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Pride comes before a fall

Posted in Uncategorized on May 29, 2010| 1 Comment »

It’s a very British thing to try to avoid feeling too pleased with ourselves isn’t it?  Maybe it’s something in our collective psyche that means as we’re grinning in delight we’re secretly thinking ‘this can’t last’ and warning ourselves not to get too smug just in case the bad luck fairy decides to bring us down a peg or too.

So we grow up with these ridiculous, limiting and often self-fulfilling sayings like ‘Pride comes before a fall’, ‘Don’t crow too loud or you’ll jinx yourself’ and my particular favourite ‘Laugh before breakfast and there’ll be tears before bedtime.’  Great, so even before you’ve polished off your corn flakes your chances of a mirthful day have been ruled out! 

You can probably see where I’m going with this.  Yes, Little Bear embarrassed himself with a horrible display of bullying in the park a couple of days ago.  Distraction worked very well for a while, enthusiastic praise given for the right behaviour (calm bum sniffing in the accepted fashion)  but then as the (rather large) youngster rolled on his back in he went with the bully boy routine. 

On the bright side I remained calm. Now that I know that he’s not intent on doing any physical harm it’s not quite as terrifying, but I don’t underestimate the psychological harm he could do to a young dog.  Granted, most pups will get told off dozens of times in your youth with no ill effects, but if like Little Bear you’re a sensitive type, then you risk creating a problem. 

I’ve learned that physically moving him, as is often tempting with a portable sized dog just makes him cross, so I now get him to leave of his own accord by saying ‘Bye’ and moving away.  His need to be with me over-riding his need to be a bully he comes galloping over quick time.

Thankfully the youngsters owner was very understanding and the dog himself seemed fine, but that didn’t make me feel much better. 😦   This is probably the most difficult time. As his behaviour improves it’s hard not to fool yourself into thinking that he’s suddenly, magically ‘cured’ of his bad habits meaning that any regression comes as a bit of a shock.

But I’m refusing to fall into the trap of inevitability.  One relapse does nothing to diminish all of the great progress he’s made up until now. So to hell with ‘Pride comes before a fall’ – LB and I deserve our moments of pride.  We didn’t jinx ourselves and just for the record we’ve had many a day when we’ve laughed from breakfast right through till bedtime.

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Oliver Goldsmith

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Look how far we’ve come

Posted in Behaviour, Uncategorized, tagged , on May 20, 2010| 3 Comments »

Having a ‘problem dog’ can be a lonely old business on times.  At our local stomping ground I’ve often been the one red-faced and apologetic as Little Bear grumbles at young or submissive dogs or barks manically at anyone and everything.  

Avoidance and removal are the tactics recommended by the behaviourist so we’ve spent a lot of time running away from dogs or situations that might worry him.  We’ve spent a lot of time on our own in the smaller top field too while the other dogs play together in the larger one and it’s hard to coax him away from the fence when you know all he wants to do is join in.

But you can’t live your life simply avoiding the things that worry you. So when last year, we met a friendly dog walker with a group of equally nice friendly, well-balanced dogs we started meeting up with her a couple of times a week to up the ante on LB’s social skills. 

We bumped into her in the park today and within seconds of arriving LB had six dogs sniffing his rear end.  A couple were new to him, but he stood there, alert but relaxed while they made and remade his acquaintance.  Sniffing complete, they all bounded off to have a play. 

I couldn’t help but beam because six months ago he would have been a different dog. 

One day sticks out in my mind in particular as it nearly brought me to tears.  We’d been meeting these same dogs for months, but hadn’t seen them for a few weeks because of holidays etc. We arrived at the field and spotted them playing in the far corner.  As I began walking towards them Little Bear started whining and scrabbling on my leg – a ‘pick me up’ request he’d not done since he was a pup.  He looked desperate and it took all my will power not to scoop him up and run to the car. But what would that teach him?  That these friendly dogs he’d come to know and play with were to be feared? 

I walked the rest of the way with an anxious little Schnauzer whining and pawing at the back of my legs, alternating only to try to pull at my trouser legs.  I felt to cruel I could have cried. 

The walk across the field seemed to last forever but in reality it couldn’t have been more than 30 seconds before we were met like long-lost friends by the other dogs.  LB froze for the greeting, bringing the meaning of the word ‘petrified’ very much to life.  They ignored this and went about their sniffing, tails wagging, tongues lolling.  Inspection over, LB had a good shake and without even a backward glance in my direction bounded after them.

I wanted to record this as it’s so easy to forget how far you’ve come.  Today’s episode was such a welcome reminder of something I may well have forgotten about, but to overlook it would be to discount the progress he’s made. 

We’ve had an amazing week full of little triumphs in fact:  Coming back to me even after he’d spotted his least favourite dog in the world a mere ten feet away.  Playing happily with an 11 month old mini schnauzer puppy without any grumbling what-so-ever.  Choosing to stay by my side and not to run over to see a Collie in the park this morning even though he was off the lead.  I could go on!

So my lesson to self is really about making sure I keep recording the good times as well as the bad.  LB will probably always be a nervous dog but the fact that he’s making progress despite his anxieties makes me even more proud of him.  🙂

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Scary children and little dogs

Posted in Uncategorized on May 16, 2010| 1 Comment »

We’re on a roll!

Returning from our evening walk the other day we rounded a corner to see our neighbours boys playing football in the street. Now for an anxious, reactive little dog like LB this is quite a lot to take in. 

He’s always been great with children (they’re always good for a game and they’re brilliant at dropping food in their wake) however a visit from a friend and her young girls last year made him quite anxious. 

A happy playtime turned into ‘lets chase the dog’ and having ignored their mother, I had to step in and tell them off (which I’m sure went down like a lead balloon.) LB seemed fine but spent the rest of the visit tucked behind me on the couch out-of-bounds to the girls. Sadly, the incident obviously left a lasting impression because he now barks at them every time he sees them.

So, operation ‘kids are lovely’ is now an ongoing training regime.

So the boys playing football gave us a great opportunity to practice.  After explaining to them what we were doing and why they were more than happy to take part in the exercise (“Poor little thing, we’ll show him we’re not scary.”) which just meant them carrying on with their kick about, while LB worked on licking chicken out of my hand – a sort of ‘human hand Kong’.  It takes a strong stomach for dog slobber (and some wet wipes afterwards) but I’ve found it to be a great distractor for when he’s too stressed to respond to ‘watch me’ or offer another behaviour.

And so as the boys kicked their ball about and told me all about their own dogs I knelt on the pavement with a Schnauzer enthusiastically licking pieces of chicken out of my hand. 

Chicken exhausted, I stood up. The boys were still playing and chatting and LB was just standing there – body and tail relaxed watching calmly.  Keen to end on a high I thanked the boys for their help, gave LB loads of fuss and about a dozen rounds of ‘Clever Boy!’ and we practically floated home!

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How to spot the good days

Posted in Uncategorized on May 13, 2010| 1 Comment »

Woohoo! I think Little Bear must have read my last post (or maybe he got the cat to read it to him, she’s clever like that), but either way we have had an amazing few days. So great in fact that I’ll have to split it over a couple of posts but let’s start with today’s triumph.

A huge breakthrough this morning in that ‘The Dalmation who must be barked at’ from around the corner needs a new name.  Out for our morning stroll and negotiating a sit at the curb (will you do it nicely for chicken? What if I say please?) he spots (pardon the pun) the aforementioned DWMBBA – cue ‘big dog’ body posture, muscles stiff as a board, low rumble from his boots….

Now this is all complete bluster because had DWMBBA, who incidentally is a large, confident looking dog, ambled over to say hello, LB would be fawning around his dinner plate paws like a giddy pup.  We both know this but the big scary dog act obviously makes him feel more able to cope.

Mustering my best jolly hocky sticks voice into a sing-song ‘This Way’ we crossed the road and putting myself between LB and the other dog we marched off in the other direction and ….LB didn’t woof once!   He huffed a couple of times but a firm ‘come’ had him trotting by my side without a backward glance. RESULT!

The usual routine would have been manic barking – a knowing nod and wave to DWMBBA’s owner and a hasty retreat, so today was a complete triumph.

After lots of praise and four bits of chicken (which could have been carpet off cuts for all he tasted of them) we detoured into the little wood – his absolute favourite place in the WWW (whole wide world).

After demonstrating the ‘four by paw’ capabilities of the mark 4 Schnauzer which included a paddle in the stream, a romp through the undergrowth and a ‘look at me I’m agility dog’ jump over the fallen tree, he decided to have a nap. 

Now, he’s found of a lie down in a cool clump of clover after a heavy session of fetch, but he’s never taken a siesta in the woods before and never before breakfast.  But after today’s excellent behaviour I was more than happy to let him have a chill – maybe he was laying there thinking of a new name for the Dalmatian – he who must be ignored perhaps?

Little Bear smelling the flowers

Little Bear takes time out to smell the flowers

Little Bear laying in the woods

Napping in the woods

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Some days you’re up…some days…

Posted in Behaviour, Uncategorized on May 11, 2010| 2 Comments »

…you wonder what on Earth possessed you to get a dog…

A couple of my friends have ‘perfect’ dogs.  In fact, I question whether they’re actually dogs at all – maybe they’re shape-shifting aliens here to covertly monitor human behaviour.  I say this because these dogs are chilled out, easy-going, love everybody, get on with all dogs, adore puppies, rarely bark, travel well….you get the picture.

Now I love LB as if he was a small child – actually, given that small children can be annoyingly whingey on times I’d go as far as to say that I probably love him a wee bit more. But having a dog with issues is a roller coaster.  Some days you’re bursting with pride and then on others….you look at the cat and think ‘why didn’t I stop when I was ahead?’

I’ve lost count of the sleepless nights and the hours I’ve spent worrying about him and replaying scenes from his puppy-hood – Should I have done this? Why didn’t I do that?  And in my darkest moments I’ve balled my eyes out wondering miserably if he’d be better off with somebody else.

Now to ND (non-doggie) people all this angst probably sounds a bit pathetic. I’m a reasonably well-educated professional and here I am losing sleep over the choice of training classes for my Mini Schnauzer in the same way parents battle to get their kids into the right school.  As a work acquaintance guffawed at me the other day ‘It’s only a dog!’ 

But he’s not just a dog.  He’s my dog and I made him a promise the day I picked him up that I’d love him and look after him for the rest of his life.  A promise is a promise no matter who you make it to and I intend to keep it, no matter what.

But we’re all entitled to our bad days. 

Take last Monday. LB completely over-reacted to a Jack Russel we know who had the bad manners to sniff his bum when his back was turned.  My usual distraction techniques went out the window as he growled, snarled and barked fit to bust at the ‘so not bothered’ JR.

After weeks of great progress, here he was being demon dog.

As we abandoned the park for some brisk heal work to calm us both down my mind ran the usual gambit of emotions – embarrassment, anger, frustration, self-pity (oh how attractive) and I mentally beat myself up for being stupid enough to get a dog in the first place.

But having a dog with issues has taught me a lot – one of the main lessons being that I’m allowed to be human.  So it’s okay to feel all of that stuff now and again I can only ever be human just like LB can only ever be a dog. 

So I indulged myself in the negatives for a good ten minutes and even allowed myself to wallow in the ‘why me?’ pool just to get my money’s worth, but then I forced myself  Pollyanna style to try to think of something positive I could take out of it.  Amazingly, I found one!  My new-found ability to stay calm. 

Amidst all the barking, snarling and writhing around on the end of the lead, I realised that I had managed to stay perfectly calm, while keeping the lead loose and completely ignoring the behaviour.  I’d even managed a brief exchange with the Jack Russel’s good-natured owner as they’d passed – and forced a smile!

So we had a ‘bad’ day.  It’s not the end of the world.  The important thing is that we move on from it, we go forward, we learn and improve and as Winston Churchill is famously mis-quoted in saying, we “Never, ever, ever give up.”   After all, I have a promise to keep.

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Little dog seeks new friend….

Posted in Dogs, Uncategorized, tagged on May 8, 2010| 1 Comment »

Little Bear wants a friend.  Okay, I admit it, I want another dog and I’d like Little Bear to have a friend, but I’m sure if he could speak in a language we could understand he’d say the same thing. 

Now being an only child, there’s a distinct possibility that I’m projecting.  But I know my dog.  In the same way that I know the difference between a ‘It’s about time you got up’ and ‘I seriously need a wee’ barks, I know that he misses the company of other dogs. 

To see him slumped on the coach after returning from the dog sitters or after waving goodbye to a friends’ dog after a visit, really pulls on my heartstrings.  There’s a marked change in his body language and he just looks down in the dumps.  

Last week after a particularly fun afternoon playing in the garden with Collie pals Molly and Mickey he spent most of the evening on my lap, wasn’t interested in playing and wasn’t too fussed on his dinner.

When he has company he’s like a different dog.  It’s like a light comes on. He’s transformed into a wagging, bouncing, gambolling clown intent on having as much fun as he possibly can.  His face softens, his tongue lolls and he just feels happier. 

Now some dogs are more playful than others.  His Westie pals for instance are great fun but after a few minutes are off sniffing much to his frustration.  Molly is great for a chase session and will happily round him up and have a bit of rough and tumble.  Archie, his young CockerPoo pal is a bit timid on times and needs more supervised playtime for fear that LB will wear him out or simply get on his nerves – bless him he once jumped on our coffee table to get a time out from LB’s insatiable appetite for the ‘chase me!’ game.  But of all his pals it’s probably Poppy who takes the endurance prize for playtime. 

Poppy is our friends Chocolate Lab.  She was the first dog he met as a pup and she half terrified him at the time, bowling him over enthusiastically and sending him scurrying behind my legs.  That didn’t put him off for long though and they’re now firm friends.

Unfortunately we live around seventy miles away but the dogs fall into the same pattern every time they meet.  After an enthusiastic and speedy re-acquainting they moraude around the house playing chase and then roll around on the living room floor.

There’s sometimes the occasional squeak from LB; usually the result of a mis-placed Poppy paw on his tail, but in the seconds it’ takes me to put my coffee down on the kitchen table and walk five steps to investigate they’re back to playing; LB on his hind legs coaxing Poppy to chase him by licking her face or ears. 

There’s normally a quick time out for a drink (and a soaking of the kitchen floor in the process), but then they take up their positions again until tongues are lolling and we have two very contented looking dogs.

So, it’s with this in mind that we’re looking into the possibility of getting LB a friend.   I doubt we’ll find another Poppy as she’s pretty special but I’m crossing fingers and toes that if we take our time we might be able to find a new member of the family that can put a smile on all our faces.  Let the search begin!

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Recall Bear

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 12, 2010| 1 Comment »

Little Bear had an army of ants in his pants this evening despite a long walk this morning.  From my study I could hear him marauding around the living room, squeaking a toy loudly and stomping his feet on the wood floor as he played football with his tennis ball. 

It’s funny isn’t it? The way sounds become so familiar to us that we don’t have to see the scene to be able to picture exactly what’s going on.  I also knew what was likely to come next.

“Awwweeee!” A frustrated, somewhat muffled grumble which means he still has a soft toy in his mouth.

CLANK. His ID disk clatters on the wooden floor – I picture him, bum in the air, tail wagging slowly. 

“Awwweeeeee!” Louder this time.

Oh no, here it comes….

“Woof!” A sharp snap of a bark and I know instantly what’s happened.  His ‘look at me I’m Ronaldo’ game of football has ground to a halt as his tennis ball has rolled under the sofa.  Next will come more barking and more grumbling and he’ll not rest until said ball is retrieved – mores’ the point, neither will we. 

Deciding to spare Other Half the ordeal of having to lie on the floor and wedge his arm under the sofa, (LB always tries to ‘help’ which usually means standing on your head at some point) I head downstairs, grabbing my coat en route.

Ball retrieved (yes, he stood on my head, but looked like all his birthday’s had come at once when he got his ball back)  we headed off to the playing field for a run about.  His recall is really coming along now and even though he frequently gets so excited about coming back he spits out the ball, he’s coming back which is the main thing. 

I’ve also discovered a new tactic which is working really well as a trump card.  Now Mini-Schnauzers I’m learning have something of a wilful streak – well LB does anyway.  So nine out of ten times I’ll shout ‘Come’ and he’ll come running back to me for a treat or a cuddle without a moment’s hesitation, tail wagging, looking all pleased with himself.  But every now and then he’ll look at me and I can practically see him thinking ‘Naw, you’re alright, I’m sniffing over here thanks.’ 

I’ve tried higher value treats – cheese, fresh chicken, toast (for which he’d do a handstand on most days!) to no avail. So I hit on the idea of ‘Bye Bye’.  The idea is simple – if he decides the treat isn’t worth coming back to me for, I wave, say ‘Bye Bye’ and walk calmly in the opposite direction.  The result is a rapid change of heart and LB comes running up behind me – cue big cuddle, treat, lots of praise and a new game.

I’m suppressing the idea that this is playing on his insecurity (which of course it is), but it’s a trade off I’m willing to make to ensure that I can let him off the lead in the knowledge that I have a reliable recall. 

My rules are that I never go too far as to panic him (I’m also always within sprinting distant in case he took off in another direction), I never go out of sight and he always, always gets rewarded for coming back to me – even if I have to grit my teeth and count to 100!

On the way home, we managed to put on a show for the neighbours which I’m sure has now earned me the title of ‘The mad dog woman from around the corner’.  More on that next time.

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B&B Bear – part 2

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 5, 2010| 2 Comments »

So here we are in this beautiful B&B, sitting by the log fire enjoying tea in nice china cups and eating fruit cake while chatting to the owner Ginny.  An idyllic scene – had is not been for the hyperactive Schnauzer having a mad attack of the scampers in front of us.

Racing up and down the length of the drawing-room at one point he grabbed the corner of the rug and tried to take it with him.  Thankfully one end was pinned under a large sofa or else it would have been flying out behind him like superman’s cape.

My colour rose. Other half tried and failed to catch him. I started totting up what he might break if one of the tables went flying and if we’d need to remortage… Ginny said calmly ‘just ignore him’.  And so we did until he ran out of the beans he was so full of and came to me, tail wagging, tongue lolling and looking decidedly pleased with himself.  Yes, this really was going to be a long three days.

LB’s girlfriend

Silver, a yellow Lab and Winne, a black Staffie are the resident dogs at Glebe house. LB and Winnie got off to a shaky start. They met head on and both unsure of the other, sniffed, growled half heartedly and retreated. 

On meeting Silver however, LB turned into the class clown. He was like Pepe Le Pew on a bad day.

After a polite enough hello, he proceeded to pull out all of the stops trying to persuade her to play with him.  He scampered, woofed, wagged, stuck his bum in the air, turned circles and licked her face. She’s a regal looking dog and surveyed this display of Tom-foolery with something akin to disdain. Finally tiring of spectacle, she gave him a sharp woof, which sent his whiskers flying, turned on her heel and stalked away.

Undeterred, LB continued in his quest to win Silver’s affections.  Separated by the glass doors of the dining room the next morning he continued his antics while Silver resolutely ignored him – turning her head away every time he approached and then glancing back when she thought he wasn’t looking.

His persistence paid off on the second night though when Silver, maybe worn down by the little upstart, decided that if the only way to shut him up was to play with him then so be it.  So as we chatted by the fire, the two dogs played happily. 

On our walk the next morning, LB made doe-eyes at his new girlfriend and followed her, shadow like, into ever corner of the field.   

For such an anxious little chap, seeing him play so happily is a revelation. He’s transformed. The tenseness around his shoulders evaporates, he becomes animated and full of life, fun becomes his sole objective. He’s like a different dog and it’s a joy to see.

On the whole LB was an angel during our stay at Glebe House.  Apart from forgetting his manners mid-scamper and jumping on the sofa for a split second, he didn’t once even attempt to jump on the bed and after the first faux pas left the sofas alone.  The beautiful linen remained mud free and there were no breakages to worry about.

Despite the incident of the mad scampers and the rug, Ginny declared him ‘the perfect B&B dog’ which really made my day. 

He was really well-behaved when we took him to pubs too.  Luckily, we found three pubs where dogs were welcome in the bar while we ate so we didn’t have to resort to fish & chips in the car as we’d feared. 

There was a minor barking incident on the last night.  After telling the landlords how well-behaved he’d been, he proceeded to woof loudly at all and sundry.  We took him out three times and on the third attempt he decided to settle down.  Luckily the landlords and most of the customers thought him so adorable that he was let off with a tickle. 

Holidaying with your dog can indeed be stressful, but looking back I’m really glad we took him.  Working on his anxiety means that he needs experiences that will build his confidence and teach him how to cope in a variety of situations – and that means stepping out of his comfort zone.  I think there’s a lesson in there for me too. 🙂

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B&B Bear – part 1

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 5, 2010| 1 Comment »

We’ve just returned from a lovely Easter break in Wiltshire. Part recce for a future home, part anniversary present from very thoughtful other half, we spent three nights in the lovely Glebe House bed and breakfast in the quiet hamlet of Chittoe. 

Glebe House

Glebe House

Being thoughtful, other half found a dog friendly B&B so that Little Bear could come too.  Now as anyone with a less than perfectly behaved dog will testify, these occasions can fill you with dread.

It’s one thing having a reactive, frequently disobedient dog when home is only a stone’s throw away, quite another as a guest in someone elses’ home for three full days.

My plan B was for LB to stay with his much adored dog sitter, Sharon.  He loves other dogs once he overcomes his lack of confidence on the greeting and at Sharon’s, would have at least four pals to play with.  He’d get three-hour walks in the forest with his friends and after a long day’s playing, would get to sleep on her bed – something he’s not allowed to do at home.

I made the booking reassured that he’d have a lovely time and that we could have a few days respite.  We’d be able to go out to dinner (something extremely difficult with a dog in tow, especially a noisy one), could go into shops and galleries together and best of all, we wouldn’t have to walk everywhere with coat pockets stuffed with tennis balls, poo bags and smelling like a deli.

Typically I felt slightly guilt ridden – I’ve no idea why as I don’t think he gives us a second thought while he’s at the sitters.  The last time I picked him up he made a huge fuss of me then went off to lay on the sofa with his fury friends and refused resolutely to budge.  I had to carry him to the car. He then sulked all evening and was still grumpy the next day.

Unfortunately though, Sharon succumbed to a flu bug and couldn’t take him at the last-minute. So, LB was coming to Wiltshire after all.

Glebe House

Glebe House is beautiful.  It’s a large cottage that feels like a stately home in miniature.  There’s a grand piano and a roaring log fire in the drawing-room and the walls are covered in an eclectic mix of art and family photographs.  The overall effect is stunning and you get the feeling of being very much immersed in the history of an old English family (the Scrope’s have lived in the area for over 500 years).

En route to the house we had stopped off along the way to explore the local forests and LB had found his most favourite thing in the world – a very large, very boggy puddle of thick black mud. 

Apparently, tennis balls require proper ‘seasoning’ in a mud marinade before they’re worthy of chasing.  Throw him a new, just out of the packet one and he’ll spit it out as if it’s been poisoned and even well-loved ones need topping up from time to time.  So back in the forest he had a wonderful time poking said tennis ball deep into the mud and then sticking his nose in after it to retrieve it tail wagging enthusiastically and stopping here and there to give it a waterlogged squeak.  He does the same thing in snow but that leaves him a lot cleaner.

So, we turn up at the beautiful house with a Mini Schnauzer who’s had a hasty spit and polish to try to remove the worst of the mud caked onto his beard and legs.  As I towelled his feet off for the umpteenth time that day my heart sank at the thought of trying to keep him clean (and off the sofas) for three whole days.  My heart dropped another inch as we were shown to our gorgeous bedroom, complete with whiter than white crisp clean bed linen. 

Suddenly, staying home seemed like such a good idea…

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Strength in numbers

Posted in Uncategorized on March 30, 2010| 1 Comment »

Does your family have a favourite saying?  There might be a few.  Sayings we grow up with and find ourselves repeating parrot fashion years later for no apparent reason? One of the favourite ones I remember hearing a lot growing up was  ‘Well never mind, at least you’re all in the same boat’.

Now this made no sense to me even then.  Before I’d learned to smile and nod politely at platitudes, the teenage me would huff sarcastically and say something like  ‘So, if we were all going to hell in a handbasket it would be okay as long as we had some company?!  Pah!

The idea seemed preposterous and with the same naivety with which I vowed never to eat myself past a size 8, I confined it to the ‘things old ladies say to stop teenagers whining’ box. 

The lure of good food meant I gave up on the size eight thing a long time ago and now it seems I have to admit that there might be some truth in the idea that being in the same boat can, in some circumstances be comforting.

I read Emma Parson’s excellent Click to Calm the other week and was on the verge of tears before page 3 of the introduction.  Here was a dog professional, an obedience trainer by trade who despite doing everything we think of as right in terms of positive puppy raising, found herself having to deal with a fearful, aggressive dog whose behaviour seemed to materialise out of the blue.

Now Little Bear isn’t such a serious case, but the thing that really struck me was how much better I felt reading about Emma’s problems with Ben.  Now that pains me to admit as I’ve never taken pleasure in anyone else’s misfortune, but there was an undenieable sense of relief on reading her story.  Here, at long last was someone else in my boat. 

Inspired by her account of a much calmer, happier Ben, I read the book cover to cover. My plan to use the clicker training methods described in the book with Little Bear however had to be adapted as, surprise, surprise, he’s afraid of the clicker.  Even the soft tone version clicked behind my back and accompanied by a generous portion of still warm roast chicken sent him scurrying upstairs to hide in his bed, after throwing me the ‘how could you?’ look over his shoulder.

So it seems that there is some truth in the old saying after all. There’s solace to be gained from knowing that whatever our dog’s problem, we won’t be the first, nor the last to have to deal with it.

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