Leadership, Learning, and a Love for Dogs- By Student Mario Sparto

Here’s where it all started for me — a lifelong passion for both leadership and dogs.

I’ve spent over 40 years in the corporate world, working in casino gaming. Those years gave me countless lessons in leadership, communication, and relationship-building. But what they didn’t give me was much time to pursue my bigger passion — working with dogs.

It didn’t take long to realize that leadership and dog training have more in common than I thought. At the heart of both is the same foundation: building relationships grounded in communication.

It sounds simple, but it raised a question — how do we communicate with our unconditionally loving, four-legged teammates?

That’s where Western States K9 College entered my journey.

My First Week: Back to School!

This is my first week in the program, and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m excited to dive into the coursework, assignments, and Zoom calls — and I can’t say enough about how valuable the one-on-one support has been.

Joe has been readily available for meetings and messages, helping me make connections between leadership principles and dog training practice. Even in these early lessons, I’ve already identified some fundamental mistakes I’ve been making with my pack — and I’m eager to start correcting them.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing my pack one by one. For now, here’s a little sneak peek: Big “Z” wanted to show off how proud she is of her dad’s back-to-school moment.

“Don’t mind us — we’re just over here mastering the ABCs.”

Check back soon for more updates, insights, and real-world lessons as I continue this amazing journey with Western States K9 College.

— Mario Sparto