Connie’s Page

 

What sort of dog does a dog trainer have?

 

Well, there she is at the top of every page.

 

Her name is Connie and she is a Border Collie born in July 1998

 

She was raised on a farm near Bures in Suffolk and it was intended that she should become a real working dog but something went wrong with that plan and she ended up with us. With her early months spent on a farm her habitulisation period included sheep, chickens and horses but did not include such scary things as vacuum cleaners, butchers shop awnings and slamming car doors. She still avidly tries to avoid these and other strange things.

 

Wheelbarrows, on the other hand, are well known to Connie. And their obvious purpose is to transport her from one end of the garden to the other. No training was required just a quick ‘okay’ from me and she's there like the Queen of Sheba in her carriage. Perhaps it is this familiarity with open-air transport that let her to take to boating with such ease on a recent family holiday. Connie loved the boat, hoping in and out with ease and spending much of the time happily looking out over the water.  Ducks were obviously very interesting at that close range but she did listen to me and did not try to get any closer.

 

One habit that Roy, as a trainer, has found difficult to stop is Connie's tendency to lie on her back in front of anyone and everyone she meets. A beautiful dog inviting you to rub her tummy is quite irresistible for adults and children alike, and the positive reinforcement Connie gets for this behaviour keeps it going. In fact this is an example of Connie training the rest of the world! By presenting an unthreatening and frankly cute characteristic she has trained friends and strangers alike to respond in a way that pleases her, giving her attention and affection. It's only by removing the effectiveness of this technique that Roy will succeed in stopping it - if he can only train the rest of the world not to respond to this very effective ploy!  I can stop Connie in her tracks if I think there’s a risk, either to my dog or whoever she wants to make friends with.  The problem here is that I’m then seen as the ‘baddie’ who ‘dominates his nice friendly dog’.  Ho Hum and such is life!!