For Pups Sake

Hi, I’m Jo.

I’m a passionate dog trainer and behaviourist who wants to help you find the fun and joy in being a dog parent. I’m here to help you understand your dog. I’ll guide you through laying solid foundations so that you and your dog can handle whatever life throws at you with confidence.

I also help dog trainers nail the foundations of puppy training, taking your knowledge beyond basic training onto behaviour so that you can help more puppies and owners with certainty.

Let me tell you a bit about my story and what you can expect if you choose to work with me.

My values

🐾 Empathy 🐾 Kindness 🐾 Compassion 🐾 Positivity 🐾 Science-based🐾

I am a kindhearted and understanding person. I know that you want the best for your dog, and the last thing you need standing in your way is worries about being met with judgment or a wagging finger.

Rest assured, you’re safe with me. I treat both humans and animals with compassion and kindness. My methods are founded in science but don’t let that scare you away. It just means that our work together is based on achieving results using positive methods that work!

It’ll be fun, I promise!

How I help puppy owners

I personally work with you in your home and where you regularly walk your dog, enabling us to train together in real-life situations,

I work with puppy parents to establish a deeper understanding of our canine companions and to deliver clarity. I work alongside you, creating a tailored training plan, that paves the way for a lifelong relationship founded on trust and understanding.

It can be intense and incredibly tough at times when you welcome a dog into your life. Everyone has tips and advice for you, and Google is a minefield of conflicting information.

You might feel regret, guilt, and utterly confused when things aren’t quite the way you expected them to be. Let me reassure you, that’s totally normal.

Imagine having just one person to turn to, with who you feel comfortable enough to be completely open about your feelings. Having someone you trust who understands the challenges you face is a huge weight off your shoulders.

I invite you to let it all spill out. And I will support you and your dog with kindness, compassion, and effective training methods that will make life much happier for you

How do you know I am credible?

I first qualified as a Professional Dog Trainer and became a full member of the APDT UK in 2010, The APDT is a body established to assess dog trainers to ensure they practice with kind, fair, and effective training methods. I am now a APDT assessor, assessing new applicants for their membership.

But, there is a difference between a dog trainer and a dog behaviourist. A dog trainer is focused on teaching new behaviours like sit, down, or stay. A behaviourist studies further to understand what lies beneath a dog’s actions, preparing them to work with a dog to change behaviours.

So, I went on to acquire my certification as a COAPE Animal Behaviourist. And I continue to attend seminars and further training to ensure I am continually developing and enhancing my skills and knowledge.

• APDT: A full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 01095
• CAPBT: Coape association of pet behaviourist and trainers (QCF Level 4)
• ABTC: A training instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council
• ICAN: International Companion Animal Network Certified Animal Behaviourist
• UK DOG BEHAVIOUR & TRAINING CHARTER: A full member

I have over 18 years of experience working with dogs, cats, and their owners, of course!

I’m also a published author. When I became a mum to my son Logan, I saw a desperate need for accessible education for children to help them understand their childhood companions. I’ve now written two books WHAT DOGS LIKE and ASK THE DOG to help children (and parents) learn about dogs and how to interact with them in a safe and mutually respectful way. Available here.

I’ve also written for Dogs Today and Dogs monthly providing insight into training and behaviour cases such as Bear the rescue dog who was struggling with adapting to his new life, Bella the Frenchie who was terrified of nail trimming, and Archie the rescue dog who was frozen with fear.

You can take a peek at the tales of these wonderful dogs here.

I take pride in taking my expert knowledge and using it to make our training sessions together fun and educational, putting you as an owner and your pet’s needs first.

I’m here to help you develop the relationship you have with your dog and to help you understand why they do what they do.