A DESTRUCTIVE dog who made his owner's life a misery has been turned into man's best friend in a television programme.

English bull terrier Leo's transformation appears on television screens tonight with owner Paul Barry in a new series of BBC 3's Dog Borstal.

When Leo was around 13 months old he became difficult for Paul, 38, to handle.

Leo would jump over the fence in the garden and disappear for hours on end, he tore up the lawn with his digging, pulled washing down from the line and destroyed the living room. He would then hide in the washing machine.

Paul, a mental health support worker for Calderstones Hospital, Whalley, was in need of help and applied to appear on the programme.

It shows how dog trainer Lynne Davies, of Lynne Davies Dog Training, Milton Keynes, transformed Leo into a well behaved dog within a week.

Leo, who was born deaf, beat off competition from over 2,000 dogs, and is appearing on the show tonight at 8pm.

Paul, of Blakeley Crescent, Barnoldswick, said: "Leo was fine from when he was a puppy until he was about 13 months. He is a puppy from a Crufts champion's litter. He was brilliant with children on the estate. They would take him out.

"He has never been aggressive just destructive. He grew fast and got very strong and he now weighs seven stone.

"When the BBC came to film him, they gave him a brush and within a minute he had broken it into two.

"Leo was also unusual because he could jump over the 4ft fence. English bull terriers tend not be able to jump over such heights."

Paul was invited to go down to an ex air force base in Woodbridge, Suffolk for a week in May.

Paul said: "When we were in Suffolk Lynne said Leo did not have enough stimulation.

"We worked on facial expressions. I felt like an idiot because I had to over exaggerate them for him because he is deaf.

"But the techniques I learned are still working today.

"He is 110 percent better. Now we can have him into the living room, he will settle down and doesn't chew the furniture."

Lynne, who has trained dogs for 10 years, said: "Paul was the main problem because he wasn't stimulating the dog enough but both Leo and Paul were a pleasure to work with."

During her re-training Lynne found that Paul was only making contact with Leo when he was telling him off, never when he was pleased with him She worked on Paul's facial expressions, and taught Paul and Leo some sign language.

When Paul was pleased with Leo he gave him a thumbs up with over exaggerated facial expressions or an ok' with facial expressions. Leo was retrained that eye contact can be for good behaviour too.

Calling Leo from a distance was a problem because he is deaf. Lynne gave Leo a vibrating dog collar, similar to a vibration on a mobile phone.

Paul had the hand set and Lynne gave Leo treats when he responded to the remote control.

And she found that Leo was destructive because he did not have any stimulation from his owners. Her techniques have meant Paul can play with Leo and as a result he is no longer destructive.