Fernando and Dana Ramirez of Rancho Luna Lobos recently visited Weilenmann School of Discovery. The couple, who conduct many school presentations each year, said their motivation for doing so was to help inspire human connection and kindness.
“We want to change the human pack in the sense of having that servant’s mindset,” said Dana. “What can I do to make your day better? What can we do to change the world? Be more patient, more kind, understanding. It’s less of the ‘what can you do for me’ kind of attitude.”
The school visits are an extension of the camps offered at Rancho Luna Lobos, where kids and adults can sign up to learn more about dog sledding and the work that goes on behind the scenes of a championship team.
Hundreds of students filed into the school’s auditorium to listen to the presentation, some waving or shouting hello with excitement upon seeing their summer camp leaders. One class at a time, the students sat down in rows, their conversations and movement coming to a stop as the presentation began.
“Thank you for having us. We’re super excited to see you,” said Dana. “We own and operate Rancho Luna Lobos, which is a rescue and rehabilitation and dog sled kennel. We offer rides year-round. We do a kids summer camp that is a ton of fun. A few of you here may have come out to that one, but our goal is for you guys to come out and spend time with our amazing dogs and let them inspire you.”
Next, they played a video that introduced the room to some of the dogs that make up the Luna Lobos pack and the message behind why they do what they do.
Fernando explained a collar system used for the dogs when they arrive at the ranch. There are four steps, each represented by a different color: black, red, yellow and white. The collars represent their journey to success, he said.
“They don’t have to be sled dogs if they don’t want to,” said Fernando. “If all they become is a good ranch dog, and they sit next to me in the gift shop or in the pueblo or wherever we are on the ranch, that’s fine with me.”
The four steps assist Fernanado in Dana in identifying which route each dog wants to take and what will define success for them.
“For some it could be running a world championship. For others, it could be just able to successfully lead the team around the ranch. So everybody that comes through our program, we want to make sure that we’re taking these steps very seriously and the dogs are super comfortable.”
Dana and Fernando kept the presentation interactive by asking the students questions. They shared with the students personal stories about dog sledding that emphasized safety, communication and the challenges that sometimes come with working with the pack.
Going through a slideshow, an image of two dogs appeared. One looked like a traditional sled dog from what you might see in a movie, and another didn’t look the part at all. Dana asked the students which one they thought was the world championships sled dog and which one was the ranch dog.
The students shouted their guesses, trying to convince each other who was right.
“These are the guys you see in the movies, right? He looks like he fits the part right? He looks like he knows what he’s doing,” Dana said, gesturing to the traditional husky, “but actually, Heather is the champion. She is one of our best lead dogs. She has gone through different world championship races. She’s very impressive, Miss Heather, but she’s what we call a true lead dog, and there is a unique quality that makes her a leader.”
Dana explained that a true leader is somebody who does something well and also raises others up to become better and along the way helping them find their own success.
“When you see somebody going around saying, ‘Hey, I’m the best, I’m amazing,’ do you really want to hang out with that person?” “No!” the students shouted in near unison. “They’re not very nice, huh?” Dana said. “What’s nice about Heather is she doesn’t do that, even though she is absolutely the best at what she does. But she doesn’t make anybody else feel bad because they’re not as good as she is. Instead, she looks at them and says, ‘Let me help you. How can I help you get to where you want to be? How can I help you be the best that you can be?’ That’s what a real leader is.”
“We are all leaders in our own lives,” Dana said. She told the students that as humans we’re all guilty of looking at others and making assumptions based on their appearance, just as was done with the two dogs.
“We look at people and we make ideas about what we think they’re going to be like, what they’re going to be good at, what can they accomplish? We do that to ourselves too. So to be a leader is how you can inspire everybody else around you to do even better.”
Dana and Fernando said they are passionate about bringing awareness to the effects of bullying and helping kids understand that they can overcome the difficult obstacles that will inevitably come into their lives. They teach lessons of resilience through the stories of the Luna Lobos pack.
Rancho Luna Lobos offers activities year-round, including kennel tours, sled tours, dry land tours and more. They are also open to opportunities to provide similar presentations to schools and groups of a variety of age ranges.
To contact Dana and Fernando about arranging a presentation, call or text them at 435-772-9881.
Summer camps, which are set to begin on June 9 and run through the end of July, are now open for registration on the Rancho Luna Lobos website, lunalobos.com/summer-camp-full-week
The summer camps run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with weekly and daily options available.