Fabulous Finn Quotes

“What struck me most though was that the lonely business of walking dogs for hours wasn’t in fact lonely at all. You’re never alone when you have a dog as a companion. They watch your every movement and hang on your every word. They love being with you (and I believe this is true of all dogs) and, wishing only to please you, actively want to understand you better. And if you strive to know them better too, you will be rewarded by undying loyalty and devotion. I was also fascinated, truly fascinated, by what made them tick. There was no time for introspection; I was too busy trying to figure out their mental workings. Being with dogs was escapism at its best.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink

“It’s all about gaining trust, seeing how well you can achieve that. About getting a dog not inclined to listen to you initially onside by making it clear to them that you are someone exciting to be with, worth spending time with or at least checking you out.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink

“In this green, scratchy muddle Finn eventually ended up barking at a bush. I couldn’t see anything in it, but not for the first time in our partnership I shouted a challenge at an inanimate object because Finn told me to. I’ve shouted challenges at more bushes and trees than I can remember down the years – not to mention cars, vans, cupboards, lofts, roofs, boxes, wheelie bins and haystacks.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink

“Being a dog handler on the streets (where, for ‘on the streets’ read ‘pretty much anywhere you can think of’) is a nomadic and solitary existence. So it’s not for everyone, because you spend a lot of time in the great outdoors on your own, but if you enjoy the company of dogs, that’s no hardship. It’s something most of us grumpy, scruffy dog handlers love, and why being a dog handler is such a highly prized job, even if the lifestyle does take a bit of getting used to.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink

“Dogs are strong by design, brave by instinct and fiercely loyal by nature. So perhaps you could argue that when a dog does these things they are only doing what a dog would do anyway. But anyone who’s been in a relationship with a dog knows differently. And a piece of property wouldn’t be in a relationship in the first place.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink

“If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink

“As an instructor, when making such a decision for someone else, you always ask yourself, would I work with that dog?
I asked it now, knowing the qualities I look for. I want a dog who is brave, indefatigable and obedient, but also one with enough will and personality to make some decisions themselves. I want a dog who’ll have the confidence to tell me when I’m wrong. Who’ll keep pulling on even when I’m trying to pull the other way because some well-meaning human has given me duff info. In short I’d want a Finn. A dog who never walked in a perfectly straight line for any trials judge but who I knew would protect me till his very last breath. A dog who’d drag me through rivers and streams, thick mud and tangled undergrowth – drag me anywhere, if it meant we’d get our man.”
― Dave Wardell, Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink