Dog training and behaviour in the UK is an unregulated industry. What do I mean by that?
Well, what I mean is that anyone, literally ANYONE can just open a dog training or dog behaviour business.
The terms “dog trainer” and “dog behaviourist” are not protected titles in the same way that “dentist” “doctor” and “lawyer” are. If someone with no qualifications or experience decides to say “I’m a doctor” they are breaking the law! If they tried to diagnose or treat you, they are actually doing something illegal.
Sadly, this is not the same for if someone decides they want to be a dog trainer, or a behaviourist.
We have all seen it, everyone on Facebook thinks they are a dog training expert. When people ask for help with their dog (which they shouldn’t see here: Should you look for dog training advice on social media? (nosetotrail.co.uk) ) 50+ local “experts” reply straight away with what worked for their tiny cockerpoo, or what worked for their brother, sister, neighbour! Some of these people even having dog training businesses but they may not be someone you want to trust to care for your dog as they could be using inappropriate methods that may make your dog’s behaviour problem worse. This is something I see very often with “reactive dogs”. Dogs that bark, lunge, pull on the lead. There are many “trainers” who think these dogs are “out of control” because of something the owner has done. They often say you need to “be the boss” and “dominate” your dog. The truth could not be any further apart. Reactivity can be caused by a whole heap of different reasons including anxiety, fear, pain, and frustration. If a dog’s reactivity is being caused by an undiagnosed health condition which is making them feel pain every day, then yanking it around on a slip lead is never going to resolve that problem!
So who should you trust? And why should you trust what I say? Why book your dog in with Nose to Trail?
Let’s look at qualifications first of all.
My first degree was in Psychology. I have a BSc (Hons) Psychology from Durham University. In my first year (ergh way back in 2008, I am getting old!) I covered animal learning and cognition as a module. This was what sent me down the route of wanting to work with animal training as I got older. My lecturer (Anthony McGregor) was AMAZING, he had taught rats to do cool things with mazes to test their memory capability. I’m not a huge rodent fan, the bald tails give me the creeps, but he did a lecture about Herman’s work on dolphin cognition and that was it, I was hooked! People laughed at me when I said I wanted to work with dolphins but that only spurred me on more. Fast forward to 2011 shortly after completing my BSc(Hons) in Psychology and there I was working as a dolphin trainer in the Caribbean using reward based training techniques just like I now use on dogs.
While doing my psychology degree I started volunteering to get any animal training experience I could, doing placements at the local animal care college, the Blue Reef aquarium (seal training!), Blackpool Zoo (sealion and bird training) and so on. After I graduated, I started working on a Master’s degree in applied animal behaviour and welfare at Newcastle University. This course was specifically designed to meet the requirements for Clinical Animal Behaviourist status meaning that certain modules that I covered were preparing me for the job I do now. Midway through my degree I got offered the job in the Dominican Republic so I paused my studies, worked the dream job training animals in the Caribbean before coming back to the UK to finish my master’s degree.
When I was finishing my Master’s degree I was then the Animal Centre Manager for the Blackpool & North Lancs branch of the RSPCA. This was a very emotionally challenging job which I then left in 2014 to work as a lecturer in animal behaviour and welfare. When working as a lecturer I then got my PGCE teaching qualification. Something that really helps with my dog training as it helped me to understand how to plan lessons, but also how to adapt my teaching style for the individual owner in front of me.
Alongside my main qualifications I regularly do professional training courses as CPD (continued professional development). These vary in topic each year, but I deliberately pick things that will help me to better the service I offer for my clients. This year I have done courses on separation related behaviours, pharmaceutical interventions for dog behaviour problems, canine first aid and adolescence (teenage) dog problems. Next year I hope to finally be doing my pet trailer instructor training, if covid finally allows the instructor over from Austria!
But dog training is not just about qualifications!
That’s very true, as academic studies are great, but they are no use if the trainer cannot put into practice what they have learn and read about.
I have over 10 years of experience training a wide range of species of animals, primarily rescue dogs in my jobs for the RSPCA (Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and Dogs Trust Dog School and this has been assessed by varying organisations.
I have been assessed and hold full membership for Professional Association of Canine Trainers (pact-dogs.com) . This also gives me ATI – Animal Training Instructor status with the ABTC, The Animal Behaviour Training Council. The assessment is rigorous! There is a written theory exam, a practical dog training assessment where I had to teach 6 unfamiliar dogs and their owners a variety of life skills and then an oral assessment where I had to justify everything I had done in the practical.
If you’re not based in Shropshire/Cheshire then the ABTC website is where you want to go to look for a safe, ethical, reward-based trainer in your local area.
I have also been further assessed by the APBC, the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors to reach Clinical Animal Behaviourist status. Once again, this assessment was very thorough. I had to submit training videos, videos of my consults with clients along with copies of all my paperwork, proof of risk assessments and insurance documents before once again justifying and discussing all my chosen methods with my assessors in my viva (oral assessment). Because I am a full member of the APBC if you require behavioural help for your pet, you may be able to claim this through your pet insurance.
I do work remotely for behaviour cases, particularly to help pets with separation anxiety so if this is something you need support with then do get in touch on info@nosetotrail.co.ukbut if you would like face to face support and you are outside of my area then look for a Clinical Animal Behaviourist on the ABTC website.
Alongside running Nose to Trail I also currently act as the Behaviour Advisor for my local RSPCA (Crewe & Nantwich branch) and for Spanish Water Dog Rescue. My passion for rescue dogs is something that I take home with me as I have my own little rescue dog Rico. You can hear more about my rescue work in the recent podcast from K9 Nation (K9 Nation: Working and living with rescue dogs on Apple Podcasts)
Award winning!
On top of my qualifications, accreditations and experience you may also like to know that I have won both local and national awards for my dog training and dog behaviour work.
Dog Trainer and Behaviourist of the Year ( North West) 2022 from the Lux Life Pet Product and Services Awards.
Dog Trainer of the Year 2020 – 2022 from the North England Prestige Awards
Clinical Animal Behaviourist of the Year 2021 – Small Business Awards
Finalist for Top Dog Mentor Dog Wellbeing in the Tailwise Bark Mark Awards
Dog Trainer Behaviourist of the Year 2018 in the National Animal Star Awards
And if you would rather read reviews from past and present clients then you can find those on Facebook: Google and Dog Friendly
Hopefully this goes to show you that in an unregulated industry you can trust Nose to Trail to help you in the right way to work through your dogs’ problems however if you still aren’t sure or if you have any questions at all then please do just get in touch on 07506059019 or info@nosetotrail.co.uk
This blog was sparked by a potential client saying they hadn’t heard of Nose to Trail before and they wanted to know why they should choose training with me. If you have any questions or areas to do with dog training and behaviour that you would like me to cover please do get in touch to let me know. Picking topics for blogs is hard and I would like to spend my time writing about things that people are interested in!