Hello

I have always been obsessed with animals and my love of all things four-legged has shaped my entire life. I grew up with cats and dogs and as a teenager, I took every opportunity to surround myself with animals; from Saturday work in kennels and catteries, to mucking out in exchange for horse riding lessons and volunteering for three years in my local veterinary practice to learn as much as I could. 

 

After completing a HND in Animal Science, I spent a year working at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary before going on to study zoology at the University of Bristol, specialising in animal behaviour. During this time, I also worked for the Mammal Research Unit, supporting several research projects on the behavioural ecology of British mammals and even had my final year dissertation on cat behaviour published. 

 

As soon as I graduated, I headed off to Botswana to study elephant behaviour before relocating to Kenya to head up a primate reintroduction programme. The next 16 years were spent living the dream! I bounced between East Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America developing a range of award-winning wildlife conservation and animal welfare projects for an ethical travel company and their charitable foundation. 

 

I feel so lucky to have worked with a wide variety of animals (elephants, monkeys, lions, foxes, badgers, hares, hedgehogs just to name a few) but I always come back to dogs. For me they are the most incredible, complex, and fascinating animals unlike any other. I am particularly intrigued by our relationship with dogs; how two such different species can share such a deep understanding and connection with one another that has endured for millennia. 

 

In 2018, I took the plunge and decided to start the long journey to becoming a certified clinical canine behaviourist. In 2021, I qualified as a Pro Dog Trainer after experiencing my own struggles with my complicated yet sensitive Hungarian wire-haired vizsla, Taru. It’s not an understatement to say that games-based training completely changed our lives. 

 

Now my real passion is to support other dogs and their guardians so that they can overcome behavioural issues no matter how hopeless it may feel right now. My training will help you gain a deeper understanding of your dog, improving communication through kindness and compassion, which will develop a bond that is more fulfilling than you can imagine ... that’s where the real magic lies.