Happily, his life's gone to the dogs - MassLive.com

SOUTHAMPTON - James Helems, of Gunn Road, is happy to say that in the last five years, his life has gone to the dogs. The man that five years ago owned a construction company and took his dog to the occasional obedience class now spends all his free time training dogs, teaching people how to interact with dogs and doing his best to make sure that dog owners know how to keep their dogs happy, healthy and safe.

Helems, 46, said that he'd always dreamed of being a dog trainer, but imagined it wouldn't happen until after he retired from the construction business. He estimated that it was in 2006 that he started getting really involved in dog training, taking any classes that he could find on agility, tricks and dog sports.

A few years later, he found himself teaching the classes, not taking them.

"I planned on getting into dog training when I retired, but I starting getting customers referred to me, so I ended up starting much earlier than I planned," he said.

As part of Dog Pals, the dog training and entertainment business he started in 2010, Helems splits his time between training dogs and their owners and giving trick shows at events with his own well-trained Australian shepherds, Jake, Pyro and Ember. The three have a bag of tricks, including jumping through hoops or over their owner and even dunking a basketball in a dog-sized hoop.

Helems said that the dogs are like a part of the family, which also includes his wife, Deresa, 48, and sons Christoper, 26, and Michael, 17.

"The dogs are a huge part of our lives," he said. "They're spoiled - they even sleep in bed with us - but they're well-trained and they work for their living."

Now the dog trainer is branching out and has recently added a few more titles to his list of credentials, including Dog Scout troop leader, Doggone Safe educator and certified Red Cross Pet First Aid teacher.

Helems created Dog Scouts Troop 211 in November. Like Girl or Boy Scouts, Dog Scouts is a nationwide nonprofit organization with local troops that meet to have fun and earn badges, and Helems said he thought there were plenty of Western Massachusetts dog owners who would be happy to join.

"Dog Scouts is all about getting together with dogs and humans and just enjoying all the different things you can do with your dog," Helems said.

CONTINUED 1 | 2 Next

View the original article here