About ME

Do you fancy finding out more about me and why I became a trainer and behaviour specialist? Maybe you’re interested in how to become a dog trainer yourself, or simply learn more about what I believe in, how I train and the dogs I live with? This is where you can find out all of that and more!

Who am i?

Hi, I’m Heather, a proudly neurodivergent dog trainer and behaviour specialist. I’ve spent most of my life living with dogs of all different natures and backgrounds, but if you were to ask me a few years ago, I would never have called myself ‘passionate’ about them. Looking back I know that this is because they were more than just an interest for me, or a subject to read up on - they were family.

As a child and as a teenager (as well as an only child) the dogs I shared my life with were my furry siblings. I would play with them, be silly with them, set up ‘show jumping’ courses for them out of ladders and wood in the garden, using treats to get them to jump over, inspired by the things I was learning through my horse-riding lessons and not realising that Agility was already a well known dog sport (don’t worry, no dogs were saddled up and ridden during these activities). I helped with training them, I cuddled up on the sofa or the floor with them and I howled hysterical tears when goodbyes hit like a freight train.

It wasn’t until after I had left home and once I had (after a few years) reached the point of being stable enough to get a dog of my own with my husband that I started to realise just how passionate I actually was about dogs. That passion and realisation came from having a furry little life that was now dependent on me. Who I was responsible for, not my parents. The health, happiness and emotional wellbeing of this dog was entirely in my hands and I wholeheartedly wanted to do everything right by him. It was a passion for giving the dog I brought home the best life possible.

And, naturally, I didn’t always get it right. While I believed I had researched enough and knew enough, I definitely didn’t know everything and I was slowly learning that there were so many contrasting and contradicting opinions and advice out there when it came to raising a dog, making it hard to know what the right advice actually was. I knew in my heart what I did and didn’t want, however. I knew I wanted my dog to feel safe with me and I knew I wanted him to be happy. I found professionals that helped teach both him and me fantastic things, but I also found professionals that seemed to help at first, but whose advice and methods left me feeling uncomfortable - and that ultimately ended up creating problems of their own.

This passion for wanting to get things right, however, and wanting to understand more about my dog’s needs and how to help him when he was struggling, was what led me to the right trainer, who became my good friend, and who, along with my husband, encouraged the ideas that were starting to bloom, of wanting to help dog and puppy owners who were facing the same challenges I had and support them in ways I wish I’d found earlier, that led me to undertaking my first dog training course. And from there? Well, it’s safe to say I couldn’t get enough!

Who is Kyber?

Kyber is our 6 year old Golden Retriever and the dog who inspired me to begin my journey as a trainer and behaviour specialist. While we started off with rose tinted classes when we brought him home as a 9 week old puppy in 2019, he soon taught us that there was a lot more to puppyhood - and to adolescence - than we’d first thought… especially as, just before his 1st birthday, covid struck and we were suddenly faced with a teenage dog whose needs we were restricted from meeting properly. He struggled with frustration and, once lockdown started lifting, a lot of uncertainty and inability to cope in the wider world. It was through searching for ways to help him that I found myself on my own journey of learning more about dogs and how to meet their needs, which in turn grew into undertaking the qualifications I have today.

It was through this new knowledge and understanding that, while we were making great progress, I was able to identify that something still simply wasn’t ‘normal’ when it came to Kyber’s behaviour. This led to us looking for underlying causes which, with the help of a fantastic Clinical Animal Behaviourist, our wonderful vet and an orthopedic specialist, we finally found. He is now post knee surgery which, along with some anti-anxiety medication, has already made a huge difference to his behaviour. I am immensely proud of him and our focus now is simply keeping him healthy, happy and enjoying life, polishing up his training as we go and making sure the cheese-tax is always paid!

Who is Bandit?

Bandit is our nearly 2 year old Border Collie who joined us at 4 months old from Dogs Trust. Not much was known about his history, beyond the fact that his previous owners were struggling with his puppy behaviours, and as I was already working on a specialisation in Collies and herding breeds (and as we had already agreed that we were going to begin the process of bringing home another puppy soon) it felt as if the stars had aligned. If you thought that puppyhood is easier the second time around, however, you would be wrong… as were we. Even with the experience I had, the first few months were still exhausting and Bandit (as we had called him), was quickly living up to his name, full of thievery and mischief.

However, we knew more this time around and, while it was still tough, we worked our butts off to get some key concepts, management, training and enrichment in place, which has definitely paid off over the past year. He has his struggles still, especially around other dogs and moving vehicles thanks to his breed and age, but we are making progress every day. He loves working his ‘sheep’ during our herding games and I’m proud to be able to say that I have a collie who settles well and ‘switches off’ when indoors. While adolescence has definitely been a challenge it’s one we endured together and I am very proud of the dog he is now growing into!

More About ME

  • So far I have completed and currently hold certifications for:

    • PACT Level 5 Canine Behaviour Technician Course

    • PACT Level 4 Canine Training Instructor Course

    • CertHE Supporting Teaching and Learning in Primary Schools

    • Level 2 Canine First Aid

    • Canine Principles Canine Resource Guarding

    • Canine Principles New Puppy Consultation

    • Canine Principles Puppy Socialisation

    • Canine Principles Settling Through Scentwork For Highly Aroused Dogs

    • IMDT 1 Day Perfect Puppy

    • IMDT 1 Day Canine Body Language

    • IMDT 2 Day Career As A Dog Trainer

  • I don’t believe in using fear, pain or intimidation when it comes to training dogs. This is because I have seen first hand the negative effects it can have, both in the long and short term, and I understand the many different aspects of how and why it can go wrong, even if it appears to work at first.

    Instead I focus on using things that a dog finds rewarding, such as treats, toys, play and access to enjoyable experiences, to help them learn. This can either be through giving them these enjoyable things as a reward for doing something right, or withholding/removing these enjoyable things when a dog hasn’t made the right choice.

    I also believe that enrichment and understanding what dogs are genetically programmed to do has huge importance in how we view dogs and what to expect from them. A dog has a protected legal right to act and behave like a dog (Animal Welfare Act 2006) and too often as trainers we are essentially asked to stop a dog from acting like a dog… and it’s not hard to guess that this can often lead to more issues instead of solving the existing ones. For me, giving dogs safe and acceptable outlets for their natural behaviours and helping owners to meet their needs forms a big part of my training and behaviour support process.

  • I started out in the dog training industry through working for my friend’s dog training and behaviour business, teaching classes and private 1-1 sessions, until it was time to take the next natural step of starting my own business.

    Before switching to the dog training industry I worked as a 1-1 Additional Educational Needs Teaching Assistant in a local Primary School, working mostly with children in Key Stage 1.

    Prior to this I have worked in the hospitality industry, in a few customer facing roles.

  • After signing on to a couple of IMDT short courses I found that I wanted something to really sink my teeth into. After looking through some options online I came across PACT - the Professional Association of Canine Trainers - and fell in love with their ethos and course material, along with the fact that they were accredited by the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC), meaning that I would be eligible to join the ABTC register upon completion. I signed up for their Canine Training Instructor Course and adored every minute of it, from the welcome I received from the community to the way the courses were taught. I have been a proud member ever since, completing my second course with them - the Canine Behaviour Technician Course - in 2024.