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A hooligan hound which bit strangers, barked all night and yanked his 51-year-old owner to the ground on walks is now the perfect pooch - thanks to relationship counselling.
Charlie, the cross-breed red setter, drove grandmother Marge Bird to despair with his antisocial antics and often dragged her to the pavement while out on walks in Brighton.
The dastardly dog wrought havoc wherever he went. His misbehaviour included: Sending Mrs Bird sprawling while she was recovering from a foot operation,
Sinking his teeth into THREE people,
Hurling himself at car windows,
Frightening Mrs Bird's grandson so much the pet had to be caged under lock and key.
Mrs Bird, of Birdham Place, tried everything to change Charlies behaviour until eventually finding Bark Busters. The company aims to help owners whose pets are "putting a strain" on their relationships.
Mrs Bird said: "My life became a nightmare.
"No one could walk past the house, let alone knock at the door without Charlie having a real go at them. In the end there was no way that I could take him out for a walk for fear of him attacking someone and I hadn't taken Charlie to the park or out for a walk for more than a year.
"My grandson comes every week or so and I had to lock Charlie in a cage every time because he was a risk. I just wanted a normal dog I could have a relationship with and take for a walk."
On one occasion Mrs Bird was just recovering from foot surgery when he knocked her over and caused so much damage she now needs another corrective operation.
But the distraught dog-lover said the final straw was when her first grandson was born and she feared for his safety.
After seeking out Brighton-based therapists Bark Busters she says Charlie was transformed in just three counselling sessions.
Mrs Bird said: "I truly cannot believe the difference. The other day I had him walking side by side with another dog, a sight that I had never imagined possible."
Therapist Kim Lummis said: "Charlie is a lovely, but nervous, dog and he had taken on the responsibility of looking after Marge.
As with some people, he had been promoted beyond his capabilities and needed to know protecting Marge wasn't his job. I showed Marge how to be a leader through communicating with Charlie in a way he understood and which uses the same principles that dogs naturally use when communicating with each other in a pack."
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