Dog Listener training in Holland has finished - but here's a quick question for you. Can you name 3 good things to come out of Belgium? Before last week I would have struggled after French fries (true) and Jean-Claude Van Damne (and that's not with much commitment).

However, one student on the Dog Listener Training Course in Holland was employed by the Belgian government to teach children how to behave correctly with dogs. Brilliant!! They go straight to the top of my list.

Of course, she had LOADS of questions, but it seemed she went away with plenty of good ways to use Dog Listener Training techniques to get an even better message across.

I don't know if there are other governments that have taken this initiative (as far as I know the UK government has shown no signs yet - maybe whoever wins next week will think differently), but it is a good start.

Of course, the first and most important message to give children and adults alike is simply "DON'T APPROACH DOGS; CALL THEM TO YOU".

This little piece of knowledge will drastically cut down the incidences of dog bites in the world. Check out my reference to owing pirahna fish on one of the blogs I did while in New Zealand for another way of looking at this subject.

So now I have French fries (still true), the Belgian Government.... and maybe Johnny Hallyday (but again that's pushing it a bit).

A que coucou, Tony Knight

P.S. For those who do not know who Johnny Hallyday is, think the French version of Cliff Richard!

Dog Listener Training and doing some long overdue DIY on the house have split my attention lately but you'd surprised at what they share in common.

When you look at all that needs to be done, DIY tasks can seem daunting, yet break them down into smaller pieces and concentrate on one job at a time, and before you know it you have made some great progress.  Which is exactly the approach I recommend you take with Dog Listener Training when you're dealing with a number of different dog behaviour problems.

One particular sticking point (literally) was the hardened glue on the wooden floor in the hallway that was used to put down the most dreadful linoleum when I bought the place. Sometimes I wonder why we say the French have style…

Anyway, I'd tried to sand it off with an industrial sander but to no avail, and had decided to replace the whole floor, but for some reason yesterday I thought I'd see if I could use some patience and try to get the stuff off one last time.

As it turns out, it is coming off really easily with a combination of scraper and sandpaper. It will take a bit of time, but the results are going to be well worth it.

Likewise with training a dog, we can feel there's no hope in one area of what we're trying to do, yet all it takes is to approach the problem from a slightly different direction and we see an immediate difference.

I've been really delighted with the progress made by several of my clients on my dog listener training coaching programme, highlighted by a fantastic phone-in with them last Monday.

I am especially happy as the people concerned were really having some deep seated issues with their dogs, but now are seeing the fruits of their labour. Training a dog takes time and patience and I take my hat off to them (and my safety goggles and mask).

Just like them, I will keep going until I have the results I'm after. I’ll even post a photo of the hallway when it’s done… I am becoming a bit of a DIY bore these days!  Tony Knight

Hi folks, having shifted my Dog Listener Training to Australia for the next few months, it seems I escaped the Big Freeze just in time, leaving Gatwick airport just before it shut.

Reports of the terrible weather have been shown often on Australian television with a mix of disbelief and just a little smugness (they still haven't got over losing the cricket, bless them).

One statistic of the current situation caught my attention - apparently sales of custard have gone through the roof as Brits huddle together, eating stodgy puddings to keep warm. My childhood memories of treacle suet puddings that would stick to your ribs as you ate it came flooding back.

Also, supermarkets are quickly running out of supplies as the hoarding begins ready to dig in should the Antartic conditions continue. On the plus side my niece Ceri has been very happy to have had extra days off school, so I guess it's swings and roundabouts...

This behaviour just goes to reinforce the point that I make time and time again - that human beings are so similar to other animals that it only takes a slight survival threat for the old instincts to kick in and take charge.

When we realise our own nature it becomes much easier to respect that dogs are animals and not "little people". Reversing the way people typically view dogs is a major step forward in understanding, and therefore getting the right relationship with them.

A great philosopher once said that human beings are only three meals away from revolution. I will add that they are -20 degrees from chaos...
Tony

It's now time to relax a while after a hectic 10 days dog listener training in Switzerland.

The need for an interpreter (ich spreche keine deutsche) always brings home the value of being a Dog Listener, translating the language of the dog for the owner and giving them the ability to communicate back to help problems.

I took my two dogs along with me for the experience and they had just as packed a schedule as I did. If only the pet passports got stamped too - they are becoming quite the travellers.

It also served to remind me that this process is on-going, just like the only diet that really works is the one where you change your habits for life. Because they found themselves in new environments often, they looked to be reassured that they could still trust me, sometimes asking questions in ways they hadn't done for a long time.

My job was not to wonder what had actually triggered their behaviour, rather to reassure them through my own consistent behaviour that they could trust me here too. I do not expect my dogs to be perfect (Lassie was actually three dogs and there are many out-takes!). I expect them to ask questions, and I am happy that I have the right answers.

You can buy dogs that do exactly what you want them to - they are sliver and run on batteries, but they are not nearly as much fun. Sure, they won't pee on the rug, but it is still possible for the batteries to leak... Cheers Tony

Today was my first appearance on American TV - a show called Better Connecticut - about Dog Listening. An in-depth interview for daytime television (it lasted 5 minutes) but they are talking about following it up with a filmed consultation so hopefully this is the start of the conquest of America (to boldly go where Robbie Williams didn't.....).
One of the other guests was a diet expert who lost an astonishing 200 pounds, and more importantly she had kept it off. As we were chatting after the show we realised that our careers had many parallels. Just like her, I have a simple message that is effective, without gadgets and gimmicks, BUT it is not a quick fix, magic bullet or a miracle. However, both methods ARE down to the person (dog owner or dieter) and are a WAY OF LIFE. Yet how many fad diet books are out there, and how many so-quick miracle cures for dog behaviour? Because so many folks out there want the magic wand, rather than put in the effort themselves, and often this is coupled with impatience.
I completely understand this thinking - I've found myself shouting at a microwave to hurry up, even though it cooks food quicker than anything else. We have to be realistic when it comes to our own health and our dogs' welfare. We can get amazing results but we need to keep going with the program to maintain the progress, rather then stop and rest on our laurels. Serial dieters know too well the yo-yo weight phenomenon, and similarly the system of dog training I provide never ends...... after all when does a dog stop being a dog?

I may be doing some more filming next week over here so keep you posted.
Cheers for now y'all, Tony