TLRT Publicity - From Mayhem to Medals - What dog training can do for you and your dog
"He's a bit lively...", and so began the conversation with Sue at Labrador Rescue. If I had known, boy if I had known! This telephone call took place only two weeks after we had our first dog, Bertie, put down due to kidney failure at the tender age of two. As such we had a Bertie as a bench mark: soft, brown and very sweet, but if I'm really honest, the lift didn't go to the top floor. He was like a big, cuddly teddy bear and we thought all Labs were like that! In a blur of emotions, we agreed to re-home this "lively" chap.
And so it was, two weeks later, after we had been checked for suitability, that this tornado of a dog arrived. Paws scrabbled, clothes ripped and knees were bruised as we greeted him. A yellow blur lapped the garden in the blink of an eye. I tried to offer Sue from Labrador Rescue a cup of tea, but even that proved difficult. When we shut the dog in the garden he barked constantly and threw himself at the door to the point where we worried for his safety. My husband promptly locked himself firmly in his office. Even the children, who had been so excited about his arrival, were slightly overwhelmed. We managed a cup of tea and a fact-finding chat whilst the dog demolished a brick (still attached to the house). The dog was called Murphy. He was about 9 months to a year old and his previous owners had put him up for adoption because they couldn't cope with him. Sue's parting words were "Oh, by the way, he hates horses". "Great", I thought, we've only got three. What had I agreed to?
The first few weeks really were a nightmare. He howled all night, scent marked in the house, humped the children (and any nice-smelling guests) and chased the sheep. Caring for this adult dog gave me a weird feeling. Knowing that I was responsible for him was even scarier. It's not like a puppy when all the natural nurturing instincts come forward and there's no question about caring as the relationship develops gently. It's an obligation and a chore and it's straight in at the deep end. Other dogs might be different, but Murphy was like a needy adolescent with an ASBO. And so it was that I could totally impassionately book for his immediate castration and dew claw removal. (No there's a thought for the ASBOs...) We also switched him onto a raw diet and enrolled on the puppy course.
But with Carla's help, a reduction in testosterone levels and the benefit of a little maturing, things began to settle down and the lessons from Bertie soon came flooding back. Out came the cage, away went the toys and up went the boundaries. Whilst this dog was boisterous beyond my understanding of the word, it quickly became apparent that most of the problems were related to insecurity. There had been no boundaries for him: he had concept of right from wrong. And so we quickly established a few golden rules to sort the psychology:
"I am the ball master"
"I am the food master"
"I always go before you"
"I mean what I say"
That said, because he was so desperately insecure, he always followed me like a shadow. He seemed so grateful to have a second chance and yet so frightened that it might all disappear again. Comparing him with our first dog, they could not have been more different in character. Training them was like chalk and cheese and different things worked for each dog. In some areas, we made rapid progress with Murphy where we had struggled with Bertie and others, that had seemed easy with Bertie, have taken two years of perseverance. Initially the most challenging aspect with Murphy was getting him to calm down and leave me alone and this insecurity has continued with prolonged problems with relaxed isolations and down stays. But working through the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme has paid off and we were just awarded our Gold certificate last month.
When I look back I am so pleased to have completed the scheme. I never wanted a perfect dog, just a really good, reliable friend that I could take places without fretting about his behaviour and that is exactly what I have. To think that he was thrown out of his last home: it must have been hell for owners and dog. Murphy's case was extreme, but how many dogs are excluded because they have never learnt to behave? How many dogs are never allowed off the lead because they can't be trusted? Murph and I both think that the Kennel Club Good Citizen scheme certainly does make for happy and relaxed friendships between dog and owner, (and of course between dog and dog and owner and owner) and would encourage everyone on the puppy course to keep going. It's so worthwhile.! A great big "Thank you" to all of our friends who have helped us through...
Jane and Murphy
Aug 06
(This article appeared in the Banbury Dog Training Club Newsletter, September 2006 and is reproduced with the kind permission of the author)