RASCAL
Rascal is the first dog that I adopted from Romania. He was already in UK foster when we adopted him at 5 months old. Before this, he spent time in a Romanian shelter with his siblings after being picked up from the streets at 3 months old. He settled really well and made friends easily.
A very sociable little guy who soon became best friends with his new sister, Lilly, the Boxer.
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When Rascal and I started agility class, a whole new world of reward-based training began! We no longer go to agility but we’ve never looked back and I’ve continued to increase my knowledge of force-free training methods. Since then, we’ve tried our hand at scentwork, hoopers and mantrailing too.
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After an altercation, Rascal became quite fearful of other dogs. This resulted in a lot of barking and lunging when we saw large, black dogs, then any large dogs, then… any dogs. Having a reactive dog can be isolating, it can be embarassing and you may find yourself apologising for your dogs behaviour. It doesn't have to be that way. After months of working at a distance, and rebuilding positive associations with other dogs, Rascal can now walk past dogs on the street and have a play if it's appropriate. Rascal was my partner in crime during my IMDT practical instructor course and assessment. He is the best boy.
BELLA
Bella was found, with her sister, in a rubbish dump at only a few days old. She was hand-reared by her amazing rescuer in Romania and travelled to us when she was 5 months old.
She is most likely a Carpathian Shepherd (or mix of); a livestock guardian breed. This is a breed that would live in the mountains with their flock to protect them from predators. Although Bella has never carried out this job, she is still genetically predisposed to the breed traits; independence, wariness of strangers.
Bella found urban life a challenge. Street walks were stressful; the sight of a man over 100 metres away would send her scurrying into a hedge to hide, bin day on her usual walking route would cause an instant about-turn for home.
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In my naivety, I believed that repeated exposure to these things would help her get used to it. I stuck to the same walking routes; I took her to training classes.
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But here’s the thing, when a dog doesn’t feel safe, that’s all that matters to them. The fight or flight response kicks in and no new learning can take place. Bella’s default response was flight… run away and hide. If you were to visit me in my home, you would not have known that this beautiful girl lived there, as she purposely stayed quietly hidden away in her safe place upstairs.
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It took me a while to understand what she did, and didn’t, need. I made her world smaller and expanded it at her pace. She trusts me to keep her safe and not to put her in situations that she can’t cope with; she always has a choice. We have a wonderful relationship and when she hears me pick up her collar, she bounds down the stairs like a child hearing the ice cream van, raring to go for her walk. Sometimes we just go and sit in a field… watching and smelling the world go by.
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Bella has been with me for almost six years and her confidence still grows every day. She’s easy to train and loves tricks; peek-a-boo, hand touch and spin being her favourites. She has a small, but growing, group of trusted human friends and is always happy to see them. She loves when family come to visit and will be the first to greet them at the door. She even has a boyfriend!
CASSEY
This whirlwind is the latest addition to our household. Another Romanian rescue - can you see a theme yet? - Cassey came straight from her rescuer in Romania to our home. She had been abandoned in a yard with her three siblings when they were a few weeks old.
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She made firm friends with Rascal straight away and scared the living daylights out of Miss “I don’t like new things” Bella for about a week. Safe to say, we now have a happy little unit.
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Cassey arrived just before the first lockdown and was very social with people inside and outside the home. Post lockdown and Cassey was no longer comfortable with visitors in the house amd started to become reactive outside the house. This is something we’ve been working on and we have successfully managed to reintroduce visitors to the house. She can now walk past people on the same pavement.
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Cassey loves a bit of scentwork, but what she really loves is Mantrailing; following a human scent to locate a hidden person. Mantrailing has been instrumental in building positive associations with people and I’m thankful to have friends that allow us to do this most weekends, even with Cassey’s special needs 😊
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If life with Bella has taught me anything, it’s not to rush things. Cassey’s confidence will keep growing with time and will be built on trust and choice.
