Polk County dog trainer transforms memories into 'Canine Legends' book series

When Marco Magiolo lost his longtime companion in 2018, despair engulfed him.

Flecha had been part of his life for 14 years, and the pair had ventured across three continents as a devoted duo.

Flecha — “Arrow” in Portuguese — was a border collie. With Magiolo serving as handler, the dog had captured titles in agility competitions in the United States, South America and Europe.

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“That dog was everything for me,” said Magiolo, a Davenport resident. “We traveled the world together. And it was very, very, very difficult for me to deal with that. You know, it's a dog that is not just a pet. You travel with her; you win, you lose. It’s a partnership. So I was very depressed. I was in bed for like three days.”

At the urging of a friend, Magiolo met with a therapist. As a grief exercise, the therapist suggested that Magiolo write some of his memories of his time with Flecha.

The assignment helped Magiolo cope with his grief, and his writings became the basis for a trilogy of books, the “Canine Legends” series. Magiolo will hold a book signing for the newly published “Volume 3” on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Historic Ritz Theatre in Winter Haven.

Magiolo, 45, is an animal behaviorist and dog trainer affiliated with Orchid Springs Animal Hospital in Winter Haven. A native of Sao Paolo, Brazil, he said that he formed close bonds with canines starting in early childhood.

“Since I remember I was alive, we had dogs in our house,” he said. “My parents had dogs. When I moved to my first place by myself, I had dogs. Always. I grew up in a pack of dogs.”

Magiolo said he received a master's degree in animal behavior and worked as a veterinarian in Brazil. Since moving to the United States in 2012, he has shifted to serving as a behaviorist, doing training sessions with dogs to address issues ranging from potty training to aggressive or destructive tendencies.

He works two days a week at Orchid Springs Animal Hospital and on other days does home sessions for private clients.

That role might bring to mind the work of Cesar Millan, the self-proclaimed “Dog Whisperer,” who gained renown through a TV show on the National Geographic channel.

“Sometimes people call me that,” Magiolo said. “I don't like that name that much, to be honest with you. I don't see myself as a dog whisperer.”

He said he draws upon his expertise to interpret the body language and facial expressions of the dogs he trains.

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Melissa Hood, a veterinarian at Orchid Springs Animal Hospital, said that Magiolo brings a valuable component to the practice. She said most veterinarians don’t receive much training in animal behavior.

“I don't know anyone else in the state of Florida that I personally know has the qualifications that he does,” Hood said. “He really fills a niche for us because I can just pull him in a room, because a lot of veterinarians, we're not really taught a lot about behavior, to be honest. So, I really depend on his opinion.”

Hood, who has worked with Magiolo for eight years, said she appreciates his approach toward managing dogs’ behavioral problems. She said he avoids using shock collars, as some trainers do, and he almost never asks her to prescribe medications for dogs he is training.

“I don't want to knock anybody's training methods, but I think his training methods are very natural, very compassionate,” Hood said. “So that's definitely one of the positives. He really knows his stuff. And sometimes it's frustrating for me because he makes it look so easy. Even as an owner, with my own dog with behavior issues, we go to try to do it and we can't.”

Magiolo’s understanding of dogs deepened during the 16 years he spent regularly leading canines in agility competitions. In contrast to the “best in show” conformation events based on appearance, agility contests involve dogs racing through obstacle courses containing hurdles, ramps and tunnels.

“I always had border collies,” he said. “They're very good with commands. They're very smart. They're very fast. They have a natural aerodynamics on them. So if you go to a show, you’re going to see a lot of border collies running.”

Magiolo competed first with Flecha and then with a border collie named Fox and another named Brown. He said he won the most titles with Brown, who died in 2021. His current pack of dogs at home includes Jack Bauer, the son of Brown and Flecha.

The impetus for turning his written memories of dog competitions into a book came in 2020 from a client who happened to be an author. Magiolo said he mentioned his writings to the woman, who asked him to share some of the essays.

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“And I sent it to her, she read it and she said, ‘This is a book. This is amazing,’” Magiolo recalled. “I never had written a book before, and English is not my first language. It was a challenge. So, she helped me to create the story about that dog, and about the travel and about the competition since the beginning.”

He said the client declined to be listed as a co-author or otherwise credited, telling him he had done all of the writing, and still wishes to be anonymous.

Magiolo described the books as 70% autobiographical and 30% fiction, with the protagonist, Marquito, based on himself. While the books emphasize canine competitions, the story has deeper dimensions.

“The book is not just about competition,” Magiolo said. “Marquito needed to deal with some very rough personal dramas, like the (imprisonment) of his father. When he is 18 years old, he sees his father going to jail. And there's this whole drama. The federal police just take all the family’s money because they discover the crimes of the father. The mother needs to start working in a grocery store, making minimum wage.”

Marquito, helping to care for a younger brother, takes a job at a dog kennel and later works at a ranch owned by breeders of border collies. That is where he meets Flecha/Arrow.

“So, Arrow is this scary (frightened) little puppy, much smaller than the average border collie,” Magiolo said. “So nobody wants her because she's too small.”

Marquito begins working with Flecha, and the owner tells him the dog is his.

“And they pretty much help each other,” Magiolo said. “Arrow becomes everything for him. Just think about an 18-, 19-year-old boy who sees his father in jail. His mother's working her ass off to bring food home. And Marquito starts competing with her and making money in competitions and helping the family. It's a classic hero's journey, you know?”

Magiolo has self-published all three volumes, which are available through Amazon and other outlets. The release of the first book prompted contacts from Hollywood agencies interested in the movie rights, he said. Magiolo collaborated with an experienced writer in Los Angeles on a screenplay, and he said they are now in negotiations on a possible film adaptation.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County dog trainer explores life among canines for book series