Move over Derren Brown. There's a four-pawed hypnotist in town who claims to be able to put people under her spell instantly.
The
feat is even more remarkable given that the hypnotist is in fact a dog
named Princess – supposedly the only canine in the world who can put
humans into a trance-like state.
The
four-year-old German Spitz has been performing on stage for the past
two years alongside her owner Krystyna Lennon, who is qualified in
hypnosis.
Ms
Lennon says her pet is able to send people to sleep – a skill she
claims is linked to the believed primal ability that dogs are able to
hypnotise their prey.
'It is definitely not something that just any dog can do, it is a very specific skill.
'They either have it or they don't,' said Ms Lennon.
'It's about their natural ability, it's all down to the dog. They need to be very well trained and well behaved.
'A
lot of people are very sceptical about the show and don't think that a
dog would be able to do it - but once they see it, they are gobsmacked.
'Some people even think she is a puppet and not even a real dog.
The
Leeds-based mother of three said Princess can hypnotises anyone, but
some people react better than others. 'Being hypnotised is like being
drunk,' she said.
'It
brings out your inhibitions, and your memory from when you were under
does come back but it's usually a bit faded or you need to be prompted.'
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Spellbound: The impressive
four-year-old German Spitz has been performing on stage for the past two
years alongside her owner Krystyna Lennon (right), who is qualified in
hypnosis
Dog
psychologist Stan Rawlinson told MailOnline, that while dogs can induce
a deep state of relaxation in humans, they certainly can't hypnotise
people.
'It
is the person that is working with the dog that is doing the
hypnotising through her actions and tone of voice,' said Mr Rawlinson,
who describes himself as 'the original dog listener'.
Ms Lennon is the niece of Hugh Lennon, who originally founded the first Hypnodog show with his pet Oscar in 1989.
The
40-year-old stepped in after her uncle, 65, was forced to retire from
performing due to ill health and even gave up her job to commit to the
show full time.
Hypnodog: 'A lot of people are very
sceptical about the show and don't think that a dog would be able to do
it - but once they see it, they are gobsmacked,' said Ms Lennon
'I
helped out Hugh with the lighting and music for the show when I was
younger, so I had seen the act hundreds of times before I took over,'
said Ms Lennon.
'Princess is related to Oscar, the original Hypnodog, but we never intended to use her for the show.
'We
noticed that she started to display some of the same attributes that
Oscar had - she was very calm and would sit very still and stare.
'So
when I took over from my Uncle Hugh I decided to use Princess - and
because she is my own dog she reacts so much better to me.
'Princess
is a complete diva, she absolutely loves being the centre of attention
on stage and being fussed over and watched by so many people.'
Ms Lennon and Princess are currently touring the UK and performing their show at university fresher's events.
Ruff day: Ms Lennon (pictured
standing) is the niece of Hugh Lennon, who originally founded the first
Hypnodog show with his pet Oscar in 1989
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