History

Me and Pumpkin, one of my kennel dogs who I still dog sat for in her new and wonderful home.

My History

As mentioned on the home page, I grew up on a farm, working with the herding dogs and other animals. This really helped shape me into the passionate animal lover I still am today. Following my life on the farm came school and college, along with getting into a program to study Animal care, I managed to secure a work placement at a kennels in Merseyside, Liverpool. After completing my Level 2 Work Based Diploma in Animal Care, I was hired at that very same kennels and while there continued my studies in Animal Care, earning a secondary NPTC Level 3 diploma, my qualifications in force free, positive Dog Training, both basic and advanced, and a City and Guilds Certificate of Excellence for my college work. Now, I am a member of the Pet Professional Guild, (PPG) as well as The Dog Trainer School, (TDTS). I am always learning more and gaining new qualifications so that I can continue to provide my clients with the highest quality of service.

Beside this text, you will see just a few of my kennel dogs who I worked directly with (there are some duplicates, more on that later) These photos are one of my pride and joys, not every dog I worked with is pictured, mostly because I don't currently have the space for that, but this group of photos is so special to me. Its a reminder of where I came from, who I helped, the amazing fun times, and the not so amazing times. Some of these cases were incredibly tough, hard work, but also all rewarding. Seeing these dogs overcome their issues and go on to happy, loving homes or to other centers where they had a better chance of getting rehomed is something that I will always cherish and remember with fondness. There are a couple of success stories that I really love and treasure, and you can read more on those below.

Success Stories

Macca

Macca was one of my original training dogs, he was originally adopted out from our center and lived in the home with another dog for a few years, unfortunately he was returned to us after that period with severe behaviour issues. This once happy go lucky boy had developed reactivity to a number of new things, including people, cars, dogs and even aggression when being groomed.

After working daily for well over six months with Macca on grooming, desensitization and counter conditioning for his reactivity, he was finally ready to become available for rehoming.

Not long after this, a family came along who owned several other rough collies. Over a series of introductions, Macca was rehomed to them and can be seen pictured below with his new brothers and sisters, where he lived happily right up to the ripe old age of 17 and a half.

Vinnie

Meet Vinnie, a cute little shih tzu with a number of behavioural problems, including but not limited to resource guarding and grooming problems.

Vinnie was a tricky little guy and very particular with who he would let handle him, fortunately I was one of the few that he liked and would tolerate handling from. Vinnie was adopted to a very sweet family with an ongoing training program that they were to follow to ensure that he would be comfortable and safe in his home. Bonus picture below of one of the talented positions he would get himself into sometimes before grumbling for help. (Somehow in the back corner, behind his bed)

Leo

Leo was one of my favourite success stories as he took up alot of my time and effort. Leo was a shadow/light chaser, this often occurs when people use laser pointers to play with dogs and can often also result from neurological issues. Leo was a special boy who struggled with things that most other dogs do not find challenging. His kennel had to be set up specifically to not let in reflections or shadows, he also struggled with sound sensitivity and grooming and would often injure himself when triggered or upset. One of the first things I did was condition Leo to a harness to give him more support on his walks so he was less likely to pull on his neck and cause injuries, as time passed I worked on helping Leo feel safe and be able to gain trust, aswell as managing his kennel environment. As time passed my lovely colleagues were able to match Leo to a wonderful home out in rural England where he would not encounter most of his triggers (traffic noise and sirens) and who were willing to work on his light/shadow fixation. Another bonus was they had other west highland terriers and lots of space for Leo to explore and feel fulfilled. For a bonus, please see below a picture of Leo when he rolled in Fox poo on a walk and was so excited to see me when I appeared and happened to be the only one he would allow to bath him. - An honour I think of often and fondly.

Blue

Ah Blue, one of many of the deaf dogs I worked with and trained, but Blue was extra special, in addition to being totally deaf, he didn't like strangers and he had quite poor eyesight, affecting his ability to perceive things in low light. This was to the extent that on dark afternoon or morning walks he would react to trees aggressively, thinking they were people. Blue was another dog that I had to condition to touch and hand signals, rather than verbal requests. He would receive thumbs up as a marker, and receive treats to reinforce the behaviours that would be beneficial to helping him navigate a world that was not very welcoming to him. Fortunately, Blue responded well to training and landed on all four paws when he was adopted by a wonderful family with a house they were willing to adapt to Blue's needs and the time and patience needed to help Blue settle into his new home. I do love a happy ending, and Blue, as well as my other featured dogs definitely enjoyed theirs.

I am so fortunate to have a rich history in dealing with and helping dogs with severe behaviour issues and emotional difficulties.

Dogs from left to right, Poppy, Macca, Bear and Lola

Suki

Although my work in rescue is a huge part of my life, no facts or true stories about me would be complete without the mention of my heart and soul dog, Suki. You will have seen her already pop up in some of my photos on this website, she was adorable and looked like a little Ewok. She was my best friend for just over 13 years before I lost her in 2021 to the horrible disease that is cancer. I had Suki since she was a mere six weeks old, and had to manage the results of trauma she had already received at that young age, this included food aggression, stranger reactivity and a strong aversion to children and older people with walking sticks/canes. Suki and I worked hard together and we truly were best friends, she trusted me and felt safe with me, she meant everything to me and she still does, not a day goes by that I don't think of her. She was eventually even able to live with her adopted sister, Shoko who we rescued.

Below you will see some of my favourite pictures of Suki, some with me in them too, there will never be another dog like her, and I am so honoured to have had her walking by my side for those 13 years.

We were truly inseparable, and Suki taught me so much. I am eternally grateful to her, treasuring the fact that she was mine and I was hers. Now, she is safe in my heart, pawprints front and center, the pitter patter of little feet echoing and resounding in my heart with each and every beat.

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