As the man walked his pack of six German Shepherds without leashes, passersby were in awe of the dogs’ obedience. However, some onlookers believed that this obedience was the result of mistreatment and coercion. Nevertheless, when they finally discovered the man’s secret, they were both shocked and amazed.
The moment people laid their eyes on Augusto de Oliveira walking down the streets of Hyannis, Massachusetts, they were struck with amazement. Augusto, a man in his early twenties, was walking a large group of German Shepherds that were closely huddled together. Right from the start, everyone could see that the dogs were working as a team, displaying incredible cohesion and discipline, and at the heart of this pack was Augusto, their proud owner, clearly honored as their leader.
The display of Augusto’s brute strength and his ability to train his pack of German Shepherds was impressive. The sight of the dogs moving in unison without a leash caught the attention of many people. Even other dog trainers and animal experts found it difficult to understand how Augusto could achieve such results.
The dogs had the discipline of an army platoon and each dog knew its place in the pack. Augusto’s voice was the only command they needed to move in perfect synchronization. The German Shepherds ignored the barks of other dogs and remained focused on their pack and their leader. They never fought for dominance, and their behavior left many onlookers with more questions than answers.
Augusto and his dogs were a sight to behold during their daily walks around the streets and parks of Hyannis. People often stopped to take pictures, amazed by the unusual sight. With a single command, Augusto could bring the dogs to a halt and have them pose for a photo. Once the fans were satisfied, Augusto would whistle, and the dogs would resume their positions behind him.
Before long, Augusto and his pack became the talk of the town. Rumors and whispers started to spread, leading some to believe that something more sinister was going on. Many were suspicious of Augusto, who appeared to have no human friends and rarely had visitors at his house.
In the evenings, self-appointed investigators would spend hours outside his apartment, peeping through the curtain and listening for any clue that might explain how such a meek man was getting all those fierce dogs to obey him. They suspected that he might be mistreating them into submission, and some even went through his trash cans to try and expose him.
One such neighbor was a nosy lady that had dedicated her life to the rescue of stray animals. She was convinced that Augusto made use of electric shock collars to enforce obedience in his dogs. This same woman went around the neighborhood to gather support for a petition. She wanted the authorities to get involved and investigate this so-called abusive dog owner.
Augusto could have probably dissipated all these doubts himself if he had clearly explained his training methods. But whenever he was asked about them, he remained very secretive. Unknowingly, this reluctance to confess contributed to the suspicions. At most, he would divulge that it had taken him a lot of devotion and patience to fine-tune his methods to the level where he could walk his dogs in public without the necessity of using leashes.
To be fair, everybody knew this was true. It was no secret that he had dedicated his life to becoming an expert dog trainer. Augusto had grown up with German Shepherds, a herding breed known for their courage and loyalty. These dogs have a strong propensity for guarding what they deem precious and will not hesitate to put their lives on the line in defense of their loved ones. Anyone could see that this pack of dogs would protect Augusto with their lives. But this blind loyalty eventually became the feature that probed the police to follow up on the elaborate complaint of potential animal abuse.
In some people’s minds, there was no way that these dogs were simply being obedient because they respected Augusto. Their owner must have been employing some sinister methods of torture to compel them to unwavering obedience.
If nosy neighbors and uninformed citizens would have taken the time to do their homework, this intrusion of privacy could easily have been avoided. Although Augusto made a life for himself in Massachusetts, he had grown up in Brazil. As a boy, he was surrounded by German Shepherds and had immediately shown a keen interest in animal behavior. Augusto would spend hours amongst the dogs on a Brazilian farm. It was almost by chance that he had discovered that he had a natural ability to influence their behavior.
When police officers entered his apartment, they were stunned by what they saw. Augusto and his canines were leading an unusual and different kind of lifestyle. There were no signs of dog kennels or pens where Griffin, Harmony, Jenna, Priscilla, Hannah, and Savannah slept. Instead, the dogs all shared a bed with Augusto. No couch or carpet was off-limits for Augusto’s companions and friends. This was a man who clearly ate and breathed dogs.
At a loss for clues, the police solicited the help of animal experts who closely observed Augusto for a few days. They scrutinized his every action and thoroughly checked the apartment. After a few days, they were ready with their report.
The good news was that the police could not find any signs of neglect or abuse of the German Shepherds. On the contrary, these were animals living in dog heaven. Although the police and animal rescue services appreciated the vigilant members of the public who looked out for the interests of vulnerable dogs, this particular case had proved to be a complete false alarm. The dogs Augusto owned were treated like royalty, getting the best food and care possible. Their owner loved them like his own children.
Despite being outraged at the idea that people might think so lowly of him, Augusto managed to find a silver lining in this odd situation. Soon after the investigation, in fact, he turned his hobby into a lucrative career in business.
Augusto was able to establish the Griffin Shepherd Kennels, where he would dedicate his time and efforts toward training dogs to be highly disciplined and obedient to their owners. Many owners sent their puppies to Augusto, and within a few weeks, they collected well-behaved, fully trained dogs that could easily adapt to small apartments or any other environments. Although he trained all breeds, German Shepherds were his specialty.
This talented man closely guarded his secrets to his training methods but was willing to share that his dogs saw him as part of the pack. That could only be established by spending a lot of time together. The fact that Augusto personally fed his dogs twice a day, allowed them to sleep with him in his room, and devoted ample time to exercise with them urged them to accept his leadership. When dogs are familiar with the body language and commands of the owner and regard them as the leader of the pack, this results in the kind of unity and discipline that was displayed whenever people saw Augusto walking with his dogs.
Not only can Augusto guide his own six German Shepherds untethered through the streets of Hyannis, but he claims to be able to guide up to 15 unharnessed dogs at the same time without incurring in any accident. In recent times, he has even ventured into the streets of Boston, where his dogs still behaved with utmost discipline despite the added noise and completely different environment.
His methods have given him an extraordinary reputation while making him an internet sensation since 2013 when one of these videos went viral. Would you be able to approach German Shepherds that are not leashed on a busy street? What do you think of Augusto’s training methods? Tell us in the comments below.
