From conference interpreter to professional dog trainer – not your average career trajectory, but certainly one that has given me a unique perspective on dog behaviour and training
Where it all began
As a child, I always said I wanted to be a veterinary nurse (not a vet, specifically a veterinary nurse: apparently because they got to have more cuddles with the patients). Somehow that dream of a career with animals got left by the wayside as I grew older, and I instead ended up working as a conference interpreter for international institutions. Yet as much as I loved my job and all the exciting places it took me, there was something missing: a dog.
When the pandemic hit and I was forced to work from home doing written translation, I realised that I didn't miss the constant travelling and high-pressure environment of conference interpreting. I decided that I would continue to translate from home, at least for the time being; a decision influenced in no small part by the fact that this meant there would always be someone in the house, and I would therefore finally be in a position to own my first dog as an adult! Thrilled that I would now be able to fill that dog-shaped hole in my life, I applied to a local rescue organisation and ended up bringing home an 18-month-old German Shepherd x Staffordshire Bull Terrier who I named Lyra (after the lead character in my favourite children’s book series.)
That's right, I did a photoshoot with my dog - and I don't regret it for a second!
She was (and still is) an incredible dog in so many ways, but it wasn't all plain sailing. Little did we know when we adopted her that she would suffer from crippling separation anxiety that meant we couldn’t leave her on her own in the house at all, and that it would take me a year to get her to the point where she could be at home alone even for half an hour. When I adopted her I thought I knew a thing or two about dogs, but as it happened I still had a lot to learn.
And Perfectly Canine was born (eventually)
I’m not one to give up easily though, and I was determined to help her as best I could. The more I read about dog behaviour, the more fascinated I became. In the meantime, Lyra was making great progress, and a few people commented on what a good job I’d done with her. Then a thought occurred to me…maybe I could do this professionally! So I did my research, and started working towards earning the qualifications I’d need.
Two years of hard work later and here we are – I finally have my own dog training business. On my journey to launching Perfectly Canine I made plenty of mistakes, often finding that I would compare myself to other trainers and dog owners with their ‘perfect’ dogs. Then I had an epiphany: I don’t need my dogs to be perfect! Of course there is a standard of behaviour that they have to meet to keep everyone safe and ensure we all live in harmony, but it’s okay for them to make mistakes sometimes. After all, they’re dogs, not robots! This was illustrated perfectly by another dog I adopted along the way, a young Border Collie x Australian Kelpie who I named Crash after the similarly calamitous Crash Bandicoot of video game fame. Like Lyra he hasn’t been an easy dog, but he’s now a fully fledged member of the family and I have learned so much from him.
Don't be fooled by that handsome face, he's cooking up mischief...
Enough about me...what can I do for you?
These experiences formed the foundations for the ethos behind Perfectly Canine. I want to help people get the absolute best out of their dogs, but at the same time I want to show people that living with our dogs is a lot more fun when we focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have a great relationship with my dog than worry about ironing out their every flaw.
That is why I offer individually tailored training that takes into account what your dog is good at and what they’re…erm…not so good at. You’ll notice that none of my courses are called ‘TRY THIS ONE LIFE HACK TO STOP YOUR DOG PULLING ON THE LEAD!’ – that’s because I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Every dog is different, and they all learn in different ways too.
And while we’re on the subject of learning, there is ample scientific evidence that dogs respond far better to training where they are rewarded for good behaviour rather than punished for ‘bad’ behaviour. That’s why I only use modern, force-free methods that are supported by the latest canine behaviour research.
So if you want your dog to be perfect…ly canine, why not take a look at my services today and we can get started!