The dog whisperer - Gisborne Herald

A FORMER Gisborne woman with more than 35 years’ experience breeding, training and working farm dogs will be here for two training days next month.

Anna Holland spent three of her earliest years shepherding here at Manutuke and Matawai.

The farmer that employed her at Manutuke told her that she would have to go if he found a boy.

“He had been looking for a boy to help on the farm, couldn’t find one — I was staying with his sister helping on their farm — they talked him into taking me on. He said to me “Anna, if I find a boy, you’ll have to go”.

“I stayed for 2 years and he had no hesitation in replacing me with another girl.”

Anna says she was very fortunate in her introduction to farm dogs since she was born and raised in the heart of Auckland.

An uncle’s farm in Wairarapa was where she learned to ride a horse and saw first-hand how a well-trained and obedient dog handled stock.

“I cannot put a value on watching him with his dogs; it is who I am today.”

She left home at 17 to start a career working on the land — much to her parents’ horror.

Back in those days it was a definite handicap being a woman in the sheep farming industry.

“It was easy enough finding employment in the dairy or racing sector, but on a sheep property — nigh on impossible. Virtually all my jobs were the boss realising that I had a very capable team of dogs, and that I possessed stockmanship. This led to permanent work.”

She shepherded for 25 years before concentrating on training people with dogs.

Dogs and dog training have become her life. She wrote for Country-Wide for just over two years about the care and training of farm dogs and now writes similar articles for Young Country magazine and Rural News.

She also runs Teaching People Dog Training days throughout the country travelling with four to six quiet sheep in a horse-float, two to three dogs and a toy poodle called Fifi.

The training days are limited to 35 people so bookings are essential.

She encourages all ages and experience.

“I’ve had people as young as early teens through to a number of people 65-plus.”

People do not take their own dogs.

“I demonstrate with one or two untrained dogs and then with two trained dogs. I take people through all the stages from puppy to trained dog and encourage questions.”

She has run 28 Teaching People Dog Training days altogether and says they were all huge successes.

The Gisborne training days run from 9am to 4pm at Matawai on September 18 — contact Adriana (06) 862 1553) for details — and at Wairoa on September 20 —contact Kirby (06) 837 5627). The training includes a booklet that covers everything people have seen in the day.

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The force needs you - Midweek Herald

One of Devon and Cornwall's police dogs undergoes specialist training.

Katy Griffin, Reporter Tuesday, July 19, 2011
10:37 AM

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s plea for puppy walkers.

THE growing success of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s puppy scheme has led to a call for puppy walkers in East Devon.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is casting a wide net to find willing walkers for its puppies, which are trained at the police’s Middlemoor headquarters in Exeter.

The dog school trains puppies from 12 months and once fully trained they will assist with tracking missing people, locating stolen property and chasing and detaining suspects.

However, before the puppies undergo their training they are reared in homes until their first birthday where they then embark on a 13 week training course.

All puppy walkers must have a settled family background, a secure garden and be willing to undertake daily exercise, grooming and care of the dog.

The puppies are placed with the walker at eight weeks of age and it is the responsibility of the walker to expose the dog to a variety of situations such as a bustling town centre, busy roads and rough terrain.

Throughout the year the puppy walkers receive training and socialisation advice from the dog training school and can attend weekly puppy classes.

The force also pays for any food and veterinary bills during the year.

Anyone interested can call the dog training school on (01392) 452410.

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A dog's life suits Andy down to the ground... - Craven Herald

12:20pm Sunday 16th January 2011

Search-and-rescue dog trainer Andy Colau could be heading for the history books.

He has just started training his fifth mountain rescue search dog – and, if he succeeds, he believes he could be the first member of the Search and Rescue Dog Association (Sarda) to achieve the feat.

However, it is still early days. Belle will have to complete at least two years of training and then there is no guarantee she will make the grade.

“Training a search-and-rescue dog is time-consuming and quite daunting,” said Andy, a part-time lecturer at Craven College and a part-time electrical contractor. “There are only 35 Sarda dogs in the whole of England.”

Andy, who lives in Stainforth, began training Border collies more than 30 years ago – and his interest almost came about by accident.

A keen mountaineer and potholer, he was a member of the Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation, and saw an advert on the centre’s noticeboard asking for volunteers to sit on Ingleborough and wait to be found as part of a dog training exercise.

“I didn’t think I would be found, but while I was sitting there, this collie called Gwen came out of nowhere. I was intrigued and I decided to try training search-and-rescue dogs myself. Three weeks later, I got my first dog. She was advertised in the Craven Herald as ‘free to good home, sheepdog-type bitch with spotted legs’.”

That first dog was Corrie. He then trained Corrie’s daughter, Gael, and their exploits were filmed over two years for the BBC documentary Search Dogs Of The Summits. Both Corrie and Gael searched for survivors after terrorists blew up a Pan Am plane over Lockerbie in 1988.

“It was a big learning curve for everyone involved,” said Andy, who subsequently launched K9 Search and Rescue to train dogs specifically for UK disasters.

He even trained one of his dogs, Fionn, to search for people trapped under collapsed buildings. “This was frowned on by some mountain rescue teams because up to that point, Sarda was the only dog rescue team recognised.”

His third mountain rescue dog was Gael’s daughter, Rhona, who helped to search for missing tourist Jeffrey Hodgson on the island of Ibiza in 2001. Sadly, they had been looking in the wrong place and his body was found 18 months later.

Rhona went missing in 2003 and her body was found in quicksand at Helwith Bridge five months later.

It was in Rhona’s memory that Andy started training Tara, who is still an active search and rescue dog at the grand age of nearly ten.

“After that I vowed never to train another search dog, and give up my life as a volunteer mountain rescuer and spend more time with my wife, Jennifer. But, I just couldn’t do it – I am still fit and capable.”

So now the household has a new member, Belle, who was bred by a hill shepherd and trainer on the slopes of Blencathra, near Keswick.

Andy, who is also a member of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association, attended 25 Sarda callouts last year.

“I may be in my 60s, but I am very happy being out there in the dark, snow and cold. These days I usually have a navigator and we have Satmap which pinpoints your position to within an inch and very powerful LED lighting. It is much easier than it used to be.”

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Dog training classes available at Schuylkill Mall - Republican & Herald

Nicole O'Malley, Mountain Top, trains her dog, Bria.

Steve Eckert, co-owner of Brierwood Kennels, trains Bella, owned by Cathy Guzick, Pottsville, at a dog obedience class at the Schuylkill Mall, Frackville.

FRACKVILLE - The Schuylkill Mall is going to the dogs.

Brierwood Kennels is holding dog training and obedience classes in the space next to Bath and Body Works and Wednesday six dogs got a chance to hear "good boy" from their owners.

Amy and Steve Eckert, the kennel owners, have been training dogs of all varieties for many years.

"Learning how to train dogs is something you acquire through the years by going to seminars and shows and training your own dogs," Steve Eckert said. "Unfortunately, some people say they will train your dog and do not always use positive reinforcement. We train the dogs with the owners because, let's face it, the owners have to put in the effort or it isn't going to work."

The Eckerts had several dogs of their own in attendance at the class Wednesday. Their dogs have been featured on Animal Planet's "Dogs 101," in advertising and have even dabbled in animal acting, most recently on stage at the Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre.

The couple said the Schuylkill Mall is the ideal place for the class, with its accessibility to routes 81 and 61 and people's familiarity with the shopping center.

"Everyone knows where the Schuylkill Mall is," Amy Eckert said. "We thought it would be the perfect place and Elaine (Maneval, mall manager) was kind enough to work with us. We volunteer with Hillside SPCA and have done many fundraisers here and they have always welcomed us."

The Eckerts said they will work on basic manners and any problems the dogs may have, such as jumping, pulling on the lead or aggression.

"I would say the number one problem we hear from owners is pulling. The next would be jumping up," Amy Eckert said.

Wednesday's class was the foundation class. The dogs learned the basics, such as walking with the owner and to sit and stay.

As the dogs performed to satisfaction, belly rubs re-enforced the behavior.

Bella, a 10-month-old boxer/beagle mix owned by Tom and Cathy Guzick, Pottsville, attended Wednesday's class because of jumping.

"We want to break her of that," Cathy Guzick said.

Troy Maurer, Sacramento, brought his dog, Trulie, to increase her self-confidence.

"I got her from Hillside and I want her to be my companion, to take her on walks and boating. I just think she needs more self-confidence and self-assurance," Maurer said. "I feel dogs are misunderstood. I think Trulie is shy, although she looks like she is aggressive. I think she needs a little training to help her along."

Steve Eckert said they will use tunnels and other props to build a dog's confidence.

"Each dog is motivated differently and it may take a little to figure out how a dog learns. There is no single method," Eckert said. "Also, some characteristics are specific to the breed of dog, so some behavior you may be able to control but not eliminate."

He said that any dog, no matter what the age, can learn the basics of obedience.

Amy Eckert said she believes if more dogs receive basic training skills, less would be taken to shelters.

"We hear all the time about people who brought their dogs to the shelter because of behavior. You have to be willing to work with your dog and teach him the behavior you expect. Studies have shown it is 60 percent less likely that dogs will be taken to the SPCA if they have training on them," she said.

The couple also said in an age of easy lawsuits, dog owners benefit from professional training.

"Also, your vet will love you if he can examine your dog while he is in stand/stay," Amy said.

The classes cost $150 for a 6-week group session and $35 for private lessons.

New classes will form as people are interested.

The Eckerts plan to run the program at the Schuylkill Mall until the end of March, but are willing to expand if there is interest.

INFOBOX

What: Dog and puppy training and obedience class

Where: Schuylkill Mall, Frackville

Trainers: Steve and Amy Eckert, Brierwood Kennels, Pottsville

Cost: $150/6 week group class $35 for private session

For more information or class times, call 544-9663 or e-mail muttlover25@yahoo.com

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