Every dog teaches you something.
If I could go back years and tell myself one thing when I started, it would be that every dog that comes into your life will teach you something.
From Panda to CWB.
Photo: “Rover SD1 3500” by West Midlands Police, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 1980sPanda
(taken to the police station in a Panda car!)
A small black Labrador ball of fluff, found in a cardboard box in winter by police officers in Brierley Hill and taken to the station, where my mother worked for the CPS at the time. A few days later Panda came home with us, and my journey with dogs began. Her love of water, and tales of her sitting on our laps on long road trips to Scotland, are still told with much affection. (It was the 1980s, so don’t be too alarmed by the lack of safety standards that are now commonplace!)
- My first dog
Harvey
Another black Labrador rehome (can you see a theme developing yet?). A brilliant dog who, probably more by luck than knowledge, I trained to do a multitude of skills at my local park. He also became a Pets As Therapy dog for a time, and I was hooked on the emotional connection and joy that dogs bring.
FosteringPolice dog puppies
After Harvey came a long period of fostering police dog puppies, both German Shepherds and Springer Spaniels. I had no plans to start a training business back then. It was simply the right thing for me to do at that moment.
Recent yearsService dogs & Pinto
Three more dogs have graced our home in recent years, all belonging to service dog charities I also volunteer for. In a total change from Labs and Shepherds, a tiny male cavapoo arrived who loved nothing more than playing with Pinto (my most recent rescued black Labrador) and jumping on your lap for a snooze.
2023 →CWB Dog Training
(all with the help of another black Labrador, Jessie)
With retirement looming at the end of 2023 and wanting to do something for myself, I buried my head in books, webinars and courses, and it immediately ignited a passion for helping dogs and their owners. Relating all that knowledge back to the dogs I’d known, it all made sense. This is what I should do.
“The more I work with dogs, the more I see the individuals: their personalities, and how they make me think and adjust what I do to get my message across.”
Hearing from clients that they enjoy their time with their dog, or that they’ve passed my details on to a friend or relative, tells me I’m headed in the right direction.
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