Ben & Ceilidh
We have two rescue dogs, Ceilidh is a Border Collie across and Ben a Jack Russell. Both were abused prior to being rescued and both have very different personalities and issues. Ceilidh was scared of just about everything especially large vehicles and unexplained noises eg wind blowing through trees. When confronted with any of these she would try to run as fast and as far as possible in the opposite direction. She would run back home if we were close enough which unfortunately means crossing a busy main road. Ben is as different to Ceilidh as it's possible to get. He had the opinion that everyone was going to hurt him so he was going to get them first. He would try and attack people, especially cyclists and joggers and other dogs. Walks were very fraught affairs, considered a chore rather than enjoyable. Ben was also very protective of food so much so that we had to feed Ceilidh in a separate room to allow her to eat in peace. Additionally Ben is very territorial, we've had to rearrange furniture to stop him getting to the windows. As he can't get through the glass to attack the postman or anyone else walking by he grabs whatever is closest and shakes it violently in frustration. He has destroyed several window blinds, and bitten me several times while in a frenzy of frustration. We were in dire need of help.
We decided on a package of training involving home visits and group walks with Linnea and Gregor of Walk and Train Edinburgh. I have to say that they are both fantastic. Firstly they listen to the problem then explain the behaviour from the dogs point of view which really helps you to understand why the dog is acting in a certain way. They show you how to correct the behaviour and more importantly get you to practice while they look on. This is a really important aspect as it means that after they leave you having confidence that you can continue the training in the correct way. After the visits they provided detailed notes of the sessions with helpful hints and reminders as well as links to useful videos etc.
Both Ceilidh and Ben are very much a work in progress however life is much easier since enlisting the help of Linnea and Gregor. Ceilidh is much more confident outside, she hardly notices the bangs and crashes from demolition work being carried out close to where she is walked. Getting her to walk though woods has become easier and although she still doesn't like busses and lorries she is continuing to gain confidence around them. Ben has improved in leaps and bounds. He rarely barks at other dogs outside and if he is going to react to another dog we can spot the warning signs and distract him before he does. The same can be said of cyclists and joggers. We've worked on keeping both dogs calm around mealtimes, this has been such a success that both are now fed side by side. We're now also beginning to see improvements in his territorial behaviours to the extent that someone knocked on the door and he didn't react. Life is much calmer, we have a closer bond with the dogs than we had previously and walks are now pleasurable and something we look forward to. None of this would have been possible without the expert guidance of Linnea and Gregor of Walk and Train Edinburgh.
- Alison
