What I can’t understand is why, after all the time and effort, it turns out that we – or should I say I? –are absolutely crap when it comes to dog training. You watch all these programmes on TV and they make it look so effortless. Any fool can do it – can’t they? I know all the theory. I’ve read the books, I’ve researched the internet, and I’ve watched the programmes – hours of them. And then I get my dogs and it all goes hopelessly wrong. You see, it turns out neither of them have read the books, done any research, or watched the TV programmes. So they don’t know how they are supposed to behave. In fact, they don’t behave anything like those dogs you see and read about at all.
The reason for this outburst is Jez. Well, mainly Jez. She’s decided she is definitely not coming back to us, unless it’s under her terms, i.e. normally when he’s worn out or bored with sniffing around. And worse, yesterday Chris took her over the Heath (to test whether she won’t come back to me over the Heath or whether she just won’t come back) and she ran off. Chris lost her while she decided she was going to explore the local housing estate. I got a panic phone call while I was in the middle of painting the kitchen.
Obviously we did get her back, but we really don’t know what to do about her. And her trainer seems to have run out of ideas. So since then I’ve had her on the lead. I’m trying to do recall training with her on the extendable lead. But I’ve tried this before and it hasn’t worked yet, so I don’t know what makes me think it will work this time. You know, if you keep doing the same thing, you get the same results. Trouble is, I don’t know what else to do.
And, of course, everyone you meet is an expert. They all know exactly what you should do, having watched TV or tried something that worked for them, or having known someone who knew someone who had a dog that it worked for. But of course, their dogs aren’t Jez. She is a law all unto herself.
Worse still, Max seems to be catching her bad habits. At the moment though, I’m putting it down to his age (terrible teens for a dog) and gaining more confidence. I just keep plugging away at him. He should settle down better.
And what’s worse virtually everyone I see has their dog quietly trotting out there side, doing what they’re told. Everyone except me. If my two are off lead they are about 20-30m ahead of me (but rarely together), and if they’re on lead at least one of them is pulling like mad. Sometimes both of them are – normally in different directions. My shoulder, far from getting better is getting worse. And my left glute is really painful again – which I’m pretty certain is from the dogs pulling.
So all in all feel like a complete and total failure. My Dad says I should give them a good thump - but I refuse to do that. I do get really upset about it though, and often it keeps me awake at night. I don’t know what to do, or where to turn for help that isn’t going to cost me a fortune. And the bit that really upsets me? These behaviourists say you have to make yourself interesting to your dogs. And just how am I supposed to do that? Once again, I’ve tried it all. I’ve even laid flat on my back in the middle of the woods. But in the end, to know that your dog would rather be doing anything other than to be with you really hurts.
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