Communicating with canines trainer’s forte

Master dog trainer Alex Brooks gave a free dog training seminar at the Northbrook Public Library April 22.

Brooks is the owner of the Midwest Canine Center in Des Plaines. His seminar, “Training To Be Top Dog: Guiding Your Pet To Good Behavior,” covered behavior-related issues including how to train aggressive, timid or overactive dogs.

The seminar covered basics, like how to issue basic commands, end excessive barking, and get a dog to walk properly on a leash, and offered tips on choosing a dog and introducing a new dog into a home where a dog already lives.

Brooks is a regular guest on Comcast Cable TV’s “Contempo” and has served as an expert witness for Cook County’s Department of Animal Control. He also has trained dogs for the K-9 units of several police departments.

In his spare time, Brooks volunteers at local animal shelters by training stray and abandoned dogs so they become more adoptable. And he trains dogs to assist people with physical handicaps.