Hi, and welcome to yourdogmatters.ie, my name is Noel Murphy and I’m here to make your life with your dog a better one then it is at present.
What a great job I have. To be able to go to people’s homes and help them achieve a harmonious relationship with their dogs is worth so much to me. To see the huge smiles of relief return to their faces, where it had been missing for too long.
I am often reminded of how fractured things can get before I arrive and greet the family. They are, at this stage, at war with their dog.
My clients often get offended and, with good reason, when something they love so much acts like a complete dingleberry. They feel it reflects on them personally when they are trying to walk this gorilla, as he is pulling the arm off them. This is a very emotional time for all concerned.
We don’t always see this situation creep up on us, but it does. In a lot of cases, even if we did see it, by and large we would keep pretending that it will get better tomorrow: “Sure, for God’s sake, he’s only bitten two people this week, but anyway, they were asked for it, they deserved it.” Justification, as if it was needed.
When I ask the dog that resides in the house what the problem is in his opinion, I get told, he felt misunderstood, and that he had a family that could not share his point of view. Never mind that his point of view was that he should be allowed to drag each and every one of the family all around the countryside, and in the course of that adventure, to be permitted to attack each and every dog in the parish.
Well, I don’t quite share that philosophy (there’s a shock). I see it as very destructive and, in truth, he needs protecting from himself. Otherwise, he is going to have his arse handed back to him, and some time very soon.
Protecting them is not what my new-found furry friends see that I am trying to achieve. After a little chat and a few home truths, we usually end up at the desired location, though not always one that the dog particularly likes at first.
To see my number one dog, Weaver, teaching that which only a dog can teach, is a miracle to be part of. In truth, what Weaver needs me for is open to question. I guess I’m just the driver to and from each event. To be so undervalued is painful.
Regards, Noel.