Wigan man who finds solace with animals returns to work as a dog whisperer

Chris Keating set up a dog whispering business more than 10 years ago to help pets and their owners with any problems they may have.

He had learned the skill by researching well-known dog whisperers, such as Caesar Millan, and gained experience by working with dogs.

Chris spoke about his new business back in 2009, leading to his story being picked up by national media and offers to appear in two TV series.

But it was not long after that Chris experienced problems with his mental health, having initially been diagnosed with bipolar disorder 10 years earlier. He was sectioned in 2009 and then suffered from depression for several years.

“I was drinking all the time, not wanting to get up, not showering, not eating,” he said.

Eventually Chris’s life started to improve, but he was sectioned again in 2011 and 2013, finding he started to struggle when things were going well.

After a relatively uneventful seven years, he was sectioned again last year, with three periods at Atherleigh Park Hospital in Leigh.

Now back at home in Wigan, Chris is looking to the future and is resuming his career as a dog whisperer.

He said: “I do think the dog whispering helps me. When I’m up, I’m more in tune with nature and the world and people.”

Chris, 48, enjoys working with animals, though he does find it is often the owners that need his support, rather than the dogs.

He said: “I am very calm when I see the dogs. I will teach them to stay and sit and lie down.

“It’s generally work that I do with the owners. I teach them what to do with their dogs. It’s a one-off session that they get as they don’t need any more.”

Chris can help with any dog-related problem, with the most common being issues with barking, urinating and jumping up.

“Any problem that you could think of, any problem at all,” he said. “It always comes down to the same thing - who’s in charge of the pack?

“Every single time it’s the dog. I let the owner take the reins back off the dog. How can the dog be in charge? We have to be in charge.”

As well as helping dogs and their owners, Chris hopes he will also benefit from returning to dog whispering.

He said: “It’s like a therapy for me. If you find a job that you love, you won’t work a day in your life, and that’s what it is for me. I would do it for free if I could afford it.”

To find out more, search for Humane Trainers-Bespoke Dog Training Solutions on Facebook.

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