Pet Problems; Lydia Finnegan - Dog Behaviour/Training

I knew the day was coming but I didn’t think it would be so sudden. We sadly said goodbye to our superstar collie Zak 💔 Many of you would have known Zak from our training unit on carriage rd where he earned the reputation as ‘the peace keeper.’ He had this innate ability to run over to two dogs who were bickering and stand between them and rumble at them until they walked away. Any reactive or aggressive dogs I had at class or in a one to one training session he always responded to firmly but peacefully, never aggressively. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen to this day. And that was well over 10 years ago.

As for the whole ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,’ Zak smashed that saying to bits. I trained him to give assistance to a person with a physical disability so that if they fell Zak would get them a crutch and then when they struggled to get up he would bring them their mobile phone - all without any commands, just cues, and more amazingly at 10 years of age. We received a distinction for completing this training task 🥰

He’s had his best friends through the years; Patch, Jack, Millie, Caoga, Kela, Kimble and basically any small white fluffy dog! And he would be so delighted if he ever met any of them out on a walk even after not seeing them for a few years and do his excited ‘woo woo!’ 😁
He’d also love any human at a social class that he could get treats off by tapping their pockets with his nose and staring at them until they gave him something 😂

More recently after I lost my brother when Zak was 14 and I came home after the funeral and cried into his neck asking him to please not leave me anytime soon - I’d swear he hung on the next 2 and a half more years because he knew I needed him.
He never left my side when I was upset, he would just put his head on my knee and look at me. He taught me so much about dog behaviour, he was gentle and super clever and he was my best friend and I’m just crushed after losing him. I know it was his time, but that won’t stop any of us from missing him like hell.

I’ll never forget you Zakky - you were one in a million 😢🐾

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Happy 2nd Birthday to our pupster Negan ❤️

Social class in Navan - helps dogs learn to play appropriately and interact with people and kids too! 😍