A DOG behaviour expert who has volunteered at Cheshire Dog’s Home every week for more than six years has helped thousands of dogs with aggression problems.

Neil Price, 56, and his wife, Amanda, 52, run a dog training business as well as taking care of their own six dogs.

Neil, who specialises in rehabilitating aggressive dogs, volunteers at Cheshire Dog’s Home on his day off to help dogs with behavioural problems that would otherwise struggle to be rehomed.

Amanda said: “He tends to work with the more difficult intakes - he might see one on a weekly or even a daily basis – they can be quite a handful sometimes."

One of the most memorable dogs the couple rehabilitated was a deaf American Bulldog called Chase, who was struggling to find a new family because of his aggressive behaviour.

Neil said: “He was so easy once he started to understand the sign language. Once he learned to communicate he was brilliant - a lovely dog and he found a home soon afterwards.” 

He also trained a deaf and aggressive sheepdog, Misty, to respond to sign language commands such as holding out both arms to call her and giving a thumbs-up to praise her.

Amanda said that a change to the law has meant that dog behaviour is more important than it used to be.

She said: “Aggression is the one thing people get really worried about because the Dangerous Dogs Act changed to make owners more responsible for their pet’s behaviour. 

“People are really concerned about having their dogs under control.”

She said that Neil was also volunteering at the home on the day after the huge fire at Manchester Dog’s Home in 2014.

“Lots of the dogs were brought here. Some were singed and it was very sad,” she said.

“People were really supportive after the fire but people didn’t come in and take dogs home.”

Neil grew up on a farm where he trained working sheepdogs from a young age and Amanda said that she thinks he has a special connection with dogs.

Soon after they met Amanda got her first dog, Buster, an energetic collie spaniel cross, who still lives with them.

“He helped me train Buster and I married him,” she said.

“It’s a really rewarding job, I couldn’t do what he does – I would want to take them all home. But it’s great because he gets to see them go to their new families.”