Dog perfect after really 'ruff' times

By Nuala McCann
BBC News

An Irish woman is making a name for herself because she has learned to "talk canine".

Paula Doohan, 37, is one of a select few to qualify as a "dog listener" after she was taught by the famous dog listener, Jan Fennell.

Paula Doohan with Wrangler

Now, Wrangler, her German shepherd dog, is a perfect pet and Ms Doohan has become the Mrs Doolittle of her home town of Bunbeg.

As Donegal's answer to horse whisperer Robert Redford she is in demand.

From aggression to non-stop barking, Paula travels to people's homes and helps them control their dogs.

It all started because her own dog was so unruly.

"I had had Wrangler for two years. She was very naughty and people just kept saying; 'Put that dog down,'" she explained.

She tried everything from obedience classes to a degree course in canine pschology to scolding her dog with a rolled up newspaper, but Wranger was having none of it.

"It is a wonder she did not take a chunk out of me," she said.

I bought her, I had made the mess with Wrangler and I just figured I had to put it right Paula Doohan

The problem was made worse by the fact that Paula's two young children were continually being knocked over by her dog.

"She had no respect.

"She was forever knocking the children down and barging. I started a degree in canine psychology so that I could help her.

"After all, I bought her, I had made the mess with Wrangler and I just figured I had to put it right."

Then, she found out about English dog listener Jan Fennell and thought her methods might work.

A Dutch woman, skilled in those methods, travelled to Ms Doohan's home to help with Wrangler.

In one day, the change was dramatic, she said.

But it still took Paula 13 days to make the dog understand who was top dog in the Doohan household.

She then travelled to Lincolnshire to train with Ms Fennell. After two intensive courses, she qualified in September and is convinced of the magic of the approach.

"Wrangler is a dog now. She plays now. Before, she was continually patrolling and looking after me 24/7. She was stressed out and convinced that she was in charge."

"It all made total sense. Jan showed us how to read dog signals by their ears or their tail.

"It is all about listening to the dog," she said.

The Fennell approach is a trade secret, she added. But it is about understanding a dog's outlook on life and how it perceives its status within a pack.

She pointed out that working with a dog means working with the dog's owners too.

Paula Doohan understands that dog listening is a relatively new idea and some of her neighbours are not convinced, but she is determined to make a career as a dog listener.