Ralph the unruly Dalmation!

Ralph is a young medium energy Dalmation dog who has a past history of hooliganism before his owners made the correct decision to have him done!

The owners except that they have a problem with his behaviour and have no remotes in the house because Ralph has eaten them all!

I went to their house and as I walked in I was met by an excited dog who immediately stood up on his back legs and put his front legs on my chest. This is classic of him trying to claim me and as I pushed him down he repeated this 4 or 5 times more until I finally got my message through to him!

I asked to sit down as the next trick he would try is to mug me and to claim me and my space! As i sat down a very rude dog took 10 times of being moved away before he went and jumped straight on the sofa and lay with his paws on his female owners lap and demanded fuss which he promptly got!

I took him home and after a run on a training line in the paddock I used a lead to bring him into the house and took him calmly round the lounge before allowing him off lead. He continually tried to jump on the sofa and this is not something we allow and is always an issue with dogs who are tolerated on furniture. He soon got the idea and lay down once or twice but never settled. He whined and whimpered continuously like a spoiled child! Dogs like Ralph who have no rules and boundaries are not at fault as they don't know any different, but it's our job as the brains of the outfit to ensure that they understand the rules and more importantly abide by them!

Anyway that was day one with Ralph who I can see even at this early stage is a nice dog but with no manners and I think with consistent leadership and my formula for a happy dog we can make Ralph a great dog and a lovely pet to have in the house!

Happy training
Steve