My story
Rescuing Oreo seven years ago has been life changing in a beautiful way. He was a 4 months old puppy, full of ticks and fleas, with a tummy so bloated he could hardly walk, and he had been locked up in a stable during the most critical stage of his life.
So far he has been my biggest challenge and invaluable mentor. I am sure I would not have been on this path had it not been for his difficult puppyhood (and perhaps genes) that resulted in his anxious demeanour.
When he developed a severe fear of other dogs I set up D&B Doggy Daycare so that he had a safe environment to run free and socialise with his favourite friends. From then on I studied, got qualified as a dog trainer and now I am helping other rescue dog parents prepare their pups for whatever life challenges come their way.
Those early years with Oreo were humbling. I tried things that didn't work. I got conflicting advice from people who meant well but didn't really know him. I felt responsible for his fear in a way that was exhausting. He still has his quirks — he's reactive, he guards his things, and he'll never be the off-lead-at-the-park dog. But he's settled. He feels safe. And watching that happen made me understand what rescue dog owners actually need: not generic advice, but someone who gets their specific dog and helps them build a specific plan.
That's what I set out to do.
The people who find me tend to be a particular kind of person. They think carefully about their dog's welfare. They read things, research things, sometimes overthink things. They adopted a rescue dog because they wanted to make a difference — and now they're in the thick of figuring out what that actually means day to day.They're not looking for someone to take over. They're looking for someone to help them understand what's going on and what to do next.If you've read this far, I suspect that might be you.
The people I work with
Qualifications
I trained because Oreo needed me to. And then I kept training because find it fascinating — the behaviour, the science, the way dogs make sense once you understand what they're communicating.
Here's the formal side of things:
Education:
Art conservation, BA, Technical Educational Institute of Athens, Greece, 2006-2010
History of Design, MA, Royal College of Art/Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, 2014-2016
Certificates:
Professional Daycare and Boarding, Level 3, OFQUAL, 20/10/2019
Principles of Dog training and Behaviour, Level 3, IMDT, 7/7/2019
Career as a dog trainer, 28-29/4/2018
Practical Instructor, 28-31/5/2018
First Aid Certificate, 20/12/2016
Workshops:
The consultation and follow up report, IMDT 2-3/6/2018
The perfect puppy foundations, IMDT, 9/6/2018
Courses:
Dealing with the boogeyman- helping fearful reactive and stressed dogs, Amy Cook, FDSA
Management for reactive dogs, Amy Cook, FDSA
Relationship building through play, Denise Fenzi, FDSA
Finding five- training for a busy world, Chrissi Schranz, FDSA
Naled it! Nail trimming, Deborah Jones, FDSA
Seven days to a more confident dog, Julie Daniels, FDSA
Transforming triggers into cues, Kathy Sdao, FDSA
How to house train your dog, Deborah Jones, FDSA
Crate training dogs: happy crating for life, Sarah Stremming, FDSA
Before Baby! Setting the stage for a new baby in the family, Tania Lanfer, FDSA
After Baby! Promoting safe parallel play and coexistence, Tania Lanfer, FDSA
The Fenzi Method: Cutting Corners to Loose Leash Walking!, Denise Fenzi, FDSA
Denise Fenzi’s Circle Method for Basic Reactivity and Over Arousal, Denise Fenzi, FDSA
Ethological Contributions to Behavior Problems in Dogs, Kim Brophey, FDSA
Strategies for Training the Atypical Dog - Part 1: Concepts and Overview, Sharon Carroll, FDSA
Strategies for Training the Atypical Dog - Part 2: Specific Examples / Case Studies, Sharon Carroll, FDSA
Working with dogs that lack enthusiasm, Sharon Carroll, FDSA
Perfect Patterns: How to use patterns to build your puppy’s confidence, Sara Brueske, FDSA
Behavior Modification: Practical solutions for behavior issues, Sharon Carroll, FDSA
Conferences:
Lemonade Conference 2020
The empowered dog training Conference 2020
Lemonade Conference 2021
Memberships:
Member of IMDT since 5/10/2018
PPN (Pet professional network)
PIF (Pet Industry Federation)
If any of this resonates — the uncertainty, the second-guessing, the wanting to do right by a dog who's had a complicated start — I'd love to have a conversation.
The first call is free, and there's no obligation to go further.