After years of begging my parents, they finally gave in and got me a dog. He was the prettiest boy in the pack but also the biggest. Little did we know he had a long list of behavioural issues, but I suppose when they’re a rescue you never really know what you get.

Like any responsible dog owner we headed straight to puppy preschool. This was the beginning of a new journey. Our little boy hid underneath the chairs and didn’t want to play or participate in any activities or interact with the other puppies. Instead of the trainer working with him to build confidence, he dismissed his behaviour and forcefully handled him.

After taking him to different group classes and consulting with multitudes of other trainers, it was clear that I didn’t know enough. Even after trying to implement all the techniques researched and  learnt, he struggled.

My passion for animals was apparent from a young age, but dogs always had my heart. After working tirelessly with my own boy and trying so hard to build his confidence, I developed passion for helping dogs overcome their issues. I also wanted to learn how to help my own boy in the process, which led me to get become a qualified trainer with an interest in reactivity and aggression. Meanwhile I was working with Dog Crew as a pet welfare member learning new skills, body language and dog handling techniques on a daily.

I promise to always do whatever I can to help not only dogs but their owners as well who are unaware of the subtle behavioural signs their dogs are sending. I aim to teach owners the importance of learning their dogs behaviour and trying to build confidence in themselves and ultimately the dog.

My goal is to help people understand and identify what it is our dogs are trying to communicate, especially during the vital early developmental stages of puppyhood. This is the most critical part of creating strong and confident dogs. This is where a trainer could have guided me and my dog on the correct path, but instead made a remark about his breed. He’s a bully mix of unknown origins, and yes some dogs have a predisposition to fear and aggression, so the quote “it’s all in how we raise them” has become a saying I have come to hate. After learning the influence of genetics during thousands of years of purposefully bred dogs, it become clear that sometimes nature is of greater influence than nurture.

There is no single tool or magic trick that can help your dog overcome all their fears. It is a multitude of techniques and understanding the individual dog. Their needs, desires and fears, working out how to build them up through positive reinforcement and communication I believe is key to dog training.