As a professional Dog Trainer and Behavioral Consultant, I often see the best and at times, unfortunately, the worst of owner attitude toward the wonderful animal we call the Dog. This story is of the latter.

From a breeders perspective, the family that presented themselves to buy a Weimaraner puppy this particular day, probably would have been like a ray of sunshine. They had owned a Weimaraner before, lived on a small acreage, money wasn't an issue, and they presented themselves as reliable, compassionate and caring, what more could a young puppy want for.

They chose a female puppy from the litter on offer, the pups were then three months old, and had had a final Vet check as well as their shots before being offered for sale. On the way home the family decided on the name "Lucy" for their new family member.

On that first day, back home at "the farm", Lucy was left outside to explore her new surroundings whilst the family partook of afternoon tea accompanied by a football show on the television and the children an afternoon nap. Just before dark, the whole family took out a bowl of dried food, called Lucy and offered her the food, played with her for a couple of minutes, and then went back off into the house, leaving the young pup alone.

This was to be the pattern of behavior that the family adhered too throughout Lucy's time with them. Her out there, and them, ensconced in their own little world. Human company for Lucy was only when the children played in the garden or the mother did the gardening. The only other companionship for the young pup Lucy were two young lambs, an assortment of chooks, ducks and their juvenile offspring. Sometimes on the weekends, husband would play rough and tumble games around the yard with Lucy, which she loved. Lucy was anxious to play boisterously and he complied, until Lucy would start nipping and tearing at his clothes and skin. Then he would get annoyed with her, berate her both physically and verbally and then go and do whatever husbands do, and leave her to amuse herself.

Over the next few months, and without any discipline, training, love or respect, Lucy, in her state of isolation and boredom, had taken to playing both roughly and enthusiastically with the families livestock, and in time had killed them all. She was isolated from her family/pack, and her prey drive and survival skills had taken hold. The family were devastated and took to tying Lucy up on a thick rope through the day under a tree and at night in a shed. By now, this didn't deter the young Lucy, because up in the tree there were birds, and she would climb the tree and with speed and dexterity and kill these as well. At night, alone in the shed, she had enough rope to almost hang herself but it didn't stop her killing rats and mice. When Lucy was loose around the property and the children were in the garden, Lucy would try to play rough games with them as well, but after much ripping of clothes and when the nipping became more serious biting, the children avoided her and returned to the safety of their house and video games.

Killing prey had become to Lucy her only form of a balanced diet, exercise and amusement. A totally feral Weimaraner. Through the day, sometimes the mother would sneak Lucy into the house, and Lucy would get a taste of what life could be like, company, good food and contentment. But when husband was due home from work, Lucy would be put back outside, either on the rope, or locked up in the fenced area around the swimming pool, which she was secretly, slowly but surely digging her way out off. Lucy also became aware of cars travelling up and down the lane that bordered the property, and when she was loose, took to chasing them up and down, often ending up in other peoples yards. This led her to finding sheep and other wildlife that she hadn't known existed, a new game, more food. She took to chewing through her rope and took in the sights of the area, selecting the slowest of the sheep for lunch or dinner.

When Lucy was fifteen months old, her future was bleak, the farmers in the immediate area were threatening to shoot her, the children wanted to come out of the house to play, you could say, life "down on the farm" was far from idyllic. This led to the mother ringing me and asking for advice, ten months after Lucy had first killed. I was a little dumbstruck, firstly by the woman's lack of concern for Lucy's well being over that period of time, and secondly that she now expected someone, to come fix the problem, pick up the pieces of Lucy's life, and/or that someone like myself find her another home or take Lucy on board myself. These were the options suggested to me by this loving and responsible Dog owner.

Forgive me for being cynical.

After many phone calls from this woman, I eventually weakened, and against my better judgement offered to take Lucy to see what I could do with her, and then hopefully re house her. It was the best that I could offer under the circumstances. I didn't need another Dog, I didn't want another Dog, but I felt for Lucy, she had never had a chance at life and deserved a great deal better.

Lucy day arrived, the car pulled up out the front and Lucy was hauled from the back on a piece of thick cattle rope. On arrival inside the house, she preceded to chew on the rope, pee on the floor, and grab at everything within her reach. She was in season, which I hadn't been told about, was filthy, her coat shaggy, course and smelly.

As a child, I was bought up proper like, manners and all that, so the story goes, but that day, I just couldn't be gracious or particularly polite to this woman and chuffed her out of my home and away from Lucy as soon as the paper work was completed and I felt the time appropriate. After seeing the condition of Lucy, and bearing in mind our recent conversations, I was irritated and upset with her. In essence, I was pissed off.

Over the next few days, I observed that Lucy had no Doggy or people social skills whatsoever, especially when I caught her dragging Molly by the throat across the back yard. Molly and Skye were also in shock at this Dogs inability to understand that she was the lowest member of the pack/family, and carried on as though she ruled the roost. Poor Lucy was in for a few rude shocks in her young life. She was an impressive Dog, and really had a sweet nature, apart from wanting to kill everything in sight. She was affectionate, willing to please when asked the right way, but exceptionally pushy, a bit like a bulldozer, really over the top, which came from an upbringing or lack of, where she was deprived of pack leadership, respect, education, and compassion. Now for the first time she had to first and foremost learn some manners, find out how to play sociably and amicably, and respect Molly and Skye, my pack leaders, my Weimaraner "kids".

Unfortunately for Lucy, it was necessary that she wore a basket type muzzle for the first couple of weeks when all three Dogs were out in the yard together. She was intent on killing poor Molly, and as Skye wasn't as dominant, she just took to intimidating Skye at every opportunity, ambushing her in corners of the yard, causing Skye to head for the safety of the house instead of relaxing and enjoying her normal daily routine. Splitting them all up was the only answer for times when I couldn't keep an eye on Lucy's intimidating behaviour, and a large crate, lent to me by a member of the Weimaraner Club of S.A. , was the ideal place for a "Lucy Dog" when we all wanted "Lucy free time".

I introduced Lucy to obedience training at Doggy School, which she took to like a duck to water, and although she got to grade five, I never would have trusted her in that environment to do off lead work. She was not an aggressive, barky, growling predator, she was quiet, quick and efficient, so there was never any warning as to what she was going to do, only the most subtle body language and her history. I also introduced her to agility and scent discrimination, and today, she can now detect one microlitre of accelerant per one kilo of debris at a suspicious fire scene. She took to arson/fraud investigation with the same enthusiasm that she shows in all games that she is introduced too, her play drive and enthusiasm and eagerness to work is extraordinary and a real pleasure and a buzz to observe.

Obviously because she is still bird/prey driven, Lucy's off lead exercise is limited to isolated industrial areas where there is no wildlife, birds or humans, and swimming in the river is one of her favorite pastimes. She still attempts to "pull pigeons from the sky" in the backyard, and I have even observed her lining up a plane as it flew overhead. Nothing fazes her, there is nothing that she sees as impossible. I think if I asked her to stand on her head in a corner and whistle Dixie, she would at least have a try, and I admire her intensely for that willingness she has to want to please me, and to participate in our games. She is a wonderful kid, well, to a point. Molly and Skye probably wouldn't agree with me there, although there are some days when I look up the backyard, and there the three of them are, flat out like lizards drinking, soaking up the sun, together, oh, for it to be like that all the time, dream on......

Janet Crease. Canine Behavioral Consultant and Trainer. Copyright 2000

Left to right, Skye, Lucy and Molly under the Hills Hoist, where else!

Read more about the Adventures of Janet and her Weimaraners. Go to http://www.geocities.com/a_reason_to_liveau/ , an emotional, humorous and sometimes sad autobiographical account of the ‘original dogwoman’ and her Weimaraners.

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