About the Dog Know How Family
My qualifications and Experience
- MSc Clinical Animal behaviour from Lincoln University
- Bsc Hons Animal Behaviour and Welfare (First Class)
- APBC Full Member Clinical Animal Behaviourist
- Animal Behaviour & Training Council registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist
- Certificate in Post compulsory education and training (Cert Ed). 20 years of teaching experience means I understand the human end of the lead too and can guide and support you in gaining the skills and confidence you need to work with your dog even when our time together ends.
- 5 years working in dog rescue working with a huge variety of breeds as well as very varied training and behaviour needs
- 20+ years of training my own dogs
- Canicross Coach and Run leader – specialising in introducing reactive dogs to canicross
- Ba Hons Applied Business Management
- Inspirational Animal Studies Student of the Year 2020
- Certificate in canine first aid
What led me to become a behaviourist and why I want to help other dog owners
My first dog Jack was always an easy dog, since we found each other over 18 years ago he barely put a foot wrong. Easy to train, mostly impeccably well behaved and my dog in a million who I only wished could have lived forever.
We added Trim to our family as a mate for Jack, having come from a farming background she was already 5 years old and had some problems adjusting to a life living in town, we also believe she had been mistreated by her previous owner, although all of her issues only became apparent over time.
JJ (Jack Junior) is the product of the two, planned for and desperately wanted, but not at all what I expected. In his first few years JJ showed very little of his dad’s amazing temperament and as a result posed a number of challenges I wasn’t prepared for. He was the catalyst for me finally embarking on a career working with animals that I had wanted since growing up on a farm as a child.
JJ is a sensitive soul who finds some things that the world presents difficult to handle, that combined with a spinal condition (Scoliosis) that causes him discomfort means that he can react in a way that humans regard as inappropriate. If we were to label JJ he would be called reactive or fear aggressive. It is JJ that has made me want to help others with their dogs, as I see every day how much can be changed with a little understanding.
So whether you have an easy, gentle dog that you want to teach a couple of things, a rescue that needs help adapting to a change in environment and teaching to trust you, or a reactive or fear aggressive dog I am here to help. I only use force free methods that allow your dog to make choices and encourage them to make the right decisions. Changing a dogs behaviour is not a quick fix, whatever you want to achieve will take time, and although we may be able to teach a new trick in one session, emotional problems such as those that Trim and JJ have need a step by step approach and improvements are seen gradually, but they are possible and so rewarding.