The Working Dog Ranch is located in an area of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma that used to be called Amohi. It’s part of the “Ozark Uplift,” geologically, featuring elevation changes from the treed meadows, across treed rocky bluffs, and down into “hollows,” also known as ravines, with multiple creek courses throughout the property, one pond, and a trail system connecting the areas together. At W.D.R., the training is without restraints — for the Dogstars: no collars and no leashes. The Dogstars are required to be well-rounded thinkers, to be problem-solvers, and to train for indoor and outdoor lifestyles, including caregiving, defense, security, and film work. The property has regular visits by many wild creatures, including: black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks, wild hogs, deer, and more, so the Dogstars get to learn every day. The training method at the Working Dog Ranch is called the Wa-tho-Huk method, developed after studying under Ruth Toth of JR Ranch in Indiana, a well-respected & registered dog & quarter horse breeder. Outside of the breeding, the JR Ranch specialized in working with severely traumatized animals, and Ruth would have been considered an animal “whisperer.” Wa-tho-Huk has many meanings, the two used at the ranch are “Bright Path” and “the Path Lit by Lightning,” in honor of both Jim Thorpe and of Ruth Toth. W.D.R. treats all great creatures as people, and holds them equal under the Constitution of the United States of America as people. Wado.