An important post, I suppose.
I'll get the little bits out of the way first: I love dogs first and foremost, but I also have chinchillas (two brothers, Spank and Monkey *ahem*), degus (4 girls (Lemur, Bandit, Hazel and Squirt) and 3 boys (Lion, Tiger and Bear), rats (2 girls, Seren and Kismet), mice (60 odd, and no, I will not be typing names!) and goldfish (52 of, outside). All of these except the rats and half a dozen of the goldfish are rescued/rehomed - I see no need to support breeders when these animals are looking for homes.
On to the main stuff then. I am a practising, qualified canine behaviourist, specialising in dog-to-dog aggression. I was pointed in the direction of this fulfilling work by my experiences with my own dogs; it started with Remy, my first dog, back in 2003. He got me into training - I had my first clicker before I had him! - and I started agility with him. My second dog, Opi, taught me a lot about socialising a nervous pup, and about learning to read a dog's boundaries for frustration and worry in training sessions.
My third dog, Soli - the big one - has been the driving force behind me becoming a behaviourist and moving into my specialist area. I'll be writing a little blog on each dog, but Soli will be getting her own full article - there's a lot to tell about her, a lot to share, and a lot of lessons to teach that will - I hope, and pray - save many people and dogs from going through what she and I have been through in the last 3 years. Long story short, for now; she came to me in Dec 06, with severe fear aggression to all other dogs and severe resource guarding (beds, sofas, stolen things, chews) to me. She's tried to bite me many times, with no warning. She is now a true dobe - soppy, loving, if still a bit antsy, but the aggression is gone. She is testament to the power of positive reinforcement and she is why I do what I do today.
Dog number 4 - a smidge unplanned - is River. She's taught me about the obsessive collie trait (she's half collie), and about working with a very high-drive, highly focused, reactive dog.
And dog number 5, my darling Saffi, who has been with me just 5 weeks. She was another neglect case, and reminds me how with no planning or intent, a dog can come into your life in a moment, steal your heart and never leave again. Much as River did!
So that's my lot. I shall add blogs for each of them as I go, maybe today, maybe tomorrow; and of course Soli will have her article. A website perhaps. There's just too much to put in a blog for her.
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