Hi folks. How does stepping off a really high cliff backwards appeal to you?

As a dog listener I'm no stranger to facing fears, but 'taking the plunge' reminded me of how many dogs face their fears on a daily basis and how important it is that we provided them with a safety harness by taking on leadership.

Before you dive straight into the video clip (no pun intended) I wanted to tell you about a dog that was terrified of buses.... A few years ago I was doing some work with the Guide Dogs for the Blind because they had 4 dogs that were failing the course and wanted some help. One in particular was terrified of buses, and one of the tasks was to get on a bus.

In the end, using Dog Listener techniques alongside their already excellent training program, the only problem they had was that the dog would jump on every bus it saw!

Once a dog realises that it can trust the person it is with, it can face all kinds of fears.

I remember once as a young boy standing at the top of a high diving platform, not daring to jump. it wasn't until my Godfather said that we had to leave the pool that I finally took the plunge - and jumped another 5 times before I left. The same thing happened with our Guide Dog! By the way, 3 out of 4 dogs passed and the one that didn't (it bit all its handlers) became a family pet. Not a bad return for their hard work and money...

OK, time to see if you can spot any fear on my face, or if yours truly has made any progress since that first jump off the top diving board...

Cheers for now, Tony

P.S. Leave a comment below and let me know what the scariest thing you or your dog has had to face