Bramble & Olive

Bramble(left) and Olive (right) are my two wire haired standard dachshunds and i love them more than anything. Bramble is 4 and Olive is coming up for 2, both girls. They are my inspiration and motivation to keep learning and improving and when Olive started showing signs of reactivity when she hit adolescence, it made me step my game up and ultimately led to me pirsuing a career with dogs.

Rosalind

Notes: positive reinforcement. general professional experience. dog/animal experience. "I love dogs" = why I'm doing this. Grew up with cats, chickens in scotland. Over my life I've had a gargoyle gecko, rats, dogs, cats, chickens, fish. Passionaplte about animals. Growing up i rrallt wanted a dog and my very close friend had 4 - whose lives i was very much involved in from training to walking to dog sitting. They were a big part of my life Kaspa, Jensen, Tia and Heidi. When I moved to London I didnt expect to be able to have a dog for a very long time but when the pandemic hit and my partner and I found our jobs were able to be work from home, we decided to get a dog; bramble. When olive started showinf signs of stress and reactivity it triggered me to ramp up my learning about dog training and behaviour which sparked my interest and brought me to a profession that I feel true passion for. Following extensive research I started attending courses and have begun my steps to become an IMDT accredited trainer. While i start out, i will be focusing more on local dog walking and pet visit services but will also be offering 1-2-1 training in person and online at a reduced rate initially.

Ongoing professional development

I am passionate about providing the best possible service and to help animals live their best lives. As such, I believe it's important to never stop learning and challenging myself. For example, I actively engage with peers and have a network of professionals I can turn to along the way, and I also complete courses and attend workshops and seminars. Please see specific events attended and certifications achieved listed below.

• IMDT Practical Instructor, June 2024

• IMDT Career As A Dog Trainer, June 2024

• MK9Plus 'Meeting Them Needs' Challenge!, February 2024

Values

Notes: respect between client and professional
mutual respect between animals and humans
aligns with force free methods - asking for consent, respecting a dog where they're at, not judging anyone for what may have gone on before - we all do the best we can until we know better and ultimately I want to do my best to help you and your dogs live together more happily

Respect

Connection

Notes: i believe a v important part of dog training and dog care is abot improving the relationship between owner (parent) and animal. and a lot of that comes down to learning to understand and trust one another.

when learning to take care of a dog, there's so much information it can get overwhelming and there's also a lot of misconceptions. I want to help people understand their pets ('connect the dots') in order to better train and advocate for them and ultimately have better relationship and more confident dogs who know their people are there for them.

this is also why I use fear free, positive reinforcement methods.

I felt that the word connect was strong enough to link to all my values which is why I chose it as the name for my dog business.

Notes: endorphins(?) cuddle hormones from dogs.
dogs are mans best friend for a reason.
there is so much joy to be had in sharing your life with animals - but it can also be stressful and difficult at times. dog training and ownership can feel like a lot all at once.

dogs need enrichment and excitement and joy and outlets themselves. I want to help dogs live their best lives.

i understand the importance of breaking things down into manageable steps and believe in celebrating each little win/step of progress. positive reinforcement breaks things down and sets the dogs up for success after success that will be more reliable longterm than fear based techniques....

something else?

Joy

Before proceeding with providing professional services, I will have finalised a suitable insurance policy. I will update that here.