about mr. pit

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rafael Blanes, also known as “Mr. Pit,” has always demonstrated a close connection with animals, especially dogs. His childhood memories include many happy times enjoying the company of his Greyhound mutt named Oso and his grandmother’s dogs: Brownie (a Pekingese) and Botones (a Poodle). When Rafael was about 8 years old, his uncle found an English Shepherd roaming the streets. The dog was wearing a tag with a name on it—Mr. Pit—but no phone number. Back then, there were no chips and no easy way of identifying a dog’s owner. So, his uncle decided to adopt the dog and train him. When his uncle gave the dog a simple command to start things off, surprisingly, the dog quickly responded. He was already trained! Rafael became fascinated with the way this dog responded and how well he behaved. From that point on, he decided he wanted to learn how to train dogs himself, and he took on the name “Mr. Pit,” which he used whenever working with dogs.

As he grew up, Rafael was eager to contribute toward and help his community. To fulfill this call, he joined Puerto Rico Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve, and later, proceeded to accomplish one of his childhood dreams of becoming a police officer. In 2005, he felt that he had reached his potential concerning this life goal and decided to retire from the “Policía Municipal de Bayamón.”

In his search for better opportunities for his family, Rafael decided to relocate to the United States. In 2007 he found himself in Miami, FL, where he began a successful career in sales. He had the opportunity to climb the corporate ladder very quickly. As part of his professional growth, he was promoted and relocated to Plano, TX in 2011. However, the traveling and stress he experienced in this job led him to make the decision that he needed to leave the corporate world and finally fulfill his other life goal—having his own dog services business.

Rafael’s love for dogs and experience in law enforcement drove him to pursue studies as a Texas Animal Control Officer. During this time, he was confronted with the reality that many dogs were not bad or dangerous, they were simply misunderstood and so were treated as outcasts. In order to fine-tune his animal communication skills and better understand dog behavior, he went to California to train with the Dog Whisperer himself, César Millán. As you might imagine, it was an amazing experience. After this, he became certified as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator for the American Kennel Club (AKC).

While running his business, Mr. Pit Dog Services, Rafael continues to contribute to his community. He graduated from the Little Elm Citizen Police Academy in 2018, supports the Colony Animal Shelter and other rescues and shelters in the Metroplex area by evaluating and rehabilitating dogs that are considered “not adoptable,” and he has appeared in several dog-related TV segments for a local TV newscast (watch the videos below).

“My biggest motivation is to help dogs and their ‘parents’ have a fulfilling and happy life together,” says Rafael.

No más perros callejeros en Dallas

enero 11, 2017 5:00 pm
Autoridades ‘apretaron’ las reglas para contrarrestar el problema de los perros callejeros. Hay fuertes sanciones para los propietarios que no se hagan cargo de sus mascotas.

No more stray dogs in Dallas

January 11, 2017 5:00 pm
Authorities “tightened” the rules to counter the problem of stray dogs. There are strong penalties for owners who do not take care of their pets.

Cremación, la moda entre dueños de mascotas muertas

febrero 22, 2017 11:45 pm
Para aquellos que desean mantener a su mascota para siempre, aunque sea en cenizas, varias agencias ofrecen servicios funerarios para cremarlos o enterrarlos.

Cremation, fashion among owners of dead pets

February 22, 2017 11:45 pm
For those who wish to keep their pet forever, even in ashes, several agencies offer funeral services to cremate or bury them.

“I am a dog behavior specialist, which means that I rehabilitate dogs and train people. It’s an important distinction, and one that can be hard for people to understand. Most of my time during training will be spent on a one-on-one with you and your dog.”

In order to rehabilitate a dog, you need to figure out what it is in the dog’s environment that is causing the misbehavior. Is your dog bored? … frustrated? … overexcited? … fearful? If you don’t deal with these underlying issues, you may end up with a well-trained dog that will still misbehave when it is bored or frustrated.

The biggest factor that affects your dog’s behavior is the energy of the people around it. Our dogs are our mirrors. They reflect the energy we give them, and if we are not calm and assertive, they cannot be calm and submissive. This is where the “behaviorist” part of what I do comes into play. If you want a well-behaved dog, you need to have a happy and fulfilled dog. This can only be achieved with the proper amounts of exercise, discipline, and affection; as well as proper training and guidance for you.

Don’t just read the fees associated with our various services and stop there. We know some people consider them high, but they are comparable across the industry. Instead, consider the cost of NOT rehabilitating your dog! You both deserve more, and Mr. Pit Dog Services can help.