From Stray Cats to Perfect Pooches

When Musician Dave Edmunds acquired an 8 week old Border Collie pup he knew exactly what he wanted to achieve.

‘To me Border Collies are the Rolls Royce of dogs because they are so clever and so trainable and that is what I wanted’.

But after just a few days with Josie, Dave and his wife Cecilia could see that achieving this ambition was going to need some serious work.

‘To be honest Cecilia and I had decided to give it a couple of weeks and if we didn’t feel that we were getting control of Josie then we would have to look to re-home her.  We weren’t sure that our apartment which only has access to a patio was suitable for a lively Border Collie’.

For the first couple of weeks it did appear to be touch and go.

‘By ten weeks Josie was ruling the roost.  She would race around all the time and jump up or chew at the furniture and to stop her I would literally drop everything and play with her.  She had me exactly where she wanted me, the little madam’ laughs Dave.

Dave’s attitude was to handle this situation as he would any other challenge in his life.

‘When I took up tennis in California I decided to have coaching with a tennis pro so that I would get things right from the start and I wanted to do the same thing with Josie, rather than establishing bad habits that then have to be broken’.

With this in mind Dave and Cecilia contacted Jinny Hatton, a canine behaviourist with home dog training company Bark Busters.

‘It was Cecilia who tracked Jinny down and decided that she was for us, but how glad I am that she did.  Jinny knew exactly how to get control of Josie and there was a very impressive moment early on in the first session when Jinny demonstrated her skills.  Josie had her paws up on me and was chewing at my wrists and being a nuisance as usual, when Jinny just used a voice command to stop her and not only did she stop, but then immediately curled up and went to sleep.  I thought  ‘Wow what power, that’s what I need’ says Dave.

Jinny also showed the couple how to give Josie and themselves a rest by putting her in an indoor doggie crate. 

‘We already had a crate for Josie but when we had tried putting her in it she made a fuss and whined so we let her out almost straight away.  We told Jinny about this, but she insisted we put her in the crate again and once we had done that she threw a blanket over the top and just gave her one little reprimand when she whined and that was it, we didn’t hear another peep from her.  Josie now sleeps in her crate every night and is good as gold’.

Jinny has worked with Dave and Cecilia  to ensure that Josie is beautifully behaved both in and out of the home.

‘When I take her out people can’t believe how obedient she is.  Just the other day someone commented on how well-trained she was as I threw a ball and Josie sat and waited for me to give her the signal that she could fetch it.  It makes you very proud when your dog is impeccably behaved and it’s certainly a feather in my cap’.

Dave is adamant that it is so much better to get help sooner rather than later.

‘I didn’t want to inflict my mistakes on Josie and although I had read books about dog training and owned dogs before, I knew that what we really needed was the hands on training that Jinny could provide.  She trained Josie and us by example and also explained the psychology behind her teaching.  What’s more I had thought that we were in for the long-haul but some of the training was instant’.

Jinny explains that Josie is a very clever girl.  ‘At 10 weeks old Josie had already managed to determine the position of alpha female in her new home.  And Josie didn’t care how she maintained that status; she would even bite if she felt that she wasn’t getting enough attention. Sadly intelligent dogs like Josie can make their owners life a real misery and often end up in dog homes because they haven’t been given the appropriate training’.

Dave now understands where so many people go wrong with their pets.
‘People often get the idea that the dog is really a human being in disguise but if you treat a dog like a human, it isn’t long before you are treated like the dog!’

At six months Jinny reports that Josie is ready for Crufts. ‘The transformation in her is amazing. Dave has worked continually with Josie and I know that he expects nothing but excellence from her. Their sheer delight in each other is obvious and to see Dave play and train Josie is a real pleasure; I could watch them for hours.

‘As dog trainers we show owners how to become good leaders, however this doesn’t mean that the fun and enjoyment is taken away from owning a dog - Dave and Josie are a great example of this and I am very proud of both of them’.
 
‘It was the fine-tuning that we needed, but I had no idea just what an enormous difference it would make.  I know that Josie could have been very difficult and we certainly didn’t have control of her when Jinny first came out to see us.  There is no doubt that we have Jinny to thank for such a beautifully behaved dog and it is such a good feeling to have an animal like this that you have total control of and to know Jinny is always there to back you up’.

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.