Dog Training in Bristol
& South Gloucestershire

“My Hart Dog” was born from my journey with a very special dog called Otter.

 

It is a story about grief and admitting that sometimes we just need to accept the dog in front of us and not the one we planned, longed and hoped for. When we allow ourselves to do that, let go a little, and accept our imperfect perfect dogs, then the bond we have deepens into something incredibly special.

 

Very soon after bringing her home at 8 weeks old, we realised that she was different. She was hesitant, anxious and lacked confidence which is fairly unusual in a young puppy. Things become complicated when she broke her leg at only 5 months old. This made it difficult building confidence and resilience.

 

 

Her injury and subsequent vet visits reinforced her deep suspicion of strangers and anxiety around novel situations. She didn't feel safe and also at times in a lot of discomfort.

 

In the early days of her rehabilitation, when she was on crate rest and short lead walks, we focused on scentwork which she loved. Scentwork is both mentally stimulating and relaxing at the same time, so brilliant for my quirky, nervous Otter.

 

I truly believe scentwork and then gundog training has been transformational, giving her agency and freedom to live a fulfilled and content life.

 

Being a dog trainer and having a background in psychiatry and neuroscience helps me understand how the emotional state of a dog can drive undesirable and distressing behaviours such as lunging, barking, and over-reacting towards other dogs and people. Just like humans, dogs express their emotions through the way they handle their bodies. A large part of what I do is helping dog owners understand how their dogs are feeling and why, whilst giving them the tools to help them manage challenging situations and start enjoying life together. This could be simply teaching their dog how to be more comfortable meeting other dogs  on walks or people, to feeling more content and and relaxed at home.