'What's the difference between a know it all and a true expert? An expert is someone who never stops learning'- world class dog trainer and agility champion Susan Garret

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This statement really sums up my philosophy in my dog training practice, since 2007 when I began working with dogs  I have learnt so much from each dog I work with and they have shaped the learning path I have followed because of the challenges they brought to my work. 

My foundations in dog training came from my Tellington T Touch Practitioner Training which I completed in 2010 and began working with 1-2-1 clients helping dogs with reactivity, handling and grooming struggles, lead walking challenges and noise sensitivity. This gentle hands on technique and encourages the dog to learn calmness, balance and body awareness and improves both physical and mental flexibility, it is an excellent addition to any dog owners' toolkit to help develop better communication and understanding between you and your dog. it is also easily integrated into standard training packages and can be helpful in increasing calmness and confidence in your dog.

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I continued my Dog Training knowledge further by joining the IMDT dog instructor programme in 2017 which really became a springboard into the world of science based dog training, after studying over 2 years and successfully completing the IMDT instructor assessment with Merit I proudly became a member of the Institute of Modern Trainers (IMDT). As part of this organisation I am bound only to advocate positive, reward based training methods backed by up to date science based research, to educate and advise owners on the pitfalls of punishment or aversive training methods or tools and grow their understanding of their dogs behaviour to build confident, happy canines and deepen relationship and communication between dog and owner.

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Following my IMDT qualification I have then become very immersed in the world of 'concept' dog training, after taking on the Absolute Dogs Pro Dog Trainer and Geek online courses and completing both during lockdown. This type of dog training is fast growing and becoming more the 'go to' approach for positive modern dog trainers, largely because it allows dog owners to work easily on their dogs struggles at home in a safe, non-confronting environment. it generally is alot more successful and delivers more consistent and reliable behaviour changes as the dogs learn more effectively in a low stress supportive environment. In concept training we aim to reshape the dogs emotional responses and skills using simple 3-minute games that can be easily enjoyed at home fitting in around your daily lives. We frequently use the dog's daily food allowance to help us reward and reshape the skills the dog needs to grow, or to provide enrichment and mental stimulation, we may also use toys or play where appropriate. Concept training could be used to develop confidence, focus, flexibility, calmness (that one is a biggie!) ,optimism, for most dog struggles there may be a few concepts at play but the game based approach easily tackles multiple concepts in one short game. Aside from the fact the games are pretty fun to play with our dogs, when they are practised regularly they effectively will reshape how the dog thinks and the choices they make, growing more of the behaviours that we like and much less of the behaviours that we would hope to see less of or eradicate all together. 

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