Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

Simba, a Jack Russell cross, had caused owners Tom and Judith Cain of Halton problems since they took him on at 7 months. ‘There is no doubt about it, Simba definitely ruled the roost in our house’ laughs Tom ‘At first he wasn’t too bad, just barking a lot, but gradually things got worse and the barking progressed to growling and finally to the point where he tried to attack people’.

Simba would guard the house and bark ferociously at anyone who so much as walked past the property, let alone tried to come through the front door.  ‘It was very difficult when friends visited because Simba was the one deciding whether or not it was okay for them to come in and I must admit there were a few torn trouser legs’ admits Judith.  Simba also had the habit of throwing himself at the gate snarling and growling with his hackles raised when the postman arrived.

The final straw came when Judith arrived back at the house at the same time as the milk lady.  As she opened the front door, Simba whipped past her and lunged aggressively at the visitor.  ‘Fortunately I managed to grab Simba by the collar before he actually sank his teeth in and although he didn’t succeed in biting her, he definitely would have done given half a chance.  As I grabbed him he turned on me snarling, growling and snapping’ says Judith. ‘It was very upsetting’.

Tom and Judith agreed that things had gone too far and that they no longer had control of Simba.  ‘At this point we were very worried that we would have no choice but to have Simba put down’ admits Tom. ‘We loved him to bits, but could see that he had a protective streak that led him to be very aggressive’.  There was an additional pressure on the couple to sort out Simba’s behaviour.  Judith was expecting their second baby and the couple knew that the situation had to be sorted before the new arrival.

Fortunately for Simba, the couple contacted Steve Smithson a behavioural therapist with home dog training company Bark Busters.  ‘To be honest Bark Busters was Simba’s lifeline and it is because of Steve that Simba is still with us’ says Tom.

Steve came to the home and saw Simba in action before commencing the training.  ‘Simba is a great little dog, but he definitely considered it his job to protect the house and family, so the first thing that needed to be done was to let him know that this job was no longer his’ laughs Steve. 

Within the first three-hour session the couple saw an enormous difference in Simba’s behaviour and knew that things were going to be alright.  ‘We couldn’t believe the difference in Simba in such a short space of time’ says Tom.  ‘By the end of that first session we were confident that we had him under control.  I think it was us that Steve trained more than the dog’ laughs Tom.  ‘He really did teach us how to think like a dog and how to communicate with Simba in a way that he understood.  The service really has been great and if anyone says ‘you can’t teach on old dog new tricks’, don’t believe them’!

A couple of weeks on Simba is progressing very well and Tom and Judith are delighted to announce the birth of a beautiful baby boy, Toby.

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.