dog problems blog

Dog Breeds and Breeders

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:25:00 +0000

So you've decided to get a dog. That's one decision out of the way. The next is what type of dog? Should it be a pedigree or cross breed or 'multi pedigree' as I like to think of them? Puppy or older rescue dog? Dog or bitch?

All these questions need to be considered before you go and look at any live dogs. the decision is not yours alone, the rest of the family must have some input too. Really think this through, your family structure, lifestyle, working hours, house size and garden size are all relevant to your final decision as to whether you can look after a dog and if so what size you can comfortably introduce into your household.

There have been several good tv documentaries lately about breeders and show dogs which have been horrific but were well worth watching because knowledge is power. I have been making my living with dogs for 30+ years and yet did not know until seeing one of these programmes that the distinctive ridge on the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an indicator of Spina Bifida. The dogs born without the ridge are the healthy ones. Knowing that you would think that the sensible and caring breeder would go for the ridgeless variety wouldn't you? In fact the policy of the breeders is to 'cull' all ridgeless puppies. 'Cull' is a term used to make the killing of perfectly healthy puppies sound a little less brutal and let's face it, stupid.

Eugenics it's called. It went down very big with Nazi Germany in the 1930s in their quest to build a master race. They at least, were logical about it and placed fit young men with fit young women with the idea of producing strong babies. Even in prewar Germany they wouldn't have thought it a good idea to kill all the strong healthy children and nurture those who would be a burden on the state for the rest of their probably short and painful lives.

If you are going to get a thoroughbred dog make sure you attend the kennels or breeders home and see the litter on their home turf together with the parents. Don't be confused or dazzled by pedigree papers they're often not worth the paper they're printed on. If you're going for a breed that is classified as 'working' such as Labrador, German Shepherd or Spaniels then I strongly advise that you go to a breeder that breeds working stock. In many breeds, the German Shepherd is a good example, the working and show dogs are almost separate breeds with the show variety having an exaggerated sloping back end and, in many cases, is almost unable to walk. Have a look at a Police Dog or Guide Dog for the Blind, they have a good straight back and stand there looking comfortable because they are as nature intended. I'm not really sure what show dogs are about, would you make Jordan Prime Minister on the grounds that she's got a big chest?

Another type of dog to steer clear of is fashionable 'must have' breeds which come and go out of fashion as quickly as skirt lengths change. I've read recently that the 'must have' in a certain social circle of women is the Pug. This is a breed that comes ready equipped with a whole range of health problems as a matter of course. When you add a sudden demand then unscrupulous dealers will churn them out regardless of quality. Another area of risk is when a dog appears in a film or on tv. Remember 102 Dalmatians? Ask any rescue centre how they were inundated 6 - 12 months after the films release when all those cute puppies grew up. How long before the R.S.P.C.A are swamped with Pugs because they're 'so last year'.

A Few Days Away

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:12:00 +0000

From Monday 21st to Thursday 24th July 2008 I will be taking a short break in Barcelona. I will be up and running again first thing Friday 25th.

If your situation is non urgent I will deal with any messages and contact you on my return. Should you require rapid intervention then a visit to Jan Fennell's website will lead to a list of all qualified and authorised Dog Listeners who, using Amichien Bonding techniques, will be able to assist you.

Yellowstone Wolves, New Arrivals

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year I was in Yellowstone Park with Jan Fennell and other Dog Listeners, watching wolves. Thanks to the tremendous knowledge and skill of our guides Nathan and Linda we saw things that people who have been long term watchers have never seen.

One of these rare moments was to observe a mating ritual complete with 'tie'. If that wasn't special enough the pack involved were the 'Druids Peak Pack'. This particular pack have a very special place in the hearts of those involved in the regeneration of the wolf in the wild.

This morning we had a message from Linda Thurston that the Druids had been sighted with twelve, yes twelve puppies. What tremendous news and a huge boost for the survivability of the pack. We must remember that for a short time earlier this year that wolves were taken off the list of protected species and hunting was to be allowed. Happily common sense prevailed but they are always moves afoot to allow the killing of wolves to be made legal again. we will remain vigilant.

Three Silly News Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:08:00 +0000

It must be 'Silly Season' looking at the press this week. We of course had the one serious story covered in a separate blog about Shock Collars in Wales.

Silly story number one was the introduction of a new non emergency phone number by Dundee Police to take pressure off of the 999 system which was being overloaded by trivial enquiries.

It was decided that a bright eye catching poster was needed to draw the public's attention to the change. After much discussion it was decided to use a picture of an eight week old German Shepherd puppy, a potential Police Dog. Sitting in his handler's upturned cap doing what pups do best, looking cute. Next to the picture were details of the new phone number. A simple idea, people see the cute picture, look at the poster and get the information.

No problem? Wrong, of course there is a problem. What if it upsets one of the few Muslims who live in the force area? They think dogs are unclean so everyone in the Police Service must make a grovelling public apology for the 'insensitivity' of the Police and of course withdraw the poster. Has anyone complained? One local politician out to make a name for himself. I know that there are people of all persuasions who trawl the media looking for some way, anyway, to be outraged or offended but come on, hasn't some senior Police Officer or Government member got the guts to stand up and point out to the troublemakers that it's a picture of a small dog advertising a phone number? That's all it is, furthermore, the number is to help 'the community' a word beloved of these easily offended people who are usually self styled 'Community Leaders'. In many cases of course the last thing these 'leaders' want is a happy and contented community because then their power base would be gone and they would have to revert to their true selves, sad inadequates with a strong dose of bitterness.

It is also of interest that it is now not uncommon to see Muslims with dogs, if only to guard their premises and that a number of Muslim clerics have stated that, even those who do consider dogs unclean make an exception in the case of hunting and 'Service' dogs because they are assisting mankind. A storm in a teacup, or should I say a Police Cap?

Silly story two. Once again political correctness interferes for no reason, and of course, doesn't ask the people who have to do the job. This time it's worry in case a explosive detection dog had to search a Muslim household and as a result offended the occupants. As previously mentioned the dog would be a service dog and therefore if not OK at least acceptable. The only thing that would be offensive would be dog saliva. So what have the brains come up with to prevent potential terror suspects being made 'unclean' by saliva? Yes you're right, got it in one. Fit them with little lace up bootees, that'll solve it???

I have a suspicion that anyone having their property searched with a terrorist connection is probably going to be less than pleased anyway and the arrival of a dog is going to be the least of their worries, unless of course the dog finds 'the hide'. Once again people who don't live in the real world are just looking for conflict. they are following their own agenda.

We did try boots on police dogs back in the 80s when inner city riots were sweeping the UK but found that the dogs were a little less than impressed with their new kit. Some ripped them straight off, others refused to move and those that did tended to stagger as if drunk before picking one of the other options to deal with them.

Silly story three, the top three breeds in a list of the most aggressive dogs are, 1) Dachshund. 2) Chihuahua 3) Jack Russell. We Dog listeners have a saying that to blame a dogs behaviour solely on its breed is like saying all Frenchmen wear berets. Of course breeds have certain pre-dispositions that we've bred into them but almost without fail their behaviour is down to the way that they interact with their owners and the signals they get from them. Owners of bigger dogs are probably more aware of the potential of trouble if their dogs bite. Many owners of smaller breeds either don't believe that their dog would bite anyone or if they do don't think it either hurts or matters. Owners like this often get a rude awakening when they injured party turns up at the Police Station demanding action.

Don't worry what breed or mix of breeds you've got, big or small. If you give them the right information so they can rely on you (that doesn't mean nagging them with sit, down and stay ad nauseum), they will be happy and safe dogs. the best way to achieve this is by contacting me or one of my colleagues and arranging a consultation. You can find a list of qualified Dog Listeners by visiting Jan Fennell's website www. janfennellthedoglistener.com

To read the full 'Ankle Biter' story click on http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2254479/Sausage-dogs-are-the-most-aggressive-dogs.html

Electric Shock Collars Banned in Wales

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:29:00 +0000

The good news is that the Welsh Assembly have banned Electric ShockCollars. The bad news is that it remains legal to buy sell and use them for the forseeable future until further legislation is enacted.The very bad news is that the UK Government is not following suit. I remember a certain Anthony (call me Tony. I'm just a regular guy) Blair promising 'joined up government' when he came to power. That obviously doesn't cover things that probably 99% of the public think is wrong like cruelty.

How about this for a response to the ruling? A statement from the UK government says: "While we are aware of a number of scientific studies on electric shock collars DEFRA considers that to date those studies published in this area are not sufficiently robust and that the evidence base needs to be built on before consideration can be given to either banning or regulating their use."The government is not prepared to do this unless there is clear evidence that these devices in themselves are harmful to welfare.

"DEFRA,now there's a name to conjure with. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. would that be the same DEFRA whose incompetence at their own laboratories allowed the Foot and Mouth virus to escape thus decimating the UK cattle population, forcing many farmers into bankruptcy and some to suicide? The same DEFRA who have systematically made a complete hash out of dealing with, Bird Flu, Blue Tongue, the Bovine TB issue to name but a few? I'd go to Lucretia Borgia for cooking lessons before seeking DEFRAs opinion on animal welfare.

The fight goes on against both shock and spiked collars, we're not going away. How a supposedly intelligent person can put out a press release like the one above I just don't know. Did they not read what they had written before sending it out for release? Perhaps they should have said 'They're only a little bit cruel. Ok, so they hurt the dogs and place them under stress because the dog doesn't know what's going on but hey! We need to be robust and really put the animals under pressure so that we can see them really traumatised. Only then can we have discussion and focus groups talking at public expense for several years at least before coming up with some wishy washy non decision."

I favour the attitude of Sir Winston Churchill. When he was presented with a situation in which it was obvious what had to be done, what was the right thing to do, would write across the papers in big letters so that there could be no doubt about his wishes. "ACTION THIS DAY!". just let some civil servant or politician try and say they misunderstood the Prime Ministers intentions. Surely any right minded person must know that this equipment is cruel and therefore should not be available to anyone to use at anytime?

Click on the link below to read the whole story

http://www.dogworld.co.uk/News/27-welsh-ban-for-shock-collars

Dog Listener's Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:29:00 +0000

We now have a new tool to help us spread the word about Amichien Bonding - the kind natural way to communicate with your dogs. Our own Newsletter. The first edition has just been published and you will be able to access it by clicking on the link below.

It carries a number of articles and I'm involved in three of them. Yellowstone Experience (I'm far right in the picture wearing a fetching little hat). Featured Dog Listeners about our involvement with rescue dogs from Afghanistan and their appearance at Crufts and finally, under the heading Health News is an article I wrote about Electric Shock Collars.

I don't yet know how often this Newsletter will be published but hope to keep getting involved in its content.

Read and enjoy. As always, any feedback welcome. http://www.listeningtoday.co.uk/

Forthcoming Talks

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:17:00 +0000

During the second half of 2008 Jan Fennell is giving the following talks

Sunday 24th August 2008 : 11am For prompt start until 16:30 - Taunton, Somerset A Day with Jan Fennell The Dog Listener

VENUE: WellspringsLeisure Centre,Cheddon Rd, Taunton, Somerset TA2 7QP
24th August 2008
Usual format for Talk and Q&A:
Tickets £35.00 to include a Buffet Lunch
All Proceeds (including Jan's Fee) to go to
The Blue Cross - The St Margarets Hospice (Taunton)
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and The Bornfree Foundation
Part 1: appx 90 minutes talking then answers a few questions
Break for Lunch (Jan is signing books and writing questions for part 2 ).
Part 2: Jan comprehensively explains the 4 core elements of "Amichien Bonding" then continues answering questions.
For more information and tickets please telephone or email the contacts below Pam Shaw or Carly Warren.
Books and DVDs will be on sale throughout (all major cards accepted)
Telephone: Pam Shaw 01823 321540 or Carly Warren 01460 240773
Email: pamshaw11@tiscali.co.uk or carly@tbdp.co.uk

Sunday 5th October 2008 : 13:30 till 18:00 - Runnymead Hall Kiln Road Thundersley SS7 1TFAn Afternoon with Jan Fennell The Dog Listener in ESSEX
LECTURE - Q&A - Book/DVD sales and signing
Part 1: appx 90 minutes talking then answers a few questions - break for tea/coffee/snack usually for 30 - 45 mins (Jan is signing books and writing questions for part 2 ).
Part 2: Jan comprehensively explains the 4 core elements of "Amichien Bonding" then continues answering questions.
Books and DVDs will be on sale throughout (all major cards accepted)
VENUE The Runnymead Hall Kiln Road Thundersley SS7 1TF
Admission: advanced booking £18.00 or £20.00 at the door
For bookings please phone:
Julie Abbott on 07771 817097
Rachael Messiter 07747 022732
http://www.essexdoglisteners.com/
Telephone: 07771817097 or 07747022732 WWW: http://www.essexdoglisteners.com/

Saturday 15th November 2008 : 13.30 Onwards - The Wynward Rooms, Wynward, Cleveland. TS22 5BTAn Afternoon with Jan Fennell - Saturday 15th November 2008
An Afternoon with the Jan Fennell "The Dog Listener"
Jan Fennell "The Dog Listener" is coming to the North East!
The Wynward Rooms, Wynward, Cleveland TS22 5BT
LECTURE - Q&A - Book/DVD sales and signing
Part 1: appx 90 minutes talking then answers a few questions - break for tea/coffee/snack usually for 30 - 45 mins (Jan is signing books and writing questions for part 2 ).
Part 2: Jan comprehensively explains the 4 core elements of "Amichien Bonding" then continues answering questions.
Books and DVDs will be on sale throughout (all major cards accepted)
Admission by ticket only to include refreshments£20.00
For further information, please contact:
Karen 01740 620471 karen@pawscrossed.co.uk
Georgie 01609 883225 georgiebowe@aol.com
Margaret 01830 540213 k9_concerns@btinternet.com

There are also open days where Jan is speaking at Notcutts Garden Centres at Cambridge, Norwich, Oxford (27th July), and Peterborough. Except for the Oxford talk I don't have the dates to hand but if any of these Notcutts are near you then contact them for full details

Jan is a truly motivational speaker. If you haven't heard her before then I urge you to attend and defy you not to be convinced. I will be attending both the Oxford and Taunton events to assist. If you attend either of these events please come and say hello. I will be giving two talks in my own right the first to a private club in Haslemere on 2nd July and a second at 1030 Sunday 20th July for Southern Collie Club at Lloyd Hall, Brickfield Road, Outwood, Surrey.

Be there or be a rectangular thing.

Potential Poison in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:38:00 +0000

With the onset of good weather will come the increased activity in our gardens. The following information has just been released by Battersea Dogs Home which is important to every dog owner but particularly those of you who are keen gardners. This came from Ali Taylor, Head of Welfare, Battersea DH. They gave permission for it to be passed on.

Quote:"Yesterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog loving friends and family. Please tell every dog owner you know.Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden.Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mum woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch cansuffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."Also included was the following information -Quote:Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called "Theobromine" . It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die.Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine."

I've passed this information on in the hope of preventing similar tragedies. As most of you will know Theobromine is present in all chocolate. The better the quality of chocolate the higher concentration and therefore the greater the danger to your dog. The only safe dose of chocolate for your dog is none.

See http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp for more information

Be safe, stay safe.

New Consumer Protection Laws

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:34:00 +0000

Today sees a massive shake up in Consumer Protection Laws giving major new powers to, amongst others, Trading Standards Officers. To tackle 'Rogue Traders' It is said to be the biggest change for forty years.

Things were much different then. In 1968 the Vietnam War was still raging, London was 'Swinging London', the mini skirt was at its height, in more ways than one and I was a young single Policeman with hair and a Fender Stratocaster, living in Soho just around the corner from Carnaby Street. Life was much simpler then and although there have always been con artists and cowboys queing up to take peoples money, it has, without doubt got much worse in recent years.

There are many ways that people can be misled into parting from their money from complete lies to just giving the impression that a person is qualified and experienced enough to competently undertake the task required by the client when they are patently not. In the world of 'Dog Training' when you encounter one of these often well meaning people and it all goes horribly wrong, it will not be their fault, oh no, it will be your fault for having that particular breed of dog, whatever it might be. "Well if you will get a (fill in breed name here), what do you expect?" Is what you'll hear, or maybe "That dog's over the top" or "Your dog's stupid, you won't be able to do anything with him".

In the canine world there is nothing to stop anyone from hiring a church hall and advertising 'Dog Training Classes' and taking peoples money when in fact they have little or no experience with dogs other than their own pet pooch at home. Indeed there is one very well known personality who makes a very good living from giving advice in how to deal with canine behavioural problems, who has never owned a dog. Another person in the same line of work who, although having some background in dogs, seriously over states their CV. Of course if someone had letters after their name that might reassure you. You could be misled. There are organisations that people can join, the only entry criteria being whether they can afford the fee, which then allow them to put a string of letters on their website. Poor old Joe Public comes along and says, "Hey these people are well qualified, lets go with them". Another ploy used by some people is to set up their own organisation which can allow letters to be used. There is one such person who lists themself as 'Chairman and Founder Member' of the particular association. Of course I can't help but wonder how many other members there are. Is this person any good? Who knows, but always check the reality behind the window dressing before spending money it may save you both grief and money further down the line.

There are many good 'dog people' out there I'm not trying to scaremonger I'm just saying be careful. If it's an obedience club, agility, field trials, flyball or any other dog activity that takes your fancy then go along without your dog and just watch. Do the instructors seem competent? Do they need to use gadgets to achieve the desired result? Is there any aggression used either verbal or physical? do the owners seem happy? And most important of all, how are the dogs reacting? Always ask questions. If the trainer, consultant, listener or whisperer, the title doesn't matter, is evasive then walk away. If your instinct makes you unsure then you're probably right.

As a 'Jan Fennell Dog Listener' I welcome this legislation because I know that I, and all of my colleagues working under Jan's name, with her blessing, are squeaky clean. Jan is a very strong lady who holds the integrity of 'Amichien Bonding' as sacrosanct. This system is her baby, she developed and refined it and introduced the rest of the canine world to it and she's not going to let others come along and hijack it.

Why would people do that? Because when the words Dog Listener are used, even if they don't know her name people think of Jan Fennell. As a result it's easy for people to use the name or variations of it to hitch their waggon to a rising star, much easier than making your own reputation isn't it? Jan could very easily have sold franchises as other organisations do and she'd have been a very rich woman. However the welfare of both dog and owner has always been Jan's first and only concern.

When someone approaches Jan wishing to become a Dog Listener they have to attend a foundation course. At this time Jan will decide if the student has the potential to go further. If so they are invited (just paying some money won't do) to attend the advanced course. On successful completion of this course they become a 'Non Active Dog Listener' moving on to 'Preliminary Dog Listener' then to 'Recommended Associate Dog Listener' and then 'Highly Recommended Dog Listener'. At every stage to progress to the next level or maintain their current status, every Dog Listener must fulfill a number of strictly enforced criteria including, every client having phone or email back up for the life of their dog and full case histories of consultations going to Jan so that she can monitor the standard of work and contact clients direct. Every client is given an evaluation form which goes direct to Jan as a quality control measure. Every Dog Listener that reaches and maintains the standards set by Jan is listed on her website.

So if you need help with your dog and you find someone on the internet, not matter what they call themselves or describe their work, before you book them check Jan's website and see if the 'Dog Listener (or variant) is listed. If not I suggest that you adopt the voice of a night club doorman and say, "If your name's not on the list, you're not coming in"

Wolf Watching

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:07:00 +0000

As promised an update on my exploits watching wolves in Montana and Wyoming. It's been delayed because I never dreamed I would be so busy.

In early February I flew from Heathrow to Chicago meeting up with several other dog Listeners on the way. After an overnight stop we flew to Bozeman, Montana where the whole group assembled and met our guides Nathan and Linda, biologists who had been involved in the re-introduction of wolves to Yellowstone from its inception to the present. To say that they were knowledgeable would be doing them a grave injustice. They not only seemed to know everything but everyone as well. Nathan had been brought up in Yellowstone and through his research and involvement with the wolf project had met and married Linda. If you want to go on a trip of a life time then you will not do better than to contact them at http://www.wolftracker.com/ they were great from arrival to departure.

As well as Nathan and Linda our group also included Jan Fennell and Dog Listeners not only from the UK and Ireland but also the USA, New Zealand and Belgium. We then had fairly lengthy drive to Gardiner Montana our first base of operations. The weather was cold and the snow deep but we were well equipped and so able to deal with it. The evening of the first day ended with an evening meal and presentation at the Animal Track Education Centre, a place we would come to know well.

The following (and every other) morning we were up, dressed and out in the car park before 0600 to await the arrival of Nathan and Linda. They arrived punctually as always and straight away started dispensing coffee, hot chocolate (my favourite) and breakfast such as hot Danish pastries and other decadent nibbles. It was great! Every morning breakfast was different but always good.

After breakfast it was into the vehicles and off to the Northern Range where we spent a lot of our time in the first phase of the trip in and around Lamar Valley and Slough Creek. we hadn't been on the road long when a lone black wolf popped out onto the road in front of us and disappeared up the bank opposite. It wasn't a well animal and was thought to be a survivor of a pack that had been decimated. Very sad and our hearts went out to her but nature in the raw is a hard taskmaster. We were to see this wolf several times during our stay and she seemed to be holding on, no mean feat for a young animal without the support of a pack.

Every morning we would get to our observation points and the spotting scopes would go up and as always, guided by Nathan and Linda almost at once we would start seeing wolves. I've spoken to people who've been wolf spotting and seen virtually nothing. Everyday we saw something tremendous. We saw three of the major packs in Yellowstone, the Druid Peak pack, the Slough Creek pack (a lot of history between those two) and the seldom seen Leopold pack as well as several unknown wolves. We witnessed the Alphas of the Druids mating, one of the 'unknowns' trying to seduce and lure away at least one of the Druid daughters to start a new pack. We saw wolves at a kill being 'mugged' by ravens. There were just so many behaviours on show. Play, courtship, mating, discipline, relaxation, guarding and parenting. Each of these behaviours invaluable to us in our work with 'canis familiaris' the domestic dog. Throughout the day we would eat a variety of things standing in the snow. Cold meats, cheese, peanut butter maybe some soup. You would think that we would suffer from the cold but we didn't.

Perhaps the hardest physical part of the trip was an uphill snowshoe trek to see an abandoned wolf den. To say that using snowshoes requires a little skill and co-ordination would be an understatement. We made it after much falling over and giggling but of course we had to get back and now we were tired and heading downhill in thin air which makes breating difficult. I really hated gravity that day.

We would watch wolves until it got too dark and then it was back for a freshen up and then to the education centre and the one hot meal of the day while enjoying some tremendous presentations from some of the major names in wolf research. people like Jim Halfpenny, Daniel Stahler, Bob Landis, film maker, who has won an Emmy for his films on Yellowstone wolves. He showed us, as yet unshown footage for his next film. we were entertained one lunchtime at the home of Dan Hartman naturalist and wildlife photographer. The beauty of where Dan lives is just amazing. This is a word that was used a lot by our group, so much so that it was banned. It cost anyone saying amazing in any context a bottle of wine. It was at Dan's house that I took a picture of a Pine Marten of which I'm quite proud.

Although the object of the trip was to research wolves and that's what we did on most days from morning 'til night we also saw a host of other wildlife and their behaviours such as coyotes, also a fascinating animal one of whom came very close to me in the field. He was wearing a radio collar so that he could be tracked. We also saw Bison, the most dangerous animals in the park, Elk, Pronghorns and all manner of birds including Bald Eagles that I felt a certain affinity with. We did not see any bears in the wild as they were hibernating although we did see several in a rescue centre that had been orphaned.

For the second part of the trip we were based in the town of West Yellowstone a bit more modern than Gardiner which gave us access to other areas of the park and its wildlife. It was from here that we had a tracked 'snow coach' to visit the area around 'Old Faithful'. The trip was eventful from the start when we waited in vain for the coach. Several phone calls and another wait later it turned up. Its appearance didn't fill me with confidence as we were travelling a fair distance into a hostile environment where mobile phones didn't work. We set off and the vehicle didn't sound or feel right. As the morale officer I was saying things like "we're going to break down". or "I can smell burning". Unusually I was right, because it was at this point that the vehicle filled with smoke and steam and we came to a halt. Luckily the vehicle was fitted with a radio and a replacement vehicle was brought out to us. This was much newer and more comfortable so we continued our journey. we visited 'Old Faithful' and saw it blow, this was probably the only part of the whole trip that didn't impress me. It was OK but I was expecting something earthshaking but it just went 'phut, phut.........phut, phut, phut' and then a mild 'whoosh' and it was all over. It's only well known because of its regularity. Some of the other geysers, and there are many, I found much more interesting because you just never know, if.....or when? Particularly when I found that some of the geysers we were looking at featured in a book I'd bought about 'Death in Yellowstone' one of the two most bought books in the park. I also bought a copy of the second most popular for my grandson, James. It is the delightfully titled 'Who Pooped in the Park?'

This final part of our trip gave us some time in the evenings and we were able to discover a local restaurant and bar by the name of 'Bullwinkles' where we had some good times. the locals wherever we went were really friendly but at Bullwinkles after having had a whole cow on your plate we were able to relax and mingle with the locals over a glass of the local beer 'Moose Drool' or, for the ladies, a glass of wine from the local label 'Three Blind Moose' I'm sure you've heard the saying "it does what it says on the label"?

At the end of our stay we all agreed that we'd had a wonderful time and that we would return, it was a fabulous experience. Although I'm not allowed to say amazing, I will say that I now know why Americans say 'Awesome' so much, because it is.

If you get the chance to see the wolves just do it. If you want five star comfort and spas save your money but if you want tremendous company, amazing (there I've said it and don't care) experiences, warm, clean basic hotels and don't forget............MOOSE DROOL!!!!! Then book now.

Crufts 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:06:00 +0000

As you may have read in an earlier blog, a friend and colleague of mine Caroline Spencer have been supporting the rehabilitation of two dogs, Nowzad and Tali rescued by Royal Marine Sergeant 'Penny' Farthing from the abuse they were suffering in Afghanistan. They now live a life of luxury with Pen and his wife Lisa in the UK.

This connection is timely because the theme for the 2008 International Day of the Dog (IDOD) is rescue dogs and if ever dogs were in need of rescue, these were. IDOD is an event that takes place every April and is the brainchild of Jan Fennell 'The Doglistener', pioneer of the 'Amichien Bonding' method of canine communication.

Nowzad and Tali were one of five nominees for the Kennel Clubs 'Friends for Life' award which is awarded following a phone in vote by viewers to the BBC's Crufts programmes. The award ceremony is a huge event and can be overwhelming to both humans and dogs. It takes place in an arena in front of a crowd of 7000 and is screened live around the world to countless millions. A daunting prospect for anyone but the other nominees included an autistic boy, an 11 year old girl with cerebal palsy (the eventual winner) who had been virtually confined to a wheelchair until her dog gave her the confidence to start walking. There were also two ladies with severe mobility problems whose dogs, one a Newfoundland the other a black German Shepherd had given them their lives back. Every one of the six dogs nominated would have been a worthy winner.

Caroline and I had gone to Crufts to offer support to Pen and Lisa, not in a partisan way but to ensure that the dogs went into that arena in a calm state of mind to do otherwise would not be right. Until the end of 2007 they had lived their lives in a war zone. Why should they trust a human unless he dressed as a Royal Marine? It was important that Pen and Lisa knew we were there, they knew what they had to do but they didn't want us with them every waking minute. We stressed to them the techniques that they had to work on right up to the big moment. As long as they knew that at any time if there was a problem we were able to be with them within minutes to resolve the situation. We also had to be at the arena entrance to make that final decision at the very last moment, how are the dogs going to cope? Are there going to be be both humans and dogs in the arena or only one or even no dogs just Pen and Lisa?

Because as always, we have the interests of all dogs at heart we were, with the blessing of the Kennel Club able to work with and offer assistance to all of the nominees and dogs. They were all delightful people with wonderfully supportive families. Obviously in a time frame of a couple of days we can't deal with every problem but that was not our aim. We just needed to ensure that both owner and dog were happy throughout the ceremony and not subjected to any undue stress.

It was my turn to drive and so because I was having a lady passenger, the day before we travelled I washed my car and discovered that I own a blue one. I then cleaned the interior and removed the old newspapers and cleared the pens (32 in number) from the front passenger seat and filled the fuel tank. I was leaving at 5.30 am and so wanted everything ready so that I could get in and go. Just before going to bed I had to do a pick up job, it was at this point that one of my headlights decided to pack up obviously a taster of what was to come. To change a headlight on my car requires a degree in advanced electrical engineering and hands the size of a three year old. Late at night with an early start and long drive ahead the prospect filled me with dread. I knew that if I attempted it I'd be left with skinned knuckles and a foul temper. My wife then suggested I take her car as she wouldn't need a vehicle until daylight and could use mine. Problem solved, I transferred all my luggage, refuelled (again) and was ready to go.

The following morning I set off as planned, picked up Caroline en route and headed for Birmingham. We decided to go and locate our hotel first because as our decision to go to Crufts had been taken only in the past few weeks all the hotels near the venue were booked solid. We managed to find accomodation at an establishment some distance away that was clearly modelled on Bate's Motel. Having found the place and so understanding why they had vacancies, we headed for the show.

If you have never been to the NEC at Birmingham let me tell you that it is a very impressive range of halls. The car parks are massive and managed in a very unusual way. Normally the first arrivals at a venue are placed closest to the event, not at the NEC, the first arrivals are placed in the car parks furthest away. When you realise that this could place you just a little bit north of Manchester you begin to sense the annoyance felt when you realise that the people who didn't get out of bed until after lunch are able to park by the front door.

We were placed in car park North 12. It was so far north that all the staff were Glaswegian. There are shuttle buses to the doors which are free after you've paid your £8 parking charge but the queues were horrendous so, having been told that it was only a 10 minute walk we decided on that option. There is a different perception of time and distance in Birmingham but eventually after coming across several remote South American tribes we arrived at the doors only to discover that they were at the opposite end of the complex to the show itself but unfazed we pushed on.

Huge, crowded and noisy are the words to come to mind. when I was in Montana recently watching wolves (blog to follow) I saw on US tv reports of a prestigious dog show which was reported as "The Worlds Biggest Dog Show" they boasted of having "over 2000 dogs competing". At Crufts I saw competitors wearing numbers well over 20,000. There are an array of halls used with breeds being judged, agility competitions and all manner of dog related activities. There were also countless stalls selling everything from really useful equipment to tasteless rubbish. For me the slate clocks with the naff pictures of various breeds of dogs on them got my 'DelBoy, Most Favourite Piece of Tat Award' although the reflective dog bandanas came a very close second.

As previously mentioned the day progressed and Caroline and I developed a rapport with the Kennel Club staff dealing with the Friends fo Life Awards, and got involved not only with Pen and Lisa but with the other nominees as well. We were heavily involved in the rehearsals which take place after the show closes to the public on Saturday evening. By the time we left to return to the car it was like a ghost town. All the Nominees, Kennel Club and BBC staff were staying at the Hilton Hotel directly opposite the NEC. We looked at the signposts and found ones that directed us to the South and East car parks but nothing else, I then found a sign mentioning North car park but it was preceded with the words 'No Access to'. We walked and walked until we found a security hut. when we asked the way the guard was helpful but couldn't supress a laugh. He pointed us in the right direction? And off we went again, two further encounters with security guards and over three quarters of an hour later we found my car, alone, in a vast empty carpark, no wonder it was whimpering. At last, back to the hotel and some food. Yeah right! We followed the directions to the exit only to find locked gates! We turned around and drove through the complex following various exit signs all of which led to more locked gates. Suddenly there were no security guards to be found, they were all probably rolling around on the floor laughing, watching us on cctv. Eventually more by luck than judgement we found the only unlocked exit from the site which for some reason did not have an exit sign.

On our return to our hotel we asked about getting a meal, no chance, it was Saturday night and they did have a large restaurant but they weren't able to do food although they could sell us a packet of crisps in the bar. When we asked about other options we were given a choice between the Indian Restaurant across the other side of the dual carriageway and, oh I forgot, there was no other choice. We had a nice stroll to the eating place via the seductively lit, urine drenched underpass which although unpleasant did mask the smell of diesel.

On reaching the restaurant we were quite concerned, we were starving and it was Saturday night in Birmingham the curry centre of the UK. Would they have a table for us? We were lucky, they did have a table for us, in fact they had all the tables for us. The place was empty but no problem, that meant we'd get served quickly before the late night rush came in, wrong again. Still looking on the bright side the wait must mean that our meal is being lovingly prepared, the herbs and spices being hand crafted by ancient 'spice gurus'. If you can't get a good curry in Birmingham where can you? I don't know, I just know that you can't in this particular one. The meal when it arrived was awful. I've seen better looking fatal accidents and it tasted dreadful. The only saving grace was that the portions were small. When we left we still the only customers hmmmm, I wonder why!

Sunday arrived, the big day and we had an early start. We strode into the hotel carpark and I pressed the remote unlocking button on my car keys and nothing happened. After trying several more times I realised that the battery in the key must need replacing, strange as it's a fairly new car. After opening the car manually we found that it would not start. It was at this stage that I lost the will to live but, undeterred, I did a thorough, in depth mechanical evaluation and discovered that someone (I have no idea who) had left the lights on all night. Luckily a good Samaritan came to our aid with a magic battery booster and all was well. Nobody ever need know unless my wife reads this blog, Doh!!!

On our arrival at the NEC we found ourselves in carpark North 10B which seemed to be even further away than Saturdays North 12. at least we knew where we were going this time and were able to get straight to work. We spent the day moving between the NEC and Hilton Hotel, working with those nominees that wanted help or assistance of any sort as well as making sure that people were in the right place at the right time and in the right frame of mind. This was made a little difficult when while escorting the nominees to a suite where a buffet and recption had been arranged for them we were denied access by security who were utterley unconcerned that these people had passes and most had mobility problems. I even pointed out that these people had their pictures and stories across several pages of the official programme and were being shown nightly on BBC tv. After a lot of flared nostrils and intervention from the highest level of the Kennel Club our party was allowed through. It did solve one mystery, if you ever wonder what happened to the Krankies now that they are no longer on tv I can tell you. They are working as security guards at the NEC.

When the big moment came all the dogs went into the arena and behaved beautifully. Just prior to their entrance Pen and Lisa were in the holding area doing some exercises with Nowzad and Tali designed to focus the dogs attention on them and disregard the noise and lights in the arena. At this stage some complete moron, a member of a 'Dog Training' club complete with heavily logoed polo shirt tried to stare Nowzad out. A stupid move for anyone, but for a man who was so full of his own wind and importance about how 'good' he was with dogs it was criminal. he took an aggressive stance like a nightclub doorman and kept moving so that he could maintain eye contact which as all real dog people know is a challenge when done in that manner. Caroline told Pen to keep turning away from the threat and keep his pulse rate down so that Nowzad was not stressed. Both Caroline and I asked this man to desist but he ignored us, Pen was remarkably restrained which was great because had he reacted Nowzad would have lost the plot. I on the other hand was probably a bit more 'proactive' and had a full and frank exchange of opinions with this man, I'd had my fill of fools for that day.

Once the presentation was over we were ready for home. We even managed to get a shuttle bus to the carpark and find my car. Would it start? Yes!! We weren't even fazed when as on the previous night the gates had all been locked, we knew where to go. We arrived home very tired, it had been a hectic couple of days but we both felt that we had achieved something really worthwhile. We hope to build on the advances and contacts we made.

Nowzad Dogs from Afghanistan

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:07:00 +0000

You may already have seen in the press the story of dogs rescued by a unit of Royal Marines in Afghanistan. These dogs live by their wits in the middle of a war zone and are routinely brutalised by the locals. They are captured by the use of wire nooses and used for dog fighting; if they do not fight they are beaten with sticks until they do. At the end of the fight they are thrown back onto the street with no treatment for their wounds. If they survive they have to scavenge again until someone else thinks that it would be fun to arrange another dog fight.

Nowzad the 1st dog rescued. Note the severed ears

It was during such a fight that Sergeant 'Penny' Farthing and his unit arrived and broke up the proceedings. The dogs that were being beaten made good their escape in the confusion. some days later when 'Pen' was searching outbuildings he heard a growl from the darkness and saw one of the dogs involved in the earlier fight. He was sheltering and recovering from his injuries which included having his ears hacked off. By using a lot of kindnesss, patience and of course military ration packs Pen was able to gain the dogs trust, he took him back to his unit base and named him 'Nowzad', the name of the town where he was rescued. Other rescues followed none of which were free of danger for either the Marines or the dogs involved.

Tali, Nowzad's housemate

There was tragedy and heartbreak along the way as well as joy. It is an ongoing saga with hopefully a very happy ending. Nowzad has certainly landed on his feet and now lives at home with his rescuer 'Pen' and his wife Lisa in a happy pack that includes another rescue dog from Afghanistan, 'Tali' as well as the already resident Spaniel and Rottweiler. Although Nowzad can be aggressive to other dogs due to his history of abuse he is at heart a really nice dog. Not surprisingly he is also not keen on men with beards. He is at this early stage, muzzled at times to allow him time to assess the situation. The last thing he needs is for some well meaning but unthinking person to push him into a situation in which he feels threatened and has to resort to the 'fight' option. You'll see that both dogs wear harnesses. this because they are very sensitive around their neck areas due to the wire nooses used on them. Nowzad also had throat wounds from fighting.

On seeing the reports a friend and colleague of mine Caroline Spencer felt that Amichien Bonding would be the ideal method of dealing with the trauma that these dogs had suffered and so contacted 'Pen' and offered her assistance. He quickly accepted her offer, he and his wife are totally dedicated to this cause and work non stop as well as serving in the armed forces at a time of massive overstretch and minimum support from the powers that be. they need all the help they can get so get supporting.

Caroline contacted me and told me about her offer and I jumped at the chance to help although it's very much Caroline's project. Nowzad has been nominated alongside other deserving dogs for an award. The winner will be announced on the last night of Crufts. Pen will be going to the presentation should Nowzad win. At this stage Nowzad is too traumatised to be placed in such a big and noisy arena and we will not put him in that situation if he's not ready. We will however do our best.

Earlier this week Caroline and I travelled to Pen's location and met Nowzad, Tali and the rest of the pack. I was amazed how good natured Nowzad was after all the things that mankind had done to him, although he did give me a firm warning when I moved unexpectedley soon after meeting him, was I bovvered? Yes. 'Pen', Lisa and Caroline did a huge amount of work starting in the back garden, moving to the front and culminating in being able to walk him onto the road without a muzzle and with people and dogs passing. I acted as the 'stooge' and also demonstrated the 'Delboy Swagger' to 'Pen'. If nothing else it got Caroline laughing.

L-R 'Pen', Caroline, Lisa. Note, no muzzle

Whether Nowzad makes it to Crufts only time will tell. He has a huge mountain to climb but in 'Pen' and Lisa he has all the support he could wish for. Caroline and I will be there every step of the way. Watch this space and watch Crufts on TV in March.

New Year New Status

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:08:00 +0000

Well here we are in 2008 and my trip to Montana to visit the wolves is getting ever closer. I have a very busy year ahead with many engagements already booked. I am, for once, so organised that I didn't think anything could surprise me. I was wrong.

I was until recently a 'Recommended Associate Dog Listener' which was the highest achievable ranking in the world of Dog Listeners. It's a hard earned title starting with attending a foundation course run by Jan Fennell 'The Dog Listener'. Selected people who successfully complete that course are invited to attend the advanced course. All the participants are selected personally by Jan as having that 'certain something.' Once the course is completed it's a long road fulfilling a number of criteria involving consultations, evaluations, canine welfare work moving fom 'Non Active' to 'Preliminary Dog Listener' to the highly coveted 'Recommended Associate Dog Listener' . When I got there I thought I had it made.

Imagine my astonishment (and a little bit of pride) when Jan announced that she was introducing a new enhanced status for a small number of 'Recommended Associates' who would be known as 'Highly Recommended Dog Listeners' And that I was one of them. For once my name was on the list and I was getting in;-)

I'm not after fame and fortune, just recognition and money.

Looking Forward to 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:57:00 +0000

This will probably be the last post of 2007. A big thank you to those who have contacted me either through the blog or directly. I take note of all your comments either positive or negative. Even if you do not agree with everything I say, and if I have not been able to convince you that using Amichien Bonding and being non confrontational or non violent to your dog is the way forward. At least I hope it has caused you to stop and think, if only for a moment, that oppression of any sort only works in a limited and short term way.

2007 was hectic and next year promises to be even more so. We had petitions to Downing Street to ban the use of cruel training aids such as prong collars and electric collars. The Government response was predictable. They care deeply about animal welfare (really they do). Yeah right.

My understanding of their response was 'When dogs get the vote, come and see us. Until then we're not interested.'

Well perhaps we can focus their minds a little more next year, which can I remind you is 2008. The Government MUST call an election by 2009. They have dug themselves into a deeper and deeper hole over the last few months. They have sent the armed forces to war with inadequate equipment or back up and then cocked up their pay so that some serviceman are unable to pay their mortgages. They have upset nurses by reneging on their pay agreement and now they've done the same to the police. Think of all those Service men and women, doctors, nurses and police who are thoroughly disenchanted with the government. Don't forget that all of those workers have families who can also vote! How many of these people live in marginal constituencies?

If the government want to get re-elected they need to get their act together. The same applies to the opposition parties hoping to take power from them. Therefore the plan for 2008 is to put all parties in a position in which they agree BEFORE the election that, should they win, they will take steps to ban all such equipment.

I'm off to Montana in early February with Jan Fennell, to see the wolves of Yellowstone, but on my return I will be kick-starting the campaign with letters to every sitting MP no matter if in government or opposition. Also letters to every prospective Parliamentary candidate of all parties and in every constituency. I will have template letters on my website for you to download. A petition is one contact as far as a politician is concerned, a letter needs to be read and responded to on an individual basis.

It's all go getting ready for Montana at the moment. I got a fair amount of the specialist kit I need as Christmas presents so I just need to top up with thermal underwear and I'm ready to go. My wife, Rosemary is great and has been very supportive. I think that at first she would have liked to go as well although it is a research based trip and not a holiday, but when I got all the paperwork and saw that snow-shoes are supplied she lost all enthusiasm for the project.

Of course I have to show my appreciation of her support and so offered to take her anywhere she wanted. She said "Somewhere warm with some culture." My first offer of a holiday job in a yogurt factory didn't go down too well so it will probably be Greece or Florence instead.

I've Been to the Dogs But Now.........

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:28:00 +0000

I'm going to the wolves! The trip of a lifetime, early in February I will be in Montana watching wolves in their home environment. I will be going with Jan Fennell, the founder of the 'Amichien Bonding' method of canine communication, and several other 'Dog Listeners' from around the world. The whole philosophy of Dog Listeners is based on the way wolves and other wild canines interact in the wild.

This will be no holiday but a huge educaion, the trip is research based with, in addition to all the wolf spotting, presentations from wildlife biologists who specialise in and have been involved in the Yellowstone wolf recovery since its inception. We will also be meeting and having presentations from a number of other biologists, naturalists, film makers specialising in wolves and of course Jan Fennell herself. we will have expert guides with us at all times to put us in the right place at the right time to see the wolves interact in a natural way. we will be using snow shoes to get deep into the wolves heartland. I hope to get close-up, but as it will be the height of the breeding season, not too personal!

I expect it to be very cold, physically demanding but hugely enjoyable. The hands on knowledge that I get will be of immense value when dealing with clients dogs in the UK. I hope to come back with thighs of iron and a finely honed body. Of course I also hope for world peace but that's not going to happen either.

Hopefully I will return with some good photos and video together with some hair raising stories. Watch this space.

Christmas is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:58:00 +0000

Now that the annual two month period that makes up 'Bonfire Night' is nearly over we are well into the the run up to Christmas.

Both these periods are very busy ones for me and my fellow Dog Listeners. The phone rings off the hook.

Problems with dogs and fireworks fall into two categories, either the dog is traumatised and afraid or they go into 'Defence Drive' and want to face the threat and fight it off. Both of these reactions are incredibly stressful to both dog and owners.

What can 'Dog Listeners' do to reduce the effect of the firework season? A huge amount, but it makes it so much easier if you put the measures in place before all the noise starts, rather than wait until your best friend is suffering a nervous reaction. Then, next time the rockets come out your dogs reaction will be, "Am I bovvered?"

The same thing applies at Christmas. You have a house full of people many of whom you haven't seen since last year. There are excited children and noisy toys. Family arguments, loads of food and even more drink.

Dogs generally don't celebrate Christmas. All they know is that the pack dynamic has changed. They ask questions "Who are all these people in my den? Why are they so noisy? Why do they all think they can sing? Why do they give one another packets of socks?" And, most important of all "Why, when they leave nuts, sausage rolls and Christmas cake laying about where I can reach it do they then get upset when I throw up in Great Aunt Mary's handbag? How was I to know that a silly little thing like that would cause her to change her will?"

If you think Christmas is stressful for humans just try being a dog. At least you can get drunk or go to the bathroom with a book to have some 'time out'. The dog is trapped and at the mercy of a pack of humans who, are all of course, dog experts. They'll all shout contradictory commands at the dog and think it thick when it does not respond.

So, if you have a dog and expect a hectic household at Christmas I strongly recommend that you prepare in plenty of time. If you think that it might get too much for your dog contact a 'Qualified' Dog Listener, preferably me if you live in Southern England, before the problem arises. If you live out of my area I can still assist you by putting you in touch with your nearest 'Qualified' Dog Listener. I know that I keep stressing the word qualified but it is for a reason. There are a number of people who give themselves the title when they have no connection with Amichien Bonding at all. I know of one person who uses the title and advocates (and sells) electric shock collars and other cruel and stress inducing equipment. If you're not sure if someone is genuine go to Jan Fennell's website and there you will find all fully trained Dog Listeners both in the UK and around the world listed. They are either 'Recommended Associate Dog Listeners' like myself, or, 'Preliminary Dog Listeners' who are working their way to full accreditation. If they're not on either list then they're bogus. If you decide against employing a Dog Listener then at the very least buy a copy of 'The Dog Listener' and read it. Do it now so that you can take action early.

Whatever else you do PLEASE DO NOT buy a dog as a present. It will only end in tears. the pup will be removed from it's Mother and siblings and placed into what will seem like a madhouse to them. They will get under peoples feet, they will not have time to work out where they fit into this new pack, you will not have time to start with house training which in turn inevitably will mean 'accidents'. The list of problems is endless. If you are being nagged to buy a puppy then wait until spring when people are more relaxed and you can have the outside doors open more often to help with house training. But what can you give at Christmas in place of a puppy? You can give a vitual puppy, a picture of a dog that the recipient can change for a real animal in the Spring. you could also give leads, collars, food and waterbowls as well as a copy of 'The Seven Ages of Your Dog' by Jan Fennell which is a brilliant book and covers from birth to death and everything in between.

A couple of bits of advice, if you're going to book a 'Dog Listener' don't hang about, we tend to get very busy around this time of year when people remember what happened last year. We also have a rush of bookings straight after the festive season with clients wanting to avoid a repetition of the latest 'stressfest'. If you want to buy any of the books mentioned the simplest way is to go to the links page of my website.

If you give a dog, you're not giving a present you're giving a life. Can the recipient deal with that?

Doing some catching up

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:48:00 +0000

It's fairly apparent that except for the last couple of days I haven't been blogging very much lately. "Why not?" Or maybe "Thank God" I hear you cry. The simple answer is, workload. This is good for me because I love what I do. I hope that it is also good for the dogs and their owners that I deal with on a daily basis.

I saw in the papers yesterday that Britain is now a nation of bloggers with over four million people blogging regularly. It seems that 23% of women and 17% of men blog daily. I'm sure that fascinating as my day to day life is, you don't want to read about it. It is my intention to only write a blog when I have something to say rather than take you through my breakfast menu (Quaker oats with golden syrup, a banana and coffee if you must know). We should be living our lives rather than recording every waking moment.

One episode I must mention is an evening spent at Merrist Wood Agricultural College watching the legendary and iconic Monty Roberts: 'The Horse Whisperer' or, as he prefers to be called, 'The Man Who Listens To Horses.' When you've worked as a Police Officer for the 35 years that I did, you find yourself not easily impressed by people just because they are 'celebs' whatever that means. But I defy you to attend one of Monty's demonstrations and not come away awe struck. it's not just what he achieves with these 'untrainable ' horses in such a short time but the way that he does it, quietly, gently with no flashiness or gimmicks. He is a modest committed man whose only concern is for the welfare of the horses. If you get a chance to see him in the flesh I urge you to do it, you'll come away with a smile on your face.

Monty's impact is not confined to Horses. He also has a huge involvement in helping disadvantaged children and young people. The principles of Amichien Bonding Jan Fennell's method of canine communication used by me and other certified 'Dog Listeners' are founded on Monty's philosophy. He is truly a great man and I think even more important, a good man.

Police Dog Training 6, Tracking, Catching & Biting a Burglar

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:11:00 +0000

A video clip of a practical police dog tracking exercise ending in a bite and some very bad acting.

The scenario is as follows. An offender has been disturbed tampering with vehicles and breaking into a garage. The victim calls Police and I attend with Acco. On our arrival I speak to the aggrieved and get as much information as possible about the offender, what he did, where last seen and of course a description.

Contrary to popular belief a Police dog does not need an item of clothing from the offender to sniff before he can track. In 35 years police service I never once had a criminal thoughtful enough to remember to leave his hat behind before decamping just to help my dog. Just an oversight on their part I'm sure.

Having located the area that the offender was last seen I place Acco in his tracking harness. This is used only for this exercise and acts as a word of command. I 'cast' him in the area that the offender was last seen and his nose goes down. He is looking for ground disturbance, shoe leather, crushed insects, bruised grass all overlaid with offenders personal scent. Personal scent is made up from a host of smells, gender, diet, occupational odours, fabrics worn, toiletries used (or not) to name but a few.

Once Acco 'locks onto' the track he will stay with it until he either locates the person he is tracking or the track for some reason, becomes non viable. A little tip to criminals here. Crossing water or walking along stream beds does not put the dog off. What it does do is make you wet and uncomfortable. It also leaves you with the job of giving an innocent explanation to account for the fact that you are soaked through and have a German Shepherd hanging off your arm.

Acco tracks across a variety of terrains including through traffic and with pedestrians passing. At one stage a helicopter landed less than 100 yards away, a test of concentration for a young dog still in training. Whenever the criminal changes direction you will see Acco 'cast' as he searches to pick up the track again. It is quite an experience to be on the other end of the tracking line and not only see, but feel, the dog work it out. The speed that a dog tracks depends on a number of factors, terrain, weather, disturbance by outside sources amongst many others.

The 'criminal' (a dog handler from The State of Jersey Police) had been briefed to lay a track including going through a housing estate and hiding up in the shed of one of the houses. The plan was that I would track and find him and that when that happened the criminal, depending on the amount of space he had, was to either, attack me or run off and try to escape. My brief was to track and locate the criminal and expect a bite on a non compliant offender at the conclusion.

We tracked and, after three quarters of a mile located the offender and called him out from his hiding place using 'controlled aggression'. I am now ready to leap into action, will he run, will he try to hit me? No. He does a credible impression of a stunned herring and just stands there and talks about his auntie because he's forgotten what he's supposed to be doing! The instructor off camera is giving him frantic 'run for it' signals. I look at the instructor in a 'where's our bite?' kind of way. Eventually the penny drops when the instructor indicates his displeasure to the criminal and Acco gets his reward. None of the human participants get an Oscar.

My Mobile Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:23:00 +0000

This is both a rant and an apology. I'm not one to moan heaven knows but what is the point of a phone if you can't use it to talk to people?

I invested in a bluetooth phone because I wanted it to connect with my top of the range TomTom for handsfree use. All was well at first and then people would email me wanting to know why I hadn't responded to their voicemail. Easy, I hadn't had any voicemail, which is surprising because I'm not THAT unpopular. Then it started ringing and when I answered there was no-one there.

Off I went to the shop to get it replaced, far to easy, can't do that still under warranty, free repair. But I need a phone for clients to contact me and because I'm mobile a lot. Not a problem all you have to do is BUY a phone to use while yours is away having its FREE repair (is Gordon Brown head of Vodaphone now?). With no real option and with incredible good grace I bought a basic phone for 'only' £20. I took it home and charged it up. Did it work? NO! Response from company? it doesn't matter because your phone is repaired and back in the shop!

I now have my phone back, it works when it feels like it and I often can't hear people when they do get through. all the information that was stored on it has been lost and i'm a trifle hacked off. My contract runs out in December. Will I be staying with my current provider (I refuse to say service provider)? Well that's a tough one, let me think........................hmmmmmmmmm!

If you have tried to contact me with little or no success recently I apologise its not my fault. A big boy did it and ran away!

Police Dog Training 5, Manwork (Biting)

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:10:00 +0000

I told you we'd get to some biting so here it is.

This clip was shot on the end of course test for Acco. It is the 'manwork' element of the test and comprises four exercises.

1) The Stand-off or Stand-out. In this exercise a running suspect is challenged by the handler and when he doesn't stop the dog is sent to detain him, note that Acco always looks to me for confirmation before any aggressive exercise. When the dog is well on his way it transpires that the suspect is an innocent party. He maybe deaf, daydreaming or even using an ipod. he then sees the dog and stands still. the dog must not bite the suspect but just contain him by barking until the handler arrives. Once the handler has confirmed that all is in order then the now innocent man goes one way and handler and dog another. Acco is of course still curious and watches the man until out of sight.

2) The chase and attack or chase to stop. This exercise is a repeat of the last except that this suspect is not innocent and does not stop until Acco convinces him that it would be a good idea. Once Acco has detained the suspect by biting his right arm, I, as the decision maker take charge of the situation. I instruct Acco to 'leave', he leaves the criminal, comes to heel and goes into the down. I then approach the prisoner to search him. you will note that I never get between Acco and the suspect. This is so Acco can keep the offender under observation at all times, if he tries to run, pulls a weapon or attacks me then Acco piles in with no further command.

Once the suspect is searched I return to Acco and put him back on the lead. We then escort the prisoner to the Judge. It is worthy of note that although Acco has chased and bitten the offender once I have taken control then there is no more aggression from him. Once we reach the Judge and I instruct the prisoner to stand still Acco just gives one bark to remind the prisoner the proximity of a set of teeth!

3) Test of courage (stick attack). This clip always gives me pleasure. The idea is that the dog be sent to engage a violent criminal armed with a stick, knife or other similar weapon. The dog must engage the criminal without undue hesitation or nervousness.

Because this is an initial course with very young dogs the usual routine is for the 'stick criminal' not to be too noisy and aggressive so that the dogs confidence is not dented at an early stage of their working life.

Acco however was a very confident and powerful dog. As a result the instructors approached Neville who was the designated stick criminal for the test and told him that if he could 'stick Acco out' i.e. If he could be so noisy and aggressive that Acco had second thoughts about going straight in to attack, then they would pay for all his beer at the end of course drink up. Neville was a big strong rugby player and therefore liked his beer, he had also never seen Acco work and so he thought that he was onto a night of copious free beer.

Sadly for Neville the instructors told me what they had done. I therefore decided that once Acco had bitten I would take my time getting him to leave.

When doing any manwork exercise the longer the distance that the dog has to travel, the harder the bite. You can therefore understand the thought process of the Steward when you hear him say to me "Do it from here. Not too far, we don't want Neville killed." Neville comes out and does his bit. You can hear the force of the impact as Acco engages and the response of the spectators. I then leave Acco hanging on while I retrieve the weapon. The instructors are feeling a bit guilty now and you can hear the Chief Instructor call out "Don't be rotten Robin!" But nobody is going to have free beer at the expense of my dog, we're a team!

4) The gun attack, another test of courage. In this exercise the dog is sent to engage a suspect armed with and firing a firearm. It can be any sort of firearm, handgun, shotgun or rifle and the criminal can be static or running.

After a great stick attack this exercise didn't go quite as planned. The criminal ran firing his gun, Acco chased and stopped him, I disarmed the suspect and then told Acco to leave. That's when it started going slightly awry. Acco was enjoying himself so much that he suffered selective deafness. When he did leave he decided on a bit of summary justice and bit the suspect on the leg. It's worth turning the sound up and listening to the spectators comments. You will also see that I am deeply upset by the whole matter.

I hope it was worth waiting for. In the next clip you will see some practical tracking exercises ending in a bite. You will also see some of the worst acting since 'Crossroads' and 'Eldorado' left our television screens!

What does it take to put a 'Celebrity' behind bars?

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 16:38:00 +0000

For all of you lucky people who have never seen an organised dog fight. I can tell you that it takes a special kind of person who having seen one is not physically sick and doesn't have nightmares as a result.

My attention was drawn to the case of the American 'sportsman' Michael Vick and his involvement in this illegal 'sport'. It seems his lawyer is sorting out a deal so that the poor little love is not inconvenienced too much by contravening some boring old law. He is after all famous, surely laws only apply to 'little people'. It is only dogs that have died or been maimed so that's alright then.

Read the story and see the video here http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8fd_1187417726&p=1

Vick then pleaded guilty http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a33_1187638783&p=1

And then the apologists came out of the woodwork. You have to listen to this guy. Did he listen to what Vick did? Is he from the same planet as the rest of us? How can he sleep at night defending people like this? "Mr Vick is a redeemable human being". Yeah, right! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bf5_1187816021&p=1

And then we have the case of the rapper DMX who loved his multiple dogs so much he they were like family so, like you do, they were tied up and he didn't visit them for two months. Obviously these dogs were much loved family pets and not intended for any other purpose.http://www.usatoday .com/life/ people/2007- 08-24-dmx- dogs_N.htm? csp=34 Will he receive a substantial penalty at court?

Think Paris Hilton and all the other C list celebrities who drive around in an unfit state often without a licence. Think of Pete Doherty who's more likely to make the news if he wasn't in possession of drugs when stopped by the Police for some unpleasant behaviour or other. He must be on his tenth 'Last Chance' . The list is endless both sides of the Atlantic, actors, musicians, 'Super Models', sports personalities, children of the aforementioned. They assault people, steal (you have to fill the wardrobes in your mansion somehow), demand 'freebies', get unpleasantly and dangerously drunk, openly take drugs and laugh about it because they've just told the last judge that they've found God and turned their life around. They do all of that and more and expect to get away with it, and they do! Weak judges, weak prosecutors and we wonder why young people are killing one another at an alarming rate!

Young people need role models, well duh! Young people would pay a lot more attention if they saw that just because someone has been on tv in a reality programme or crawled into the underwear of some scrawny model they were not exempt from the law. No wonder so many young peoples only ambition is to be a 'celebrity'.

In between my clients and their dogs with behavioural problems I could happily fit in the job of Home Secretary, vote for me! I would have a simple philosophy, Bad things Happen to Bad People and not to Good People. Very Bad Things Happen to Very Bad People!

Finally if you really feel strongly about cruelty to dogs please sign my petition to Downing Street to ban cruel training aids such as spiked collars http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Traumatised-Dogs/

Police Dog Training 4, Hiding up a tree

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:44:00 +0000

This is a very short video clip of fairly poor quality due to the 'autofocus' being too 'auto'.

It aims to give just a taste of what a hiding criminal sees when found by a searching Police Dog.

The clip starts with the 'criminal' climbing up a tree to hide. You will then hear me 'challenge' "Police Officer with a dog etc." You will also hear Acco 'speak'. When the criminal doesn't give up Acco is deployed to search and soon locates the offender and indicates his find by barking.

When this exercise is done 'for real' it is not unknown for the criminal to be so spooked by the barking that they lose their grip and fall from the tree. This often happens at night when the first indication they get that the dog has located them is the sudden outburst of barking from the base of the tree.

As with all of these clips it is very early in Acco's training As he became more experienced I trained him to use a chainsaw so that if the offender wouldn't leave the tree he could deal with them on his own! Oh alright, I made that bit up!

The biting bits will be here soon.

Police Dog Training 3, Agility

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:39:00 +0000

Here we are again, another video clip, this time with a look at agility. It is vital that a Police Dog can deal with any obstacles in his way when working. He may go over or under, around it or through it whichever is the most effective. If a criminal is hiding behind a fence the dog wants to join him as quickly as possible.

In the following clip you will see the first three obstacles we teach young dogs.

First, the three foot hurdle. This represents a normal height dividing fence which may be topped with barbed wire. In case of barbed wire the dog must not touch the fence with any part of his body to avoid injury. To ensure that there is no contact the top element of the training hurdle is a very light pole which is easily dislodged.

Second, the long jump. This is to teach dogs to clear obstacles such as ditches or excavations when searching areas such as building sites. By the end of training all dogs are required to clear an eight foot long jump but most will clear much more.

Third, the A frame. This is used to teach dogs to go over six foot fences into enclosed areas. In this exercise what is supposed to happen is that Acco should go over the obstacle when directed. He should then wait on the other side until called back by me. As you will see he realises that it is much quicker to just stroll around the side of the jump to rejoin me (bless him). I then go to his side of the jump to position him for a recall. Acco starts to negotiate the jump early but stops. I replace him in position and start to return to my side of the jump to recall him when he decides to take matters into his own paws. I just get back in time. As you can see Acco is very pleased with himself. I then realised that after a hard days training, tracking, searching, biting and a host of other things often the last thing we would do on return to the dog school would be to do a round of agility before feeding the dogs. Acco was effectively saying, "Can I have my grub now?" A lesson well learned.

The dogs are trained on a number of other obstacles, tunnels, wobbly bridges and catwalks to name but a few. Anything that they might meet operationally.

More clips to come, we'll soon be at the biting part.

It's Not Fair. I Was Only Doing A Burglary!

noreply@blogger.com (Robin Glover) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:03:00 +0000

My attention was drawn to this story from America involving two burglary suspects who were upset because a Police Dog was used to detain them. It must have very traumatic for them (I hope).

Read the story:- http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--policedoglawsuit0728jul28,0,2519349.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/07/28/2007-07-28_jury_nips_nypd_dogbite_suit.html

http://allpawsbulletin.blogspot.com/2007/07/police-dog-dj-in-court.html

This story got me thinking of violent and non compliant criminals that I've dealt with over the years. As with the above story almost without exception offenders, with no thought for anyone else break into innocent peoples homes, into shops or warehouses. They attack people often for no reason other than to spice up their own inadequate lives and then, when they lose the fight and get arrested, they complain! The Policeman wasn't nice to them, the nasty Police Dog barked and frightened them. Indeed I remember one particularly unpleasant individual who, when told that he was being arrested for some serious offences, picked up a very large screwdriver in one hand and a metal bar in the other and told me that he was going to 'stab me up'. he'd obviously paid a lot of attention in English lessons. When I told him that it would be a good idea to 'moderate his behaviour or meet my dog on a more personal level.' He did drop the weapons but complained that in challenging him I was 'Out of order' and 'Over the top!'

Most of these criminals complain as a matter of course as part of their defence strategy. I'm sure that it's coincidental but often when a suspect goes to a particular lawyer the Police Officer can be sure that a complaint will be made and even guess the line of the complaint. Some like to allege Police brutality, some prejudice of some sort, either racial, sexual, religious or something else that hasn't become trendy yet. There are all manner of things that a suspect or his lawyer can do to muddy the waters. What the trial should be about is to find out if the defendant did what he is accused of doing. instead it becomes a game between lawyers with little thought for the victim. It certainly wouldn't do to admit responsibility would it? If anyone's to blame it must be Society.

I said earlier 'almost without exception.' Let me tell you about just one such exception. This is a true story and happened in the town of Aldershot in the County of Hampshire.

It was a dark and stormy night (well there had been moderate showers). I was working a late shift from 1800 to 0200 and it had been a very busy evening. It was a little after 0130 and I was looking forward to a warm bed. I had just finished arresting two suspects who had broken into a building site. To gain access I'd had to slide under a fence and so had a coating of wet mud all over my back. And then, when my mind was already in bed, the radio went and sent my body to another call.

The call was an alarm activation at the Argos store. This is now located in the local Mall but at the time of this incident it was in a basement now occupied by the Aldershot Bowl. The alarm at this premises was a regular and I had never known it to be anything other than a false activation. There were two sets of doors some yards apart so when I pulled up I let my dog, Acco, out of the van and left him to check one set of doors while I did the other. My doors were secure as I knew they would be. I turned to call Acco so that we could get on with the serious business of going to bed and there he was, gone!

I went to his door and found that the bottom pane of glass had been carefully removed and was propped against the wall. Acco had gone in and was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. I joined him and then found that the glass in the internal doors had also been removed. Being very perceptive I realised that there was something not quite right here! I stuck my head through the gap where the glass should have been and 'challenged the building.' A deep breath and a loud bellow. "Police Officer with a dog! come out or I'll send the dog!" I then instruct Acco to 'speak' to let any offenders know that I'm not bluffing, and then a final challenge. "This is your last chance! Come out or I'll send the dog!". No response from within the shop so it's 'Game On!'. I sent Acco in to search for anyone in the premises. Contrary to popular belief Police dogs do not rush about shredding innocent members of the public. They locate the hidden person and then indicate to their handler by barking. If the offender is compliant then there is no problem. If they want to fight then the world can end in pain.

Acco searched the shop and indicated to me that there was nobody still in the shop but that the offender had been to the jewellery counter. The glass display cabinets were all smashed and the complete collection of watches, necklaces, bracelets and rings had been stolen. A haul amounting to several pounds in value!

Acco then indicated the doors to the warehouse, and once again I challenged with no response. The warehouse was in complete darkness. I sent Acco to search and very quickly I heard cries of pain from within. When I followed the sound of the screams I saw a suspect laying on the shelving, hanging onto the uprights trying to resist, as Acco who had a firm grip on his calf was encouraging him to let go and come and join him. Subsequently the suspect told me that when Acco had located him he had given him 'a little shove with his foot to discourage him!' A very bad move, in that moment the suspect moved from compliant to non compliant. The consequence of that action? Pain, lots of it.

I called Acco off and escorted the suspect into the shop area where there was more light and the following conversation took place.

"Are you injured?"
"I don't know, I think so."
"Let's have a look, pull your trouser leg up."

On pulling up his trouser leg I could see a very substantial bite injury to his calf.

"When we get to the nick we'll get you medical treatment for that"

So far the conversation was nothing out of the ordinairy and I imagined him plotting the wording of his complaint or compensation claim but then his reply left me speechless.

"No, it's alright. Fair does, he's a police dog and I'm a burglar. He's only doing his job. If I hadn't kicked at him he wouldn't have bitten me. It's my fault but if I'd managed to scare him off I'd have been 'Jack the Lad' down the pub when I told all my mates about it. I tried it on and I lost so its fair enough. You've got a good dog there." (I already knew that)!

The prisoner was taken to the police station so that I could finish the search of the warehouse in case he wasn't on his own. Having concluded the search I went to the Custody Suite to deal with my prisoner. On my arrival he was being documented and a Doctor had been called to deal with his injuries. Our conversation continued:-

"How's your leg?"
"So so, quite painful but it's an occupational hazard isn't it?"
"The Doctor will be here soon to see you."
"Thanks. Do you know, there's only one thing that pisses me off about you and your dog?"
"What's that?"
"Well, when he bit me, he tore my new jeans."
"I'm very sorry about that."

And then with a huge grin he said,

"Yeah, do you know I only bought these jeans a couple of weeks ago with a stolen credit card?"

When he appeared at Court he pleaded guilty and apologised "For upsetting the Police Dog." If all criminals were like that life would be a lot better for Police and offenders alike. Even better Lawyers wouldn't be so rich.

Criminals have a saying, "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime". I would add "If you can't take the bite, you'd better do it right!"