Certain details have been changed to protect anonymity
The “go to” man wasn’t a reputation that I wanted, cultivated or encouraged; however, in those early days, I was the only professional dog trainer in Cornwall. Most of my clients had the usual issues that were fairly easy to solve. Pulling on the lead, not coming back, jumping up, toilet training, etc. Not too much to strain the brain. In those days, dog training classes were the normal way to improve behaviour, but unfortunately, not all dogs benefited from this weekly get-together. The rejects had nowhere to go, so owners read books, watched videos, and took advice from people with very limited knowledge that only made matters worse. By the time I got to see the dog, what started out as a fairly simple problem was now chronic.
My new client was an elegant lady who, under normal circumstances, would have been extremely attractive, but on this visit, she was sobbing uncontrollably. Her makeup had been decimated; unfortunately, mascara was running down her cheeks, and it appeared that the lady had recently suffered some facial damage
Between the crying, nose blowing and the wiping away of tears, I was able to ascertain the nature of the lady’s problem.
Mrs Octavia Morgan had acquired a Leonberger. For those who have no knowledge of this particular breed, it is a giant dog that weighs more than the average lady and many men.
Originally a German breed, popular as a farm dog with a benign temperament, it can make a great pet, but only if under control. Having seen an advert in the local paper about this three-year-old dog, needing a new home as the owners were moving abroad, Octavia took one look at this giant canine, and it was love at first sight. He went by the name Mac. Yes, I did ask, the explanation given by his previous owners was….. Leonberger – burger – McDonald’s – Mac.
He was very well behaved according to the previous owners, and walked sedately to the car and travelled well. The initial couple of days were favourable in that Mac slept a lot and was happy to have the freedom of Octavia’s back garden. Sadly, the wheels fell off when Mrs Morgan decided to take Mac for a walk. All was well until he saw another dog, whereupon he roared his displeasure and attempted to throw himself at the offending canine. Just to complicate matters, my client had wrapped the lead around her wrist with the inevitable consequence. She ended up face down on the pavement, suffering scratches, bruises, a cut lip and broken spectacles.
To make matters even worse, the lady’s husband, who worked away, had arrived home from abroad only to find that his home had acquired a new occupant, and he wasn’t best pleased. The short period of time he was at home was a constant battle as he demanded that Mac be rehomed, and Octavia pleaded the case for her errant hound. With her husband having departed for another 6 weeks and threatening euthanasia if that “bloody monster” was still in his house, Octavia came to me.
The problem was fairly easy to solve, but unfortunately, this had obviously been going on for some time. The ingrained response to other dogs, the sheer size of Mac, contributed to the issue, and the time constraint made success in the ridiculously short space of time virtually impossible.
“Six weeks, Mr Hodson, that’s all I have. Can you sort it out? In the house, he is so gentle, and I feel so safe ”
With a smaller dog, six weeks was possible, but a dog that outweighed his owner, hmmm.
“Well, Mrs Morgan, I never promise anything unless I am 100% certain that I can deliver, and this issue is going to take longer than 6 weeks, but we can probably make inroads. Maybe enough to pacify your husband.”
I started with the obvious: if the dog is not under control before meeting another dog, then the owner has no chance, so teaching the dog to walk to heel is paramount.
The first lesson was given with specific instructions to avoid any dogs. The first week to practice in the garden with no distractions, no more than ten minutes at a time and no more than five times a day.
Within two weeks, Mac was walking around the garden with the precision of a Crufts obedience champion. For the following two weeks, Octavia took Mac for walks on the streets but with strict instructions to avoid other dogs and any other distractions. With only two weeks left, there was no possibility of a successful outcome before the husband returned. With a week to go, Mac had started to accept dogs 60-70 yards away with no more than a raising of his hackles. We were making significant progress, but with the time constraint, it looked like I needed a miracle.
In my day, there were two backup systems. The first was an ultrasound gadget that is very common today, which delivered a high-pitched sound inaudible to the human ear. A handy item for dog trainers when visiting people in their own homes. The other one was called a citronella collar that delivered a scent of lemon when the dog barked, which generally ensured that the dog instantly calmed down.
We tried the citronella collar first, and it yielded great results. We had got to the stage where Mac was improving every day, but with the imminent return of Mr Morgan, sadly, 100% success had not been achieved.
At this point, instead of making an appointment, Octavia informed me that she would ring me. I heard nothing for nearly a month, and finally the call came with a very brief explanation.
Mr Morgan, on his return, had given his wife an ultimatum.
“That bloody dog or me.”
As I understand it, Octavia’s reply was blunt and to the point, and after his next trip away, Mr Morgan would not be returning to the marital home. Mrs Morgan didn’t elaborate, but I was given the distinct impression that this had not been a marriage made in heaven, and for the foreseeable future, the only male that would be getting close to her was Mac.
I was to see Mac for many weeks, and he finally passed muster, being able to pass other dogs without an adverse reaction. To the best of my knowledge, the pair went on to enjoy a happy life together, and woe betide anyone attempting to come between them.
“Big dogs show us that loyalty is not measured in size but in the depths of one’s heart.”
Anon
With subtitle or not?