Christmas Fund Raising Meal - 20/12/2009
Essex Dog Listeners have organised another Fund Raising meal in aid of Every Chance Rescue www.everychancerescue.co.uk. The meal will be held at The Bank Restaurant, Leigh on Sea http://www.thebankonline.co.uk/ on Sunday evening 20th December 2009.
The evening promises to be lots of fun, and of course the food will be delightful, so hope you will be able to join us!
If you are interested please contact Becca Moore beccums2004@hotmail.co.uk or mobile 07814 363669 for tickets and more information.
Proceeds will go to Every Chance Rescue.
See Jan Fennell on YouTube - 16/10/2009
Jan has kindly shared her knowledge further with all of us and has now made a number of YouTube clips ranging from clips of her own dogs, to the stunning views of Yellowstone National Park. To see these clips just click on the link http://www.youtube.com/user/Amichien#p/u.
For further information go to www.janfennellthedoglistener.com
Tony Knight – Better for Dogs – New Website - 03/10/2009
10 years as a full time dog trainer has given Tony experience of working with just about every shape, size and breed of dog you can imagine.
He is currently Principal Tutor of Dog Listening Courses Worldwide, which are steadily gathering international acclaim in Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK and right across Europe. It all started as a favour for his mum, Jan Fennell.
To join in Tony’s webinars and blog, go to http://www.tony-knight.co.uk/
Every Chance Rescue Launch - 11/07/2009
YOU REALLY CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS
June 2009
Due to the alarming number of dogs that are destroyed when they are wrongly labelled ‘aggressive’, the UK branch of Jan Fennell’s International Dog Listeners have created their own rescue organisation – Every Chance Rescue. www.everychancerescue.co.uk.
The aim of Every Chance Rescue is to rehabilitate and re home dogs that other rescue organisations find difficult and often impossible to re home.
The Team at Every Chance are proud and happy to have as their Patrons two very special couples. With over sixty years of experience and success in the field of animal behaviour we have Monty and Pat Roberts of ‘Horse whispering’ fame and from the world of entertainment the much loved Actors James Bolam and Susan Jameson. Sue explains ‘we are only too happy to support Every Chance Rescue. We rescued two dogs about four years ago and one of them, Bill, an English bull terrier cross, caused us a lot of worry early on. He is the sweetest dog when there is nothing to worry about! But when someone came to the door, or when he met a strange dog out on a walk, he could lose control. After a couple of near misses with visitors, and a couple of nips of stranger’s legs, we began to wonder if we might have to have him put down. Then, luckily we met Jan Fennell and her son Tony Knight and things changed. Bill’s still nervy and a bit unpredictable but we have strategies to cope and he’s now content. We wouldn’t part with him for anything’.
In almost every case of a dog growling, nipping or even biting a person, it is a defence reaction, yet all too often, loving dog owners are told to be confrontational and abusive with their dogs to show them who is ‘Boss’. The good news for all dog owners is that there is a kind and effective alternative that can be achieved by anyone who really wants to make a difference. Jan’s method of ‘Amichien Bonding’ is a kind and very effective way of shaping desirable behaviour using positive reinforcement and this is exactly the approach adopted with the troubled dogs that have already taken in by Every Chance.
Dogs in our care include a beautiful multi-pedigree dog what one person attempted to starve into submission and another a seven-month-old border collie who would growl when the owners grabbed him and pulled him from the sofa. Fortunately for both of these dogs they are happily in new homes and coming round beautifully. The dog’s ability to forgive humans and the knowledge, understanding and respect of Jan Fennell’s qualified and recognised Dog Listeners make this possible. As Dog Listeners show the dog that there is nothing to fear, whilst providing the dogs with rules and a structure that the dogs can both understand and positively respond well to.
Jan says ‘once people realise that many traditional ‘training’ methods are a major part of the problem, then they can set out to become the solution instead. Owners are told, for example, that to take the food away from their dog whilst it is eating will show leadership, when the opposite is actually true, as the leader is the provider and would have already eaten so when the dog receives its food it is its turn to eat. Just think how you would feel, if the waiter in a restaurant, were to take your meal away from you. Similarly owners are told if they shout at their dogs then the dog will know that it has done wrong, when the truth is that a real leader is the strong silent one’.
The long term plans of this rescue group is to obtain their own premises but until this happens the major part of their funds is spent on boarding fees until loving permanent homes can be found for these wonderful dogs, whose only crime is being misunderstood. If you would like to donate funds to help this vital work please make your cheque payable to ‘Every Chance Rescue’ c/o Pond Farm, Scotterthorpe, Gainsborough, Lincs DN21 3JL. If you feel that you could give a loving home to one of our dogs please contact the team at www.everychancerescue.co.uk
Every Chance also has a ‘Foster’ scheme for which the actor Jenny Seagrove, co-star of ‘Judge John Deed’ and the ‘Bornfree’ foundation fame, as well as an owner of dogs that have come through a rescue scheme, is Patron and again if anyone would like to help by offering a temporary haven for one of our dogs please contact the team at Every Chance.
The official launch will be at the ‘Just for Dogs Live’ event at the East of England showground on 10-11-12 July. Information on their website www.showground.org.uk , where Jan will be giving presentations and be available along with members of her Team, Tony Knight, Gill Tuxworth, Anne Rainbow, Pam Shaw, Julie Abbott , Sindy Kaur who will be appearing in both their capacity as Dog Listeners and representatives of ‘Every Chance Rescue’. This will be followed by a fundraising evening on Friday 17th July, at Winterton Rangers Football Club, North Lincolnshire, were, along with great entertainment there will be an auction featuring a football signed by two legends of the game the late, great, Georgie Best and the outstanding Rodney Marsh. This was kindly donated by Pam Shaw, an Associate ‘Amichien’ Dog Listener. Telephone bids will be very welcome on the night. For more information on this please contact the JFIDL office on 01724 761764 or email jan.fennell@btinternet.com
Essex Dog Listeners attended the Harlow Hounds show - 17/06/2009
Essex Dog Listeners were invited to attend the Harlow Hounds (a branch of the Retired Greyhound Trust) show in June to help support the Trust.
If you would like more information on this charity please go to http://www.harlowhounds.org/
Jan Fennell opens new Kennels at Jerry Green Dog Rescue - 20/05/2009
Jan Fennell, author of International best seller “The Dog Listener”, held a talk on 20th May 2009 in Harleston for the benefit of the Suffolk branch of The Jerry Green Foundation Trust.
The talk raised approximately £700 for The Dog Rescue Centre. Jan was more than happy to help in raising the money, stating “I simply cannot do my job without the open-mindedness and co-operation like that I have received from Jerry Green Suffolk”
The Dog Rescue Centre and Jan Fennell’s personally trained Dog Listeners have worked together for 2 years, helping improve the welfare of the animals in charity’s care.
The lecture was held at The Harleston Swan starting at 6pm, and saw a room packed with animal lovers. Jan Fennell discussed some of her critically acclaimed teachings, all based around the idea of understanding your pet and working with the animal, not against it.
There was also a question and answer session, and Jan signed copies of her books.
At 4 o’clock the same day, she officially opened the new kennels of the centre.
Manager of Jerry Green Suffolk, Tim Adams said “A fantastic day and evening has been had by all. We are very thankful for the involvement and help Jan Fennell continues to give us. We have seen a dramatic improvement in the behaviour of our dogs in the kennels since working with The Essex Dog Listeners. There is still much to learn and we look forward to working with them for many years”
For more information on the Jerry Green Trust or to donate, please contact Tim or Debbie Adams on 01986 785282.
Essex Dog Listeners 4th Annual Fun Walk for the International Day of the Dog - 27/04/2009
We had yet another fun day this year together for the 4th International Day of the Dog. Becca, Vicky, Julie and Karen went along to the seafront at Southend in Essex for our annual walk, this time armed with our collection tins to raise funds for Every Change Rescue and celebrate the day.
This year our mascot was Karen who bravely donned her dog costume which she couldn’t see out of, and she behaved very well (no SSCD needed!) drew lots of attention to us and the children loved her. Many thanks to Karen, she was the star of the day!
People were generous with their donations and we raised £140.97 (plus a few US cents!). This, together with the £525 raised on the quiz night, makes a total of £665.97 for Every Chance.
Back in Essex by popular demand, meet ´The Dog Listener´ - 05/10/2008
Come and spend an Afternoon with The Dog Listeners!
Renowned British author Jan Fennell is coming to Runnymeade Hall along with her son, Tony Knight, himself a highly accomplished Amichien Bonding Consultant and Public Speaker.
Jan and Tony will be appearing on Sunday 5th October 2008 at 1.30 pm. The event will include a talk in which Jan will be telling us how she found a compassionate alternative to standard dog training methods. In addition, both Jan & Tony will be taking questions from a participating audience and signing books/DVD/CD’s.
If you have a dog, you won’t want to miss this event!
For further details please visit www.janfennellthedoglistener.com
Firewalkers - 18/03/2008
As part of this year’s International Day of the Dog celebrations, Essex Dog Listeners took on the Firewalker Challenge - to walk across 20 feet of wood embers burning at 1200 degrees fahrenheit without experiencing any pain or injury – and yes folks it is real fire! After two and a half hour motivational training session, Rachael, Vicky, Becca and Julie all walked on fire and completed the test.
As this year’s theme for International Day of the Dog is rescue dogs, by completing the Firewalk, Essex Dog Listeners raised a total of £944 for The Dogs Trust, one of the UK’s largest Dog Welfare Charities.
We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all that sponsored us and would encourage anyone who hasn’t yet, to do a Firewalk – it’s a genuinely exhilarating experience and doesn’t hurt a bit (honest!).
International Day of the Dog 2007 - 29/04/2007
This year’s theme was to “Stop the Bullying of Dogs and their Owners” together with the campaign to outlaw cruel training gadgets. We were once again able to advertise our walk in the local paper (many thanks to Claire Borley of the Evening Echo) and were well received along the seafront. Together with this year’s campaign we wanted to highlight to the public the issue of “blame the deed and not the breed” which also went down well and many agreed with.
People were keen to know more about the International Day of the Dog and a few also asked “what they could do to help”. We explained the campaign to outlaw cruel training gadgets and made them aware of Robin’s petition – adding more names to this good cause.
Once again we took our boys, Alf, Leon & Max who were such great ambassadors for Amichien Bonding, bless them. We weren’t so lucky with our balloons this year though, a good deal of them broke loose and were last seen floating off in the direction of Kent, and as Ian observed “we even spread the word in Gravesend without even trying”, and you never know they may have reached Tony in France”!
So another fun day was had by all and this year it seemed many more people were interested, and we achieved our aim – even if we change one person’s mind the day was certainly a success!
An afternoon with the Dog Listeners - 07/10/2006
Jan Fennell and her son, Tony Knight, visited the Charter Hall in Colchester, Essex on Saturday 7th October 2006 and hosted “An Afternoon with the Dog Listeners”. Jan & Tony shared their knowledge and experience, took questions from a participating audience and signed copies of their books/DVDs/CD’s.
The afternoon was enjoyed by all and the event raised a total of £550 for our two charities. To find out more on these canine causes please visit their websites at Labrador Rescue South East & Central www.lrsec.org.uk and Mission Wolf www.missionwolf.com
Essex Dog Listeners take to the skies! - 06/05/2006
On Saturday 6th May 2006 the Essex Dog Listeners took to the skies undertaking a sponsored sky dive from 14,000 ft to raise awareness of the International Day of the Dog.
Money raised from the sponsorship will go towards two worthy causes.
The VRCC Linac
New cancer equipment is currently being installed at the VRCC (Veterinary Referrals Cancer & Critical Care Centre) in Laindon, Essex. The VRCC is one of the most advanced centres in Europe for the treatment of cancer in dogs and cats and the installation of a Varian 600c machine for cancer radiotherapy is a ambitious project. These machines, built in California are currently being installed worldwide for Radiotherapy treatment in humans. This machine will enable certain cancers to be treated by quickly and efficiently delivering carefully targeted doses of radiotherapy allowing a large number of patients to benefit from this treatment, and hopefully save the lives of many dogs and cats.
More information is on their website www.vrcc.co.uk
Friends of the Strays of Greece
Lyn and Mark Purden have had a holiday home on the Greek island of Aegina for many years and it was in 1995 that they actively started fundraising to help the animals on the island.
In time, an animal welfare group called ´Animal Respect´ developed on Aegina and most of the fundraising carried out by the ´Friends of the Strays of Greece´ has gone to support this organisation.
Animal Respect has developed a dog shelter which is home to some 130 dogs, all of which are extremely well cared for in every way. The lucky ones find homes mainly as a result of the hard work of the German support group. Street dogs and stray cats are also routinely fed and veterinary care is given wherever necessary.
Our organisation pays most of the monthly veterinary bills, transport for dogs to the UK and donations for general upkeep whenever funds permit.
More recently, donations have been made to other animal welfare groups in Athens and on the Island of Salamis.
We also organise veterinary visits and Tim Phillips from Ferndown, Dorset and Cedric and Kim Tutt from South Africa are regular volunteers. The charity is happy to fund veterinary flights and offer accommodation to qualified, experienced veterinary surgeons. Any such person needs to be flexible and confident at ´going back to basics´ but will be rewarded with knowing that they will really make a difference to the stray animal situation and, as a result, will alleviate much unnecessary suffering. Most work is routine sterilisation but some tooth extractions and grass seed removal are necessary. During 2004, the 3 vets which we organised to visit carried out 34 cat castrates, 33 cat spays, 20 dog castrates, 30 bitch spays and 5 tooth extractions. Cedric and Kim together with their nursing team, Sue and Dave Vranch have again volunteered their services and will be there soon.
More information is on their website www.straysofgreece.org
Press release Jan Fennell the Dog Listener March 2006 - 07/03/2006
IT IS TIME TO STOP THE BULLYING OF DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS
Sadly, almost daily, our Team are told of the most dreadful practices inflicted on dogs and their Carers, from jerking dogs on their leads to the electrical shock treatments. This is the 21st Century and yet these methods are accepted in so many areas. The use of force and fear are the tools of the abuser, the bully; the person who will get what they want without any regard for the other. How on earth can a trusting relationship be made on this basis?
As this year is the Chinese year of the dog, it is the perfect time to launch the first International Day of the Dog. An event to celebrate the joy that dogs can bring to their human partners everywhere. On Sunday 30th April 2006, the Team of Dog Listeners worldwide invite all dog Carers to join us in finding ways to make this day very special for not only themselves but also for their dogs. Each year we intend having a specific Campaign for the benefit of dogs and their Carers, and for our first event we are calling for an end to the disgraceful bullying and abuse of both dogs and their owners, even when this is done in the name of training.
Surely the purpose of any training is to teach; as any good teacher knows it is the responsibility of a good teacher to facilitate learning, to create an environment that will enable the student to take the information on board. Again, as any good teacher will tell us, if you want to succeed it is essential to make the learning experience fun. So where does pain, force, surgery, gadgets, shouting, shaking, and fear fit into that equation? Just think what would happen if a schoolteacher were to strike, shake or throw things at their pupils, they would be dismissed instantly.
It is time to remind all who work with dogs and their Carers that whenever an owner seeks help they are extremely vulnerable and trusting. It takes courage for anyone to say that they need help, and this demands respect and empathy from the advisor, whose ultimate responsibility is to find a way to assist the owner that will not cause the dog or the owner in any distress.
So many of the experiences of the owners are like that of Sandy, a lady who decided, just after this New Year to take her 14 week old puppy to a local playgroup. As they trotted through the door of the hall her puppy, Megan, gave a little growl when faced, for the first time, with so many other puppies, and before Sandy could do anything the “trainer” stomped toward her, snatched the lead from her hand, swung the puppy off her feet stating that she would have none of that in her class! Sandy caught her puppy as she flew through the air and left. As she walked away the words ringing in her ears was assurance from the trainer that without her help Sandy and her dog were heading for disaster.
We only have to look at those who really do want to get the best out of their canine partners, for example, assistance dogs. These dogs are working with people who have different impairments; all of these dogs are trained using positive re-enforcement and patience. Just watch one of these dogs doing their job and see how happy they are. I would ask the question; doesn’t every dog deserve this level of respect and consideration?
Another recent experience is that of Terry and his dog Danny, a black Labrador, who had starting barking a little too much whenever anyone came to the front door. The advice that came at him was for an electric collar to be put onto the dog and when he barked Terry was told to give him ‘a bit of a jolt’. Reluctantly, Terry did as he was told. Terry was heartbroken when his dog screamed and ran into another room and things were no better the second time this happened. Consequently, the third time Terry reached for the collar control, his dog ran towards him and grabbed his wrist before the pain could be inflicted. When the desperate Terry contacted his trainer he was told that, as his dog was vicious, he would have consider having the dog put down. When Terry contacted us we advised him to simply thank Danny when he barked at the door, which, of course, worked.
When I hear of these travesties I am reminded that each dog is an individual who never lives long enough, so why make their short lives a misery? Isn’t the dog supposed to be man’s best friend? How can any right-minded person advocate force in working with any creature, especially one that is so close to our hearts?
Thankfully, all over the world, people campaign to protect so many endangered and abused animals. As a species we have come a long way from the days when a trophy from Africa was a leopard skin, now a photo of a leopard living free is a prized possession.
The Dog Listeners would like to ask any Carer who is told to inflict pain on their dog or is bullied themselves to carry out the orders of others to, on behalf of their dog to say NO and walk away, as no one has the right to mistreat you or your dog. There are many wonderful people out there who, like us, are able to help you and your dog without distress to either. I ask you to refuse to settle for less than you and you dog deserve and join us on Sunday 30th April and say NO to bullying of dogs and their owners; whether it be organising a sponsored walk to raise money for one of the wonderful dog charities, meeting up with your friends, both human and canine, or having a special time with your dog. If you are not fortunate enough to have a dog of your own at present, then why not give some time to a local rescue centre? Whatever you can come up with please let us know and we will put the information on our website, www.janfennellthedoglistener.com If you are able to take photos we would like you to send them to us, as we would also like to share them with other dog publications.
For further information please contact Jan Fennell via telephone on 01724 761764 or email to jan.fennell@btopenworld.com or visit www.janfennellthedoglistener.com
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