A dog whisperer has moved to Garstang and vows to help all canine conundrums

And former RAF and police officer, Keith Rowley, says the five or six times he was confronted with a gun helped him learn the art of training dogs.

The 73-year-old grandad claims to have trained nearly 3,000 dogs in his 25 years in the profession and is hoping the Garstang community will throw him a bone.

He said: “It’s the owners that really need the training in order for them to teach the dog. I work with all dogs but I like to see a puppy as early as possible.

“The relationship between owner and dog is very similar to mother and child. Often if the children are unruly, so is the dog.”

Keith spent time as a dog handler in Cyprus with the RAF and with Surrey police before retiring to become a dog trainer in 1992.

During his time in the force Keith says he came face-to-face with armed criminals, leading him to better understand dogs.

“Some owners when their dog is energetic will think it needs to go for a walk,” he said. “But some dogs could run and play all day without really getting tired.

“When I was faced with a gun, the process of getting out of that situation alive and getting the gun is so mentally draining I would sleep for an entire day afterwards.

“Dogs are the same. If you can tire them mentally it is five times more effective than physical exercise.”

Keith visits the homes of his clients and to contact him phone 01995 471464 or email [email protected]