My interest in dogs came from growing up with German Shorthaired Pointers, Setters and Border Collies. After leaving school I trained and qualified as a Veterinary Nurse. It was whilst working in Veterinary practice my interest in canine behaviour became even more intense hence my decision to develop my knowledge further, completing several courses on canine behaviour and training.
In 1992 whilst working in Veterinary practice I set up puppy socialisation classes for our clients. These became so successful that I started running some basic obedience classes for our clients as well. The feedback from these classes was overwhelming, encouraging me to think about how I could do more for dog owners and it was here I made the decision to leave Veterinary practice and start my own canine training business. From 2003 my new business progressed very well offering puppy socialisation classes, beginner, intermediate and advanced obedience classes, agility, flyball and heelwork to music. The experience and knowledge I have gained over the years lead me to change the format of my classes, moving away from the traditional group classes. I wanted to offer my clients a more flexible personal to them training course and provide their dogs with, as close as I could, the ideal environment to initially learn in. I now offered 1/2 one to one training sessions and 1/2 group sessions, the feedback from my clients showed this was a good step to take and we found that owners and their dogs benefitted so much more from this format.
In 2004 I began the long road to further my knowledge by completing my Higher National Certificate in Canine Behaviour and Training, moving onto my Foundation degree and I am now very pleased to say that in 2010 I graduated with honours in my BSc in Canine Behaviour and Training. I now wish to use all of my experience and knowledge gained over the years to help educate pet dog owners using the most recent up to date research about our little furry friends and provide guidance and assistance in helping owner and dog live in harmony with each other.
I am a provisional member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), which means having gained the relevant academic qualifications I am gaining the practical experience necessary for full membership.
In March 2009 I got the opportunity through my partners business to move to Portugal, this has given my the opportunity to look at what I can do to improve peoples perception and communication skills with their dogs and how best I can communicate this advice. I believe that a dog will initially learn considerably faster and better in its own environment and in its own time, something that cannot be provided in a course of classes where your dog has many competing distractions to cope with, not forgetting they may well be feeling a little intimidated by it all. Socialisation is very important but not necessarily in a class environment. All sorts of things can go wrong and unfortunately do especially in the larger classes which still remain even after all these years, when we have so much more knowledge about canine behaviour but it seems to get lost somewhere along the line. My aim is to provide owners with the tools to train their dogs and live in harmony via private individual sessions, then when ready to introduce them to a class situation to continue their training around distractions.
