Ken’s Comments:
You have all heard me say multiple times in many different mediums that I feel very grateful to be able to do what I do. My life as a dog trainer is never boring and I love dealing with challenging dogs.
Over the years, I have met with many many interesting cases but none have been quite so challenging as these guys. I call them Foo Dogs…yes it is a term…google it. There are a bunch of siblings in St. John’s and I have had the honor of dealing with each one of them.
My first experience with them was with Riley. He was ten weeks old when Janine came into Topsailstar. She had just picked him up that day and realised what a problem she had on her hands. He was a pudgy ball of wrinkles that growled at everybody and everything. I will never forget walking into the store and seeing this little wrinkly terror on the floor lunging and wanting to attack two full grown adult dogs who were just minding their business. When Barry walked over and told him to knock it off, he tried to attack Barry. We immediately made the decision to forego the normal wait time to get him into class…he needed help ASAP.
Riley and Janine attended class. Myself and Riley came to an understanding very quickly. I promised him I would look after him and he promised me he would not bite me. It is a promise that we both have kept. He graduated Level One, Two and Three. He is a regular at my house and honestly there is nothing I would not and could not do with him. That is not to say that anybody could do the same. They would definitely risk loosing an arm if they tried but he loves me, my dogs and my cat.
A year ago, I got the opportunity to meet and help out with Rupert and Jewel….Riley’s brother and sister. They have had a very checkered past and were a danger to both themselves and the general public. Fortunately Janine met and fell in love with them. her work with them has been nothing short of amazing. They have made huge strides in improvement and are looking for a forever home. They are tough nuts to crack…I have the scars to prove it…but when you do manage to break through to them, the biggest danger from both is the face washing and ear sucking you get from cuddling them.
Here is their story from Janine.
I am not sure if this is a success story or The Wrinkle Chronicles haha but Riley has brought such happiness to my life and introduced me to some of the most amazing people I figured I would tell our story because the group has grown so much since Riley and I first began the walks back in 2011!!
Riley came into my life when he was 10 weeks old, Danny and I got a call wondering if we would be interested in a puppy with some aggression problems that needed the right home. I went and met Riley and instantly fell in love, he was the cutest, wrinkliest puppy I had ever seen and whatever problems he had I figured "he's a puppy" I can handle it having owned 5 dogs previously. Hahahaha that was a big joke as I was at Topsailstar less than 24hrs later looking for some dog training help!!! That evening I went to the orientation for Level one obedience, met Ken and his dogs, listened to their stories and knew that this was the help we needed. Riley was the youngest dog to do obedience at Topsailstar and would usually be snoring by the end of class haha but he started learning to trust people a lot more and didn't growl every time someone wanted to pat him and he got a lot better. We completed all three levels of obedience plus a refresher and became regulars on the group walks where Riley has made some dog friends that he loves and some frienemies too but he loves to attend to get to wiggle and wag at his besties all of them......2, 3 and 4 legged!!
Though we have had lots of successes with numerous pet expos and Christmas parades we have had a lot of bumps, bruises and a few bites along the way. Luckily we have had Ken to help whenever things went really wrong to take him on group walks or just talk me down off the cliff I was sometimes ready to jump off hahaha We still have had some "awesome" moments since my last story. I have taken Riley on play dates with Rigger (Riley's girlfriend lol) and have taken Riley with Rig and Tanner on walks and off leash playing!! It always went well whether Ken was there or not. Riley also loves his Kitty and she bosses him around big time when he stays at Ken's and is that ever funny!!
2013 brought 2 ACL surgeries and since then we haven't gotten back to the place we were before with other dogs or on the walks which is definitely due to my letting him off with a lot because he was hurt or recovering. This has brought a lot of headaches and stress to 2014 but 2015 we are going to work hard and we will have a better success story update for next time!! Seeing and hearing about how good he is when Ken has him always makes me smile and makes me realize that I need to step up again to get him straightened out. I love him to pieces and he is worth every up, down and bump in the road we have experienced over the past 4yrs.
My love for Riley plus my inability to see dogs not be given a second chance brought his brother and sister into my life. I first met Jewel when the owners were looking to rehome her so I got a call to see if I could help. I can still remember meeting her the first time and taking her to Octagon pond for the group walk, she was afraid of everyone and everything. I continued searching for a home for Jewel and taking her on group walks and then they stayed at Topsailstar when the owners were on holidays and I met Rupert and boy that first meeting can only be described in one word......scary!!!! I watched Ken handle him in the kennel and I was determined that the next walk with Jewel I was going to try to take Rupert too. The first day I took him out of the kennel and out for a walk was one of my biggest dog training successes lol, I had watched Ken take other dogs out so I calmed myself down, got in the kennel and got him and he has been my "other" wrinkly sidekick ever since. That's why I knew when I got the call that July evening I couldn't let them be put to sleep the next morning, I had already spent time with them and knew they just needed socialization and the right people to help them. Rupert and Jewel have had so many successes over the past 6 months, seeing them not hide behind me when new people approach and seeing them seek out attention makes me so happy. Taking them to obedience classes and seeing so much potential in them if I could just find the right owner makes me want to work that much harder to help them as I know they deserve that second chance and a good home. Taking part in the Santa Claus parade with Rupert was the ultimate success for him, well so far I knew he could handle it and he did better than I could have ever imagined and seeing his happy, smiling face looking up at me as he strutted in the parade was the BEST feeling as he has come SO far. They really make me so proud to see how far they have progressed.
Riley, Rupert and Jewel would never have accomplished the successes that they have had without Ken's continuous help. He has been involved with Riley since he was 10weeks old and as Ken and I say, Riley is his "other" dog cause he has helped so much with him over the past four years. Ken spent a lot of time at the vet with Riley during his surgeries and rechecks and even picked him up from the vet in the middle of a snow storm because Danny was working and I was stuck in my driveway. (he figured I would walk to Sunrise if he didn't come get me to pick him up lol) Ken said from the start of my Rupert and Jewel journey that he would be there to help if I did take them and he has been even though he has so many other dogs to help and has been busy finishing his masters. I would never even know what to do to help Rupert and Jewel if it wasn't for all that I have learned from Ken and all that I have experienced with dogs especially over the past 4yrs by being part of the group, taking part in classes and in different dog events. I am very thankful that we have had all the help and support we have had...........me and my wrinkly crew are very lucky
Thanks for everything
Janine, Riley, Rupert & Jewel