SafePets UK, story of Keita English Springer Spaniel

Keita is an English Springer Spaniel, trained in February 2004. Although she had lots of potential, her owners were in despair after having had help elsewhere and nothing had worked. They had got to the stage where they felt this was just an untrainable dog. Fortunately they came here and that wasn't the case at all. Keita is so grateful that she even typed this herself! Our thanks to Mr and Mrs Willis for allowing Keita on the computer.

Hello, I am a Springer Spaniel named Keita, I am almost two years old and I am not sure, but I am probably lucky to be here today.

I was only seven weeks old when I left my real Mam and dad with some of my brothers and sisters to go to my new home. It was exciting and my Mam thought I was the best present ever.

My new Mam and dad had had a Springer Spaniel before me for a long time but she had died, so they thought that they were quite experienced and would be able to look after me.

But I was going to be different to that other dog, I was me.!!!! (keita, ess)

Straight away people were saying that I had an attitude problem. My Vet even told dad that I was FEISTY and that he had to "rag" me when I was disobedient. I wasn't having that though, I would show him who was boss. When he did it I GROWLED AND SNAPPED at him, he wasn't boss. I was.!!!

They got me my own trainer to see if they could sort me out and they got me a cage to sleep in, I didn't mind that it was my own place.

When my trainer came at first I was good and I got treats, but I got bored with being good, unless I fancied the treats, it was more fun doing what I wanted, I could run off and play with other dogs and things, they were more fun.

They tried everything, my trainer and Mam and dad, bribery coaxing and ignoring. I did what I wanted and Mam and dad got more and more upset and frustrated and argued about me. My trainer thought that she had seen every kind of dog, but I was DETERMINED that I could show her that I was boss.

When I went for a walk dad followed, Mam never took me out walking because I pulled her over and she hurt herself, my trainer tried allsorts to stop me pulling and walk nice, but I didn't want to do that.

I knew how to get ATTENTION, I could jump up at people that called or I saw outside, I could even rear up like a horse on my lead if I wanted to. I was so naughty that people stopped visiting them and I was called the Devil Dog.

I had a whole list of things that I could do that made Mam and dad upset. When dad was out some days I made Mam cry and when dad came home she told him how naughty I had been, that upset dad, and he often said that if I didn't start to be good I would get sent away.

The more they tried to make me do what they wanted the more I refused, then one day I heard them talking about a last chance or I would have to go.!!!!

Soon after that they put me in the car and took me to Debbie. I thought it was great that day, Debbie had toys, my trainer had told them to take my toys away, so when I saw all those toys I threw them out of the box all over the floor and went loopy .

Debbie said that Mam and dad should have valium. What's that for ??

Then Mam and dad left me, I was a bit sad but Debbie was good fun, but she wouldn't let me be boss. I stayed for two weeks and Debbie taught me nice ways of doing things, I still got attention but not always when I said.

Debbie has a noisy bottle that I didn't like at first, but I soon knew that if she shook it and I did what I should she liked it and liked me. That was nice and I felt SPECIAL.

When Mam and dad took me home they had bottles like Debbie and they did the same as Debbie, that was good because I knew what to do.

I'm different now, even our neighbours have said that they can't believe I'm me, and Mam and dad said that I'm the dog that they really wanted.

Thank you Debbie, I'm pleased that Mam and dad heard about you,

My Mam and dad think that if any other dogs have problems like I had they can ring me for a chat about what Debbie did for me.