The last time that I wrote about Myles Stubblefield was when I covered his Buffalo Worm Works operation. Since that time, Myles has almost doubled the number of worms at his facility – close to 1 million worms – while he continues to add residential and commercial clients to his composting pick-up service. It’s all part of his “closed loop waste management,” which he says is all about “turning waste into opportunity.”
Photo credit: @julierosephotography
But I’m not here to talk about Myles and his love of worms today. Instead, I’m here to demonstrate his passion for people and their dogs. As a dog trainer, and owner of the K9 Vision (at the Dog Learning Center in Tonawanda), Myles has set out to make big changes in Buffalo. According to Myles, dogs are the one thing that a lot of people can agree upon, while at the same time, they are the one thing that can cause a lot of controversy.
Everyone loves their dogs. Dogs evoke a lot of passion in people. And as we all know, when people are overly passionate, they can be sometimes be blinded by that passion.
Have you ever taken your dog to the dog park? If so, then you know that they are generally fun-loving places. But occasionally someone brings a dog that disrupts the easygoing vibe, whether that dog jumps up on people, is aggressive… or even if the owner lets the dog do its business without bothering to pick it up (all signs of bad behavior). These are all very sensitive conversations that people generally do not like having, because they can lead to confrontations.
Buffalo deserves a GREAT (not just ok) dog friendly experience in public places.
As Buffalo gets to be dog friendlier, there are going to be more dogs in more places, which is great! At the same time, we need to be better prepared as a whole, about what it means to be a good dog owner (parent).
“When People ask me why they should pay to have their dogs trained, when they can do it themselves,” said Myles. “I tell them, ‘Because you don’t train your dog.’ Some people don’t like to be told what to do when it comes to training their dogs, or their dogs’ bad behaviors. So I began to think of ways that I could bring the community together in more social settings, where we could have open conversations about dog ownership. Whether it’s rescue dogs that have come from poor situations, breeders vs. rescues, or even the different types of people that own dogs (age, race, ability, etc.), everyone should have a chance to give their dogs the best life possible. And when a dog is trained properly, it means that everyone is happier, whether at home, or at the dog park, or walking down a sidewalk.”
Myles ‘DogBeGreat’ Stubblefield is an Army veteran, owner and Pack Leader at the Dog Learning Center.
As a way to get the conversation rolling, Myles is establishing a series of free pup-ups called Pints 4 Pups: K9DLC Brewery Socials. At the socials, Myles plans to get people talking about the subjects that range from how to properly leash dogs to e-collars to crate training to how to properly use a sally port.
“I figured that the best way to get people together to talk about dogs was at the breweries,” said Myles [laughing]. “These brewery takeovers are socially inclusive, entertaining, informative, and educational. A lot of people have questions about dog training, but they might feel intimidated to reach out. These are free training demonstrations that will help to answer those questions, and hopefully give owners a better sense of direction when it comes to training their dogs. It’s important that we have these conversations. Buffalo is considered the biggest living room… that same sort of feel-good sentiment needs to transcend to the world of dogs. Everyone should be comfortable owning dogs, and being around dogs. After all, dogs are people too.”
Pints 4 Pups: K9DLC Brewery Social
Thursday, November 11, 2021
5pm -10pm
42 North Brewing Company | 25 Pine St, East Aurora, NY
Dogs are encouraged to attend the Pints 4 Pups: K9DLC Brewery Social (learn more on Facebook).
In case of rain, dogs will not be permitted in the taproom.
Support our heroes this Veteran’s day, and head over to 42 North’s Brewery Social, for a night of dogs, beer, Fat Bob’s bbq and live music. US Veteran and Dog Trainer Myles “Dog Be Great” Stubblefield will have live training demos and take your dog training questions. Proceeds from pints (and raffle tickets) benefit the continuation of free programming offered through K9 Vision to the surrounding communities. See you at 5pm this Veteran’s Day at 42 North Brewing Company, Presented by Clyde’s Feed and Animal Center.
Lead image: @julierosephotography