Barking mad dog cured by therapy

Benji, previously a resident at Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester, was adopted by Caroline Law and Richard Lewis of Hartford, Huntingdon, eighteen months ago.  The couple knew a bit about Benji’s history and were aware of some past behavioural problems but this didn’t deter them from offering him a new home.

‘We knew that Benji had been with a family where there were five children under the age of twelve and that he was a nervous dog who had shown some aggression and had a tendency to guard food and other items, but we felt that with the quiet home we could provide that all should go well’.

Indeed Caroline and Richard found Benji to be a delightful dog who showed no aggression towards them or others, but it transpired that Benji had another trick up his sleeve.

‘For the first week or two Benji was perfect and then little by little the barking set in.  It grew from a bit of barking when people came to the door, to barking at literally everything all day, everyday.  He would bark at people passing the house, he would bark when the telephone rang, it would be a solid ten minutes barking when the postman arrived, but really anything set him off – the wind, birds, butterflies, you name it, he barked at it.  And on top of this he spent all his time racing around the house, out of the cat flap in to the garden and back again barking all the while.  It just never stopped’.

Caroline would find herself getting up anytime from four in the morning when Benji’s barking began and then it pretty much went on all day.

‘It wasn’t so bad when I went out to work, but once I started working from home I became aware of the full extent of the problem.  It really did drive me mad because I simply couldn’t stop him.  We tried shouting at him, using a water spray, which he treated as a big game, but nothing we did stopped him.  I was frightened that one day I might lose my temper and hit him – I was absolutely desperate.  I would regularly stand shouting at him in floods of tears with no idea what to do to stop him.  His barking had totally dominated my life’.

Earlier this summer the couple decided to remove three conifers in their garden which were near to the road and to also to build a conservatory.  The removal of the trees meant that Benji had a clear view of the road which lead to non-stop barking.  This was the final straw for his long-suffering owners.

‘Benji just got worse and worse, spending almost all his time watching the road and barking, often at absolutely nothing.  I had already rung the vet and they couldn’t suggest a solution, so as a lost resort I called Bark Busters home dog training which I had seen advertised’.

Once Caroline had established that Bark Busters could help she couldn’t wait to get started.  ‘I was literally begging John to come and see us as soon as possible’ laughs Caroline.

Within just one session with canine Behaviourist John Cannon, Benji was a reformed character.

‘I was absolutely stunned at the change in Benji after just one session and what was really fantastic was the way that John made sure that Benji was responding to my commands so that he would continue to obey me when John had left’.

When Richard returned from work that evening he couldn’t believe he was looking at the same dog.  ‘It was a complete miracle, we sat on the sofa that first evening and were amazed at the transformation’ says Richard.

‘I hadn’t realised just how stressed Benji had been – there was never a calm moment in his day before John arrived and showed us how to take control’ says Caroline.

John explains ‘Benji was a nervous dog who believed he was in charge and for this little dog that meant he had to bark at anything which in his eyes caused a threat – and that meant a lot of barking and also a lot of stress for the poor chap.  Once we took him off guard and made him realise that his owners were quite capable of looking after him and themselves, he was then able to lie down and have a rest and enjoy life’.

As a voice coach learning to use the verbal commands was easy for Caroline and everything John taught her about body language made complete sense too.  ‘Once John had explained to me what was going on in Benji’s head I could see exactly where I had been going wrong, but even so I had never dreamt that it would be as quick, easy and effective as this’ says Caroline.  Even the couples three cats have noticed a difference in Benji and little by little are daring to share the same room as this previously barking mad monster.

Caroline has not only got the barking completely under control, even with a host of workmen in and out of the house constructing the new conservatory which would previously have driven Benji demented, but walking Benji on the lead is also now a pleasure.  This used to be a long-winded stop start performance while poor Benji did his best to mark every tree, lamp post and fence in his path. 

Benji also proved himself to be a talented escapologist who took no heed of his owners plaintive cries and was regularly returned home by a kindly stranger. 

‘Since the training Benji hasn’t tried to escape once and we are now planning to let him off the lead, under John’s supervision and I am fully confident that he will respond just as well outside as he has in the home’.

Caroline is indebted to John for transforming Benji from a nervous nuisance barker in to a perfect pooch. 

‘The best thing is to know that Benji is now so much happier.  He used to be so stressed charging round the place barking like a maniac and now he is happy to rest and relax while I enjoy the peace!  I would ask anyone who has a dog to seriously consider how their dog is affecting their life and how their life is affecting the dog, because so many people live with a dog that is unhappy and ruling their life and that is exactly what I did until I came across Bark Busters’

For more information about Bark Busters take a look at www.barkbusters.co.uk

To contact a Bark Buster Therapist call Freephone 0808 100 4071

Bark Busters, the world’s largest, most trusted dog training company, started in Australia in 1989 and came to the United Kingdom in 1999. Since inception, over 400,000 dogs have been trained worldwide. With more than 230 offices in eight countries, Bark Busters is continuing its mission to build a global network of dog behavioural therapists to enhance responsible dog ownership and reduce the possibility of maltreatment, abandonment, and euthanasia of companion dogs. Bark Busters is the only international dog training company that offers a lifetime guarantee. Therapists will provide future sessions free of charge if problem behaviours recur, or if any new problems develop. For more information, call 0808 100 4071 or visit www.barkbusters.co.uk, where dog owners can complete a Dog Behavioural Quiz to rate their dogs’ behaviour.