Rescued dog only responds to commands in a French accent

A stray dog has been coached back to strength by a volunteer who originally comes from France - and he loves her accent so much that French has become his first language. Now Archie the Jack Russell Terrier will only fully obey commands if staff copy her distinctive accent. Archie was found as a stray earlier this year before being taken in by the Dogs Trust Harefield in north-west London. For the last eight months, primary school teacher Marie-Hélène Léoni, originally from Savoie in the French Alps, has spent most weekends with him, allowing him to socialise and adjust to a home environment.



She has been taking Archie for walks near her home in Maida Vale, London, and even started singing French children's songs to him. And when he returns to the rehoming centre after weekends away with Marie-Hélène he'll only react to commands in a similar accent. This has forced staff at the centre to adopt French accents when interacting with the four-year-old canine who was rescued after his owner abandoned him. Miss Leoni, 57, who became a Dogs Trust volunteer helper after her own dog passed away eight years ago, said: "Archie was very worried when I first met him, but working alongside the canine carers at the centre, I could see his potential.


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"So I started taking him home for weekends, and we'd go for long walking holidays together in Castleton, Derbyshire. I'd sing him classic French children's songs, like A la Volette, Meunier tu dors and Il était un petit navire. I'd also call him French pet names such as Toutou - which is what children in France call dogs. I call him Poupounette too, which translates as 'lovely doggie' and mon petit chou, meaning 'my little darling', and after that he started trusting me more and more. And because Archie was responding so well to what I was saying, staff at the centre started to speak to him in a French accent.” Canine Carer, Lizzie Smith added: "Archie had clearly had some bad experiences before he was rescued.



"But following the groundwork carried out by the team at Harefield, Marie-Hélène's patience, love and devotion has helped return his confidence and made such a difference to his life. She does have a lovely French accent, and it's astonishing to see the way Archie will only react when he hears it - which means during the week when he's back with us, the staff try to replicate Marie-Hélène’s accent, with varying degrees of success." Staff at the Dogs Trust Harefield say Archie is now ready to find a loving new home. Canine carer Lizzie added: "He is a shy, sensitive boy who takes time to get to know you but once he does, he will make a loyal, affectionate pet in the right home. Like all our dogs when they become ready to find new families, we want Archie to go to a loving home – although in this case, it would be a bonus if they can speak in a French accent."