Oakfied resident Jim Beverly is a dog lover who has always wondered what his dogs were thinking -- or what they would say if they could talk.
And as an animal trainer who has four-legged hunting partners, he thought it would be interesting to produce a DVD that would use his talents, teach people something and be amusing, too.
So he created what he dubbed the "Fun DVD," which he is selling to help the Batavia City Church finish its kitchen project in the Generation Center. He is a member of the congregation. The rest of the money will go to Roswell Cancer Institute in Buffalo where his wife has been treated for a rare form of the disease.
"My mission in life is to help anyone I can with the talents and opportunities that God has entrusted me with," Beverly said. "The more pictures I looked at and the situations the dog was exposed to, the more I started imagining some funny remarks or thoughts that that particular animal may have had at the time.
"It's amazing at some of the things we demand and ask of our four-legged hunting partner."
Although his education is in marketing and engineering, his passion is retrievers and waterfowl hunting.
He has learned that a dog is a never-ending learning experience and it can always keep you on your toes.
"My filming project is going to be a down-to-earth retriever training DVD focusing on the everyday retriever owner and my techniques God has blessed me with. ... The education, experience and faith that I have is what has allowed me to be in the top of my profession.
There may be nothing quite like this DVD on the market. Beverly has done very little editing in order to show different personalities of dogs and how to deal with the training issues of each one.
"As I tell young people that happen to be attending any of my appearances, I did not take dog training 101, but a good education is the first step toward being able to choose what you want to do rather than being forced into something just to earn a living."
The DVD can be ordered directly from Beverly. Cost is $18, including shipping. His phone number is (716) 474-4661.
Beverly is working on another video that he plans to release next year.
