Old dogs are learning some new tricks

The 40-year-old Burlingame resident is known as the local dog whisperer around the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA. Jose Eguren, the behavior and training manager, works with animals preparing them for adoption. The department also heads up training classes and manages a free advice hotline.

Her job is a long way from where she started in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Growing up, Jose Eguren knew she wanted to work with animals.

"I had animals all my life; dogs, cats. I would always ask my mom, ‘Can I have this?’ We lived in an apartment so I couldn’t have everything I wanted; horses and dolphins, everything a little girl wants,” she said.

She became a biologist specializing in animal behavior after studying at the University of Buenos Aires. Jose Eguren spent time studying wild animals, like a new mother gorilla and her baby in Chicago. For five years Jose Eguren worked at the Buenos Aires Zoo with all kinds of wild animals. She switched to domestic after moving to California with her husband of nine years, Pablo Canova. Canova’s company, Oracle, transferred him up here for work.

The new animal clientele was a change for Jose Eguren, but she said all animals can learn from the same types of positive reinforcement. The needs, however, vary from animal to animal, species to species.

Jose Eguren volunteered at the Peninsula Humane Society and on a polar bear study at the San Francisco Zoo when she first came to the area. Her current job opened up two years later. It’s a position she’s now held for seven years.

Learning techniques to work with and understand animals isn’t difficult, it just takes a lot of time, continuous education and dedication. Jose Eguren heads the behavior and training department using both positive reinforcement such as treats and negative ones like time-outs when working with canines. Last year, the department expanded their work to include teaching obedience classes. Prior to that, PHS contracted out to offer the courses.

Above the class load, Jose Eguren and her crew are responsible for working with animals before they can be adopted. This process can take a few weeks to months.

"You get to spend a lot of time with them so you can understand why they act like they’re acting. ... Sometimes they’ll come and sit in my office. The more time you spend the more attached you get. When they get adopted it’s like, ‘yay!’ But, a little depressing,” she said.

Jose Eguren gets updates and occasional visits from two of her favorite trainees — a puppy named Archie who was adopted by PHS President Ken White and a lab mix named Kingo.

"Maria is magical. She’s a magical person with just a great gift to be able to touch animals of all kinds. ... She’s exactly what people like me, who run humane societies, want to have,” White said.

Archie came to PHS, for example, as a stray that had been abused and didn’t act kindly toward humans. White wasn’t sure the dog would ever be able to be adopted. White watched as Archie’s behavior began to change under Jose Eguren’s watch. White’s family had suffered a loss of their 18-month-old dog not long before Archie was put up for adoption. The Whites took in Archie, who is now a leader and mother-type to the rest of their animals. White attributes Archie’s success to Jose Eguren.

If someone adopts a dog from PHS and is having a problem with their dog, Jose Eguren can schedule a 30-minute session to evaluate it. Jose Eguren works with the dog after getting the details of the unwanted behavior from the owner. This assessment allows Jose Eguren time to evaluate the dog and create a plan to fix the behavior. Really aggressive dogs cannot always be treated at PHS because of the time requirement.

"People don’t know how much we do. They think the dogs sit in a kennel until some nice family comes and rescues it. There’s a lot of behind the scenes,” she said.

Each year, Jose Eguren tries to add to the work PHS does with the animals. A recent change is music playing while the dogs are in kennels. There’s classical and special CDs made to ease dogs.

The multi-lingual behaviorist likes to read, hike and enjoy the outdoors when she isn’t talking with the animals. Despite her long history of animal work, Jose Eguren still one day hopes to do field work in Africa, particularly with gorillas.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.

Dog training options

Puppy preschool is for dogs younger than 4 months old. The next six-week session begins Saturday, Feb. 10 at noon.

Puppy kindergarten is for dogs 4 to 8 months old.

Companion dog level 1 is a six-week session to teach hand signals and commands. Class begins at 6 p.m. Monday, March 5.

Companion dog intermediate is for graduates of any of the lower level obedience classes. The next six-week session begins Monday, March 5 at 7:15 p.m.

There are special classes for training small dogs, bully breeds, tricks and clicker training. The department also offers classes in Spanish and for children. Classes cost $85 for animals adopted from the center and $120 for the general public. For more information visit www.phs-spca.org. For free, quick behavior help call 340-7022 ext. 783.