‘We trained a horse to answer the phone’
THESE real-life Dr Dolittles work their animal magic on everything from alpacas to magpies.
Jo-Rosie Haffenden and Nando Brown have even trained a horse to answer the phone.
Jo-Rosie, 33, said: “I started training animals 13 years ago and it’s incredible what they are capable of. I’ve trained alpacas, a baby wallaby and a leopard gecko…lots of strange animals.”
Nando, 37, said: “My favourite animals to train are chickens. But I’ve also worked with donkeys, miniature horses, Koi carp and birds like rooks and magpies.”
Talented pets aren’t just entertaining – they can also offer their owners vital help.
Jo-Rosie said: “Animals can save lives. We’ve trained a dog and a horse to answer the phone. That’s useful when an elderly person has a fall. In an emergency a dog is going to be a lot faster than the person. And that can be taught in just a day.”
They revealed the secret of getting a horse to answer the phone is to attach a toggle to the handset, allowing the animal to pick it up with its mouth when it rings and take it to its owner.
Nando added: “One trick we’ve managed was to teach the dog to fetch a beer from the fridge. And then there are tricks that are more serious.
“People with disabilities rely on their dogs to help them. They can open doors and cupboards and provide vital support for their owner.”
Jo-Rosie and Nando, from Warwickshire, run a school teaching owners to train their pets to do incredible tricks. They are constantly in demand and have clients around the world.
They show off their skills in new ITV series Teach My Pet To Do That, which is hosted by Alexander Armstrong and made by Plimsoll Productions.
Jo-Rosie added: “We’re hoping to show what animals are capable of. We want people to realise their pets can do amazing things if they invest some time in them.
Teach My Pet To Do That is on Friday at 8pm on ITV.