Background

My love of animals goes back to my childhood, growing up with Siamese cats, gerbils, hamsters and goldfish. I always wanted a dog – what child doesn’t – but my sensible mum would not allow it as she worked extremely long hours and knew it would not be fair on the dog. So finally (aged 11) I gave up asking and instead decided that I would walk the next-door-neighbour’s German Shepherd dog (Kaiser) every day when I got home from school. I was so keen to learn that I even went along to his training classes and it was here that I first learnt about the importance of leadership when dealing with dogs.

Looking back the classes used old-fashioned methods but as a small child (at 11 I was very short for my age – I still am!) I understood straight away that if I was to have any control over the huge dog by my side I would need to make sure I was strict with him, rather than just cuddling him all the time! Pretty soon I was confident enough to walk Kaiser on my own and I will always be grateful to those neighbours for trusting me enough to do this. Kaiser was a wonderful dog, a true gentle giant with a loving nature and a fun personality. Although he wasn’t actually mine, I still think of him as my first dog and will always remember him fondly.

Obviously, once I left home and university I very quickly ended up with my true first dog – Pommie. In contrast to the big GSD of my teenage years, Pommie was a toy dog, a rescue Pomeranian from The National Animal Welfare Trust. I worked at the Trust as a Kennel Hand and Pommie was one of the first dogs I met at the centre. He was about 2 years old and due to a terrible story of abuse in his early life he was left with extreme nervous aggression towards everyone and everything. If he had been a big dog, he would probably have been put to sleep, but luckily he was only a tiny 2.5kilos and so incapable of any real damage – though he did try very hard to inflict it sometimes! Anyway, Pommie was in my allocated kennel block so I had no choice but to try to get on with him. After 3 months of hard work and patience, I could finally stroke him, pick him up and play with him without getting attacked. By this time, of course, I had become devoted to this little demon dog and we quickly became inseparable to the point where I adopted him.

Pommie was my first lesson in dealing with problem dogs and I went on to deal with many more, both at the rescue centre and in my own home. The National Animal Welfare Trust has a non-destruction policy, which means that the animals in their care are not put to sleep unless this is necessary due to illness. Because of this excellent policy, some of the dogs at the centre had behavioural problems – such as aggression - which made them unsuitable for re-homing. During my time at the Trust I soon took on the responsibility of working with these difficult dogs and it was this period of my life which first sparked my interest in becoming a dog behaviourist. Later on, I also started to take in cats and rabbits from troubled backgrounds and it was then that I learnt that it is possible to build confidence and resolve issues with other animals, not just dogs. Gradually, my interest and experience with problem pets increased to the point where I decided to earn qualifications in the area so I could help other people with their pets too.

The rest, as they say, is history, and The Pet Experience has grown from a small part-time job in Bedfordshire to a busy full-time business here in Dorset. I am very well known in Weymouth and Dorchester with a widespread reputation of success. My training techniques and behavioural methods have also grown over time as experience has taught me that no two pets are alike and no two owners are alike. I can therefore work with you and your pet/s as individuals and teach you according to your specific needs.

If you are unsure as to whether you need behavioural help or obedience training for your dog then please click on the Behaviour Counselling page for examples of common problems.

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