6th December 2004
Several weeks ago Lisa and Ian Hathaway of Matlock adopted Benny, a terrier cross from the RSPCA Animal Centre, Chesterfield. The couple weren’t expecting a perfect pet; they already had one rescue dog and had been warned that Benny was prone to howling in the night. But nothing had prepared them for their new dog’s monstrous behaviour.
‘The first night we had Benny he howled all night. We did our best to ignore it, thinking that eventually he would give up. When we did finally go downstairs we discovered Benny had chewed his way through the doorframe and was making a start on the plaster. He had also ripped up the carpet and chewed at that. Worse still he had soiled literally everywhere in the back of the house’ says Lisa.
The following day the couple bought an indoor crate, a cage-like device, for the dog to sleep in at night. ‘The first night we put Benny in the crate he chewed through the bottom of it’ says Lisa.
Things got worse as Benny started to feel a bit more at home. ‘Benny had a real fear of men and every time my husband, Ian, walked into a room Benny would bark ferociously and dart backwards and forwards, clearly frightened of him. When Ian played with the kids, Benny would nip at the back of his legs and obviously didn’t like it’ says Lisa.
This situation continued for a couple of weeks, until the couple decided that they really couldn’t cope with Benny’s behaviour any more. ‘We were both very attached to Benny by this stage, but we really couldn’t carry on as we were and I was a bit worried that at some point he might turn on the kids. In desperation the couple called the RSPCA centre and explained that they couldn’t cope.
It was Richard Woodwards, the manager at the centre who suggested that the couple give Margaret Hooton at Bark Busters a call before admitting defeat. ‘I was worried about Benny since he had proved very difficult for us to re-home. He had originally been at the Derby RSPCA and when they couldn’t find him a home he came to us. Someone did take him home in September, but he was back with us after just a day. I think the howling and destruction had proved too much’ says Richard.
Benny had originally come from a house with lots of dogs and he had been living as a member of a pack. ‘We knew that Benny had received very little human attention and hadn’t been socialised in his previous home. This teamed with his nervous nature had led to plenty of behavioural problems’ admits Richard.
Luckily for Benny, Bark Busters did the trick. ‘Margaret was wonderful and quickly helped us to improve Benny’s behaviour. He is now absolutely fine with Ian and all the howling, barking and aggressive behaviour has stopped. He is also much better when I take him out for a walk. Whereas previously he would have wound himself round my legs in fright if a man approached, now he just stays by me’ says Lisa.
Lisa, who works as a Lollipop lady, is now able to go to work in the morning and afternoon knowing that Benny will lie down quietly until she returns. ‘He just patiently waits for me to come home and is no longer upset by the slightest noise or likely to chew furniture or soil in the house. Benny is 110% better and we are all delighted’ says Lisa.
Richard is relieved to know that Benny now has a home for life. ‘Margaret has done a great job on Benny and has also given us a lot of help at the centre with some of our more difficult dogs. Benny is a perfect example of not giving up on a dog. Any dog can be trained and that is the message I would like to get across to all owners’
For information about Bark Busters please take a look at www.barkbusters.co.uk
To contact a Bark Buster Therapist call Freephone 0808 100 4071 About Bark Busters 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.
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