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