Home Care In Koosharem, UT

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Dog owners seeking a solution to the uncertainty and annoyance of a poorly behaved pet need look no further than Big Dog Academy, a unique training facility in central Utah’s scenic Grass Valley.

At Big Dog Academy, Wayne Ogden is working to build unbreakable bonds between dogs and owners while writing his own story of redemption.

Ogden said he worked as a real estate agent until his “greediness and stupidity” landed him in federal prison in 2013. The facility where he was jailed launched a service dog training program for inmates. He spent the next five years training dogs for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, epilepsy and other medical conditions.

“I saw what a dog could do for a person,” he said. “It was life-changing, to say the least. A very bad situation for me turned out to be one of the most wonderful things in my life.”

Ogden completed 4,000 hours of instruction while incarcerated to become a certified dog trainer through the U.S. Department of Labor. Upon his release in May 2020, he partnered with a local landowner in Koosharem to create Big Dog Academy and put his unique skill set to work.

Big Dog Academy offers 30-day customizable boarding and basic training or puppy training packages. Owners receive video updates on their dog’s progress. Dogs are picked up and delivered back home at no cost in the Utah, Nevada and Colorado areas.

Big Dog Academy is located on a ranch at the edge of Fishlake National Forest. The property encompasses several hundred acres along with a massive indoor boarding facility.

The certified trainers at Big Dog Academy follow love-based and praise-based instruction methods. Dogs are never subjected to shock collars, scolding or hitting. Ogden said trainers also avoid giving treats for good behavior, which he believes leads to dogs performing for rewards rather than actually learning.

Some dogs arrive with deeper behavioral issues like aggression. Ogden said that through working, training and guidance, many of these problems take care of themselves quickly. Dogs receive exercise, entertainment, socialization and play along with training at the ranch; they’re kept busy from sunrise to sundown.

“It’s not just about us being good trainers,” he said. “They come here, and dogs get to be dogs – fulfilling what nature meant them to be.”

Owners may board their dogs at the ranch for a 14-day minimum, where they’ll enjoy walks, play time and interaction with dogs going through the training programs. Big Dog Academy also trains therapy, emotional support and medical alert service dogs through an intensive long-term process.

Big Dog Academy accepts dogs of any breed, any size, any age over 8 weeks and any temperament. Although some owners believe that older adult and senior dogs are already set in their ways, Ogden said this demographic is reliably the most well-behaved and responsive to training.

“The old adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is really not true at all,” he said. “There is no prime age.”

When Ogden takes a dog home, he provides the owner with a video routine covering basic or newly learned skills. The owner must dedicate 15 minutes a day, two or three times a week, to the fundamentals, which are mostly easy one-word commands. As long as they remain committed, he guarantees their dog will continue to listen, follow their leadership and behave appropriately.

“A common misconception is that a dog is going to go to training for a while, come home and be perfect,” he said. “That’s unrealistic.”

Ogden said that training improves not only a dog’s quality of life but also the owner’s quality of life and enjoyment of their pet. Between vet bills, spaying or neutering, food, grooming, toys and other expenses, a dog is a big investment. The addition of $900 in a basic training or puppy training package at Big Dog Academy makes all the difference.

Big Dog Academy is dog training made easy, Ogden said. No dog has ever failed their one-of-a-kind program.

“We’re able to get through to any dog with love and praise,” he said.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns across the state might experience a windy Mother's Day.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for areas in southern Utah — including St. George, Hurrican, Ivins, Kanab and Escalante — that is set to last until 9 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and southwest winds from 35 to 40 mph can be expected in these areas.

Other areas in southern Utah are under a wind advisory and can expect to see winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

The agency warned that the winds could cause power outages and blow away unsecured objects. The winds could also create hazardous driving and boating conditions. Blowing dust on Interstate 15 in Washington County caused limited visibility as low as 2 miles.

Northern Utah is not untouched by the high winds. The weather service reported that winds reached 62 mph at Hat Island on the Great Salt Lake and that winds and dust are limiting visibility on Interstate 80 between Wendover and Grantsville.

The next 24 hours will be very spring in Utah type conditions:-50+ mph winds across southern Utah-Blowing dust concerns across much of the state-Thunderstorms with the threat of microbursts northern/central UtahAnd light SNOW tonight nrn Wasatch Front/Cache #buckleup#utwx

— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) May 8, 2022

The agency said visibility in parts of Utah County was limited to 1/3 mile because of the dust.

Southwest Utah is also under a hard freeze warning Sunday night into Monday morning. The weather service warned that Beaver, Cedar City, Milford, Panguitch, Circleville, Koosharem and other areas in the southwest part of the state could see temperatures as low as 25 degrees overnight along with the wind advisory.

People in that area should take steps to protect plants and outdoor water pipes from the expected cold. "To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing," the warning said.

Sanpete Valley is also under a similar hard freeze warning into Monday morning but not under a wind advisory, while eastern Box Elder County is under a hard freeze watch.

Nine reservoirs and the Blacksmith Fork to see daily limits doubled for bass and trout to avoid letting fish go to waste.

| Updated: 4:24 p.m.

In anticipation of low water at some Utah fisheries, wildlife officials are lifting daily keep limits at 10 water bodies to avoid letting doomed sport fish go to waste.

Inflows at several reservoirs in southwest Utah are expected to dry up soon thanks to low snowpacks and dry soils. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources predict fish die-offs when reservoirs in hard-hit areas are tapped for irrigation in late summer.

Low water allows water temperatures to rise, which reduces the amount oxygen in the water.

“The combination of high temperatures and low oxygen can stress fish, causing poor growth and disease, and can sometimes be fatal to fish,” the division said in a news release.

To reduce the potential for late summer die-offs, DWR is allowing anglers to take greater numbers of fish at select reservoirs and is reducing stocking. The new rules remain in effect through Oct. 31.

“When we decrease the number of fish stocked into one lake, we will reallocate those fish to another water body where we don’t anticipate low water levels,” DWR sport fish coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “Despite low water levels in some lakes, fishing will be very good in a lot of places this summer. The number of waters where we are expecting drought impacts is very small, and we anticipate that the majority of water bodies, including the major fisheries in the state, won’t be affected.”

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Low water levels at Bullfrog Bay on Lake Powell, on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Utah's largest reservoir is now only a third full as a drought continues to dog the West.

Utah is in the midst of one of its worst droughts on record, with more than 80% of the state currently experiencing “extreme drought.” Across the state, inflows are expected to be far below average and the state’s reservoirs on average are only about two-thirds full.

Here is a list of water bodies where fish limit have been doubled for trout, bass and other species.

DWR anticipates fishing will remain excellent elsewhere and has identified 25 water bodies, including Flaming Gorge, Hyrum Lake and Kolob Reservoir, as good destinations this year.

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Sorenson’s Ranch School must retrain its staff and abide by state rules or close.

| Updated: Sep. 1, 2021, 3:22 p.m.

A Utah ranch for so-called troubled teens could lose its license for forcing kids to chop wood, shovel manure or walk for hours on end as a punishment.

Officials with the Utah Office of Licensing say that two years ago Sorenson’s Ranch School, based in the central Utah town of Koosharem, said it would stop using what it called “Mountain Camp.” School administrators described it as a “low level” camp where students haul wood, improve the land, and complete “therapy assignments.”

Sorenson’s Ranch didn’t stop, the state wrote in a “notice of agency action” released Tuesday. Regulators say Mountain Camp is still in use and Sorenson’s Ranch has continued to force students to do physical labor or “repetitive walking,” which violates state rules.

The 98-bed school also required teens to pick up rocks, chop wood, shovel manure, paint and pull weeds as a consequence for bad behavior, according to the state. Regulators said they told Sorenson’s Ranch School administrators several times that this practice violates Utah rules, where physical labor can’t be used as punishment or “disproportionate consequence for negative behaviors.”

The notice of agency action states that Sorenson’s Ranch did not report at least 12 “critical incidents” to the Office of Licensing, which the program is required to do within a day. A critical incident is any time a child is hurt or seriously ill. Investigators also found “numerous incidents of mistreatment,” including times when staff threatened students.

In order to keep its license, state officials said the program must immediately close Mountain Camp and stop any instance where it forced teens to do manual labor. The school will also be required to retrain staff, and develop a “timeout policy” that doesn’t violate state rules.

Layne Bagley, Sorenson’s program director, declined to comment on the state’s action. The facility can appeal within two weeks, but it’s not clear whether it would do so.

It’s relatively rare for state officials to take this level of action against a youth treatment facility. The last time it did so was nearly two years ago, when it threatened to shut down Red Rock Canyon School after a riot and a subsequent investigation showed staffing problems had led to violence, sex abuse and mistreatment. That facility voluntarily closed in July 2019.

More regulations will soon be coming to the state’s troubled-teen industry, after the governor on Monday signed legislation that will place limits on use of restraints, drugs and isolation rooms in youth treatment programs.

It’s the first time in 15 years that Utah legislators have enacted more oversight on the nearly 100 youth residential treatment centers in the state.

Utah has by far the most troubled-teen centers represented by the leading national association, and has a reputation for being the nation’s epicenter for youth treatment programs. Over the past five years, more than 12,000 children from across the country have been sent to Utah for treatment.

Under the new law, treatment centers must document any instance in which staff used physical restraints and seclusion and to submit reports to the Office of Licensing. The law also prohibits programs from sedating residents or using mechanical restraints, like a straitjacket, without the office’s prior authorization.

The Office of Licensing will now be required to conduct four inspections each year — both announced and unannounced.

KUER reporter David Fuchs contributed to this article.

Editor’s note: The Salt Lake Tribune and KUER are collaborating on a reporting project about Utah’s youth residential treatment centers.

If you can pronounce THESE UTAH TOWN NAMES correctly... You're DEFINITELY a Utah Native!

Tooele:

Too-Will-Uh.

This is one that music stars struggle with the most. Especially because Country Fan Fest happens in Tooele every summer. It's not TOO-LEE. It's TOO-WILL-UH.

Koosharem:

Kuh-Sher-Rum.

Koosharem is pretty much the middle of NOWHERE, but it's NOT Koo-SHARE-EM!

Levan:

Luh-Van.

Do you know why it's called Levan? Because it's NAVEL backwards. As in Belly Button. As in the MIDDLE of the state. There you go!

Kanosh:

Kuh-Nosh.

No clue where this one came from. But it's not Can-ish it's Kuh-NOSH.

Moab:

Mo-Abb.

People get this one wrong A LOT. People always assume it's pronounced MOBE.

Hurricane:

Hurr-Ickin.

Don't you DARE get this one wrong. It's not the way it's spelled. It's also kind of bizarre that it's not pronounced like Hurri-CANE! It was named after the windy weather!

Kanab:

Kuh-Nabb.

All the time people pronounce this place as Kuh-NOBB. NO!

Kamas:

Kam-Muss.

This one is the hardest for me to remember. People think it's Kam-muss, kay-muss, or Kawmuss.

Manti:

Man-Tie.

This one should be pretty self-explanatory, but usually people think it's Man-Tee. NOPE!

Duchesne:

Doo-Shane.

It's NOT Do-Chesney! This one is tough, I'll give you a pass on this one!

Escalante:

Ess-Kuh-Lant OR Ess-Kuh-Lant-Tee

Truthfully speaking... I don't think anyone knows the ACTUALLY pronunciation of this place, because I always hear it BOTH WAYS!

Paragonah:

Pair-Uh-Goon-Uh.

I need to find the real reason Paragonah is named Paragonah. It sounds like a gibberish word!

Scipio:

Sip-E-O.

Of course... It's NOT SKIPPY-O. But actually... I think that would be more fun!

Black & White Utah License Plate... HOW TO GET IT NOW!

Here in Utah, we have the BEST license plate in the game... The Arches plate. Orange, Blue, White. GORGEOUS. But all the sudden, we suddenly have THE TOUGHEST plate of all time: Black & White! And you can get it on your car today!

I saw this from Twitter user: @SplashNephew where he posted these new Black & White plates on his Volvo (Below).

Twitter blew up with people wondering HOW? How can we all get these plates on our cars? Firstly: These are special plates that require annual contributions to the Utah Historical Society. Meaning, you will pay $25 for an initial contribution, and $25/year as an annual contribution. Here is a STEP BY STEP on HOW to get these plates!

These plates, NO DOUBT, will start showing up all over the place, so get yours today! I'm THRILLED these are finally available in Utah!

Wow! Utah's Next License Plates??

Utah's license plates are... OKAY. The Arches plate is AMAZING, but the others? Ehh...

I decided to design the NEXT license plates for MY HOME STATE: Utah!

1. The Dixie Plate:

There's not a chance this thing will fly, but I want it! I'd have it tomorrow! Fairly simple, but gives the St. George Pride Vibe with the sunset behind it. Showing clear skies that we get nearly everyday in St. George.

2. Modern Utah Jazz Plate:No. Forget what I said on the Dixie Plate. I would have THIS ONE on my car tomorrow! The Jazz just did a whole new rebrand and they're keeping it simple. Bright yellow with the black. It pops. I love this plate!

3. The Beehive Plate:

The Beehive State, The Beehive Plate. An actual hive in the background with gooey honey running behind the numbers. This one would be the most UNIQUE plate in the world, and I'm kind of crazy about it!

4. The Elk Plate:

This ones for all the dudes out there. The Elk is the state animal of Utah, and I know there would be TONS of back-country folk that would sport this bad boy! Come on!

5. The Fry Sauce Plate:

Our most VALUABLE resource: Fry Sauce! It's a Utah staple, and it's GLORIOUS! In Fry Sauce We Trust!

6. The Califutah Plate.

This one is made for all those Californian's moving to Utah and trying to turn Utah into California. It's essentially the California license plate with Utah instead of California... Just to make them a little more comfy here.

See! It's a dead ringer! They'd LOVE IT!

Who do we need to send these to? Let's have the MOST AWESOME plates in the nation! Come on, Utah!