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Walking to Heel and Recall

Testimonials from clients and some case histories

Some case histories and testimonials covering dogs pulling on the leash and getting your dog to recall from a distance .

Ellie - the Patterdale cross very strong willed, jumps up, barks a lot, pulls on the leash, recall.
Willow - the Newfoundland pulled a lot on the leash and would not recall.
Molly - the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, very excitable and won't recall.
Skip - the Golden Retriever had never been let off the lead. It took me twenty minutes before I let him off.
Rosco - the Basset Hound learnt to walk to heel and recall in an hour.

Ellie the Patterdale Cross

Hi Ade, Quick report on Ellie's progress.

She's making amazing progress walking off lead. Every time she comes when called even today when she ran over to another dog after only a slight hesitation she responded to the call. We are taking her to different places and gradually building trust and confidence and so far so good.

The other day we went to Foremark reservoir for approx 90 min walk of which she was off lead for over 60 mins and came home covered in sand, mud and dirt! (all of us that is). She's still OTT when meeting other dogs but much better greeting people. Friends have commented on how calm she seems. Jumping up far less than before.

I'm following your advice and giving her a more natural diet and her coat is looking much better. Also, because the bowl is removed immediately after meals she is much more attentive when offered food.

Thanks for coming to see us it's made a world of difference.

Gill C (pack leader)

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Regaining the love for your dog (Willow)

Robert, Tanya and their daughter Niamh (pronounced Neve) travelled all the way from Norwich to introduce me to their beautiful black Newfoundland called Willow aged 4. Willow tends to pull a lot and she is a heavy dog. But her most urgent problem is the fact that she won't recall when let off the lead. Robert and Tanya were very concerned as they live in a rural area and the local farmers are known to shoot dogs that are endangering their livestock, and the family live near a busy main road.

They arrived one sunny Sunday morning after a 3 hour drive and I could see how Willow was dragging Robert for a walk. I showed Robert and Tanya some heelwork exercises and then we moved onto the recall. During the recall I noticed that Willow was much more lively and responsive when I called her than anyone else, even though I had only just met her.

After asking Robert a couple of questions I realised that he had lost any enjoyment during walks with Willow and had become nervous, frustrated and sometimes angry with Willow's behaviour.

The love and affection that he had once had with his beloved dog had got lost somewhere. I advised them how to change the energy between human and dog and within minutes Willow was chasing Robert all over the park in response to his calls. Robert and Tanya were amazed at the difference in such a short time, and I ended the session showing how Willow would walk to heel with me without a lead and her head right next to my thigh. Simplz!

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Molly the Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Molly is a 7 month old Staffy bitch. She pulls on the leash, jumps up, is very excitable, steals food if it is within reach, eats poop, won't come back when called, is unsure how to greet other dogs and has consequently been bitten once already on the muzzle. She steals and chews the childrens' clothes, toys and other things.

By email the day after one 2 hour training session:

Hi Ade. We have just come back from an hour long walk with Molly. The improvement is amazing. We had some treats in our pocket and rewarded her as shown when she came back when recalled (this was almost every time).

We can't believe how well she has done with just one session. Considering she is food obsessed, we are now able to place a treat on the floor, claim it, and she will sit looking at us for her reward. Walking her on the lead is great, though the kids are having a job keeping up the pace.

We can't thank you enough for pointing us in the right direction.

Kevin, Jo-Anna, Harriet, Jem and of course Molly.

Ade says: Great work so far you guys. Molly's a cutie, Pip says keep up the good work!

Update: I am sad to report that during the icy spell of the early part of 2010 there was a tragic accident, Molly fell through the ice on a pond and was drowned. The family was devastated as she was doing so well, but a few months later decided to offer a home to another Staffy from a Rescue Centre. And yes, I was called in to help with a few house rules and the like. Martha is a beautiful little dog, playful, definitely wilful but a lot of fun. Jo-Anna has her hands full again!

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Skip the Golden Retriever from Telford

Susan from Telford rang to arrange a visit to see Skip, her 8 year old Labrador Retriever.

Skip gets very excited before and during the walk. He lunges and barks at other dogs and Susan has never let him off the lead because she is worried he will run off or rush up to other dogs. She dreads the walk and he only gets one walk a day. He doesn't walk to heel and drools all over the carpet while he is waiting for his food.

I visited Susan and Skip in Telford for a 2 hour session. We came up with an 11 point plan. After twenty minutes of leash work I let Skip off the lead to run free for the first time. The following day I received this email:

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for all your help. I bought a new collar this morning as you suggested and took Skip out with it this afternoon. He was very good considering. I let him off on the green and he was so good. He ran and ran, but came back when I called him. Unfortunately I noticed blood on his back paw, and I think he's caught one of his claws. So he'll have to take it easy for a couple of days and not run around like a maniac. He did go mad, but I can see he loves to run and loves that freedom. I want to thank you for all your help. I now think I can cope better with Skip. I love him to bits, and just want to enjoy him, and I want him to enjoy his life. I will keep in touch and let you know how he gets on.

Best wishes, Sue

Ade says: Thanks Sue - you made my day. Skip is a very handsome dog!

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Rosco the Bad Basset Hound

Rosco is a Basset Hound that wouldn't walk to heel, was constantly pulling and weaving in front of the owner and would not return when let off the lead. Within one hour he was walking to heel and I demonstrated several techniques to the owners to get him to recall on command, which he was doing by the end of the session. The owners Lee and Pauline said they were stunned at how well-behaved he had become in such a short time.

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