Husky Hound to Perfect Pooch

When Stevie Cooke and partner, Tony Britton, of Melksham, took charge of their 6 week old Husky/ German Shepherd cross pup, Myshka, they were expecting to have to put some training in place; what they weren’t expecting was a dog that ruled the roost and had them well and truly under the paw to the extent that they felt like prisoners in their own home.

After suffering for almost a year and with friends and family refusing to visit, the couple finally found the help they needed – a dog trainer who put Myshka through her paces and left Stevie and Tony confidently back in control.

The problems with Myshka began when she was about 6 months and she went from cute pup to hooligan hound.

‘Myshka just became a nightmare’ says owner Stevie.  ‘She would take things from you and whenever I tried to sew she would grab the material out of my hands and run off, she stole ornaments off the mantelpiece and literally took my glasses off my face.  Sitting on the sofa became an impossibility because Myshka would leap up and all over you and she is one big dog’. 

The living room wasn’t the only problem zone, since she soon learnt to open doors so nowhere was out of bounds including the fridge.

‘Whenever she managed to get in to the kitchen she would open the fridge door and help herself to anything that took her fancy’ laughs Stevie.

‘She also took to hurling herself past me on the stairs, grabbing hold of my trouser leg on her way and I am sure you can imagine how frightening that was’.

The garden was no better since as soon as Stevie set foot in it, Myshka would bite at her trouser legs and jump up risking knocking her flat. 

‘If I ignored her demands for attention, she would nip my bum’ laughs Stevie.

When Stevie or Tony took her for a walk it was really the other way round – Myshka took no notice of them whatsoever and not daring to let her off the lead, the couple were dragged round on the end of it instead.

Myshka’s behaviour meant that friends gradually stopped visiting and Stevie was forced to stop her two grandsons, 3 and 5 years, from coming to the house because she was worried that Myshka would knock them over, or nip at their trousers and frighten or hurt them.

Having shed plenty of tears and with puppy classes and training a distant memory, Stevie thought that Myshka might have to go.  As a last resort she contacted Bark Busters and Jinny Hatton arrived on the doorstep to restore order to the household.

Jinny describes Myshka as ‘a beautiful, confident dog, but one that has the potential to cause a lot trouble’.

Jinny explains that “Myshka realised at a very young age that she could confuse and outwit her human counterparts and in doing so she could take control of situations.  When I initially met Stevie she felt as though she was being held hostage in her own home and it had got to the point where Stevie had on at least one occasion locked herself in her bedroom until Tony come home from work to rescue her; the garden was a complete no go area”.

Jinny is eqaully confident that Myshka is not an overtly aggressive dog and claims that ‘In her mind, Myshka was just trying to train her human pack into doing what she wanted them to do’

Once Jinny had explained to Stevie what was going on in Myshka’s head and how to communicate with her in a way that she could understand, Myshka suddenly became a sweet responsive dog who is now a pleasure to have around. 

After just one session the difference in Myshka was amazing.

‘By the end of the session I could stop Myshka chewing, barging past me down the stairs, stealing food and I could keep her away from doors.  It was unbelievable and when my daughter arrived she declared it ‘a miracle!’ says Stevie.

Myshka now behaves in the house, walks to heel on the lead and is a well-mannered dog who does what her owners ask of her. 

One of those friends who had despaired at Myshka’s behaviour said that she would eat her hat if anyone could make that dog behave.  Following a visit to her house last week with Myshka behaving perfectly, the friend is now looking for an edible hat!

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.