What was going on
Merlin is a one-and-a-half-year-old Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier: full of energy, super intelligent, and in the thick of adolescence. He was pulling a lot on walks, jumping up on people, and his recall was unreliable. Jenny and her family knew they needed more guidance but weren’t sure where to find it.
How Jenny found us
Jenny met someone from Pet Professor in the park who was working with a dog she knew. She was amazed at the dog’s focus: “He was totally mesmerised by the trainer and barely said hello to us. Usually he would immediately run to my dog to play!” That was enough. Jenny signed up.
What we did
We worked with Jenny through our Essentials program and Walk & Train sessions. The focus was on giving Jenny and her family the tools to engage with Merlin: lots of little tricks, tips, and games designed to make Merlin want to pay attention to them rather than ignoring them or controlling the situation.
As Jenny described it: “Marianne trained us in lots of little tricks and tips to enable us to control and play with Merlin, rather than him controlling or ignoring us!”
What changed
Merlin is much better trained and it’s more fun to walk him. His recall has improved significantly. Jenny and her family feel confident knowing it’s up to them to continue his training, and they have the tools to do it.
“Marianne made us realise the dog’s limitations are up to us. He will do anything we can teach him.”
And the bond? “Merlin is even more affectionate and I think he’s bonded much more with us.”
