Graeme Hall, the star of Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, has revealed he nearly lost the use of his hand after being savaged by a German Shepherd. The 54-year-old dog trainer, known as the 'Dogfather', was attacked four years ago while working with a re-homed dog.
Hall recalled the incident: 'A German Shepherd I went to see had been re-homed, and was barking very aggressively. They brought him in to see me and he just went for my left hand. He bit hard, at the same time the owner pulled on the lead. The effect was to rip it.' He was taken to A&E and required surgery, with the bites narrowly missing a tendon and nerve. 'I nearly lost the full use of that hand. It was a close call,' he said.
Despite the injury, Hall continues to work with difficult dogs, though he now uses muzzles more often. He left his job as an executive at Weetabix in Warwickshire a decade ago to become a dog trainer, after being told he was good with people. He has been compared to 1980s TV trainer Barbara Woodhouse but says his approach is more nuanced: 'It's OK to tell dogs off as long as you do it the right way and you're not abusive.'
Hall, who owns a Labrador boxer-cross called Lily, advises owners to praise dogs when they are quiet. 'If you want dogs to behave well, then praise them, especially when they're quiet, otherwise they don't know,' he said.
