Small Beginnings

I was raised among generations of animal lovers; my parents and grandparents owned horses, dogs & birds. As a result of this I disappeared for many hours a day and could always be found tending to the animals.

In 1976 my interest in dog behaviour began when I attended training classes with my two rough collies; Sheena and Clodagh. At this point, the whole idea of training was new to me, but I soon realised that there had to be a better way to train dogs to be well behaved than the harsh methods that were being demonstrated. Consequentially, I became passionate about making the world a better place for dogs and their owners.

Animal Rescue

In 1985 I began rescuing dogs, cats and other small ‘furries’ with a charity set up by myself and two friends, called Animal Lifeline.  This led to me starting up on my own, with Nestledown Animal Rescue.  I spent many years hand rearing puppies and kittens for the RSPCA and The Cat Protection League.  During this time I also began my own dog grooming business called Pride and Groom, which I ran for 15 years.

In 2000 I took on a small holding in Kent, which was home to many rescue animals including horses, miniature ponies, sheep, goats, chickens and a chinchilla, which I commuted to daily.

In 2016, my family and I relocated to Eythorne (Nr. Canterbury in Kent) where I  currently live with my family, my two dogs Shannon, a terrier, and Pippa, an ex-racing Greyhound and all of our other furries – small and large.

Dog Behaviourist

In 2006 my journey continued when I joined The Natural Animal Centre to study and qualify in Equine Behaviour.  I am now currently studying Canine Behaviour and have a distinction Adv. Dip in Canine Behaviour & Psychology, a distinction in Cynology and Canine Communication and an Adv. Dip in Life Coaching. I am currently taking a GDip in Animal Behaviour Management.

I am a full member of The Pet Professional Guild BI and International Canine Behaviourists (ICB) and a Certified Animal Behaviourist through the International Companion Animal Network (ICAN) can be found on the RCDTBP register.

I attend many workshops and seminars throughout the year to keep up to date with modern day research and methods. My ethical training approach, as a dog behaviourist, centres around positive reward based training as I believe that this is the kindest and most effective way of training.

One of the goats - Milo. Unimpressed with his winter rug.

For areas covered, please see the ‘FAQs’ page.