In Our Backyard

By Becky Schultz , Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: June 11, 2008 - 11:47 AM

These days, celebrity dog shrinks are everywhere, touring like rock stars and holding book signings at the Mall of America. While those celebrities are getting tanned and coiffed for their next photo shoot, 86-year-old veterinary behaviorist Dr. R.K. Anderson scoffs at being considered Minnesota's local star.

Co-inventor of the Gentle Leader

Dr. Anderson is most widely known as co-inventor of the Gentle Leader head collar. He collaborated with longtime local dog trainer Ruth E. Foster to design an innovative collar resembling a horse's halter. For more than 20 years, professional dog trainers, behaviorists and veterinarians have heralded the Gentle Leader for helping countless people manage their pets safely, without choking and without pain.

While attending a seminar in the early '80s, Dr. Anderson and Foster were inspired to develop a more humane way to handle dogs. Training was harsher back then. Metal choke collars were de rigueur and food rewards were forbidden for fear of "ruining" the dog. Dr. Anderson felt there had to be a better way to train without using force and causing discomfort.

Foster was an AKC judge, president of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI) and director of Training at Twin Cities Obedience Training Club (TCOTC), so she had a ready laboratory for their efforts. Dr. Anderson grew up on a dairy farm in Colorado, where he rode gaited horses and showed prize Guernsey cattle. When he was eight, a veterinarian saved his dog's life, and he knew then that he wanted to help animals, too.

Guide the nose and the body will follow

Handling livestock taught Dr. Anderson that if you can control the nose of the animal, the rest of the body follows. This is the basic concept of their Gentle Leader harness. Dr. Anderson and Foster presented the University of Minnesota with the harness, and the University filed a patent. Unsure if anyone would buy this strange new contraption, however, the University left the licensing to the inventors. Dr. Anderson and Foster convinced a skeptical prospective manufacturer to watch a short video clip of the Gentle Leader in use. The only available VCR was at a local video store, and a crowd gathered to watch. Watching the video turned the doubting manufacturer into an instant fan. He agreed to the deal on the spot and asked for a Gentle Leader to use on his daughter's unruly dog.

Since then, the 20-year patent has expired, but most of the royalties went to the University of Minnesota to fund the Center to Study Human-Animal Relationships and Environments (CENSHARE). CENSHARE, in turn, founded Helping Paws, a service dog organization, which began as a research project at the University.

Accolades and admiration

Dr. Anderson retired from teaching at the University of Minnesota years ago and no longer sees behavior cases, mostly because he's too busy. He travels extensively, guest lecturing, teaching and inspiring new generations of veterinarians and dog trainers. In 2003, the Smithsonian Institution included the Gentle Leader in an exhibit featuring innovative inventions of the 20th century. In 2006, Dr. Anderson founded the Animal Behavior Resources Institute (ABRIOnline.org), which provides free educational resources to companion animal professionals and their clients. In 2007, the Morris Animal Foundation honored him by establishing the "R.K. Anderson Endowment Fund for Research on Improving the Behavior of Companion Animals."

He is a revered favorite mentor of his former students and colleagues all over the country who continue to benefit from his knowledge and vision. He has received countless awards for his contributions to animals and people, including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the ASPCA.

In true Minnesota style, Dr. Anderson would rather turn the focus toward his colleagues. He insists that the story of the Gentle Leader is about collaboration and his list of people to credit is longer than this article. To date, five million Gentle Leaders have been sold. Dogs and people continue to benefit from this invention, making the world a kinder, gentler place.

Becky Schultz is a certified pet dog trainer and writer living in Golden Valley.

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