What is possible?

When I rescued my ex-racer greyhound nearly a year ago, he had no recall, didn’t know how to play with other dogs or toys and he had no confidence. Pip had said before I got him that she would be happy to have a greyhound at the yard and she would assist me in his training. Pip used her pack of dogs to teach Luke recall very early on and her dogs also taught him how to play both with dogs and toys. During his time at the yard Luke has had the chance to walk with several other clients dogs and he even met a pug puppy! He loves our walks around the fields where he gets to go whizzy, whizzy! It’s a sight to behold.

He’s come so far that I decided we were ready to try a walk on Exmouth beach, off lead. This is a high excitement environment with lots of people, children and dogs of all shapes and sizes so would be a good measure of the strength of our relationship. I was over the moon to find that not only was his recall excellent but also that he played happily even with little yappy dogs, enjoying playing a (very slow by his standards) game of chase and being chased without treating the little dog as prey. His confidence has improved so much and he really enjoys playing!

When I rescued him I was told that he would always have to stay on lead and wear a muzzle. So to reach a point where he is muzzle free and can safely enjoy off lead walks and the chance to play with other dogs is a real achievement. A couple that recently adopted a greyhound were so amazed by his recall that they took Pip’s details. Luke is a walking advert for Pippsway!

During my time at Pippsway I have been constantly amazed at how quickly horses, riders and dogs progress when you take the time to lay strong foundations. It takes time and patience and yet if you put in that time, so much more becomes possible. In our world of everything now, I made a decision early on to trust the process of Pippsway and I’m so glad I did. When I ride it is with complete confidence and I can enjoy walking my dog with confidence too!