The Dog Listener
This past weekend my husband and I had the amazing experience of working with Dog Listener Penny Locke. We have a 9yr old Border Collie named Jiggs. Everything you read about Border Collies is true. They are energetic, high maintenance, emotional, moody, and extremely sensitive. Jiggs is a wonderful dog. Our problems are only at night. As soon as we turn the light out in the bedroom Jiggs is up and pacing. We have hardwood floors so we can hear his nails clicking on the floor as he wanders around for literally hours. Some nights are better than others, but it mostly drives us crazy. He sleeps all day without moving a muscle. Yet when we go to bed everything changes.
Jan Fennell, the original Dog Listener, came up with a revolutionary way to work with dogs after spending time with Monty Roberts, one of the most famous horse whisperers in the world. Her training method is based on mutual respect between the dog and the owner. No harsh words are used, no choke collars, no commands, and no rules or restrictions. It is all about forming a working, dynamic relationship with your dog. Instead of doing things out of fear, the dog does things because he wants to; because he trusts you, and because you’re a leader he respects.
We spent this past weekend with Dog Listener Penny Locke. We were still having trouble with Jiggs pacing at night and it was creating so much stress in our little family that it was hard to be around my husband. He was so worked up about the dog that it spilled over into everything he/we did. So Penny came to the rescue. She went through the fundamentals of the training and had us practice everything. We went for walks, played Frisbee, cooked meals together, watched lots of training DVD’s, and had a lot of laughs about crazy dog behavior. I won’t go into detail on what the training involves because that would take hours to write, but if you’re at all interested, check out Penny’s website http://www.allabout-canines.com/ or you can visit the original Dog Listener and learn what this training method is all about. http://www.janfennellthedoglistener.com/.
The Dog Listener training method has literally changed our lives. Jiggs sleeps all night long, he isn’t stressed, and he loves being just what he is….a dog. My husband is happier and that means our marriage is happier. Haha! I highly encourage you to check out this wonderful method of working with your dog.
Happy trails!
Alison