Who am I?

​I won't bore you with my entire history other than to say I am lucky enough to have been training dogs for all of my life, and started as a dog trainer in 2001.  Over the years my knowledge and experience have grown and I have worked with a huge range of breeds.  Gaining experience, academic qualifications and teaching qualifications to make myself the best at what I do from a huge range of experts, teachers and my peers. 

Whilst dog training and behaviour is an unregulated industry (for now) I am a firm believer that we should uphold the same standards as other professions.  Our dogs are part of our family and we should be looked after by people who have the experience and qualifications to do so.  Both are important.   I am constantly studying, dog behaviour is ever evolving and continuous study and professional development ensures I provide the most up to date advice and techniques possible.  

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Whilst I do work with all breeds, I specialise in small dogs, especially dachshunds. 

Dachshunds are in my blood, my family has owned them for several generations, I was born into a home with a mini long haired dachshund, who lived until he was a grand age of 18.  After this we had 2 mini smooths, then a mini long....then another and yep another.  They are addictive, be warned!! Due to my extensive experience and ownership of the breed I am uniquely placed to be a breed expert.  Aside from training and behaviour I also have a lot of hands on experience with successfully rehabilitating dogs with IVDD and other medical issues.

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Skip forwards a few years and I own a fair few of my own alongside a couple of large breeds. I have have bred several litters of beautiful Standard Dachshunds, dabbled in showing, a bit of fun agility with them, scentwork, clicker training, and tracking.  They are a hugely versatile breed.....once you work out what makes them tick!

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Over the years I have worked out what works and what does not when training a dachshund, we are all different, as are they but certain things remain the same amongst the breed.  Having a deep understanding of a dachshunds behaviour is a key part of what I do, similarly, being adaptable and understanding makes me better at what I do. I look at the full picture, not just the behaviour or issue you are having but the cause.

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 I am a strong advocate for promoting Dachshund Health, and am a trustee for Dachshund Health UK who drive the research into health conditions in the breed.  Recently there has been tremendous work into supporting research into IVDD, and I am incredibly proud to have played a small part in this wonderful team. 

I strongly advocate for ethical and kind training.  I advocate for training using positive reinforcement to address the cause of an issue rather than suppressing the symptoms.  I treat those I work with, canine and human the way I want to be treated, kindly and fairly. 

I pride myself on being able to explain the complex behaviour jargon in a way that is easy for everyone to understand and will always seek to find the easiest route for learning for dog and human alike.  I will never promise a quick fix, however I will promise a deeper understanding into your dogs and work with you to address the issues you are having with your dogs.

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My love and passion for the dogs, our relationships with them, for understanding their behaviour and for a happy relationship between owners and their dachshunds drives me to be the best I can be, as such I have attended many courses, workshops and seminars but have listed the key ones below.  If you would like further information on my achievements or qualifications please do not hesitate to ask. 

Current studies

Masters of Science Clinical Animal Behaviour - Part time - Start 2023

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Completed Studies and Courses

 Bachelor in Laws (LLB) (Hons) 2.1

Level 5 Diploma -Advanced Diploma Applied Animal Behaviour Merit (Compass Ed. Ltd)

Level 5 University Diploma  Canine Training and Behaviour Management (UDip CTBM) 

Dynamic Dog Practitioner

Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK (APDT) Membership No. 01485

Kennel Club Accredited Instructor (KCAI (CD))

Certified Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer by Julie Naismith (SA Pro)

Full Member of International Society of Animal Professionals (M.I.S.A.P)

Professional Member of Pet Dog Training Instructors (having achieved Advanced award) (PPDTI)

International Animal and Behaviour Training College Clicker and Target Training 1 (IABTC C&T1)

Signatory to The Registration Council for Dog Training and Behaviour Practitioners (RCDTBP)(CAWC)

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