Pets

Adorable Pitbull, Trainer Visit West Orange High School

The "animal behavior" class West Orange High School is gaining in popularity among students interested in vet and medical careers.

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A dog trainer and his adorable pitbull, Bella, recently came to West Orange High School for an entertaining-but-informative learning class with local students.

Last month, students in Karen Green's animal behavior course at the high school hosted a visit on with Frank Pugliese and Bella to gain a better understanding of how to work with animals

Pugliese, a master trainer/behaviorist at Behavior Plus, brought Bella to demonstrate how to handle and train dogs… including what not to do, district administrators said.

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The WOHS animal behavior class – which is entering its second year – is gaining in popularity among students who are thinking about entering the medical and veterinary fields.

Labwork in the class can include the study of earthworms and flatworms, Pill Bugs and Choice Chambers. Students also make class trips to observe animals, including visits to the Turtle Back Zoo and the Bronx Zoo.

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“The thing I look forward to the most is observing the students' reactions during a live lab activity,” Green said. “They get so much into it with excitement and their reactions are priceless. Also, the trips are great, because the students are gaining real-life experiences when observing the animals.”

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