dotty dog training
Do you long to have a relaxing walk, meet with friends and have your dog by your
side? But you end up feeling deflated, anxious and feel like you're letting your
best friend down? Hi I am Alex and I help dogs and their hard working owners to
live in harmony with one another. It all started with Captain... I started my
journey with a big and bouncy rescue Golden Retriever called Captain in 1993.
Captain was a bundle of fun, but always getting into mischief! He drove my poor
Dad up the wall with his antics! My funniest memory with him (but not so funny
for my Dad) was when my Dad was doing the undesirable task of digging out the
dog waste toilet that hadn't worked properly. He popped upstairs for a few
minutes, but whilst he was out of sight Captain decided to do some excavating of
his own and dug in the pile of poo! When my dad came back Captain, ran in the
house covered in poo, covering the house and then greeted my dad excitedly
covering him as well! We took him to training classes, but they said he was too
naughty to stay and called him “the fog," so we were politely asked to leave. I
knew he was such a clever boy, with so much potential, I just needed to find the
best way of training him so he could keep himself out of trouble and begin
focusing and listening to me. My enthusiasm was ignited, I read every book I
could find on the subject, and signed myself up to loads of courses. He loved to
learn, and together we trained and laughed and found our way! My career began...
I was working as a veterinary nurse at the time, but dog training and behaviour
was my real passion and in 2001 I followed my dream, by getting a job as a guide
dog mobility specialist at guide dogs. Working for guide dogs has given me a
real solid foundation into the world of dog training, and I continue to work for
them now, and absolutely love my job. However it wasn’t until my anxious and
reactive dog came into my life that I could gain a real understanding of the
loneliness and struggles that us anxious/reactive dog owners go through.
Building on my knowledge (qualifications) and understanding I continued to delve
deeper into the underlying emotions that my dog was going through, so I could
help him navigate life in a human world. Dotty dogs begins... I realised that
there were so many other owners out there going through the same challenges I
have been through, and that I could reach out and help them to gain a good
understanding of their dogs behaviour, with empathy and real understanding, so
Dotty Dogs was born! If you are reading this and are in need of some support,
please reach out to me and get in touch. I will listen with empathy and
understanding, and talk in a language you can understand. I will give you honest
and reliable advice and work with you to get the best possible outcome for your
dog. Behaviour change takes time, but I will help you and your dog through a
clear program giving realistic goals and non judgmental support. To find out
more please look through my services and book a free discovery call I look
forward to meeting you!