BRADAIGH
 
 Bradaigh is an Airedale terrier now four years old, and we have been going along to Steve’s classes for a year. I originally went to get help with recalling him, because although we had been to other classes and got certificates for obedience, including the recall, none of it seemed to work on our daily walks and I had a growing sense of having no real control over his behaviour whilst off lead. There were also times when he responded to people in what I saw as an aggressive way.
 After just two classes I realised that although my dog could be well behaved he had no respect for me whatsoever, and his lack of response to the recall was just one sign of this. Steve showed me that he was a dominant confident dog and that I needed to make changes that showed him I was the dominant one, so that he could have confidence in me. Since that time it has been a huge learning curve, but a tremendously rewarding one. Lots of changes have been made - e.g. giving clear commands, using the lead so as not to cause stress, taking control of food, toys and boundaries, learning to both correct and give praise in a way that he understands - to name just a few! Through it all two key phrases have been important – “be calm and consistent” and “if your dog doesn’t respond it’s another opportunity to reinforce” – a positive way to combat frustration.
 
 I now have a dog who remains confident and challenging, but who is also responsive, calmer, and enjoying affection and play, and taking him out is far more pleasurable. He is not perfect – but neither am I! – but together we have achieved much more than I would have believed possible and I look forward to this continuing. I can only say a big thank you to Steve who has trained us both.
 
 So what makes K9 Consultants different from other classes? For me it’s the following:
 * each dog and owner is treated as an individual
 * the training is “hands on” – Steve shows what can be achieved
 * my concerns have been listened to and addressed
 * there is support between classes if needed
 * the psychology and reasoning behind the methods is explained
 * Steve models what he says – calmness and consistency
 * at each class I learn something new, as a variety of dogs and issues are worked with
 
 ............... and lastly I discovered a food – DUCK - which Bradaigh devours in seconds, - absolutely nothing can distract him from it. He never looks bloated, he drinks and poos less, and he looks good. I would recommend it to anyone and wouldn’t consider feeding him anything else – all sounds clichéd, but it’s true.
 
 Sandra Davis, Earl Shilton, Leics.

 Poppy, Border Collie

 April 2008

I first saw Poppy when she was just four weeks old, she was one of eight. I had gone with the intention of looking at one of her sisters who was the only black and white puppy of the litter, the rest were tri-coloured which initially we didn’t want! However one of the more ‘forward’ puppies seemed to ‘choose’ me and sat on my foot near enough the whole time we were there and she also didn’t seem mind my two young and very excited children! I told the farmer’s wife that we would have the black and white girl and left the farm. All the way home I wondered if I had made the wrong choice! After consulting my husband and driving him mad going on about it all evening I rang back the next morning to say that I had changed my mind! Was this to be the biggest mistake I ever made?! After all, I had read you were not supposed to pick the most forward puppy in a litter!!.....

We were told about K9 Consultants by a friend who had taken their spaniel to Steven’s classes and also the class just down the road in Newbold Verdon which was ideal for us. We embarked on classes once Poppy had had all her vaccinations and at this point things weren’t too bad! I will always remember Steven’s words to me and I can still hear his voice to this day “This dog is going to be real hard work but she will be tremendous in the end!” Oh boy how right he was!

Poppy has pushed us to the limit; she was extremely dominant within the house and paid no attention to anything I said to her. If I was cooking she would stand at my feet and ‘attack’ my slippers to the point where they were destroyed, this then developed into nipping my legs. Once she had grown a bit she began pinching food off the work surface. She took an extremely long time to become house trained and each time we thought we had nearly cracked it she would revert back to toileting where she liked! At around four months old she very nearly killed herself by eating the whole of her leather lead and some of her bedding….thank goodness we had her insured! She also liked to escape from the house whenever possible and take herself for a run in the field across the road from our house and no matter what we did she wouldn’t come back. She would just stand and look at us, in fact the last time she did this was at New Year 2008; she is still pushing, she can be distracted by other dogs if the mood takes her and she is also obsessed with our cat! I have come to accept that there are some things that we will never change about her!

I can easily say that if we had not have been going to Steven, Poppy would not be with us now; there have been many times when we could have given up on her. Steven knows what he is doing and he does it so well. Once he explains the psychology of it all it all makes perfect sense. In our case Poppy was fighting me to be the dominant female and so it has been me that has been to classes with her. As she is a border collie from working parents she has a very high drive and lots of energy that with Steven’s help we have managed to focus on to a ‘ball on a rope’ which we now take everywhere! Poppy is no way near perfect and still has her moments but I feel more confident that we have a good level of control with her now. When we got Poppy it was with the intention to go on and do agility with her and possibly even fly ball. We are just about to embark on a new chapter of our training by finally starting agility. I am very sad to leave the training classes with K9 consultants as I have enjoyed it very much, found it very interesting and have learnt a lot, not just from Poppy’s problems but from listening to Steven talking about other dogs that have been in the class with us. We may consider getting another dog in the future and we wouldn’t hesitate in returning to Steven.

On another note we also feed Poppy ‘Duck’, she was on a dry food when we got her and we had terrible trouble with her having the ‘runs’. It also seemed to make her bloated and she drank huge amounts of water. After seeking advice from Steven on this matter and speaking to other customers of his that were feeding their dogs ‘Duck’, we decided to try Poppy on it. She loved it; she ate it so quickly we timed her! It took her 10 seconds. I don’t even bother to look at what else is on the market now, she drinks less, looks good and doesn’t pooh much either and when she does it is so easy to pick up!

Thank you so much Steven for all your help, advice and support, I don’t know where we would be without you!

Ellie & Mark Yates

Black Labrador

March 2008

Myself and Poppy the Black Lab have just had the best walk ever following last nights class instruction.
We have progressed form yesterdays 100% severe pulling to about 70% pretty good just trying to walk a bit fast and 30% no pulling with loop lead hanging  extremely loose.
 
When we met excitements we still had jumping which was corrected, and I have yet to try a very busy place. We have a way to go.
 
But it was a vast improvement.
 
You have trained me well.
 
Jane Fletcher.
 

2 Dangerous Border Terriers

February 2008

I have just returned from collecting my two border terriers after a 5 day stay they had with K9 Consultants.

I was looking for specialist help and had researched both locally and on the internet, finally deciding that K9 Consultants could offer me the dedicated service the dogs needed rather than them going to a larger establishment. The small personalised set up on Steve Havers' home and land seemed the ideal environment worthy of the 360 mile round trip!

Steve’s comments on the front page of his website applied to both myself and my dogs. I had been to classes where numbers were high and had not suited the different learning abilities of my two dogs. Other people always mean well and offer advice which did not seem to work in my case.

My history was that my dogs had been involved in a fight, which led to a court case against me and a judge awarding a control order and classing the dogs as dangerous. If there were any future problems I would be liable to heavy fines, another court case at further great expense and the potential for the dogs to be destroyed. This left my confidence shattered and me feeling reluctant to taking the dogs out for walks. The fight left the dogs instantly aggressive towards other dogs.

Steve socialised my dogs both with his own dogs, and with other dogs at Steve’s weekly classes and when out and about locally in the village and on public parkland. He also spent time with them on a one to one basis. I only wished I lived locally and could attend his weekly classes. I had spent a day with both Steve and my dogs and we were fortunate that real situations arose in the parkland with other dogs, which Steve was able to teach me to manage.

I had concerns about leaving someone else with this responsibility and about the cost.
However I can say that the quality of the training for my dogs was superb and it has been money well spent. There are great improvements in both my dogs however it is an ongoing process which must be continued. The after service of weekly newsletters, phone contact and emails will be invaluable to me as I hit ‘issues’ along the way.

Cheryl Barnard, Dorset.

The two Border Terriers in question are on the right of the picture with Steven Havers with other Border terriers in one of Steven's classes.

"CUTHBERT", THE POSTMAN BITING LAB

 Cuthbert, Labrador under threat of destruction for biting postmen.  
In 2005, my dog bit the postman. I fortified the property by erecting fences, installing gates and placing the post box outside the gates.  In 2007, he escaped and did it again. This time, rather than restricting Cuthbert as a preventative measure, I decided to address the issue. I approached K9 Consultants who initially conducted a home visit to assess the dogs behavioural issues and recommended various options. I then sent Cuthbert to a dog training camp which I had arranged before meeting with K9 Consultants. Devastated at the conditions at the dog training camp I contacted K9 Consultants who offered to conduct a structured residential course themselves. I pulled Cuthbert from an overcrowded, understaffed but highly acknowledged and recommended institution and entrusted him to K9 Consultants.

The results have been incredible. During his stay with K9 Consultants Cuthbert underwent a 4 1/2 week intensive training course which was designed to address behavioural issues by means of re-establishing his position within a simulated pack environment. The home assessment had apparently evidenced that the relationship he had with me was protective and territorial. Following this session K9 Consultants concluded that the dog was not a dangerous animal rather a dog with rectifiable issues. The residential course educated the dog's response system by use of physical and verbal prompts which enable him to recognize and respect rules enforced by a human pack leader. During his stay he was exposed to known catalysts and using approved animal training techniques Cuthbert's fears and anxieties surrounding these stressors were adapted, in response his behaviour altered to that of acceptance. I was then educated with regard to Cuthbert's instinctive needs and the methods of verbal and non verbal communication to establish necessary dominance. Both Cuthbert and I continue to attend structured weekly training sessions to reinforce our response to situations both in a town environment and on a field with other dogs. Cuthbert no longer reacts to the presence of a postman and he integrates well with other humans and animals.

K9 Consultants advised me of work I can do at home on an individual basis to diminish Cuthbert's need to protect the boundaries of our property. The training has educated me as an owner and pack leader and Cuthbert as a pack member.

 All animals have an instinctive need to protect their pack but K9 Consultants has enabled me to understand my dog and to make him pt of my pack consequently relinquishing him of this responsibility. I have also witnessed work K9 Consultants have done with other animals with a wide variety of behavioural problems. They have a homely environment with few kennels so as not to provoke learned behaviour between dogs in their care, as well as offering structured residential courses, the dogs attending these are also taken by K9 Consultants to engage in their four times weekly non residential classes whenever this can be facilitated.
I am extremely grateful of the bond K9 Consultants has enabled me to form with my dog which has now become truly a woman's best friend.
Heidi Price, Nottingham.
Footnote by Steven Havers:
 
As a result of the hard work and application of the specialized training programme Heidi has undertaken and still applies, today, 17th October 2007, she has been to court where she has won her battle to prove Cuthbert can no longer be classed as a dangerous dog as she can now clearly demonstrate she has excellent control in all situations. Our sincere congratulations to Heidi as she has shown what proper training and determination can achieve.

Kaiser, rescue German shepherd.

Ever got up in the morning and felt sick at the thought at taking your dog for a walk? That was us 6 months ago. We have had rescued dogs for years, attended other training classes and felt quite confident at handling dogs. Until we rescued Kaiser, an 8 month old German Shepherd puppy.

It appeared he had so many hang ups that we felt it was getting towards a hopeless cause…..we even considered giving him up.
That was until we found Steven and K9 Consultants training.

Although Kaiser did have some emotional difficulties, Steven showed how our actions were having a negative effect on Kaiser’s behaviour. He didn’t need the training….we did! 6 months down the line we really look forward to our weekly classes. We learn something new all the time and with Stevens’s unique individually tailored approach, we know that everything he demonstrates has a sound rational behind it.
Kaiser’s life could have ended up quite differently if we hadn’t found these classes and although we still have a way to go, things have changed immensely. This morning it was beautiful and sunny and I took both our dogs out by myself! Doesn’t sound like a big deal but it is to us. Can’t ever thank you enough!

Alan and Helen.

Staffie and Jack Russell.

Morning Steven

just wanted to say that the first training session was a real eye opener for us
it has made such a difference already in both our dogs, the Jack Russell is a completely different dog overnight.
we are looking forward to future lessons

Shaun and krishia

RESCUE GERMAN SHEPHERD

Hi, I would just like to thank you for coming out to see me and the German shepherd I rescued called Tia. I was at my wits end when I called you. 
I rescued Tia from a rescue centre and she was brilliant while there pulled on the lead but I wasn't too worried about this, that was until I got her home. It was a different dog she not only pulled but was wanting to attack all that moved including people. She had not been socialised and that was something I had never come across. I contacted you to ask for an assessment before I gave in at the first hurdle. I am so pleased I did, within 2 hrs you had her walking at heel and the aggression under control and now she is coming along brilliantly. She actually let a total stranger in the street stroke her and then was introduced to his dog whom she was great with. I am happy to say thanks to you I will NOT be getting rid of my dog but working more with her because she has so much potential.

many many thanks
Pam, Hinckley.

TWO AIRDALE TERRIERS

We took Monty, our first Airedale Terrier, to K9 Consultants when he was around 3 months old. We were having a few problems with him and wanted to ‘nip them in the bud’ before they escalated. Two people living locally recommended K9 to us so we thought we’d give them a try and see how Monty would progress – it was the best thing we’ve done!

Initially we started with a home visit where the family and puppy could be seen in their own environment. Immediately small mistakes we were making were corrected and the result was a happy in control family over night! However, Monty grew and so did his will to push us every step, which is why we continue to train with K9 every week and any problems we have are worked on – it is really important to follow the training as the results are fantastic.

One specific problem we had with Monty was charging at children that came into the house. K9 came round to the house to evaluate the problem, they gave advice and by the end of the visit Monty was lying on the grass while 8 children were playing football! It really was amazing! Things turned out so good that when Monty was 16 months old we had another Airedale. Our new dog is called Finn, he’s now 13 months old and we have a new challenge with him every week!!

With guidance and training from K9, we have already achieved a standard of training that allows us to leave two big dogs, who are under 2 years old, alone in the house. They do not chew or destroy furniture/belongings and have started to show a reasonable amount of respect.

Both dogs are fed ‘Duck’ dog food which keeps them calm and they drink less – their poo is so easy to pick up and there’s not a lot of it.

We train every week which is good fun and makes you realize how easy it is if you know how!

What a wonderful dog training course! This is the first time we have attended classes where the trainer actually assesses the needs of the individual dogs and their owners. This approach has led to our confidence gradually growing in the handling of our dogs and has made us understand the impact of our behaviour on the dog’s actions. Thank you.

Helen, Leicestershire.

Oliver, my Granddads Poodle!

"I couldn't believe it tonight when you gave me the award. I felt very proud of myself since I've only been training a few months.
It's made me more determined to train Oli and still have fun. I look forward to the classes every week because I know ill be teaching Oli more things. I have noticed my distance work is improving more and more every week.

I'm ten years old and I think I work well with dogs and I'm looking forward to having my own dog one day. Thank you so much for showing me what I can do."

Jonathan, Stoke Golding.

  SCHUTZHUND GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

I decided to buy a puppy which would hopefully be suitable for the sport. I was already taking my old female to K9 Consultants behavioural sessions so I was well placed when they started their Schutzhund training. As Steve Havers already competes with his GSD female and is very knowledgeable in training for Schutzhund, I took my puppy along. We are now six months into the training and my puppy is now eight months old and I am really pleased with the progress we are making. There is an awful lot to learn but with consistent and patient instruction from Steve, the whole class is making good progress and everyone who comes is very pleased and we would all recommend K9 Consultants to anyone interested in taking up the sport of Schutzhund.

Rob Taylor, Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

 SPANIEL

"Our spaniel was ignoring us and seemed to do what ever he wanted. We attended our local puppy training class for eighteen weeks and whilst the basics commands of sit and down were taught, our puppies behaviour didn't get any better. K9 Consultants were recommended to us by a friend so we contacted them.

After a two hour visit, K9 Consultants had given us the basics of a plan to work on and as we progressed, they developed the plan and within four weeks we have a puppy we can take anywhere, meet anyone and we are safe in the knowledge we have the complete attention of our puppy and he will respond to us straight away. The difference is remarkable and we would recommend K9 Consultants without hesitation"
Mr and Mrs Williams, Rugby

 FINN

We bought Finn home at 7 weeks old and realized straight away that we had purchased a ‘cocky’ dominant dog. On recommendation from a friend, when Finn was 10 weeks old, we had a home visit from Steve Havers of K9 Consultants who told us all the things we should and shouldn’t be doing to put Finn in his place in the family.  I also remember Steve saying Finn wouldn’t calm down whilst he was on the food he was on as it was very high in protein. 

Apart from changing his food we did everything that Steve had recommended (we didn’t change to ‘Duck’ at this point because he was on what the breeder recommended for his first year).
We started at Steve’s training classes when Finn was 12 weeks old and can’t believe how well he is progressing under Steve’s guidance. We still struggled with a hyper-active dog who was always ‘on the go’. I was not unhappy with how Finn looked on the dried food but he did sometimes look  absolutely bloated afterwards and drank bowl after bowl of water in a day.  At 6 ½ months Steve handed us the ‘Duck’ leaflet again and said ‘’Read it - you decide’’. We trusted Steve’s judgment 100%, so read the leaflet and were convinced to change to ‘Duck’.

Finn has now been on ‘Duck’ for 2 weeks and we can honestly say he has really calmed down. Finn loves the food, never looks bloated, and drinks far less, (no. 2’s are also much easier to clean up!!).
We know that without Steve’s help we would have a very unruly dog by now but instead we are delighted with Finn’s progress. He is a pleasure to own and we can highly recommend K9 Consultants training and nutrition advice.
Sarah Rollins, Stoke Golding, Leicestershire.

BILLIE, A 3 YEAR OLD DOBERMAN

Billie is a three year old Doberman who was with K9 Consultants for three months in the spring of 2006 for residential training as he had a host of issues with people, dogs, kids and bikes. When he first arrived, he was being fed on one of the leading premium complete brand of dog food. He was a little overweight with a good case of dandruff, which I have seen in many a Doberman and would appear quite common.

Billie made excellent progress with his training and reconditioning so when we went to visit, we were very impressed with the progress he had made. Whilst we were with K9 Consultants, we discussed in some detail the merits of complete food and the merits of feeding a natural diet. We were open minded and decided to try Billie on DUCK. To ensure Billie would be happy with the decision, we placed a bowl of the complete food and a bowl of DUCK in front of him. It took one sniff for Billie to devour the DUCK and completely ignore the complete food, thus telling us he preferred his food fresh.

Since he has been on DUCK, Billie has shed the excess pounds and his coat has taken on a shine that makes him look superb. His dandruff has cleared up and, he has calmed down tremendously but without losing any energy or stamina. This had implications with his training as he became easier to train, his issues reduced and we got through his problems at a much improved pace than before he was eating DUCK. His waste production has decreased by two thirds and he is drinking a lot less water.
Matthew, Bradford.

 RETIRED RACING GREYHOUND
We have an ex racing greyhound called Jack who broke his leg at the age of three so we decided to retire him. There was never any doubt we were going to have him at home. Jack was born into the racing kennel so we knew the transition into our home was not going to be easy because of the fact we knew he was going to be very nervous. So he would have a playmate and companion, we purchased a Cocker Spaniel bitch and named her Sophie. Jack at times would become aggressive and Sophie needed training from the start.

K9 Consultants were recommended and I gave them a call to see what was required to help us in training the dogs.  Steven Havers came round and explained everything to us for about three hours one Sunday afternoon and showed us what we would need to continually do. We had read several canine behaviour books, but to be shown first hand what was required was a fantastic help.  Jack's aggression has now gone and Sophie is coming along nicely. At anytime we need help or advice Steve is at the other end of the phone.
Thank you Steve, signed A F Porter, Hinckley.

  STAFFIE CROSS

Fed up with our  Staffie-cross ruling the roost and doing what she pleased we decided to enlist the help of Steve Havers, Canine Behaviour and Training Specialist – and what a difference he has made to our lives. Zucey seemed to do whatever she pleased and had us well and truly under the thumb (or in her case paw). The final straw came when my husband started working nights and as she had company 24 hours a day, when she was left home alone she would wet (every time without fail). Steve Havers visited one Friday night for about 3 hours and immediately took control of the situation. Steve explained Zucey was top dog and needed to know her place. The reason for the recurring wet patches when we went out was because she was stressing, as she didn’t feel in control. We had to take charge. Steve advised us to control her food (before her food bowl was never empty – hence why she was also 5 kg overweight). To do this we were advised not to feed her again until the Sunday morning as well as not pay her any attention. Every time she sat next to us on the sofa we had to get up and walk out of her sight. Also when going for walks we had to leave the house before her (top dog always leads the hunt). It was hard work but well worth it and after only a week we saw a big difference.

 She is now fed a handful of food twice a day (morning and night) and when the food is put down (not before us eating it first) if she does not touch it after 5 minutes it is taken away. As a result of a 3 hour training session and a plan of action for us to follow, Zucey has shed her excess weight, no longer goes on the sofas and no longer stresses when left alone. She is also a lot more playful and happier in herself.

Thank you Steve,  Martin & Michelle Williams, Hillmorton, Rugby

  RESCUE STAFFIE

Working at Fairfield Veterinary centre, I heard from a client that a Staffie needed a foster home. All I knew about his background was he had been kept in isolation for four years and his name was Zac. I thought this would be a rewarding challenge for my partner and I. Zac settled in well and we made friends immediately. Zac was un neutered at the time and his favourite past time was cocking his leg on the furniture, including the fridge and the cooker. Zac was booked in for castration and this solved the problem immediately.

On his first walk with us, he barked aggressively at other dogs. This became very frustrating for my partner and I and was a regular occurrence until one day he attacked a dog. We tried to take him to training classes but were unable to start classes until we had socialized him more. It was at this point we decided we needed professional help.

We contacted Mr. Havers at K9 Consultants as when he brings his dogs into the vets, they are always very well behaved. I phoned him to make an appointment and he was very helpful, asking me lots and varied questions about Zac. Mr. Havers visited our house to see how my partner and I related to Zac in his own environment. Having seen Zac in his own environment, he explained Zac thought he was top dog and dominated both my partner and I. Mr Havers gave us various tasks to do around the house relating to our interaction with Zac which I found fairly easy unlike my partner who struggled to stick to the rules. Zac's behaviour in the house did improve and we were very pleased with the progress he had made.

The next step was for Mr Havers to take Zac out walking with us to observe his behaviour. As we reached the entrance to the field, Zac started barking. It is usual for Zac to bark at apparently nothing. We sat in the field for over an hour observing Zac's reactions to passers by and praising him when he was quiet. Mr Havers said Zac suffers from lack of socialization and is very nervous of the outside world due to his isolation, almost agro phobic. We are still doing the tasks set by Mr. Havers both on the walks and in the house and are progressing slowly but in the right direction.
July 2006
One year on and the progress we have made with Zac is quite unbelievable. It's like having a different dog!!! We continue to socialize him in his regular training classes and he has lost his aggressive tendencies. He now works off the lead without a muzzle and walks to heel around other dogs!!

Because he was dominant in the house, we were advised to keep him in a cage during work and bed time. He is now sleeping out of his cage and does not even attempt to join us upstairs or to jump on the furniture.

The last year has made such a difference to our lives and we know that without K9 Consultants and Steve Havers help, we would still be experiencing some very difficult and frustrating times. Our heartfelt thanks.
Lisa Woolman, Hinckley, Leics.

 RESCUE BOXER

We were contacted by a dog trainer who had seen our web site as she knew of a family who had booked their 18 month old boxer in to the vets to be put down as he had allegedly bitten someone and demonstrated aggressive behaviour. We were asked if we would take him in to save his life. We agreed we would go and see the dog to assess the temperament and behaviour and take it from there.  We visited the home and saw nothing we were not expecting and the dog seemed to be of sound temperament and well balanced so we took him in.

We put him through a comprehensive series of situational tests and scenarios and this told us a great deal about the dog, what he had been through and what he had endured. It also told us how to manage him and retrain him.

We took him along to our behaviour and training classes twice a week and in the four weeks he has been with us, he has become a very social, agreeable and friendly dog. He has demonstrated a welcome willingness to learn and has made very good progress in his training. He needed to find the right environment in which to thrive and we are pleased we have been able to find him such an environment and he left our care at the end of September 2005. We were very satisfied with the results of our training and that we have been able to give him a second chance at life.
 

BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER

Dear K9 Consultants,
Just gotten back from Mishka (Black Russian Terrier) and my run and simply had to send this message to express sincere thanks for the help you gave us.  Within three days we have a dog that will sit whilst we walk 30 paces (!) and not move until told: on command, whilst running excitedly back, he again will stop and sit on command: we have a dog that will sit whilst we throw his ball and not move to retrieve it until told: we have a dog that can walk for 90 mins on a slack lead: all this was simply unthinkable before Saturday. He is even doing quite well tracking his frankfurters!
He did look disgusted when he saw us 'eating' from his bowl before us, and refused to eat on Saturday, but this had changed by Sunday evening.  This evening, I took him to the dustbin lead that hangs from a tree - normally he 'takes me with him' to kill it. This evening, he sat until told before growling, pouncing and swinging himself from it. He then stopped on command and came back and sat - and repeated this several times. Gob smacked isn’t the word! We had never even tried this command before (to be honest, we hadn't tried the sit whilst we walk away command either).   
We now introduce him to all those strangers that want to say hello and touch him - although he is still cautious, and I think always will be - but he is markedly better. Other dogs are still a challenge but your advice is showing a marked improvement - a fixed stare rather than a pounce (although he still has that look in his eye with certain yappy dogs) - and this is something we are actively working on. Best of all - along with the tree episode - this evening, he stopped and sat at the front gate to allow me to walk thru the door first - before I asked him too! We almost had to force him to let us got into the house first on Saturday evening. He starts his Kennel Club Silver this Thursday and will go straight onto his Gold from there.

Quite simply, we are delighted at having him back were he belongs and thank  you for politely informing us that we were the ones that had it all wrong -  not Mishka. He, after a 24 sulking period where he wasn't too keen on being in the same room as us, is now a happy dog and is enjoying his training. We can’t believe the dramatic change in such a very short space of time and we can’t believe we were wasting his talent.
 Best wishes K9 Consultants - sorry for the long message, but we find it all rather exciting and great fun!

FREYA, RESCUE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

 After three weeks of settling in it was apparent that Freya (GSD rescue bitch) was now finding her feet. It was clear that Steven had a lot of respect from the dogs but it was a different story with me. It is all too easy to give in and be soft with your pets, that is how I have always been but with a strong willed puppy a different approach was required.

 When Steven was at home, everything was fine, quiet and relaxed however, once Steven had left for work the battle commenced. Freya would constantly open all the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, this was an attempt to get my attention and I would go in and close the cupboards and drawers, this turned into a game.

 Over a period of three – four days, I became increasingly frustrated by this and so too was Kai. He was very worried when I would come into the kitchen, he would jump up and would not let me pass. On Saturday morning, the game started again but resulting in me getting hurt, Kai jumped up  to gain attention  and dug his claws in, leaving me with very sore claw marks down my front.
 The dogs also were fighting when I was around, and I was caught up in the cross fire, being nipped on several occasions. Enough was Enough.

 Steven decided that I needed to follow the basic rules, ignore them and only call then to you for fuss, do not give them any fuss when they ask for it. Sunday afternoon, I was left alone with the girls and having only ¾ of an hour peace and quiet the rest was up and down the stairs sorting them out. In the end the kennel was the only relief I had, (the dogs in the kennel not me!!!).

 When Steven arrived home from training, drastic measures had to be taken. It was decided that I would take on the role as top dog (only for a short time) This was achieved by Steven allowing me to pretend to eat their food before him, waiting for the dogs to calm down and only allowing them to eat when I was ready.

 This has now been the case for the past three days, and what an effect it has had on the dogs. The attention I get from them is amazing, I am allowed in the kitchen without any of them jumping up, they move out of my way and let me get on with what I have to. The fighting has stopped, I assume because they all know their place. The cupboards and drawers remain closed. This evening, I even got Kai’s full attention before I fed them. It was great. Peace and quiet at last.
Mrs. Claire Havers, Hinckley.