I have had a passion for animals, and particularly dogs, since I was a young girl. My journey toward being a fully qualified dog trainer and behaviour advisor reflects my belief in lifelong learning, and after raising my daughter I was able to fulfil my dream of learning about and working with dogs. The way in which dogs interact and communicate with us and each other has always fascinated me.

I had my own dog, Missy, who taught me so much about what it means to work with rescue dogs. Missy was a cross breed that I rehomed from a local rescue centre. She had been handed in to the centre because her owners didn’t have the time to meet her needs, and she had been mistreated by the children of the house.  She struggled at first to trust and suffered with isolation distress whenever she was left alone. My husband and I put out time into building up her confidence and teaching her to trust again. She was my best friend and we had her for 8 years until she fell asleep at the grand old age of 16! The loss was a trauma, but she helped me to realise that a career in dog training and behaviour was what I wanted to do with my life, and I wanted to help other dogs in need. My journey towards working professionally with dogs really began in earnest at that point. I started by working alongside the RSPCA as a dog transporter. It involved guiding people through the process of re-homing their dogs, who were being rehomed for a variety of reasons, before transporting the dog to a local rescue facility.

I also began working for a charity-run rescue centre that cared for dogs with various behavioural considerations and helped prepare the dogs in their care for re-homing using positive reinforcement training. I enjoyed the years spent at the rescue but over time I felt I could do more. My aim was to help by teaching and educating people and their dogs to prevent them from needing to be surrendered into a rescue centre in the first place. I wanted to make sure my advice and guidance was built on a foundation of knowledge, education, and experience, so I started to study for formal qualifications alongside my practical work.

I began by studying towards the Victoria Stilwell Academy certified dog trainer and behaviour program. I also gained other focused qualifications such as the Michael Shikashio Master course - Aggression in dogs, and the Kim Brophey certified Family Dog Mediator L.E.G.S. program. I always want to learn more, to continue to gain experience with all types of dogs and behaviours, and to continue working with clients and their dogs. Working with dogs is a lifelong journey, and it is one that I am absolutely loving!