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Moot se hondefluisteraar groet na bykans ‘n halfeeu
Wilma Coetzee, a well-known dog trainer in Pretoria, has announced her retirement as manager and head trainer at Brigadoon Dog School after 47 years.
Wilma and her late husband, Wickus, decided 50 years ago to raise funds for the Pretoria Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) as animal lovers and became aware of the need to train dogs in Waverley.
The decision was made to address this need and to raise funds for animal welfare.
The first club meeting attracted 60 enthusiastic dog owners seeking guidance in a park in the Moot.
“At the end of the first year, we handed over the substantial amount of R14,000 to the SPCA. Two years later, we moved to Hoërskool Oos-Moot’s sports fields and then to Rietondale Park. A few weeks ago, we relocated to Moot Lockhouse Park,” Coetzee explained.
Both the Coetzees shared a love for German Shepherds and decided to venture into training activities with their beloved dog breed.
“We were two people and two very special dogs, Don Oliver and Purdy from Brigadoon, with a burning idealism to help animals in need,” Coetzee reminisced.
Her most recent German Shepherd, Yentl, passed away two years ago.
For her, the breed is ideal as a companion and watchdog. “They are trainable dogs with a specific personality that enjoy reaching out to others,” she believes.
Acknowledging that moving and health issues may arise with age, she chose not to acquire another dog. This year, she moved to Betty’s Bay to be closer to her extended family.
She finds it heartening that the original purpose of the club could be maintained over the years.
The dog school sponsors an inspector from the Animal Welfare Society and makes donations to Guide Dogs for the Blind to train some of their small dogs for the visually impaired.
Spending time with the club members and their four-legged companions reveals the extent to which this influential psychologist and artist also plays a role in their lives.
“It’s not just a club; it’s a big family. Coetzee is affectionately referred to as ‘mom’ or ‘grandma,’” she added.
Marisha Marais from Pretoria East shared how Coetzee helped her address her dog Mila’s immune disorders. “She also assisted me with my own emotional and physical issues. I think her recipe is patience, with people and dogs. I learned from her that patience makes you calm.”
This sentiment is echoed by many. “For me, club members and their families have become like family. I can never thank them enough for their love and special contributions without which the school could not have survived,” Coetzee shared.
As qualified psychologists, Wilma and her husband, the former head psychologist of Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, worked on a new form of therapy called Human Modeling.
Over time, experts and their peer group at Leiden University accepted and utilized Human Modeling as a registered independent treatment method.
In this therapy, a patient with psychological issues is encouraged to create a persona, a fictional character equipped with human, lifelike traits. In completing this task, the individual is asked to write or tell a life story ending in the present about the fictional character and create a model of the fictional person using art materials.
According to Coetzee, this therapy provides several opportunities for the psychotherapist to influence the client through role-playing, guided imagery, and assuming the role of the modeled person.
“We came up with these ideas together after my husband saw how I painted and drew portraits of people,” she shared.
By being able to “read” people, she also learned to interpret dogs and their habits, quirks, and idiosyncrasies.
When giving advice to dog owners, her first golden rule is always: “You don’t hit a dog. You teach it.”
She believes in showing respect to a dog and conversing with it as you would with a person.
“Dogs don’t understand your words, but they do understand your tone of voice and body language,” Coetzee explained.
She chuckles as she explains two observations she made after years of observation at the dog school: dogs take on the personalities of their owners, and dog lovers choose a dog based on their personality.
Over nearly half a century, she has also empowered numerous other dog trainers to take the reins at the school on various levels, from working with small puppies to advanced training of adult dogs.
A club member, John Deppe from Irene, will take over the reins from her. Deppe is well-known to many club members for his love of Africanis dogs and is often seen at club meetings on Saturday mornings at Lockhouse Park in Codonia Street with his Africanis dog, Zulu.
Coetzee is also proud of the Africanis dog, Zulu, with its calm personality and its remarkable achievement of recently being designated as the ambassador and “face” of an anti-rabies campaign in Africa.
On September 28, Coetzee made a final appearance at the club meeting and observed the activities from her wheelchair.
As she has done over the years, she admired the club members for their dedication to the club and their work with their dogs but also openly wondered, “These people provide their services out of love and for charity and do wonderful work. The dogs are always happy to be here on a Saturday. I think they actually convince their owners to come. I wonder now who is actually taking whom to school?”
– Click here to spend a few minutes at the Brigadoon Dog School.
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