The Dog Diary

Around the beginning of 2007 I decided I’d like a second dog as company for Dexter. I also figured that I had learnt a huge amount about dogs over these last 3 years or so, was still learning, was really interested in dog psychology and behaviour and I was ready for a new challenge.

I researched various breeds with the help of Paul Connolly of Wolfspeak over a period of a few months as again, I was determined to get a breed that was conducive to my lifestyle. I wanted a different breed this time, not that I was at all unhappy with my Schnauzer, but I guess I fancied a bigger dog and a dog I could perhaps take on more dog activities with.

After much discussion and research online and talking to various breeders, owners and breed organisations, I decided upon a Northern Inuit.

There were various reasons for this choice. Firstly, it was a much bigger dog and would make me feel safer when walking alone, even though they were known to be non-aggressive dogs and probably wouldn’t hurt a fly. This was a good thing in my book, as I didn’t want a dog that I was likely to have dominance issues or aggression problems with. They were also classed as ‘wolf lookalike’ dogs and came in various colours with varying markings and were stunning looking dogs.

I had discovered that they were generally very friendly dogs too, good with kids and other animals, so Dexter and the cats would be safe and that the German Shepherd element in the breed gave them trainability, which was welcome. The only issue they seemed to have was that they could suffer from separation anxiety but I was sure I could overcome that with the knowledge I had and with Paul’s assistance.

I found a good breeder, saw some gorgeous puppies, chose mine and waited for him to be old enough to take home. The waiting time was spent preparing for his arrival by organising the dog space in the house and buying him things he would need such as a good complete puppy food, collar and leash, bed and organising his Pet Insurance.

I also chose a name for him, Conan, which is Gaelic for ‘Little Wolf’ which I thought suited him down to the ground. Little did I know at that point that the words ‘Conan the Destroyer’ and ‘Conan the Barbarian’ would probably be more appropriate, at least for a while!

I collected him from the breeder on a sunny Saturday afternoon when he was just 8 weeks old and took him home to meet Dexter.

It was a little tense at first as Dexter isn’t too good with puppies. I think he sees puppies as being rude and ‘in his face’ so he tends to put them in their place until they learn some manners. Conan was never going to be too fast at learning these manners… Dexter was a little put out too, as I was ‘his human’ and I don’t think he thought he should be sharing me with anyone else.

That evening, when things were a little more harmonious, I spent some time playing with Conan to begin my bonding process with him. He was sitting on the floor beside me and, without warning, hurled himself at me with the force akin to a small cannonball. He was no small puppy and, at only 8 weeks old, was actually a similar size to the fully grown Dexter, so it did hurt a little! Remembering my past experiences with Dexter and determined to establish myself as Pack Leader from the word go, I put him right back on the floor again. It made no difference. He hurled himself at me again, so I did exactly the same, putting him back on the floor in his original position. No, again he threw himself at me, and again, and again! Eventually, he tired himself out, as well as me, but I felt that I had been the victor!

I went to bed, a little bemused and totally exhausted, as well as totally unaware of the ‘interesting’ times that were ahead of me over the next few months.

6 Weeks Old...Not In His New Home Yet

Exhausted After Spending A Few Hours Being A Cannonball

The introduction of Paul Connolly of Wolfspeak signalled the start of Dexter’s rehabilitation, as well as an explosion of knowledge for myself. It heralded a learning experience for me that I have found to be invaluable, and crucial to the way I care for my dogs. This knowledge introduced me into a world where meeting like minded dog owners was fun and a whole new world of dog activities was opened up to me.

The first thing Paul did when he met Dexter was squirt lemon juice at him. I stared in disbelief and said that I hoped it was water in the bottle. He said it wasn’t and to be fair, it stopped Dexter dead in his tracks from the incessant barking that he was doing as Paul walked in through the door.

I was amazed…and then Paul told me that the taste of the lemon juice gave the dog something else to focus on by giving them such a surprise, that they stopped what they were doing. The trick was to squirt it in the mouth, although it wouldn’t do them any harm if someone was a bad aim, and got them in the eye! Another comparison between us and dogs…lemon juice in the eye would not be half as bad for them as it would be for us!

Paul spent around 2 hours with us that day, giving me lots of tips and training on how to deal with this little canine in my life. He gave me an introduction to dog psychology, which developed in me a thirst for knowledge that stands to this day and makes me realise that, no matter how much we know, we’ll never know everything.

Small things make a huge difference and Paul showed me how to implement simple dog training strategies that would help not only me, but more importantly, Dexter, and help reduce the stress in his life that I had inadvertently created.

My next post will cover some of these strategies.

My first meeting with Paul was invaluable. He is a die hard dog lover, extremely knowledgeable about his subject, understanding of the practicalities of dog ownership in modern life and will always go the extra mile for his clients…well, he would say it wasn’t for the clients’ benefit, it was really for the dogs!

When he left, he assured me that a call from me would be welcome anytime to discuss any difficulties I was having and he’d always be happy to help. Four years on, I can happily confirm that this is the way he continues to work and he and his wife Sylvia have become good friends as well as my principle source of dog knowledge.

A Happier Schnauzer