“For Joy, the beginning of my everything “
Before you begin this exciting adventure with your dog, take a moment to remember that this is a journey to treasure.
You’re going to have fun with your dog.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and think of all the nice moments and the enjoyment you and your dog are going to have together.
Let your dog’s nose lead you and let’s see where this adventure will take you!!!
Welcome to Barking Voices based on the South West part of Scotland!
A True Story
She always wanted a dog…. She loved him from the first second she saw him as a puppy
She did everything she knew she could do for him to have a good life….
But as he was growing older she could see that he was not always easy. He was not the type of dog you could let run free in the park with other dogs or around other people.
He was a working dog and he loved using his nose. But when he was around people or dogs he would bark and his reactions could be quite intense… He was becoming a reactive dog…
For a dog owner of a reactive dog, life could be very difficult and stressful.
The owner had tried different types of training and classes but things were not improving.
Sometimes training and obedience classes seemed another task to add, one more difficulty.
Quite often, in these classes the owner would feel very isolated as she had to be isolated from the rest of the people. She could never approach people or dogs with her dog.
She loved him so much but there was something between them which wouldn’t let them get closer and feel the bond between them.
And as the weeks and the months were going by, things were getting more difficult. The dog would lunge and bark at every person and every dog they would meet during their walks. Sometimes it was hard even to make the decision to go for a walk…..
Even the way people would look at them would be another burden on her shoulders…
Why could people not see what a good dog he was?
She came to realise soon that her dog was a highly reactive dog and behaviour classes or any classes were not for him.
People around her or even vets had started talking about “aggression”.
The first time she heard this word hurt her deeply
Was it true?
Her dog “aggressive“ ? But how ? What did she do wrong ? She loved him , she knew that for sure.
Everything had started being a little more difficult every day for her until one day she heard about Scentwork and Mantrailing and how that could change hers and her dog’s life forever !!!
The first day they tried she saw a different dog. He knew what he was doing and he was the best dog at it !! She only needed to show him what it was expected of him and oh…. there he would go !!! This boy was so good!
She was so so proud of him. It was so simple for him. All he needed to do is use his nose ! His eyes were shining in a way she hadn’t seen for a long time….
She saw her dog through completely different eyes. She saw her dog becoming …… a dog again……
And they got closer as they were having a really fun time together. His reactivity didn’t completely disappear but it reduced more and more…. He was a happier dog….
Every week she was looking forward to Mantrailing and scentwork classes…
These classes were their way to spend fun time together, to do something they both loved and they both could do it without trying hard.
Is This A Story You Have Heard Before?
It is maybe something you or someone you know is experiencing at the moment?
I have been through this and I know really well what it means to experience these kinds of emotions. I know what it means to be the owner of a reactive dog.
In my case I loved my dog dearly… I knew deeply!
What is it though that sometimes goes so wrong in our relationships with our best friends , our dogs?
As an owner of reactive dogs all my life I have asked this question to myself so many times!
We love them and we look after them in the best way we can…. Is that not enough?
I had tried to take advice from many experts for my own dogs over the years. I wanted to help them and see them happy. I had heard some trainers talking to me about” being the leader”…. “ not letting my dog be stubborn”…… “ that I had to show her what she must do “…… But then…. if that is how we treat our best friends … how do we expect this relationship to be based on mutual trust and love? Would I like it if someone would do the same to me?
After all these years I have come to the conclusion that many of our dogs “behaviour issues” are caused because of broken communication.
We tend to forget sometimes that our dogs are captive animals and by that what I mean is that our dogs have no option to choose their daily activities nor do they generally have the opportunity to express their natural behaviours, necessary for their welfare.
I used to think that a nice long walk and a good meal will make the dog happy. Having lived most of my life in Greece where I originally come from, I have spent much time around stray dogs.
Although in many occasions, they live in a hostile unfriendly environment with lots of threats and risks around them, I would even dare to say that they are happier than many of the pet dogs. If we notice the stray dogs in their natural environment though we would notice that Stray dogs don’t run and they don’t go for long walks. The most common way to spend their time apart from sleeping is scavenging, foraging and sniffing.
My big passion is to help people and their dogs build their relationship again and to show to people how beneficial Mantrailing and Scentwork are to all dogs and especially reactive dogs.
Contact Katerina
07502 491 687
barkingvoices@hotmail.com
