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Finbar 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 and Cesar
Millan, to name but a few. I remain committed to further study of this absorbing subject and of these wonderful
beings, 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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