My Journey

Hi, I would first like to thank you for visiting my website. I know choosing someone to help you with your dog can often be difficult. How much are they? Are they any good? Will I see results? Will they judge me and tell me it's my fault? These are all good questions so I’ve tried to make sure I answer all of these and more on the website, however if I miss anything please get in touch and I can let you know. So, to answer the first one and give you my credentials please read on. I've been working full time with dogs professionally for 16 years now, firstly as a dog training handler working to help them be rehomed, then more so over the last decade and until recently as the Head Coach of the Glasgow Dog School on behalf of the largest dog welfare charity in the UK. Leading a team of other coaches to deliver training for thousands of owners on how to give their puppy the best start in life, understand their friendly but often impolite adolescent, or how to overcome the many unwanted behavioural issues we are observing much more often now.

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As with many other trainers, my introduction to dog training wasn’t straightforward. Coming from a big family in the 1980's I didn't grow up around dogs, we didn't have the space or time. However after meeting my other half Sarah in 2001 that was about to change, as a Vet Nurse her incredible love of animals soon meant our home welcomed lots of different pets needing a helping hand for one reason or another. At one point I realised just loving them wasn't enough and that I needed to understand them, Sarah’s expertise in animal medicine and care meant our animals’ health was great. However when it came to behaviour, the advice and methods recommended on the 'made for tv' dog shows that were popular at the time, didn’t help us to train the 3 dogs we had rehomed and what they said to do didn't feel right to me even if it worked for others, we tried classes and although these were interesting, they were often busy, noisy and a one size fits all approach that you could see, led to stressed out owners. My dogs at the time each had their own challenges, and I knew I had to develop my own understanding of dog behaviour and practical skills to improve the rest of their lives.

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I applied for a role at the rehoming centre of the Dogs Trust welfare charity in 2009, originally within the kennels as a canine carer and then in other various roles, all with the aim to enhance my skills and knowledge of all the different breeds and temperaments we saw arrive, so I could better the lives of the dogs I owned, or those I would go on to help. I undertook a qualification in companion animal welfare and behavioural rehabilitation at Bristol University and have completed and continue to attend training seminars, webinars and further education not only on dog behaviour but also on how to help their human owners to implement this. I gained accreditation with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers MAPDT (UK) 01366 passing practical and theoretical assessments to become a full member.  I am a registered animal training instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). As I've gained experience since owning my first dog nearly 25 years ago, my aim has evolved to also include making the lives of owners better, by helping them build their confidence, skills and knowledge whilst training their dog in a kind, fun and effective way.