I have always loved dogs, and have never been without one, but my interest in training them and, more specifically, the psychology behind how they learn and why they do what they do, came about when I got my Transylvanian Hound, Nova - to quote my vet, a breed that 'is not for the faint hearted'.

I knew everything about having my own dog, in theory, but every dog is different, each have their own unique personality and with that their own challenges. Nova is very independent and has an incredibly high prey drive and I simply didn't know how to motivate her as much as a fluffy squirrel tail could - now I do, and thats why having a strong relationship with your dog and good engagement from them is such an important part of my training philosophy.

I also regularly take Nova on courses that allow her to use her nose and give her an outlet for her strong instincts, these activities include: Mantrailing, tracking and scent detection.