Enlightenment – In The Beginning

Posted on 28/04/14

As pet dog owners Tracy and I love our dogs but we didn’t always understand why they behaved the way they did. Surely they realised how much money and time we spent on them. How lucky they were that we rescued them and gave them a loving, warm, safe home. We loved, cuddled and petted them all the time. We would even give them loads of affection when they asked for it even if we were busy doing something important. So, why on earth did they misbehave so much. It was simply mind boggling.

In February 2001 I had the privilege of securing a post as a Service Dog Handler, which was considered to be a prestigious role and was a highly sought after career path. Upon acceptance I was invited to attend the training school to pick one of two available German Shepherds to start my initial course with. Both dogs had been donated due to the owners’ belief that they might make good Working Dogs. In other words, they came with behavioural problems. As this dog was going to be around my family on a daily basis, which ever one I chose, I decided to attend with my wife Tracy.

The first dog we took out for a walk was a predominantly black mid coated GSD with tan legs, his name was Charlie. During our walk through the local woods, Tracy and I noticed that he wasn’t particularly happy around her. Charlie’s behaviour around Tracy was unsettling and her “woman’s intuition” was giving her serious concerns. We completed the walk and upon our return we placed Charlie in his kennel and collected the second dog, Mac. Mac was what I would describe as the classic German Shepherd colouring, black and tan.

Mac was placed on his lead and we once again headed for the woods. During the walk, Mac pulled constantly and in accordance with our understanding of dealing with such an issue at that time, we checked his behaviour using the check chain supplied and Mac appeared to accept this. Eventually we were able to walk without being dragged around. The feeling Tracy and I had around Mac was much more relaxed and we could see ourselves welcoming Mac into our family.

After our two walks we spoke with the Trainer from the school who was to be our course instructor. We were given a little background information on both dogs. Charlie had apparently been rehomed due to his issues around women, surprisingly. Mac had been rehomed due to his possessive aggression and what was explained as dominant aggression. After very little discussion, I was allocated Mac as my first Working Dog in training.

I have had the pleasure of owning dogs of various breeds for most of my life and I have always enjoyed the usual aspects of pet dog training. However, I was now embarking on a journey into unknown territory. I had never trained a working dog, and I was excited at the prospect. During the initial course, Mac progressed through all the exercises really well, however it was occasionally over shadowed by his misbehaviours. After fourteen weeks, Mac and I successfully graduated without too many problems although we never really dealt with any of the behavioural issues. Blinded by sheer enthusiasm and inexperience I muddled through, learning my trade along the way.

During our first year together Mac was developing into a formidable Working Dog. However the issues he had displayed during the course were becoming problematic. Whenever he felt cornered or pressured by me he became physically aggressive, occasionally biting me. Considered as a novice in the field of training a working dog, I sought advice from colleagues and dog training professionals in an attempt to deal with the issues. Unfortunately the methods I was shown only succeeded in making his behaviour worse, resulting in Mac biting me during day to day activities such as feed time, when in possession of a toy after play, he even became aggressive during grooming and flee treatment. The turning point was when I received eight bites in quick succession on my left hand causing serious injuries.

I was now faced with a dilemma, give Mac back to the training school and hope he was taken on by an experienced handler, which was unlikely due to his growing reputation, or continue to work him. I believed that with more knowledge, I could overcome the aggression and so with renewed enthusiasm, I took it upon myself to learn how to read dogs and understand their behaviour https://genericforgreece.com. I attended seminars, read many books, attended courses and spent countless hours watching our own three dogs interact. I noted the methods that the dogs, themselves used to deal with any confrontational issues that occurred between them. After months of hard work and with the unwavering support of Tracy, I successfully integrating Mac into our family and began building a strong bond through trust and respect for each other.

I worked with Mac until he was seven years old during which time we competed in a number of Working and Service Dog competitions. In 2007, following a gastric torsion (Twisted Gut/Bloat) I lost my working partner of six years and best friend. Mac passed away a month prior to his retirement. Despite the empty feeling I was left with and the nagging thought that he never got chance to relax in this retirement, I found comfort in the belief that if Mac and I hadn’t have met, his life story would have undoubtably been different and possibly much shorter.

Impressed by my methods and the success I had with Mac, friends and colleagues began asking me for assistance with the training and behavioural needs of their own dogs. Word quickly spread and demand for my help grew. It became apparent that there were many owners in need of help and guidance and so we decided to offer our services to everyone and Best Behaviour K9 was born. Since that time, countless owners have been enlightened in the art of effective canine communication and their dogs subsequently rehabilitated.

When we sit back and think about all we do for our dogs, we occasionally forget everything they do for us. During my consultations with clients, as I observe their daily routines and communication methods, I sometimes reflect on my experiences and I am eternally grateful to Mac for giving me the drive to learn to understand what he needed to live a fulfilled and happy life.