How to tell your dog he's not the boss

Often labelled naughty, disruptive or just plain stupid, in reality your badly behaved pooch is lacking an effective leader - so says Vicky.

As a qualified dog listener, Vicky, 25, of Leigh, has had remarkable success in taming troublesome terriers but when I first meet her and she tells me to ignore her own dog Sandy, who ambles over to greet me, I am a little puzzled.

"Its part of the process," Vicky explains. "Dogs have to realise you give them attention on your terms, not theirs."

Vicky qualified under the tutorage of Jan Fennell, founder of the method of canine communication known as Amichien Bonding, which uses hand signals to train problem pets rather than items such as choke chains.

Jan, from Lincolnshire, was herself inspired to develop the art by American Monty Roberts, whose miraculous methods of taming wild horses inspired the Robert Redford film The Horse Whisperer.

Her methods have been universally praised and celebrity fans include actors James Bolam, Annette Crosbie and Jenny Seagrove.

Vicky explains: "The idea behind it is not difficult or complicated and the basics can be taught and covered in around three to four hours.

"But the first thing you have to learn is how to change people's minds. Really you are training the owner, rather than the dog."

She continues: "Dogs are like children in some respects - they seek attention. But often we give them attention for the naughty things they do."

Vicky uses the example of her bearded collie cross, Sandy, who used to pant extensively.

"We were worried that because he is old, it was something to do with his health and we would make a fuss of him when he did it. But when I came back from the course, I used the techniques I had been taught and ignored him when he did it and it worked. When he no longer got attention for doing it, he stopped."

At almost 17, Sandy certainly disproves the saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

"You certainly can," laughs Vicky. "The background to the method is learning from the instincts in the wolf pack. It is never too late or never to early to start."

According to Vicky, a pack of wolves will always have an alpha male - a leader "elected" by the rest of the pack to protect and lead them.

This filters down to the domestic dog and they try to protect and lead their owner if the owner does not show the dog they are an effective leader.

This desire to protect can manifest itself in all sorts of "bad" behaviour including pulling on the lead, biting the postman or excessive barking.

"The sad truth is the dog is behaving this way because it is beside itself with fear and anxiety. A dog's life boils down to survival, just like any other living being, and to a dog, survival is dependent on the presence of an effective leader," explains Vicky.

"Unlike in our society, in the wolf pack the leaders aren't there by chance because they have been there a long time, they are there because they have proved they are up to the job.

"This leadership is regularly reaffirmed using a set of rules by which they operate to form a hierarchy within their pack."

Dog listening takes four areas where the wolf shows leadership and applies it to the domestic situation.

These are feeding time, the hunt (or walk), danger and separation.

Vicky says: "By using an equivalent set of rules for the domestic environment, we can prove our worth as a leader to our dogs, so they elect us as responsible for the pack and, most importantly, they will have the stress of the responsibility removed from there furry shoulders.

"This is only fair - after all, they are trying to protect us in a manmade world they simply can't comprehend."

For Vicky, dog listening has realised her ambition of working with dogs and bringing a little happiness into their world.

"There is nothing more satisfying than watching a stressed-out, nervous or hyperactive dog lie down on its side and breathe a big sigh of relief when it realises, Phew, it's not my responsibility any more'," she grins.

For more information visit www.adogs-life.co.uk

* Dog listening founder Jan Fennell will be hosting two seminars at the Essex Garden Show at the Brentwood Centre on Sunday, June 17.