Ralph; the tale of a reformed rebel. General Chat

I have been thinking about posting this for a while, but haven't really had the time with one thing or another.
It was way back in 2005, not long after we got Florrie, we started to look for an English Springer Spaniel breeder for the future, it was sometime in late May 2006 I saw an add on a freeads website advertising a litter of fine ESS pups which were a nice mix of show and field breeding, which is what I was after. Now I am not one to find fault with the whole freeads thing, I am one who holds the belief..all sorts advertise on there, you just have to distinguish the quality from the filth. When I contacted the breeders I found myself with an educated, caring, and quality breeder who had just produced their second litter from a repeat mating, as the first was so well received by their new owners. Sadly all the pups had been booked, so we agreed...the next litter, then the phone went..and we were told how the biggest liver and white boy had become available again, at ten weeks, if we wanted him. We said yes, and Ralph came home. Big spotty legs n saggy spaniel ears, he was a dream dream puppy. Never really needed the lead to walk nicely, slotted in really well and was generally a pleasure to own. Not long after Ralph came, about two months, we had the sad duty of having our matriach of the house Jack Russell, Polly, put to sleep. She was long overdue her ticket to ride and wasn't living a life anymore, the house was lost without her..and Ralph's puppyhood was quite marred. He was allowed to get away with far too much in all truth, due to the whole grieving process and I felt disgustingly disloyal to Polly whenever we'd go to do training etc.
Now Ralph was from a mix of show/working background as I said, and my intention and plans was to get him in the ring..AND the working circut, and if he proved himself well and passed rellevant health tests in the future...he would provide the basis for my ESS Kennel which I dreamt of. We got Ralph into ringcraft, he detested it. Seeing him out running in a field and then him in a ring was a vile difference, when out he'd strut his stuff and his conformation was amazing. In a ring environment he'd shrink up, not walk right and just generally was miserable. So that idea got scrapped, onto working. He excelled, he was so driven, and did so well. We had started working into working with the gun, and shockingly he did well with being shot overhead..he was a happy, and content, in-training gundog.
One thing about Ralph was, he was noisey. I admit, he was a noisey dog..like a lot of young gundogs are, he would vocally express himself when he wanted something etc. Now..our neighbours are..less than pleasant, and without getting into that one, world war three errupted due to the fact everytime Ralph would bark they would bang hell out of the wall, they would kick the fence if he was barking outside etc. All these loud noises began to really make him nervy, really rather unstable, he became quite erratic and out of control. One day we were out gundog training and the gun fired, and he bolted..he ran for, well I couldn't hazard how long, but ran out of the fields we were in across a busy dual carriage way and nearly got himself killed. We thought it could be remedied, but the whole bangphobia from the neighbours just destroyed him. So being a working gundog was out of the question, so both aims were gone.
He slowly became very..destructive, very manic, very out of control due to the lack of stimulation. It got to the point he was a nightmare and I could have gladly killed him numerous times.
He nearly got ran over when running off multiple times, he nearly got us both drowned when he went out too far in the river when the current was too strong and I had to get him, it was terrible. He had good recall, then one day he decided he no longer cared.
He slowly became an asbo dog, attacking other dogs, running off, going for bikes, just generally volatile. It was all down to not being stimulated, all down to what lay beneath the skin.
He was just very confused, it got to the point where I no longer felt confident as his owner after he nailed a local cat, and had subsequently bit me a few times. It was getting nasty, and his days were getting numbered.
I got in a friend of a relative, who had worked and had ESS for forty something years..he kinda taught me an awful lot. I composed a strict regime for Ralph, and the key I found was routine. Aslong as he had the routine of his life, and knew how everything worked, and was kept firmly in his place..he was a good dog. It wasn't easy but by sticking to that regime, he turned around.
His rebel days are about a year or so ago, from then on he has been going from strength to strength. He's still a scatty springer, but he is a functional and trustworthy member of my family and society.
He doesn't chase our cats, he doesn't go for other dogs, he doesn't destroy everything, he doesn't eat everything, he hasn't gone to bite out in so long now, he doesn't go into the manic state, he doesn't bark at all hours, he isn't a nightmare. He is a pleasure to walk, a pleasure to own, and a dog I am proud to say is mine. My grandfather very sadly passed away on the 5th of this month, after a long and bravely warriored battle with cancer; towards the end I was taking Ralph with me to see him when he was on 100% bedrest at home with his carers and my grandmother taking care of him, Ralph was so gentle..so pleasant, so "companion spaniel" to my grandfather that it really made me smile, the gentle way which he would nuzzle his hands or arms always made me think he knew. He is a dog like no other, in every sense of the term.
And currently, the big lump is asleep on the sunlounger outside snoring his head off. Ralph is a testimony of why it's important to understand a breed of dog you take on, and why it's important to know the full requirements of your breed. In a different home, with a different and less understanding owner, or in a home with an owner who had known nothing beyond the exterior of English Springers; Ralph would quite bluntly had been put to sleep by now, or bunged in a rehoming centre. However I wasn't prepared to give in, and with a face like his who could?
Here's one of Ralph, Florrie & I taken a few weeks ago at a bbq..he's quite the laid back soul nowdays..he didn't even try to steal the food or leap on anyone, it's almost tedious..almost makes me want another ESS pup, then I think how much I like the quiet life and reality sets in!

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Ralph is the living proof of a reformed rebel, and anyone with a dog who drives them insane..or makes them feel as if their life is being destroyed, should use him as a beacon of hope. Well, that or a reason not to get a springer!

Great read Luke!

Thanks Dawn; I think you're one of the people on here who will truly get the grasps of that post, after my despairing pms to you about him back in his day.
I truthfully think anyone thinking about getting an ESS should hear about Ralph, he shows the full dimensions of the breed and how total different handling manages to produce a totally different type of a springer, and also..how you can't be faint hearted or remotely proud to own one!

Brilliant post Luke and well done to you and Ralph. So pleased the hard work has paid off for you and sad to hear that you lost your grandfather xx

Nice one, bless em they do thrive on routine, and to be fair most of em go through the two fingers stage, i have found that springers need firm and fair handling, well done you, you got through the stage where most of them end up on our doorstep

aw luke that was a pleasure to read and a testiment to all your hard with the the reformed rebel!!!! i can truly understand what you went through with ralph as i have been through the same with sam (and its on-going!), but there is always light at the end of the tunnel however much you want to give up on them! well done to you both!!!!