I thought I would start this post, as mention has been made of this lady. We brought her video some months ago, and have her book, and I have to say that I love her techniques.
She trains dogs to co-operate because they wish to, not because they are made to. Her methods resonate with me 100%.
As soon as we put her techniques to the test, our dog Tex (who is a rescue dog), noticed something was up, he was being ignored, and he tried every trick to get our attention. Bless him, he definitely is confused about who is the alpha.
It's early days still as we're still putting the techniques to work.
Sherringham, how have you found the techniques? Tex is a real lead puller, we've got him a halti, but to be honest, I don't like it, something is telling me that it isn't the nicest thing. The problem is he pulls, and pulls and he has a great time, I have an awful time being yanked and pulled.
Jan's methods recommend we practice in the house, getting him to heel, then to try walking out of the door. I have a feeling Tex will be missing his walk for quite some time, because his pulling is quite bad. I will feel a bit bad but like Jan says, you need to be in control of your dog, not the other way round.
Dogs also learn quickly, when we got him the halti, he refused to go out, on the second day, again he didn't want to go for a walk, by the third day he realised that he wasn't going to go walkies without the halti.
Sherringham, I'd love to hear some success stories, and perhaps techniques, especially pulling on the lead.
We rescued Tex after being at Dogs Trust for 8 months. He was only just over a year old when we got him, he had been abandoned and abused. I spent the first few months treating him with flower remedies as he had a lot of trauma due to his past. He is such a wonderful dog and we love him to bits, and he's come a long way, it's just the training aspect that's a challenge.
When we first saw him, the manager at the centre wouldn't let us have him, saying as we were first time owners, and he had some problems, it wasn't advisable. We were upset but understood, and thought that she must know best. Anyway, about a month later a friend of mine from Ireland who is into animal rescue, was visiting and her rescue centre in Ireland had links with the rescue centre where we saw Tex, she asked me what I was doing one morning, as she had arranged to visit that animal centre. I just felt that Tex was meant to be ours, I obviously went with her and Tex was still there. I went right up to the desk and explained that we had enquired about Tex a month before and were told we couldn't have him. I at this point told her I was a healer and did a lot of work with essences with animals that were sick, or carried trauma - she just looked at me and said "Come back with your partner and take Tex for a walk", I was so excited. We walked him on a few occasions and that was that.
I have to say he has been challenging, but I knew that with love and the essences work, he would be a lovely dog. My partners mum said "Why couldn't you get a normal dog". My answer was "normal dogs don't need my help".
Sorry, a bit off topic, but it was just meant to be us getting Tex.
Right, back to the topic!
Love
Rosi x
RE: Jan Fennell training methods
Hi Rosi,
Have to agree with you aboutHaltis, I tried one on Henry, my goldie, and he hated it, also there is the negative appearance of a halti looking like a muzzle....So I tried a body harness, which gave me a lot more control while on the lead, and a harness for him too, he is a big dog and I'm not exactly large, being 5'3". But it was important he was allowed to socialise with other dogs and people while we were out.
Once you can maintain eye contact with the dog while walking, when you want to, then dragging you alongon the chin becomes a thing of the past.
With both goldies now, I can walk them on a brace lead together, or just an ordinary seperate collar and lead if we are going somewhere muddy and to swim.
Greatest success story with Jan Fennell? One of my clients ( a solicitor) has an American cocker spaniel who was not house trained, (she had been run on by the breeder to show) had not been socialised at all and was extremely scared of men. She was jealous of the client's boyfriend, and had nipped him on several occasions and their intimate life had ground to a halt.
I was actually called in under my petminding hat just to walk Paris daily, but she was such a sad traumatised little thing, I suggested she came to myhouse daily instead to see if my dogs could draw her out. It took about two months, but she stopped soiling first, and began to bond with my crew and me, I ignored the bad behaviour and liberally rewarded the good. To bond with the boyfriend I suggested he took over the feeding and walking and playing with Paris and that he read Jan Fennell and applied it , and it worked. We are now back to me calling once per day to walk Paris and she is just so much happier, as is my client.
I'm glad things are going well with Tex, its sooo rewarding when an unhappy dog becomes contented, and I fully understand the Healing aspect.
RE: Jan Fennell training methods
Ahhh, what a lovely story about Paris, it's so nice to see them happy once again.
Once you can maintain eye contact with the dog while walking, when you want to, then dragging you alongon the chin becomes a thing of the past.
Can you explain about the eye contact? We've also got him a harness that fits around his body, but he still pulls, and barks and lunges at bikes, other people, children etc - it's also unpredictable, so he may lunge at one person, ignore 2 more people, then lunge again. One thing he always lunges at is bikes, and cars, he doesn't like those - and even with the body harness, I don't feel I have that much control over him.
I'm a bit stumped as to how we stop his pulling.
Love
Rosi x
RE: Jan Fennell training methods
Sounds like you are in it for the long haul.I walk an easily spooked greyhound. Just try in a quiet area when you are out with him, get his attention, keep the walks short and bear with him.
This greyhound, she still bears thescars of beatings despite being rescued last December, but one day I caught her eye, and now she comes to me for comfort when spooked (it can be anything!!!), but ifI can keep her gaze for even a couple of steps, and her eyes are limpid, you forget about the problems and get back home on a high note!!!
Keep his lead as short as you can, so that your hand is near him, he will realiseYOU are not a threat, and very slowly confidence grows. (leads being an arch enemy to an abused dog)
They do have such short lives and it takes aeons to get things right for them.
It may be an idea too to get him checked at the vets that there are no injuries to his body and ribs.
RE: Jan Fennell training methods
Hi Sherringham, OK, I'll make his walks shorter and keep the lead shorter too. He isn't on a particularly long lead, but I do let him walk ahead slightly, when in fact he should be walking right next to me - will put this in to practice right away!
It may be an idea too to get him checked at the vets that there are no injuries to his body and ribs.
He was checked by the vets before we got him, also I know there is no tender spots, as he's very good at doing 'down stays' and he lets you stroke him all over, so physically he's fine and strong.
This poor greyhound, shocking that it has been beaten.
Unfortunately animals that have suffered abuse, pain and trauma remember this abuse at cell level, by this I mean that it remains in their bodies, and vibrational medicine works to remove any trauma from the body and energy bodies of the animal. The animal will carry this memory with them, and many a time, when an animal gets ill, it's because it has no way of releasing the trauma it has experienced, so it manifests in dis-ease. Their way of saying "I need to get rid of this, but I don't know how".
I have dealt with quite a few animals that have been holding onto trauma from the past. They gain a new zest of life and become so much freer.
Love
Rosi x