The hotel we [... continue reading 'Australia']]]> Here I am back home after three weeks in Australia mainly spent on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland north of Brisbane. For those of you who’ve done the trip you’ll know just how far it is and what a huge country Australia is. I went with my wife Rosemary and we visited her sister and family who moved out there almost five years ago.

The hotel we stayed out was run by a man who bore more than a passing resemblance to Les Patterson, Dame Edna Everage’s alter ego or maybe it was him. Almost without exception we found the Australian people friendly and helpful. We saw so much out there, like Koalas in the wild, which many Australians say they’ve only seen in the zoo. It was while moving position to try to get a better picture of a Koala that I nearly walked at face level into a spider the size of a Pit Bull Terrier. I swear it curled it’s lips and growled at me. Ok, maybe it didn’t growl, but it certainly sneered in a really arrogant manner. The dingo was another animal I was pleased to see on it’s own continent. It was wolves in America last year, Dingoes in Australia this year. Maybe 2010 will be African Wild Dogs in the wild, although I have a policy not to go anywhere that requires me to have lots of injections, so perhaps I’ll make do with National Geographic channel instead. I’m certainly off to New York next year so maybe it’ll be hotdogs

We did visit Australia Zoo the home of the late Steve Irwin and his family. It’s a very well kept place and we watched the obligatory crocodile show in the ‘Crocatorium’ which was interesting and fronted by Steve Irwin’s widow and two children. The highlights for me though were discovering that they had a crocodile called Acco which was the name of my best police dog who had a similar bite. Also high on my list of favourites were the Tasmanian Devils who were dozing in the sun and looked really cute. Yes I know they’re not cute but I lived in hope that some of the people who tease animals might just find that out the hard way. Sadly it was not to be. And of course no mention of Australian animals would be complete without the Hairy Nosed Wombat. I felt a certain affinity with these creatures.

A major bonus on this trip was being able to meet Lynne and Jenny, two Australian colleagues, over a long lunch, during which we discussed all matters canine and how we saw Dog Listening developing across the globe. It was amazing that the same issues that were concerning dog listeners in Australia were being perceived in the same manner by many in the UK. A valuable meeting, email is a wonderful thing but you can’t beat being face to face with a beer in your hand to make a proper connection.

Things to do or not to do in Australia. Don’t buy confectionery it’s a ridiculous price. Don’t buy food to cook yourelf it’s a ridiculous price. Do eat out. The quality is very good, the portions generous, the service quick and friendly and the prices are very reasonable. We couldn’t understand why it cost so much for average groceries in a supermarket and yet you could go into a good restaurant get a superb meal with all the trimmings and then double check the bill because it couldn’t be that cheap. If I lived in Australia I would probably only use my kitchen to make drinks (coffee shops are dear) I would have all my main meals out. And on a closing note, in a bar or eating house if you ask advice on what Australian product they are very appreciative and give a little bit more care in their service. They are proud of their country and of being Australian and rightly so.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit but was anxious to get home because I had a puppy to pick up.

There have [... continue reading 'Recent and Future Travels']]]> It’s a busy life being a Dog Listener hence the delay since my last posting. Already this year in the course of my job ‘mending dogs’, as well as my usual hunting ground of Southern England I have travelled to such diverse and exotic locations as Scunthorpe (twice) Northamptonshire, the Isle of Wight (twice). Still to come are France, Australia, Yorkshire and possibly America.

There have been a number of jobs on offer which it would be prohibitive in cost to the client for me to travel such a distance. In cases like these we have a network of Dog Listeners across the UK and indeed the world that we can refer the client to. In some cases clients are not concerned about the distance or cost they want a specific Dog Listener. It maybe because of their background, that they would feel more comfortable with a male (or female) dealing with their dog or they might just like the look of a particular Dog Listener. Whatever the reason I, and my colleagues will always do our best to keep the customer happy. Wherever you are we can almost certainly get someone to assist you and your best friend.

This year has already yielded a crop of super dogs and clients helped. I hope soon to update my website and get some of their stories and pictures on the testimonial page.

With a general election coming I really need to get my act together and start putting pressure on all political parties about electric shock collars, spiked collars and other brutal training methods. watch this space.

While on the subject of watching don’t miss BBC2 at 8p.m. on Sunday 15th March 2009. The start of a series on Yellowstone Park my spiritual home. the place where you will (if you know the right people) witness canines in their most beautiful and natural state. I’ll be recording it because I know that if I don’t, then at the most interesting part someone will phone me to tell me it’s on and ask if I’m watching. So everybody, yes I know it’s on and I won’t forget to watch.

I am very busy at this time of year as people try to iron out problems with their dogs prior to Christmas. In the post Christmas period there are the dogs to be sorted out who have somehow upset their families over the [... continue reading 'Busy Times']]]> As the title says it’s been a very busy time on three fronts, dog listening, our new charity ‘Every Chance Rescue’ and domestically.

I am very busy at this time of year as people try to iron out problems with their dogs prior to Christmas. In the post Christmas period there are the dogs to be sorted out who have somehow upset their families over the holiday. There is also the puppy who has been bought as a present and is suffering shell shock who needs de-stressing. I’m also taking part in an ‘Enhancement Course’ in mid January. Along with dog listener colleagues I am always striving to improve both my knowledge and the service given to clients and their dogs.

Every Chance Rescue is due it’s official launch any day now. Watch this space for website details. On Friday I travelled to Scunthorpe for the first full meeting of the Every Chance team. It was a very productive meeting with a huge range of issues discussed. As with any such venture the main problem is going to be money. There is less of it about and more calls on it than ever before but if we don’t succeed then dogs will die because the dogs we are dealing with are the ones that have been let down big time by humans. Normal rescue centres can’t or won’t take them so it’s down to us. we mustn’t let them down. They’ve already been down that road.

On the domestic front it’s been a manic year with highs and lows. The high has to be the wedding of my son Richard to Kathryn in September and my trip to Montana to see the wolves in February. The lows have been varied and include my sister having her leg amputated just before the wedding. Due to the wonderful support and resources given to the NHS by the government she is being discharged to her home on Monday. She wants to go home but not in the condition she is in. Her wound has not healed and still bleeds heavily, she developed MRSA in hospital and is being discharged without the condition being resolved. She lives alone with an upstairs bathroom and no means of reaching it. The occupational therapist in the case has been superb and tried to arrange a number of things to improve the situation. However as my sister has worked all her life and contributed in taxes she now becomes a very low priority. She was stupid enough to buy her own house but has no savings to speak of and so will be left to fend for herself. I’m her next of kin but live some distance away and certainly couldn’t visit everyday. I have, in between hospital visits been making what alterations that I can to her house to make it more user friendly. Still I can relax in the knowledge that the money being saved in not treating my sister can be used in treating Waynes drug habit, Tylers ADHD or in giving AIDS medication running to thousands of pounds a month to someone who shouldn’t even be in the country and certainly has no intention of contributing anything. Bitter, moi?

The Simpsons is a very clever programme full of great observational humour. In one episode about income tax, Ned Flanders is asked by his sons, Rod and Todd why he has to pay tax. He replied “It’s to pay for the schools, the libraries, roads and hey, for those people who just don’t want to work. God bless them.”

One of these rare moments was to observe a mating ritual complete with ‘tie’. If that wasn’t special enough the pack involved [... continue reading 'Yellowstone Wolves, New Arrivals']]]> Earlier this year I was in Yellowstone Park with Jan Fennell and other Dog Listeners, watching wolves. Thanks to the tremendous knowledge and skill of our guides Nathan and Linda we saw things that people who have been long term watchers have never seen.

One of these rare moments was to observe a mating ritual complete with ‘tie’. If that wasn’t special enough the pack involved were the ‘Druids Peak Pack’. This particular pack have a very special place in the hearts of those involved in the regeneration of the wolf in the wild.

This morning we had a message from Linda Thurston that the Druids had been sighted with twelve, yes twelve puppies. What tremendous news and a huge boost for the survivability of the pack. We must remember that for a short time earlier this year that wolves were taken off the list of protected species and hunting was to be allowed. Happily common sense prevailed but they are always moves afoot to allow the killing of wolves to be made legal again. we will remain vigilant.