A rescue dog with such severe behavioural problems that he was “a millimetre away from being put down” is now entertaining crowds with dance routines.
Seiben has become Perth’s answer to Pudsey, the canine star of Britain’s Got Talent, after mastering complex sequences devised by owner Roger Thomas.
Roger has transformed the life of the bearded collie, who he believes was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Prior to being taken on by the Perth scientist, Seiben had lasted just 48 hours with a previous owner, who was unable to cope with the wayward hound.
The pair now perform a variety of routines, which include tricks such as spinning around in a figure of eight, walking backwards and holding hands, to raise awareness of rescue dogs.
When Roger became Seiben’s third owner three years ago, vets referred him to a behaviourist in Edinburgh because he began growling when they tried to examine him. However, experts in the capital believed the problem was medical and referred him back to the vet.
Roger believed the problem was psychological and, after months of hard work, Seiben has been “transformed” and now regularly performs around his home town.Can your cat do the cha-cha? Or your rabbit do the rumba? Let us know at news@thecourier.co.ukThe 54-year-old said: “It’s entertainment and it makes people smile but I want to show how to communicate with dogs effectively and help cut down on the number of dogs going into rescue.
“When I got Seiben he was bonkers. He was fearful of most things people 50 yards away would spook him and bin bags would spook him. I had to build up trust and replace his anxieties and fears with an alternative and give him guidance and structure.
“I knew when I took him on I was taking on another being’s life and if I failed him then he probably would have been put down.
“Now, he can go into a crowded town centre and not only be completely at ease with all the distractions but he can do quite complicated routines and focus on what he’s doing.
“I want to do what Dynamo and David Blaine have done with magic and take Seiben’s routines on to the street, and one of the nicest things is when you hear the gasps of astonishment when he does a move that people weren’t expecting.
“I thank everyone for the appreciation they have for him it means so much to us.”
Lyn Armour, a former secretary of the Bearded Collie Club of Scotland, initially fostered Seiben, after his first owner gave him up. She said Seiben had seen a succession of behaviourists and was being kept in a crate to prevent him fighting with the other dog in the house.
She said: “I was asked to collect him from his original owner and take him to what was supposed to be his new home, but two days later the new family called and said ‘please, come and take him away, we are afraid of him’. I brought him back and he stayed in the kennel at the back of my house.
“When we were walking, whenever we met anyone the display of aggression was frightening, really frightening. He was lunging and snarling.
“I eventually phoned Roger because I knew he had experience of bearded collies and I knew he was on his own, and what the dog needed was some one-to-one.
“Roger and Seiben really hit it off. That dog was within a millimetre of being put to sleep and it would have happened without Roger, there’s no doubt about it. No one else could have done anything with him.
“If I could do with any of my dogs a quarter of what he can do with Seiben, I’d be chuffed to bits.”