Augusto de Oliveira can walk huge groups of unleashed German Shepherd dogs. The dog trainer, 23, is a web sensation and turns heads wherever he goes.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1 What is Augusto doing differently today?
2 Where did Augusto grow up?
3 What does Augusto have, according to Cynthia?
4 Why does Augsuto walk the dogs on their leash at first?
5 What does the woman say about her own two dogs?
Leader of the pack Augusto de Oliveira became an internet star after uploading this video of himself walking unleashed dogs through a quiet town, showing an amazing bond with his animals. But today, he's raising the stakes by attempting to repeat the feat on busy city streets.
Augusto grew up on a farm in Brazil with dozens of dogs and he learned from a young age to communicate with them. Today he lives, breathes and even sleeps with his pack, as part of his work, running Griffin Shepherd Kennels.
My dogs know me as part of the pack. I spend a lot of time with them. I feed them, I let them out, I exercise them. I do everything with them.
Augusto’s landlady, Cynthia, is amazed by what she sees every day.
I believe Augusto has a gift, and his dogs, all dogs, not only his, respond amazingly to Augusto.
To test his training, Augusto has decided to try the unleashed pack walking in a busy environment the dogs aren’t used to.
Today I’m taking my pack for a walk in Boston, Massachusetts. I have Hannah, Jenner, Harmony, Griffin, Brazil and Savannah today. I start with my dogs on the leash, get them used to the position they have to walk in and to stay by my side before I start to let them off-leash.
And then, one by one, Augusto lets the dogs off their leash, keeping each one under control in a distracting environment.
And as they can see they have to remain the same position unless I change them.
Eventually, all six German shepherds successfully walk into Hill and the dogs are proving a big hit with the Bostonians.
I would love to have a dog as well behaved as those. I have two dogs that are horribly behaved and this would be amazing but I don't think I can ever replicate what he does. You can tell that these dogs are amazingly well trained, they’re calm, he has complete control of them.
I love spending time with my dogs. I just feel like there's so much I can do with them, I can spend time training them. I can spend time just taking them places. I can spend time playing with them. I never get tired of it.
After a hard day's work, the pack grabbed the first chance they can for a well-earned nap.
Dogs they had fun?
Yeah, they’re all tired, as you can see.
Time for bed!
Key:
1 Walking with his dogs in busy streets.
2 On a farm in Brazil.
3 A gift
4 To get them used to the position they have to walk in
5 They are horribly behaved
