Wolf Watching

As promised an update on my exploits watching wolves in Montana and Wyoming. It's been delayed because I never dreamed I would be so busy.

In early February I flew from Heathrow to Chicago meeting up with several other dog Listeners on the way. After an overnight stop we flew to Bozeman, Montana where the whole group assembled and met our guides Nathan and Linda, biologists who had been involved in the re-introduction of wolves to Yellowstone from its inception to the present. To say that they were knowledgeable would be doing them a grave injustice. They not only seemed to know everything but everyone as well. Nathan had been brought up in Yellowstone and through his research and involvement with the wolf project had met and married Linda. If you want to go on a trip of a life time then you will not do better than to contact them at http://www.wolftracker.com/ they were great from arrival to departure.

As well as Nathan and Linda our group also included Jan Fennell and Dog Listeners not only from the UK and Ireland but also the USA, New Zealand and Belgium. We then had fairly lengthy drive to Gardiner Montana our first base of operations. The weather was cold and the snow deep but we were well equipped and so able to deal with it. The evening of the first day ended with an evening meal and presentation at the Animal Track Education Centre, a place we would come to know well.

The following (and every other) morning we were up, dressed and out in the car park before 0600 to await the arrival of Nathan and Linda. They arrived punctually as always and straight away started dispensing coffee, hot chocolate (my favourite) and breakfast such as hot Danish pastries and other decadent nibbles. It was great! Every morning breakfast was different but always good.

After breakfast it was into the vehicles and off to the Northern Range where we spent a lot of our time in the first phase of the trip in and around Lamar Valley and Slough Creek. we hadn't been on the road long when a lone black wolf popped out onto the road in front of us and disappeared up the bank opposite. It wasn't a well animal and was thought to be a survivor of a pack that had been decimated. Very sad and our hearts went out to her but nature in the raw is a hard taskmaster. We were to see this wolf several times during our stay and she seemed to be holding on, no mean feat for a young animal without the support of a pack.

Every morning we would get to our observation points and the spotting scopes would go up and as always, guided by Nathan and Linda almost at once we would start seeing wolves. I've spoken to people who've been wolf spotting and seen virtually nothing. Everyday we saw something tremendous. We saw three of the major packs in Yellowstone, the Druid Peak pack, the Slough Creek pack (a lot of history between those two) and the seldom seen Leopold pack as well as several unknown wolves. We witnessed the Alphas of the Druids mating, one of the 'unknowns' trying to seduce and lure away at least one of the Druid daughters to start a new pack. We saw wolves at a kill being 'mugged' by ravens. There were just so many behaviours on show. Play, courtship, mating, discipline, relaxation, guarding and parenting. Each of these behaviours invaluable to us in our work with 'canis familiaris' the domestic dog. Throughout the day we would eat a variety of things standing in the snow. Cold meats, cheese, peanut butter maybe some soup. You would think that we would suffer from the cold but we didn't.

Perhaps the hardest physical part of the trip was an uphill snowshoe trek to see an abandoned wolf den. To say that using snowshoes requires a little skill and co-ordination would be an understatement. We made it after much falling over and giggling but of course we had to get back and now we were tired and heading downhill in thin air which makes breating difficult. I really hated gravity that day.

We would watch wolves until it got too dark and then it was back for a freshen up and then to the education centre and the one hot meal of the day while enjoying some tremendous presentations from some of the major names in wolf research. people like Jim Halfpenny, Daniel Stahler, Bob Landis, film maker, who has won an Emmy for his films on Yellowstone wolves. He showed us, as yet unshown footage for his next film. we were entertained one lunchtime at the home of Dan Hartman naturalist and wildlife photographer. The beauty of where Dan lives is just amazing. This is a word that was used a lot by our group, so much so that it was banned. It cost anyone saying amazing in any context a bottle of wine. It was at Dan's house that I took a picture of a Pine Marten of which I'm quite proud.

Although the object of the trip was to research wolves and that's what we did on most days from morning 'til night we also saw a host of other wildlife and their behaviours such as coyotes, also a fascinating animal one of whom came very close to me in the field. He was wearing a radio collar so that he could be tracked. We also saw Bison, the most dangerous animals in the park, Elk, Pronghorns and all manner of birds including Bald Eagles that I felt a certain affinity with. We did not see any bears in the wild as they were hibernating although we did see several in a rescue centre that had been orphaned.

For the second part of the trip we were based in the town of West Yellowstone a bit more modern than Gardiner which gave us access to other areas of the park and its wildlife. It was from here that we had a tracked 'snow coach' to visit the area around 'Old Faithful'. The trip was eventful from the start when we waited in vain for the coach. Several phone calls and another wait later it turned up. Its appearance didn't fill me with confidence as we were travelling a fair distance into a hostile environment where mobile phones didn't work. We set off and the vehicle didn't sound or feel right. As the morale officer I was saying things like "we're going to break down". or "I can smell burning". Unusually I was right, because it was at this point that the vehicle filled with smoke and steam and we came to a halt. Luckily the vehicle was fitted with a radio and a replacement vehicle was brought out to us. This was much newer and more comfortable so we continued our journey. we visited 'Old Faithful' and saw it blow, this was probably the only part of the whole trip that didn't impress me. It was OK but I was expecting something earthshaking but it just went 'phut, phut.........phut, phut, phut' and then a mild 'whoosh' and it was all over. It's only well known because of its regularity. Some of the other geysers, and there are many, I found much more interesting because you just never know, if.....or when? Particularly when I found that some of the geysers we were looking at featured in a book I'd bought about 'Death in Yellowstone' one of the two most bought books in the park. I also bought a copy of the second most popular for my grandson, James. It is the delightfully titled 'Who Pooped in the Park?'

This final part of our trip gave us some time in the evenings and we were able to discover a local restaurant and bar by the name of 'Bullwinkles' where we had some good times. the locals wherever we went were really friendly but at Bullwinkles after having had a whole cow on your plate we were able to relax and mingle with the locals over a glass of the local beer 'Moose Drool' or, for the ladies, a glass of wine from the local label 'Three Blind Moose' I'm sure you've heard the saying "it does what it says on the label"?

At the end of our stay we all agreed that we'd had a wonderful time and that we would return, it was a fabulous experience. Although I'm not allowed to say amazing, I will say that I now know why Americans say 'Awesome' so much, because it is.

If you get the chance to see the wolves just do it. If you want five star comfort and spas save your money but if you want tremendous company, amazing (there I've said it and don't care) experiences, warm, clean basic hotels and don't forget............MOOSE DROOL!!!!! Then book now.

New Year New Status

Well here we are in 2008 and my trip to Montana to visit the wolves is getting ever closer. I have a very busy year ahead with many engagements already booked. I am, for once, so organised that I didn't think anything could surprise me. I was wrong.

I was until recently a 'Recommended Associate Dog Listener' which was the highest achievable ranking in the world of Dog Listeners. It's a hard earned title starting with attending a foundation course run by Jan Fennell 'The Dog Listener'. Selected people who successfully complete that course are invited to attend the advanced course. All the participants are selected personally by Jan as having that 'certain something.' Once the course is completed it's a long road fulfilling a number of criteria involving consultations, evaluations, canine welfare work moving fom 'Non Active' to 'Preliminary Dog Listener' to the highly coveted 'Recommended Associate Dog Listener' . When I got there I thought I had it made.

Imagine my astonishment (and a little bit of pride) when Jan announced that she was introducing a new enhanced status for a small number of 'Recommended Associates' who would be known as 'Highly Recommended Dog Listeners' And that I was one of them. For once my name was on the list and I was getting in;-)

I'm not after fame and fortune, just recognition and money.

Looking Forward to 2008

This will probably be the last post of 2007. A big thank you to those who have contacted me either through the blog or directly. I take note of all your comments either positive or negative. Even if you do not agree with everything I say, and if I have not been able to convince you that using Amichien Bonding and being non confrontational or non violent to your dog is the way forward. At least I hope it has caused you to stop and think, if only for a moment, that oppression of any sort only works in a limited and short term way.

2007 was hectic and next year promises to be even more so. We had petitions to Downing Street to ban the use of cruel training aids such as prong collars and electric collars. The Government response was predictable. They care deeply about animal welfare (really they do). Yeah right.

My understanding of their response was 'When dogs get the vote, come and see us. Until then we're not interested.'

Well perhaps we can focus their minds a little more next year, which can I remind you is 2008. The Government MUST call an election by 2009. They have dug themselves into a deeper and deeper hole over the last few months. They have sent the armed forces to war with inadequate equipment or back up and then cocked up their pay so that some serviceman are unable to pay their mortgages. They have upset nurses by reneging on their pay agreement and now they've done the same to the police. Think of all those Service men and women, doctors, nurses and police who are thoroughly disenchanted with the government. Don't forget that all of those workers have families who can also vote! How many of these people live in marginal constituencies?

If the government want to get re-elected they need to get their act together. The same applies to the opposition parties hoping to take power from them. Therefore the plan for 2008 is to put all parties in a position in which they agree BEFORE the election that, should they win, they will take steps to ban all such equipment.

I'm off to Montana in early February with Jan Fennell, to see the wolves of Yellowstone, but on my return I will be kick-starting the campaign with letters to every sitting MP no matter if in government or opposition. Also letters to every prospective Parliamentary candidate of all parties and in every constituency. I will have template letters on my website for you to download. A petition is one contact as far as a politician is concerned, a letter needs to be read and responded to on an individual basis.

It's all go getting ready for Montana at the moment. I got a fair amount of the specialist kit I need as Christmas presents so I just need to top up with thermal underwear and I'm ready to go. My wife, Rosemary is great and has been very supportive. I think that at first she would have liked to go as well although it is a research based trip and not a holiday, but when I got all the paperwork and saw that snow-shoes are supplied she lost all enthusiasm for the project.

Of course I have to show my appreciation of her support and so offered to take her anywhere she wanted. She said "Somewhere warm with some culture." My first offer of a holiday job in a yogurt factory didn't go down too well so it will probably be Greece or Florence instead.

I've Been to the Dogs But Now.........

I'm going to the wolves! The trip of a lifetime, early in February I will be in Montana watching wolves in their home environment. I will be going with Jan Fennell, the founder of the 'Amichien Bonding' method of canine communication, and several other 'Dog Listeners' from around the world. The whole philosophy of Dog Listeners is based on the way wolves and other wild canines interact in the wild.

This will be no holiday but a huge educaion, the trip is research based with, in addition to all the wolf spotting, presentations from wildlife biologists who specialise in and have been involved in the Yellowstone wolf recovery since its inception. We will also be meeting and having presentations from a number of other biologists, naturalists, film makers specialising in wolves and of course Jan Fennell herself. we will have expert guides with us at all times to put us in the right place at the right time to see the wolves interact in a natural way. we will be using snow shoes to get deep into the wolves heartland. I hope to get close-up, but as it will be the height of the breeding season, not too personal!

I expect it to be very cold, physically demanding but hugely enjoyable. The hands on knowledge that I get will be of immense value when dealing with clients dogs in the UK. I hope to come back with thighs of iron and a finely honed body. Of course I also hope for world peace but that's not going to happen either.

Hopefully I will return with some good photos and video together with some hair raising stories. Watch this space.

Christmas is Coming

Now that the annual two month period that makes up 'Bonfire Night' is nearly over we are well into the the run up to Christmas.

Both these periods are very busy ones for me and my fellow Dog Listeners. The phone rings off the hook.

Problems with dogs and fireworks fall into two categories, either the dog is traumatised and afraid or they go into 'Defence Drive' and want to face the threat and fight it off. Both of these reactions are incredibly stressful to both dog and owners.

What can 'Dog Listeners' do to reduce the effect of the firework season? A huge amount, but it makes it so much easier if you put the measures in place before all the noise starts, rather than wait until your best friend is suffering a nervous reaction. Then, next time the rockets come out your dogs reaction will be, "Am I bovvered?"

The same thing applies at Christmas. You have a house full of people many of whom you haven't seen since last year. There are excited children and noisy toys. Family arguments, loads of food and even more drink.

Dogs generally don't celebrate Christmas. All they know is that the pack dynamic has changed. They ask questions "Who are all these people in my den? Why are they so noisy? Why do they all think they can sing? Why do they give one another packets of socks?" And, most important of all "Why, when they leave nuts, sausage rolls and Christmas cake laying about where I can reach it do they then get upset when I throw up in Great Aunt Mary's handbag? How was I to know that a silly little thing like that would cause her to change her will?"

If you think Christmas is stressful for humans just try being a dog. At least you can get drunk or go to the bathroom with a book to have some 'time out'. The dog is trapped and at the mercy of a pack of humans who, are all of course, dog experts. They'll all shout contradictory commands at the dog and think it thick when it does not respond.

So, if you have a dog and expect a hectic household at Christmas I strongly recommend that you prepare in plenty of time. If you think that it might get too much for your dog contact a 'Qualified' Dog Listener, preferably me if you live in Southern England, before the problem arises. If you live out of my area I can still assist you by putting you in touch with your nearest 'Qualified' Dog Listener. I know that I keep stressing the word qualified but it is for a reason. There are a number of people who give themselves the title when they have no connection with Amichien Bonding at all. I know of one person who uses the title and advocates (and sells) electric shock collars and other cruel and stress inducing equipment. If you're not sure if someone is genuine go to Jan Fennell's website and there you will find all fully trained Dog Listeners both in the UK and around the world listed. They are either 'Recommended Associate Dog Listeners' like myself, or, 'Preliminary Dog Listeners' who are working their way to full accreditation. If they're not on either list then they're bogus. If you decide against employing a Dog Listener then at the very least buy a copy of 'The Dog Listener' and read it. Do it now so that you can take action early.

Whatever else you do PLEASE DO NOT buy a dog as a present. It will only end in tears. the pup will be removed from it's Mother and siblings and placed into what will seem like a madhouse to them. They will get under peoples feet, they will not have time to work out where they fit into this new pack, you will not have time to start with house training which in turn inevitably will mean 'accidents'. The list of problems is endless. If you are being nagged to buy a puppy then wait until spring when people are more relaxed and you can have the outside doors open more often to help with house training. But what can you give at Christmas in place of a puppy? You can give a vitual puppy, a picture of a dog that the recipient can change for a real animal in the Spring. you could also give leads, collars, food and waterbowls as well as a copy of 'The Seven Ages of Your Dog' by Jan Fennell which is a brilliant book and covers from birth to death and everything in between.

A couple of bits of advice, if you're going to book a 'Dog Listener' don't hang about, we tend to get very busy around this time of year when people remember what happened last year. We also have a rush of bookings straight after the festive season with clients wanting to avoid a repetition of the latest 'stressfest'. If you want to buy any of the books mentioned the simplest way is to go to the links page of my website.

If you give a dog, you're not giving a present you're giving a life. Can the recipient deal with that?

Doing some catching up

It's fairly apparent that except for the last couple of days I haven't been blogging very much lately. "Why not?" Or maybe "Thank God" I hear you cry. The simple answer is, workload. This is good for me because I love what I do. I hope that it is also good for the dogs and their owners that I deal with on a daily basis.

I saw in the papers yesterday that Britain is now a nation of bloggers with over four million people blogging regularly. It seems that 23% of women and 17% of men blog daily. I'm sure that fascinating as my day to day life is, you don't want to read about it. It is my intention to only write a blog when I have something to say rather than take you through my breakfast menu (Quaker oats with golden syrup, a banana and coffee if you must know). We should be living our lives rather than recording every waking moment.

One episode I must mention is an evening spent at Merrist Wood Agricultural College watching the legendary and iconic Monty Roberts: 'The Horse Whisperer' or, as he prefers to be called, 'The Man Who Listens To Horses.' When you've worked as a Police Officer for the 35 years that I did, you find yourself not easily impressed by people just because they are 'celebs' whatever that means. But I defy you to attend one of Monty's demonstrations and not come away awe struck. it's not just what he achieves with these 'untrainable ' horses in such a short time but the way that he does it, quietly, gently with no flashiness or gimmicks. He is a modest committed man whose only concern is for the welfare of the horses. If you get a chance to see him in the flesh I urge you to do it, you'll come away with a smile on your face.

Monty's impact is not confined to Horses. He also has a huge involvement in helping disadvantaged children and young people. The principles of Amichien Bonding Jan Fennell's method of canine communication used by me and other certified 'Dog Listeners' are founded on Monty's philosophy. He is truly a great man and I think even more important, a good man.

Police Dog Training 6, Tracking, Catching & Biting a Burglar

A video clip of a practical police dog tracking exercise ending in a bite and some very bad acting.

The scenario is as follows. An offender has been disturbed tampering with vehicles and breaking into a garage. The victim calls Police and I attend with Acco. On our arrival I speak to the aggrieved and get as much information as possible about the offender, what he did, where last seen and of course a description.

Contrary to popular belief a Police dog does not need an item of clothing from the offender to sniff before he can track. In 35 years police service I never once had a criminal thoughtful enough to remember to leave his hat behind before decamping just to help my dog. Just an oversight on their part I'm sure.

Having located the area that the offender was last seen I place Acco in his tracking harness. This is used only for this exercise and acts as a word of command. I 'cast' him in the area that the offender was last seen and his nose goes down. He is looking for ground disturbance, shoe leather, crushed insects, bruised grass all overlaid with offenders personal scent. Personal scent is made up from a host of smells, gender, diet, occupational odours, fabrics worn, toiletries used (or not) to name but a few.

Once Acco 'locks onto' the track he will stay with it until he either locates the person he is tracking or the track for some reason, becomes non viable. A little tip to criminals here. Crossing water or walking along stream beds does not put the dog off. What it does do is make you wet and uncomfortable. It also leaves you with the job of giving an innocent explanation to account for the fact that you are soaked through and have a German Shepherd hanging off your arm.

Acco tracks across a variety of terrains including through traffic and with pedestrians passing. At one stage a helicopter landed less than 100 yards away, a test of concentration for a young dog still in training. Whenever the criminal changes direction you will see Acco 'cast' as he searches to pick up the track again. It is quite an experience to be on the other end of the tracking line and not only see, but feel, the dog work it out. The speed that a dog tracks depends on a number of factors, terrain, weather, disturbance by outside sources amongst many others.

The 'criminal' (a dog handler from The State of Jersey Police) had been briefed to lay a track including going through a housing estate and hiding up in the shed of one of the houses. The plan was that I would track and find him and that when that happened the criminal, depending on the amount of space he had, was to either, attack me or run off and try to escape. My brief was to track and locate the criminal and expect a bite on a non compliant offender at the conclusion.

We tracked and, after three quarters of a mile located the offender and called him out from his hiding place using 'controlled aggression'. I am now ready to leap into action, will he run, will he try to hit me? No. He does a credible impression of a stunned herring and just stands there and talks about his auntie because he's forgotten what he's supposed to be doing! The instructor off camera is giving him frantic 'run for it' signals. I look at the instructor in a 'where's our bite?' kind of way. Eventually the penny drops when the instructor indicates his displeasure to the criminal and Acco gets his reward. None of the human participants get an Oscar.

My Mobile Problems

This is both a rant and an apology. I'm not one to moan heaven knows but what is the point of a phone if you can't use it to talk to people?

I invested in a bluetooth phone because I wanted it to connect with my top of the range TomTom for handsfree use. All was well at first and then people would email me wanting to know why I hadn't responded to their voicemail. Easy, I hadn't had any voicemail, which is surprising because I'm not THAT unpopular. Then it started ringing and when I answered there was no-one there.

Off I went to the shop to get it replaced, far to easy, can't do that still under warranty, free repair. But I need a phone for clients to contact me and because I'm mobile a lot. Not a problem all you have to do is BUY a phone to use while yours is away having its FREE repair (is Gordon Brown head of Vodaphone now?). With no real option and with incredible good grace I bought a basic phone for 'only' £20. I took it home and charged it up. Did it work? NO! Response from company? it doesn't matter because your phone is repaired and back in the shop!

I now have my phone back, it works when it feels like it and I often can't hear people when they do get through. all the information that was stored on it has been lost and i'm a trifle hacked off. My contract runs out in December. Will I be staying with my current provider (I refuse to say service provider)? Well that's a tough one, let me think........................hmmmmmmmmm!

If you have tried to contact me with little or no success recently I apologise its not my fault. A big boy did it and ran away!

Police Dog Training 5, Manwork (Biting)

I told you we'd get to some biting so here it is.

This clip was shot on the end of course test for Acco. It is the 'manwork' element of the test and comprises four exercises.

1) The Stand-off or Stand-out. In this exercise a running suspect is challenged by the handler and when he doesn't stop the dog is sent to detain him, note that Acco always looks to me for confirmation before any aggressive exercise. When the dog is well on his way it transpires that the suspect is an innocent party. He maybe deaf, daydreaming or even using an ipod. he then sees the dog and stands still. the dog must not bite the suspect but just contain him by barking until the handler arrives. Once the handler has confirmed that all is in order then the now innocent man goes one way and handler and dog another. Acco is of course still curious and watches the man until out of sight.

2) The chase and attack or chase to stop. This exercise is a repeat of the last except that this suspect is not innocent and does not stop until Acco convinces him that it would be a good idea. Once Acco has detained the suspect by biting his right arm, I, as the decision maker take charge of the situation. I instruct Acco to 'leave', he leaves the criminal, comes to heel and goes into the down. I then approach the prisoner to search him. you will note that I never get between Acco and the suspect. This is so Acco can keep the offender under observation at all times, if he tries to run, pulls a weapon or attacks me then Acco piles in with no further command.

Once the suspect is searched I return to Acco and put him back on the lead. We then escort the prisoner to the Judge. It is worthy of note that although Acco has chased and bitten the offender once I have taken control then there is no more aggression from him. Once we reach the Judge and I instruct the prisoner to stand still Acco just gives one bark to remind the prisoner the proximity of a set of teeth!

3) Test of courage (stick attack). This clip always gives me pleasure. The idea is that the dog be sent to engage a violent criminal armed with a stick, knife or other similar weapon. The dog must engage the criminal without undue hesitation or nervousness.

Because this is an initial course with very young dogs the usual routine is for the 'stick criminal' not to be too noisy and aggressive so that the dogs confidence is not dented at an early stage of their working life.

Acco however was a very confident and powerful dog. As a result the instructors approached Neville who was the designated stick criminal for the test and told him that if he could 'stick Acco out' i.e. If he could be so noisy and aggressive that Acco had second thoughts about going straight in to attack, then they would pay for all his beer at the end of course drink up. Neville was a big strong rugby player and therefore liked his beer, he had also never seen Acco work and so he thought that he was onto a night of copious free beer.

Sadly for Neville the instructors told me what they had done. I therefore decided that once Acco had bitten I would take my time getting him to leave.

When doing any manwork exercise the longer the distance that the dog has to travel, the harder the bite. You can therefore understand the thought process of the Steward when you hear him say to me "Do it from here. Not too far, we don't want Neville killed." Neville comes out and does his bit. You can hear the force of the impact as Acco engages and the response of the spectators. I then leave Acco hanging on while I retrieve the weapon. The instructors are feeling a bit guilty now and you can hear the Chief Instructor call out "Don't be rotten Robin!" But nobody is going to have free beer at the expense of my dog, we're a team!

4) The gun attack, another test of courage. In this exercise the dog is sent to engage a suspect armed with and firing a firearm. It can be any sort of firearm, handgun, shotgun or rifle and the criminal can be static or running.

After a great stick attack this exercise didn't go quite as planned. The criminal ran firing his gun, Acco chased and stopped him, I disarmed the suspect and then told Acco to leave. That's when it started going slightly awry. Acco was enjoying himself so much that he suffered selective deafness. When he did leave he decided on a bit of summary justice and bit the suspect on the leg. It's worth turning the sound up and listening to the spectators comments. You will also see that I am deeply upset by the whole matter.

I hope it was worth waiting for. In the next clip you will see some practical tracking exercises ending in a bite. You will also see some of the worst acting since 'Crossroads' and 'Eldorado' left our television screens!

Police Dog Training 4, Hiding up a tree

This is a very short video clip of fairly poor quality due to the 'autofocus' being too 'auto'.

It aims to give just a taste of what a hiding criminal sees when found by a searching Police Dog.

The clip starts with the 'criminal' climbing up a tree to hide. You will then hear me 'challenge' "Police Officer with a dog etc." You will also hear Acco 'speak'. When the criminal doesn't give up Acco is deployed to search and soon locates the offender and indicates his find by barking.

When this exercise is done 'for real' it is not unknown for the criminal to be so spooked by the barking that they lose their grip and fall from the tree. This often happens at night when the first indication they get that the dog has located them is the sudden outburst of barking from the base of the tree.

As with all of these clips it is very early in Acco's training As he became more experienced I trained him to use a chainsaw so that if the offender wouldn't leave the tree he could deal with them on his own! Oh alright, I made that bit up!

The biting bits will be here soon.

Police Dog Training 3, Agility

Here we are again, another video clip, this time with a look at agility. It is vital that a Police Dog can deal with any obstacles in his way when working. He may go over or under, around it or through it whichever is the most effective. If a criminal is hiding behind a fence the dog wants to join him as quickly as possible.

In the following clip you will see the first three obstacles we teach young dogs.

First, the three foot hurdle. This represents a normal height dividing fence which may be topped with barbed wire. In case of barbed wire the dog must not touch the fence with any part of his body to avoid injury. To ensure that there is no contact the top element of the training hurdle is a very light pole which is easily dislodged.

Second, the long jump. This is to teach dogs to clear obstacles such as ditches or excavations when searching areas such as building sites. By the end of training all dogs are required to clear an eight foot long jump but most will clear much more.

Third, the A frame. This is used to teach dogs to go over six foot fences into enclosed areas. In this exercise what is supposed to happen is that Acco should go over the obstacle when directed. He should then wait on the other side until called back by me. As you will see he realises that it is much quicker to just stroll around the side of the jump to rejoin me (bless him). I then go to his side of the jump to position him for a recall. Acco starts to negotiate the jump early but stops. I replace him in position and start to return to my side of the jump to recall him when he decides to take matters into his own paws. I just get back in time. As you can see Acco is very pleased with himself. I then realised that after a hard days training, tracking, searching, biting and a host of other things often the last thing we would do on return to the dog school would be to do a round of agility before feeding the dogs. Acco was effectively saying, "Can I have my grub now?" A lesson well learned.

The dogs are trained on a number of other obstacles, tunnels, wobbly bridges and catwalks to name but a few. Anything that they might meet operationally.

More clips to come, we'll soon be at the biting part.

Police Dog Training 2 The Long Down

Welcome to this video clip, the second in an ongoing series. This one features an exercise known as the 'Long Down' and is without doubt the least action filled of any in the series. I thought I'd get the bits that appear boring out of the way first.

The purpose of the exercise is to allow a handler to leave his dog in the down (the safety position) while he goes out of sight. The dog must not move out of the down position. they are allowed however to make themselves comfortable, maybe lay on their side, but must not sit up or assume any other position. This is an important exercise because it allows the handler to enter a building or other area where it would not be appropriate or safe to take a dog. A Hospital, a food shop or processing plant or even a place of worship. The handler must be confident that when he returns his dog will still be in the same place. The only time that the dog can move of his own volition is if either he or his handler are attacked or threatened. The length of time that the handler will be out of sight for a trained dog is ten minutes. in the clip shown here it is very early on an initial course and the dogs are building up their time endurance. This exercise is around the five minute mark.

What will you see? Four handlers and dogs (I'm nearest the camera). We line up and are told to put our dogs in 'The Down'. Next we are told, "Last command to your dog". The dogs are given a hand signal and a "Stay". The handlers then leave their dogs and go behind the pavilion. almost at once the middle two dogs move. the black one second from the camera would, if this was a test or competition be removed from the field and would get a nil score. The second dog would have to hope for a lenient judge. The instructor tells the offending dog to get back into the down and, after some thought he complies. You then see the instructor walking through the dogs in a zig zag pattern just to tempt them into moving. There is a lot of background noise this is because the London to Portsmouth main railway line runs alongsde the field. There is also a lot of passing traffic both pedestrian and vehicular. All of this makes it much more testing and realistic for the dogs and stressful for the handlers. Remember all these dogs are in effect large puppies only a few weeks into basic training.

At the end of the allotted time the handlers are told to return to their dogs. This is a critical time because until the instructor utters the words "Exercise complete" or "Exercise finished" if your dog moves out of the down, nil points. You can be one second from completion and still score nothing. This is why you can hear some of the handlers frantically saying "Stay!" and "Down" as they approach their dog. I try to adopt a more casual approach because if you rush back you can give an impression, if not of mild panic then certainly not of being 'Happy and in Control' and as a result the dog is far more likely to get up to see what's bothering you. My dog 'Acco' as you can see is utterley chilled out and rolls over into 'cute mode' because he knows at the end of the exercise it is, as always, Playtime.

I hope that this is going to be an informative little series and can assure you that some later clips will be at least slightly amusing. I've not decided on number 3 in the series yet. Maybe a bit of agility or a bite or even what a criminal sees when a police dog finds him. Watch and wait!

Training Treacle (6)

This is probably the last in the series of 'Training Treacle' posts, but that's not to say you can ever finish training a dog. Treacle has just celebrated (with a Mr Whippy ice cream) her second birthday and is now having to put her mind to more serious things.

James, our first Grandson (pictured with his Dad, Steve) arrived last December and Treacle has been an absolute star with him, ensuring that he never feels lonely. She brings James her toys but never tries to take his. They are inseparable.

Treacle enjoys her walks with the family and James sits fascinated in his Bugaboo (other pushchairs are available) watching her race around the large tracts of Army training ground that surround the area. Once James is walking there'll be no stopping the two of them.

Last week we took both James and Treacle to the Wellington Country Park, part of the Duke of Wellington's estate for a day out. Although she thoroughly enjoyed rushing around hither and thither the best bit as far as she was concerned was the picnic lunch when she was able to sit at James' feet and help out with anything he dropped. Her least favourite bit was not being allowed on the miniature steam railway when we took James for a ride but having to stay with Caroline my daughter (and James' mum) instead. I have to say that James didn't appear over excited by the experience. By the end of the day I don't know how James and Treacle felt but I was out on my feet.

Treacle will continue to be trained in tracking and searching as well as ensuring that her obedience stays at a good standard. If you are going to have either a child or a dog (or both) it is important to remember that you share this planet with the rest of us and therefore have a duty of care not to impose yourself or offspring on other people trying to just live their lives. If you can't control your children or pets then you shouldn't have any.

It is so important for children to have pets it teaches them so many things about life and as long as the parents are responsible in managing the interaction between child and pet it makes the child a more complete person.

Police Dog Training, Heelwork and Distance Control

This post is the first in a series of short video clips of me training Police Dog 'ACCO' back in 1984. The quality is not great, it was shot on VHS throughout the course and includes rare footage of me with hair. A client kindly put the tape, which was showing it's age, onto DVD for me.

The clip in this segment shows Acco walking to heel both on and off the lead. This is very early in Acco's training and although not the most exciting footage it makes several good points for owners struggling with this basic but very important skill.

We start out with Acco on the lead. Things to notice, the lead is not tight. Anyone can can get a dog to walk next to them if the lead is only three inches long and the dog is unable to breathe. Note my style of walking, like 'Del Boy' from 'Only Fools & Horses' . The bounce and swagger make me more interesting to Acco and keeps his focus on me. If, when you walk your dog you move as so many people do, like an undertaker with depression, then your dog will either, act in the same manner or take complete control and drag you all over the place. Throughout the exercise my left (or kind) hand is used to give affection at every halt. You cannot train a dog successfully without mutual respect and affection as well as a huge amount of patience. If you want a well trained dog and can't do patience then keep your money in your pocket and get a goldfish instead.

After a short period on the lead we go off the lead. Again it is noticeable that Acco happily walks alongside me. He regularly checks with me to see that all is well but he is still alert to what is going on around him. You will hear in the background an instructor giving instructions about pace, turns and positions for Acco to halt in. As you will see Acco is very happy at 'normal pace'. Watch what happens when the pace changes to 'slow pace'. almost at once he displays signs of boredom, he walks in front of me, sniffs the ground and jumps up at me. This is exactly how millions of dogs get their 'exercise' everyday. We then change to 'double time' , what a difference, he perks up, his whole body picture changes 'Wow, this is fun!' The pace you see here is the pace that wolves and dogs in the wild would set out on their walk or should I say hunt. At one point in the double time Acco does jump up at me but he is still a puppy and it is just an expression of enthusiasm so I wasn't too upset. These things take time to perfect, I did mention patience didn't I? We are in an age where we think we can always have instant gratification, it doesn't work with a dog, if you don't put the work in then you will suffer the consequences.

During the double time section you will see me put Acco in the 'Down' and carry on running. This is a safety feature, he must learn to drop into the down at once and remain there until I give him a further command. This is early in his training and so needs a repeat down command but then is rock solid as I run past him again without stopping. He stays firmly in the down until I rejoin him and put him in the sit before continuing the exercise.

The section finishes with a very basic introduction to distance control starting with me only 10 yards from Acco. Over a period of a few weeks the training will progress until I am able to control him over a period of several hundred yards. The intention is to enable me to get Acco to move into a number of positions by voice command and/or hand signals. The positions are the sit, down and stand. Once those are well established further commands are introduced to enable a dog to be sent away from the handler a considerable distance and then to go left or right as directed. For now we are dealing with early days and basics. Acco does very well for a novice. The hardest of these positions to teach is the stand because it requires them to make a forward movement to get into position. This means that they are moving towards their handler and sometimes the desire to re-unite is too great. At this point a 'traditional' trainer would drag the dog back to his start point and do a fair bit of bellowing, making a negative connection with something that should be fun. How much better and less stressful for both dog and handler just to tell the dog to stay and back up a short distance to have another go. Remember this is very early days. I don't know about you but I didn't do advanced calculus at kindergarten so why should we expect dogs to?

And of course at the end of every training session, particularly obedience, a game and a love in!

I hope you enjoyed this little clip, there are more to come and some will involve biting and other gratuitous violence!

Watch this space for the next exciting episode, coming soon to a PC near you!

Back in Touch

It's been a while since I've blogged, things have been hectic. Life has been really busy both on the family front and in the dog world.

Firstly I became a Grandfather, on December 9th 2006. My daughter Caroline and son-in-law Steve presented us with James Robin Putman (great choice of middle name). He was a few days late but we'll forgive him. He is a super little chap although I might be a little biased.

Treacle their Chocolate Labrador is very good with James and has become very maternal. Once James becomes mobile you can already see that the two of them will be great friends. I can't begin to imagine what adventures they'll have together. It is so important for children to be involved with animals, it helps build character as well as care and concern for others.

Throughout the later stages of the pregnancy and the days just after the birth, which are almost as hard on the Grandparents as on the actual parents, (apart from the pain, sleepless nights and dirty nappies), I have still had my dog jobs to do.

The run-up to Christmas is a busy time, because as well as the normal turn over of clients, there also the ones who realise that they are going to have a house filled to bursting with guests and a dog whose behaviour is not all it could be. If Great Aunt Elsie is the type to constantly re-write her will it's probably best if your dog doesn't use her slippers as a convenient indoor toilet.

Christmas then arrives and after thirtyfive years as a Copper I still can't get used to not working at least half of the holiday period. Of course I worked Every New Years Eve without fail. It was alright for me because I was working, and although it was very busy and sometimes quite violent it was still good fun working alongside other emergency services not only Police but also Paramedics (why don't they get paid a lot more?) and Fire & Rescue Service. I really don't think that the general public have any idea of the service they receive from and the level of dedication shown by these services. I do know that anyone working in the emergency services needs a good wife/husband/partner to come home to and probably a dog handler needs one even more. Not only do they work long hours in stressful situations but when they do get home they are subject to call-outs at all times. When they manage to stay at home they also have to exercise the dog(s) and see to their other needs. The wife has to put up with all this as well as running a house, looking after the children, maybe hold down a job and, of course, if the handler has 'man flu' there are the dogs to be looked after as well. Apart from that her time's her own but if she could find time to make me a coffee I'd be grateful!

Christmas itself was great we had all the family around, loads of food was eaten, some drink was taken (but not a lot) and most important I got loads of really good presents.

Once Christmas is over of course the calls start coming in about those dogs who made the holiday period memorable in some unwanted way for their owners and guests so, a busy period ahead.

Saturday 13th January 2007, another busy day. Brian, my eldest son married Nikki. They got married at the same venue as Caroline and Steve did in 2005. It was a good fun day but very tiring. I am prepared to admit that although I didn't drink very much, I may have over-indulged at the buffet in the evening. It's off to the gym for me and then more regular blogs.

Officially Cool

In keeping with the spirit of my New Year Resolutions I have decided to move into the 21st century.
When visiting the gym I found the music they played over the p.a system was pretty dire and certainly didn't motivate me. What to do? Obvious answer, get an ipod. Off I went to the local electrical store and spent some money. When I got home and opened the packaging a grey mist clouded my brain as I tried to understand the amusingly titled 'quick start guide'. However I persisted and with a lot of help from younger family members can now download my own tracks. I've even learned how to do playlists! Of course I don't use it whem I'm with my personal trainer (I hope you are suitably impressed).

I'm getting fairly competent with my digital camera which I use to photograph clients dogs to personalise their post consultation action plans. Getting the pictures from camera to PC is ok but I haven't got the knack of getting from PC to report without help yet, but I'll get there.

My favourite toy of the moment though is a satellite navigation system for my car. It is awesome, if you haven't got one yet they're a must have. there are countless things to press and screen displays, they are the archetypal 'Boys Toy'. A lot of my clients live in quite obscure rural locations so in cases like that it's a godsend. It takes me door to door, in fact I get upset now if I have to travel to a location I know. The system also acts as a hands free phone system with Bluetooth, so I must admit to phoning people from my car rather than home so that I can play with it. Sad isn't it?

Now, my Bluetooth phone, thats something else. It's got buttons and toggle switches, camera, video, radio and an mp3 player. Oh and I almost forget, you can also phone people with it. I'm finding it quite complex and if I haven't mastered it in a few weeks then I'll have to read the instruction manual. I have however got 'Bad Boys' or should it be 'Boyz', the 'Cops' theme as my ring tone so things are looking up.

I was brought up in the days of steam radio and gas television. We wrote on slates at school (really we did) , so I feel quite smug that I haven't caused a nuclear meltdown yet with all this modern kit.

I now consider myself, Officially Cool.

Treacle Goes To Tea

Last weekend my wife Rosemary and I, along with daughter Caroline and son-in-law Steve went to visit my eldest son Brian and girlfriend Nikki. As Nikki has a houseful of dogs Treacle was invited too. It was a wet day ideal to introduce the 'yoblet' to a Labrador of mature years, a Collie cross, a Westie with a trimmed body and 'Rasta' haircut and a couple of extra guests, a Jack Russell and her puppy. It was a great if rather damp day. Treacle thoroughly enjoyed herself, she got grumbled at by the Lab because she was impolite and was put in her place. She played with them all but bonded really well with the Collie. At the end of the day she had a few lessons in dog etiquette and had made some new friends. She went home worn out and straight into snoring mode.

She has also made a new friend at home. She has started 'hanging out' in the back garden with the cat from next door. If she is not in the garden he has taken to putting his head through the dog flap to ask if Treacle can come out to play. I think I'm going to have to persuade Steve and Caroline to change her name from Treacle to Spike. We can then sit her in front of the TV and show her Tom and Jerry videos until she gets the right idea. Either that or buy her a kaftan and enrol her in a yoga class.

Training Treacle (5)

Firstly, I'd better point out this isn't Robin so don't expect the usual wit. This is the son-in-law and its time I stepped out from behind the scenes to give a little Treacle Training update, and of course an updated photo.

Caroline and I have been delighted with Treacle's progress. She is always happy and tends to pick things up really easily. I've never owned a dog before, but obviously Caroline has always lived with dogs and I've been amazed at the way she has been able to teach Treacle commands like 'Down' and 'Speak' while I've been out.

A few weeks ago both Caroline and I had both been starting to dread Treacles' walks. While she was generally well behaved, the sight of another dog or person soon meant we had no control. She was gone. Even if we saw the distraction first, by calling Treacle back we gave her the clue to look around to locate the fun and again, bye-bye Treacle. The only way to retrieve our Retriever was to chase her down and re-apply the lead.

Luckily we know an expert and it didn't take long to get the re-training sorted out with an extra walk one Sunday afternoon. Of course, it wasn't Treacle that needed re-training - it was us. We had been letting Treacle 'run' the walk - almost to the point of letting her choose the route. We threw things for her to chase when she wanted and it was all a big game with Treacle at the center. She knew the 'Come' command but would only execute it after being sure there wasn't anything better to do. What we needed as a change in the power whilst on the walk, and we got a few hints and tricks that now seem obvious, but which I certainly would never have discovered on my own.

The most valuable lesson was with simply using the problem 'Come' command to our advantage. Treacle had now associated it with 'There's something else fun to do around here somewhere'. What we had to do was make the come command worthwhile for Treacle. So now we often call her back during the walk when there is no actual need to. When we comes she might get to fetch a toy, a fuss, a treat, or a game of find something that has been hidden behind a tree. She now comes back without thinking about it. She's not perfect, if she gets a chance she'll generally go to play with another dog (without asking for permission) but we know that she'll return to us when we ask.

New Year Resolutions

This year I am going to do something that I've never done before, make some resolutions. Why this year, you might ask. Simply because as I now have a blog my resolutions will be out there for all to see and I will just have to keep them in case in some months time some-one on the other side of the world wants to know my success rate. If that happens I want to be able to hold my head high and say "I did it" or at least most of it.
Having made the decision the next thing to decide was how many resolutions and how difficult should they be. I was thinking of going for just one biggy, like achieving world peace, but then thought that might be a bit ambitious for my first time. I'll see how I get on with my 2006 resolutions and then, if all goes well perhaps I'll save the world in 2007.
So here we go, using the 'Kiss' system (keep it simple, stupid) I have limited myself to four:-

1) Attend the gym at least three times a week. I have gym membership but in the last half of 2005 I've been so busy that my visits have been rare. I want my body to be a temple, it already looks like one, the only problem is that it's the Acropolis. I also have terrible problems with my feet, they keep taking me into pie shops.

2)To keep all of my admin tasks upto date. A fairly mundane one this but if I don't state my intention publicly I will lapse. I'm very good with important things such as preparing action plans for clients dogs but routine matters get pushed to one side, just look at the gaps in updating this blog.

3)To write my book. This will be the hardest one to keep due to both pressure of other work and the fact that I have the typing skills of a stunned herring. On a good day my finger dances across the keyboard. They say that everyone has one good book in them, I'm not so sure. However I have been very lucky and had a tremendously varied 35 year Police career of which I enjoyed every minute (except the bits when I got taken to Hospital, I usually didn't like them very much). In addition to many stories of Police dogs I will also relate some of my other experiences such as being one one of the first units on the scene in The Mall at the attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne. Being in Whitehall when the IRA blew up an Army Recruiting Office (and me) and many more. Most of my memories bring a smile to me although there are a few that usually come to me in the night which are not so pleasant. The good times heavily outweighed the bad and if you don't meet a good cross-section of people when working as a copper then you won't meet them anywhere.

4)To help more dogs and owners year on year and to continue to promote responsible and enjoyable dog ownership. This will be the easiest one to keep because, it's what I do, it's fun and there's very little paperwork.

Well that's it. I'm committed now. I've got to do it. Wish me luck

Belated Update

It's been a long time since I updated my blog due to a very eventful end to 2005. We thought that once we got over my daughters wedding in July things would slow down a bit but far from it. Treacle, the puppy, is getting bigger by the day. She is suffering from 'Friendly Dog Syndrome' and thinks that every dog out there is as good natured as her. She is just beginning to realise that some dogs are lacking in social skills. Generally her training is progressing well although she needs a good walk to let her burn off some energy before embarking on some of the exercises. She has the potential to track and search like a demon. Wait for the next exciting episode with pictures.

I lost my old German Shepherd 'Gaspode' aged 14 he just suddenly got very tired and knew it was time to go. It was upsetting for the family but the most affected was my remaining German Shepherd 'Jack'. When Jack was born he was rejected by his mother and so was bottle fed by kennel maids. As a result he missed out on the rough and tumble between litter-mates where a dog learns social skills. He was bought by a husband and wife, both Barristers, who returned him to the kennels at 11 months because he was too lively. Their theory was that if you bought a puppy from a kennels specialising in working dogs then it should leave the kennels aged 8 weeks fully trained. After a full and frank exchange of views between kennel owner and Barrister Jack was offered to me for training as a Police dog. I had been searching for a new dog and had looked at many but none were suitable, it takes a very special dog to do police work. They must be brave with fire in their belly but at the same time be good with decent people. They are after all going to spend a lot of time looking for missing children and it's always good if, when found, they are handed back to their parents in one piece. It's not good for Police/Public relations if your dog plucks a passing Nun from her bicycle! Anyway I went to look at Jack, not with any high hopes I must admit. We bonded at once he so obviously wanted to work, he was a natural. I took him home and that was when he got his reality check, he thought he was going to be top dog but the two older German Shepherds and Labrador bitch soon disabused him of that notion. Cocoa the Lab mothered him and taught him manners. Now Jack is an only dog and my wife Rosemary and I are already looking to the future, another GSD? Labrador? Or maybe something different. We both like Clumber Spaniels. Whatever happens we won't rush into anything, it will have to be the right dog. Remember dog ownership is like marriage without the washing-up.

Consultations with clients are increasing steadily. It is good to see so many dog owners are now taking the responsible route to 'dog training' and are realising that in general terms what we really need is 'Owner training'. I feel privileged to have the training and experience to be able to help people to have a full and rewarding relationshp with their dogs.

As I have mentioned in earlier postings I use Amichien Bonding when dealing with dogs and owners, this method was devised by Jan Fennell 'The Dog Listener'. Although trained by Jan I could not call myself a 'Dog Listener' because of trade mark restrictions. There were only two people who could use the title, Jan herself and Tony Knight her son. I am pleased to say that Jan has now allowed me to use the title so i will have to play with words. Should it be Robin Glover (Dog Listener) Consultant in Canine Communication and Behaviour or possibly Robin Glover Consultant in Canine Communication and Behaviour (Certified Dog Listener). Or maybe something entirely different? All suggestions welcome.

Training Treacle (4)

Treacle is now free to enter to big wide world, all her vaccinations have taken and now she can mix with the big boys. She really enjoyed her first proper walks as she has boundless energy and was getting bored being restricted to her house and garden. We are very lucky with our location as we have a huge choice of dog walking areas nearby, army training ground, nature reserves, Forestry commission and the Basingstoke Canal (that doesn't go to Basingstoke). It is very important at this early stage to get the balance right so that a puppy gets enough exercise to build muscle and stamina without being exhausted. The more experiences that they can be exposed to the better. Treacle accepts Steve and Caroline as the Alpha pair in her pack and so as they act as calm, consistent and convincing leaders, in times of perceived danger, which could be any new experience that Treacle encounters, if the leaders are not concerned then neither will Treacle be.

Her new experiences this week have been many. She has had walks through army training areas which she thoroughly enjoyed as it has a variety of terrains. Treacle has been able to hide in long grass, bounce through the heather and dig in the sand. We knew that she was truly a Labrador when she discovered the joy of a muddy puddle! At one point when the gang had stopped to play I went on ahead and hid several yards off of the path and stayed silent. When the walk resumed and Treacle approached my location she indicated my presence with no prompting from the humans in the group at all. The nose works.


Amongst her other new experiences Treacle had a trip to the pedestrian precinct doing a bit of window shopping. Again all experiences can be capitalised on. She encountered crowds, babies in pushchairs, older children and of course traffic going there and back. She also attended a barbecue at her house and although she behaved very well amongst the guests she didn't bring a bottle.

Her training can really start now but will proceed at her pace so that there is no stress. Most elements of training can be gently introduced at this stage with the exception of agility as a puppies bones are still soft.

Training Treacle (3)

Treacle went to the Vet last Tuesday to have her final injections and to be micro-chipped. She won't be able to go everywhere until two weeks after the jabs, but she can now mix with dogs that are known to be up to date with their innoculations. So yesterday she came visiting to meet my German Shepherds. She was a bit overawed by my younger dog Jack but in my old chap Gaspode she found an indulgent senior role model who, she quickly learned she could mug without fear of reprisals. She also helped in the garden by finding our stock of flowerpots and distributed them l