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If we are very lucky, there is one dog
who holds a special place in our hearts. For me that dog is Finbar, my first Irish Wolfhound. He is my inspiration. He came into our lives one cold February evening in 1996, when
we collected him from DHL at East Midlands Airport. He'd left the breeder's near Dublin several hours earlier for what
must have been a traumatic journey. The first thing he did, when let out of his crate, was run away - and who could
blame him. It took six of us to catch him, such a handful was he. And so he remained throughout his puppyhood
and his 'lager lout' stage, as my wife and I came to refer to his adolescence.
"Don't be afraid to put some manners on him!"
was the breeder's advice so, as soon as I could, I marched him off to obedience school. Thus began hours of walking
up and down the garden, with lots of standing, sitting, staying etc until he 'got it'. And if he did, it was down to
me; and if he didn't, it was down to him. And at such times, I'd launch into a tirade of abuse that, strangely for me,
quickly ran out of steam. I didn't understand why until one day I noticed that his response to my rants
was to stand quite still, with his eyes averted. He would not give me eye contact, which would certainly have riled
me further. I suddenly realized that it was he who was curtailing my tantrums, that somehow he was taking
charge of the situation.* Although I didn't understand what was happening, I couldn't help but change my attitude
towards him. I became more respectful. I began to speak more quietly to him. I adopted a more gentle attitude. I
was amazed to notice he became more obedient, more polite and amenable; less of a lout. Walks, the prospect
of which used to fill me with dread, now became a pleasure. He became an almost constant companion.
I loved his company and he seemed to love mine.
Sadly Fin died before his time, while he still
had so much to teach me. For a time I lost interest in dogs, putting my experience with Fin down to the fact that he
was simply very special. One evening, some years later, I heard a woman speaking on the television about a way of living
with dogs based upon the dynamics of the wolf pack. She spoke of a pain-free way of persuading rather than forcing dogs
to live harmoniously with their humans, and demonstrated some of her successes. It struck an immediate chord with me
and, finding that she offered training in her method, I enrolled as soon as I was able. That woman is Jan Fennell, 'The
Dog Listener', and I have gained her Certificate of Advanced Canine Communication. Finding that this provided a sound
basis for further research into human/canine interaction, I have become fascinated by the work of Turid Rugaas, and
have recently been awarded her Certificate in Dog Handling Skills. I have closely studied the work of Sarah Fisher,
Brenda Aloff, Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson, Karen Pryor and Alexandra Semyonova, to name but a few. I remain committed
to further study of this absorbing subject and of these wonderful animals, because I have come to realize that just as I think
I've learnt all I need, I encounter something that is fresh and new to me. I have come to believe that it is a brave
person who claims they have 'got it', that they have learnt all there is to know. The only conclusion I have come to
is that there is no conclusion to come to.
* Some years later I discovered that the head turning/eye aversion
posture Fin had adopted was an example of a classic calming signal as described fully in 'On Talking Terms With Dogs:
Calming Signals' by Turid Rugaas.
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