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
