harriet are survived by their 5 children , 9 grand children , 17 great grand children and 3 great great grand children. ey will be greatly missed.

On January 11, 2023, Andrea P. orpe was called up to heaven while peacefully surrounded by loved ones and family.

Andi orpe (76) was born on July 17, 1946, in Duluth, Minnesota. She grew up in various areas until her family settled in Des Moines, Iowa, with a father who was a major in the Air Force and a mother who owned a stationery shop that she would help in after school. She went on to graduate with her teaching degree and an emphasis in both Spanish and English. While in college, she became a foreign exchange student in Argentina, where she fell in love with the culture and learned to speak Spanish uently.

Andi took her rst position as a teacher in Gresham, Nebraska, in 1968 as a Spanish teacher, where she met her best friend, soul mate, and love of her life, Jack orpe, who was an English teacher as well as a basketball coach. ey were married at Saint Andrew’s Church in Nebraska in December of 1969.

Both Jack and Andi moved to Stromsburg, Nebraska, where they taught for two years and then moved on to Wymore, Nebraska, to teach for three more years. is is where Andi rst fell in love with exposing students to culture and the outside world when she and Jack took twenty students from a small farm town in Nebraska throughout Mexico and ended the trip in Acapulco. She found her passion and her life’s calling while exposing these students to a culture and the world that they may not have been able to see otherwise.

In 1974, Andi was o ered a position as the rst Anglo Spanish teacher in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and took the position without hesitation, so she and Jack moved to Denver, Colorado, to start their own lives there. She started teaching during a time when Fort Lupton was going through hardship and gang riots, but she found a way to make a di erence in her students’ lives. Her husband Jack went on to become an 8th grade English teacher a year later. Mr. and Mrs. orpe were able to nd a special home within the Fort Lupton community. It was well known that Mrs. orpe’s door was always open for anyone in need, whether it was during school hours or not.

Andi was much more than a teacher; she was the yearbook advisor for most of her time at

Fort Lupton High School, as well as the student council advisor, Spanish teacher, and English teacher. From chili and study nights in their home for students, trips to the mountains for student retreats and shing trips, homecoming dance decorating and planning, and trips to England, Italy, and Greece with students, there were few that went to Fort Lupton High School that didn’t know the orpe name. Andi created friendships and connections that lasted for years and generations. She taught multiple generations of families, watching students grow from teenagers to parents and, in some cases, grandparents. After 31 years working at Fort Lupton High School, Andi retired to spend more time shing, sewing, knitting, and being with her family, with her true passion being playing with her grandchildren. She will be remembered by many as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, mentor, and great friend. Her hugs were there to always comfort you in a time of need; she would always have an ear to listen to anything you needed and advice that would touch your soul. She will be remembered by many as a calming light in the storm to help guide those who needed her. She will be profoundly missed by all.

Andi is survived by her husband, Jack orpe, of Fort Lupton, CO, her son, Dan (Laura) orpe, her daughter, NaSeana (John) Flores, and her son-in-law Greg Flores. along with her grandchildren: Landon, Kinsley, Odi, Devina, Spencer, Hayden, and Tanner. Andi is also survived by her brotherin-law Bobb (Anne) orpe, their sons Brook and James orpe, as well as her sister-inlaw Dee (Larry) Frost and their son David (Ti any) orpe.

Andi was preceded in death by her mother, Norma June Anderson, her father, Herbert Anderson, and her brother, Kirk Anderson. ere will be a Celebration of Life Memorial Service held at Fort Lupton High School on Saturday, February 4th, starting with a gathering at 11:30, Memorial Service at 12:00, and a reception with food to follow.

In lieu of owers, donations can be made to the scholarship fund in both Jack and Andi orpe’s names at the Bank of Colorado in Fort Lupton.

The game was close, there was less than two minutes to go, and the eld was a mix of snow and slush. On the previous play, his hand had been caught between two helmets as he attempted to make the tackle. When the play was over and he made his way back to the defensive huddle, he refused to look at his hand because he knew it had been broken. He didn’t want to come out of the game. As he took up his position as an outside linebacker, the opposing team threw a pass play in his direction, and with his good hand he was still able to make a play on the ball and de ect the pass. He played through the pain. at story was shared with me about a high school athlete who had the heart of a lion. After that last play his coach called him to the sideline as he knew something wasn’t right and he took him out of the game. And indeed, his hand was broken.

Each of us has probably lived through at least one season of life, if not many where we also played through the pain. It might have been personally or professionally, but we knew that no