General Chat

I have just got home from dog obedience classes, and Ben (an 18 month old Parsons Jack Russell) decided to ignore everything I said tonight. Last week he got a prize for being so good. This week he took some convincing to do anything right first time. I enjoy the classes and need him obedient for the agility classes, he even know left from right - when he wants to. I also believe it is important for those with dogs to be responsible as not everyone likes dogs. A dog should be under control at all times. Does any one else go to trainingg classes. An exhasuted Rebecca.

I had an insane Springer Spaniel who absolutely worshipped children. Trouble was, she was so pleased to see them she would hurl herself like a rocket at them, stopping about a millimetre away. Of course, strange children could not realise that she was actually going to stop and I was always getting into trouble for my "dangerous dog". Eventually I took her to classes, the leader admitted himself beaten, but we managed to teach her one command which was "Down". This worked very well for all situations, all I had to do was scream at the top of my lungs from one end of the beach to the other and down she would go. She was not a "traffic aware" dog so was never off the lead anywhere near a road. Trouble was, she somehow connected the sound of traffic with the word down and everytime she heard a car would drop to the ground and refuse to move till it had gone past her, lead or no lead. The milkfloat was a particular problem and a hundred yard walk could take an hour. Which is why you may have seen me sometime, very hot and cross, carrying an extremely healthy and heavy springer spaniel along a main road!