Tara and Anthony

OWNER NAME  Tara and Anthony

LIVES  Barrow

FAMILY NAMES AND AGES

Ben aged 20, Billy aged 17, Rio aged 15, Ty aged 9, Whitney aged 7, Sam aged 3 years old.

DOGS  Tyson,  a Staffy aged 7, Milly, a Pitbull aged 2 ½, Envy,  a Pitbull aged 14 months, Munch, Envys’ brother aged 14 months

DID YOU HAVE DOGS WHILST GROWING UP?

Yes, (Anthony) we had Boxers whilst growing up, later on Lurchers and Terriers.  I like working dogs.  All soft as a brush in the house but once out they want to do the job.

Yes, (Tara) we had Rough Collies, Border Collies, Doberman and Labradors.  We had Bluey who was a mix breed who got knocked over by a bus, the bus carried on without stopping! It was awful. 

WHY DID YOU GET A DOG?

(Tara) My son brought Tyson home.  He was 7 weeks old.

(Ant) Ben brought me Envy as a present.

We decided to keep her. From day one she was brilliant with the kids.  Unfortunately Ben got put away and his dogs (Pitbulls) were taken away.  We were determined to save them and not have them put down because of their breed!

DID EVERYBODY IN THE FAMILY WANT A DOG?

Yes all animal mad.  They carried on to keep them.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR DOGS?

Since being pups they have been in the family.

WHERE DID THEY COME FROM ?

A local breeder.

WAS ANY OF YOUR DOGS A RESCUE?

We saved them.  Not rescue.  They were my sons so they were in the family and we took them on.  When Ben comes back he cannot have them back due to the law.  They are now in our name. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SPECIFIC BREEDS THAT ARE TARGETED AS DANGEROUS?

I think it is unnecessary.  It has been jumped on by the media.  I think Pitbulls have been demonized.  Until twenty years ago we had not heard of Pitbulls.  In this country Staffy and Bull Dog breeds are registered by the kennel club so they are recognized.  Pitbulls are not recognized here.  I think the dangerous dog legislation is a farce. I believe that there should be a dog register for any breed if an incident happens so it can be called on if any other situation arises.

IS HAVING A DOG HOW YOU IMAGINED IT TO BE?

I don’t know.  I can’t remember what I imagined.  I just treat them like the kids.  I have them in the same routine as the kids.

HAVE YOU HAD DOGS BEFORE?

I had two Collies then the Doberman, Rudd also knocked over by a car on Abbey Road.  He ran all the way home.  I cried my eyes out! Luckily he was insured!  He later on got water on the brain.  We could not be sure if he would turn on the kids.  It was not necessary to put him to sleep so we rehomed him to a couple without kids.

WHAT ISSUES (IF ANY) HAVE YOU HAD WITH YOUR DOGS?

Possessiveness.  They fight over the toys and bones.

HOW DID YOU CORRECT THEM?

Put them in the naughty room which is the kitchen, if they start.  We keep them separate when playing with the toys or eating bones too.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PETS?

Fish.  We did have hamsters but they died and we are not replacing them.

HOW DOES THE DOG SPEND HER/HIS DAY?

Out first thing in the morning before the kids get out of bed.  By 8 they are back and then we sort the kids out.  Then when the kids are at school they are out.  Might take them in the afternoon again. After tea they go out again.  Maybe to the Dock Museum.  Before bed they get a last walk.  They are in and out of the back yard and the living room in-between.  They get fed when the kids get their tea.  They go to bed when we do.  There is only Tyson (who is ill) who sleeps downstairs.

WHO GENERALLY WALKS THE DOG?

Mainly me and Anthony.  The kids will at the weekend.  A neighbour Jordan walks Tyson often.

WHAT IS THEIR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY?

Run Free.

WHERE DOES THEY SLEEP? 

In the beds with the kids or us. Except Tyson because he sleeps downstairs as he has bowl cancer and is not well.

                                                                                 

WHO IS THE DOG MOSTLY FRIENDLY WITH IN THE HOUSE?

Milly is more for me and Whitney, she is a girly dog. Tyson is for me and the kids.  Munch will go with anybody.  He loves his cuddles.  Envy is definitely Anthony’s.  I cannot get near Anthony for the Envy.  They all love cuddles though.

WHAT TIME DOES THEY SPEND IN THE HOME WITH FAMILY MEMBERS?

 Us during the day

TELL ME A FUNNY INCIDENT INVOLVING YOUR DOG

Bathing Tyson is a nightmare!  He jumps out of the bath and soaks me and the shower head goes everywhere.  By the time I get the towels to tackle him everywhere is soaked!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW DOG OWNER/OR PEOPLE THINKING OF HAVING A DOG?

They have rules as soon as they come in the door, you have to stick to them.  Not changing your technique half way down the line.  They need to know where they stand.  Plenty of training.  Let them have the run of the house so they are familiar with where everything is and not worried about what is what.  Feed them at the same time as everybody else or else put them outside.

Ticarna and Farah

OWNER  Farah and Richard

LIVES Newton-in-Furness

DOG NAME Ticarna

BREED Staffy Cross

AGE 1 year old

DID YOU HAVE DOGS WHILST GROWING UP?

Yes. Mickey was a Black Lab Collie cross.  He was my sister’s dog.  He lived until he was about 15 years old. 

WHY DID YOU GET A DOG?

I got Paddy when I was 15 years old.  He is a Black Labrador.  I wanted to have my own dog that I could train up from scratch.

DID EVERYBODY IN THE FAMILY WANT A DOG?

Yes, everybody wanted Paddy.  Not so much the dogs that came along later.  Paddy is 15 years old in December.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR DOG?

I have had Ticarna about a year now.  Had her since she was a puppy.

WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?        

A client of mine who I trained security dogs for.  Bought her sister, I fell in love with that dog so my client said there is one left and it was chocolate.  I wanted that colour.  I then spoke to the breeder.                                                                                                                 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SPECIFIC BREEDS THAT ARE TARGETED AS DANGEROUS?

Its racial profiling, which is wrong.  It is illegal to do it with humans yet it is legal to do it with dogs.  Any dog has the potential to be dangerous, it is just how they are bred and raised at the end of the day.  The owners should be targeted, not specific breeds of dogs.  No dangerous dog’s just dangerous owners!

IS HAVING A DOG HOW YOU IMAGINED IT TO BE?

Yes and much, much more.

HAVE YOU HAD DOGS BEFORE? Yes

TELL ME ABOUT THEM

I got Kiki, a German Shepherd, bred by Merseyside Police.  Then we rescued Xena, a German Shepherd, she was about a year old and she became my dad’s dog.  Xena died when she was three from cancer. Just before that I got Rosti, he was 9 weeks old, a Belgium Malinois.  He was bred by the Royal Dutch Police.  He is probably one of the best dogs for training I have ever owned. My fiancé and I rescued a Chihuahua cross with Miniature Pinscher too.  Persia was 10 months old at the time.  She has become more Richard’s dogs than mine now.

WHAT ISSUES (IF ANY) HAVE YOU HAD WITH YOUR DOG?

Ticarna spoke her leg at 5 months old.  She broke it playing in the woods.  The vet said because she was small but so stocky that it went against her.  She missed out on vital socialization period.  She was sedated for three months to help the healing. She was then crated for four months to help further healing.  Due to the injury she came up with various issues for example she was becoming small animal and dog aggressive.  She became over protective of us two at night time.

HOW DID YOU CORRECT THEM?

Lots of training and perseverance. She needed to grow up basically.  Socializing her with dogs as much as possible.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PETS?

Two cats and a bird.  I also had a Fell Pony called Magic but he died last year.

HOW DOES THE DOG SPEND HER/HIS DAY?

Ticarna is the laziest dog alive.  She does not like getting up in the mornings. I cannot feed her early on.  Later on about 10 ish take her out training.  We also like to take her out on the hills, it helps her old injury.  Then she might go along with my other dogs on walks, Kiki has a calming influence.  She usually goes to work with me all day.  Training client’s dogs.

WHO GENERALLY WALKS THE DOG?

I usually do because of the training that is needed.

WHAT IS HER FAVOURITE ACTIVITY?

Search work.  Searching for people and articles.

WHERE DOES SHE SLEEP?

She has a crate in our bedroom.

WHO IS THE DOG MOSTLY FRIENDLY WITH IN THE HOUSE?

Richard and I.  She does not have much contact with other people in the house.

WHAT TIME DOES SHE SPEND IN THE HOME WITH FAMILY MEMBERS?

She mainly sleeps and cuddles.  Laziest dog ever. 

TELL ME A FUNNY INCIDENT INVOLVING YOUR DOG

We were in the car with Ticarna at the stables.  Just before getting out I asked her where Aunty Mimi (my sister) was.  Mimi was mucking out one of the stables.  Ticarna jumped out of the car ahead of us to find her.  She ran straight into the stable and got accidently pitch forked in the head!  There were no puncture wounds.  On the vet records it read “...accidently ran into a pitchfork!” The vet said it was a good thing we know you very well or we would have thought you were covering something up!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW DOG OWNER/OR PEOPLE THINKING OF HAVING A DOG?

Do as much research on the type or breed of dog you want.  Get advice and help from a fully qualified dog trainer.  So when the dog arrives the dog trainer is on hand to help.  Also before thinking about buying a puppy take a look around all the rescues and dogs pounds.  As they are very over run.  You easily find your best friend there!!

READ MORE ABOUT FARAH AS A DOG TRAINER SOON........

Go to her website  www.elitek9s.co.uk