Old Dog New Tricks

He would growl at children, lunge aggressively at other dogs, jump up at visitors and would regularly pull me over when I took him out for a walk’ says Pat.  So bad was the pulling that Sam badly injured Pat’s shoulder and at this point she virtually stopped taking him out at all.  ‘Dogs weren’t the only problem either.  He would go for horses, sheep, ducks, basically anything that moved. Taking him out had become a complete nightmare’ admits Pat.

The McLaren family only recently returned from Dubai complete with their 2 dogs Sam and Sophie another Golden Labrador.  ‘In Dubai the dogs were mainly in our small enclosed garden and I would walk them very early in the morning because of the heat.  This meant we didn’t come across many other dogs, so the problem only really came to a head when we came home’ explains Pat.  Sick of being pulled over and frightened that Sam would bite a child or attack another dog, Pat began to wonder whether it might be better to have Sam destroyed before the worst happened.  ‘I feel terrible admitting it now, but the thought really did cross my mind quite seriously.  I didn’t trust Sam at all and was frightened something awful might happen’ admits Pat. 

Even taking Sam to the vets was difficult because he would growl and lunge at other dogs and cats in the waiting room.  ‘When I visited recently and explained my concerns, the vet advised me to give Bark Busters a call’ says Pat.  Undeterred by friends who quoted the phrase ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, she decided to give it a go.

Tracey Callaghan a behavioural therapist with Home Dog Training Company Bark Busters came to visit Pat and Sam.  ‘Sam was dominating Pat all the time.  He would seek attention by nudging her for pats, he would rush up to her to be fussed first thing in the morning, when he demanded his food at 5.00 p.m. he got it. By responding to his demands, Pat was reinforcing Sam’s position as the leader.  It’s not therefore surprising that Sam saw himself as the one who had to defend his pack when they were out’.  In the first session Tracey taught Pat how to redress the balance and how to make sure Sam understood in no uncertain terms who was boss.  They tackled all of Sam’s bad behaviour including his barking when left in the garden, jumping up, aggressive barking at the door and of course the pulling on the lead and aggression to other dogs and children.  Tracey even brought her own dog Barney along for the second session and she soon had the two dogs happily walking along side by side.

Pat couldn’t believe the results.  ‘It was quite miraculous, within a couple of hours Sam was walking along beside me like a little lamb.  Tracey showed me how to get total control and stop any attempts he might make at pulling, lunging or growling at other dogs.  He was really listening to me for the first time and it was a great feeling’.  Pat now happily walks Sam by the canal without fearing that she or an innocent passer by may end up in deep water.  ‘Since Tracey has been we have not only seen enormous improvements in Sam’s behaviour at home and when out walking, but we have even been able to put him in to kennels.  The last time we did this in Dubai we were asked not to bring him back again’ laughs Pat.  Fully confident as leader of the pack, Pat has now re-gained her confidence in Sam and says ‘It’s like a having a different dog and it’s wonderful’.  Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

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.