I am Denise Nuttall and I started life living on a farm. Five years ago when I moved on from an investment banking career, people thought it was a dramatic change. In fact, the weirdest thing was that I was a banker in the first place. I always wanted to be a vet!

So, why the move from banking to dog behaviour? Well it all started with my own dog! We took on a beautiful puppy Dalmatian at 6 weeks of age. Six months later we wondered what was going on! All our time seemed to be taken up running around after a very naughty dog. Our clothes were in tatters from her enthusiastic play biting and our nerves were in shreds. In an effort to get her on the straight and narrow I read anything and everything about dogs and behaviour. I read Jan Fennel with interest and I must admit the biggest changes at that time came from what I read there. However, later on I realised that there is more to dog behaviour than the five principles of Amichien!

Shining with the success of managing to get our beautiful puppy mainly under control at last (now a dog!) I started to help out friends with their problem pooches. Increasingly it became obvious to me that life was going to be about helping people to live happy lives with their dogs! I embarked on a very thorough training course run by the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (www.coape.co.uk/ ) and discovered the most amazing dog behaviour modification techniques. Since completing the Advanced Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training it has been like removing a blindfold! Most training and behaviour problems are now very clear to me and in most cases I can help people to very quickly restore the equilibrium in their household!  Then I applied to become a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (http://www.apdt.co.uk/ ). The APDT promotes rewards based training and prohibits the use of punishment. In order to become a member trainers are physically assessed to ensure that they meet the prescribed standards. I was pleased to be accepted and my membership number is 00963. 

Whilst I was working in banking I learned how to communicate very effectively with people and also how people learn best. As a result I can help people quickly because I understand how people learn. Also, I KNOW what it's like having a dog which is out of control and behaving very badly... including biting! So, if you want to talk to someone who really knows how difficult it can be living with a very naughty dog, come and have a chat with me, we can compare stories! I really am very approachable!

Over 2 years ago I started to work with the Waggy Tails dog rescue charity. They are a fantastic group of volunteers dedicated to helping dogs find new homes. Some dogs that arrive in the centre have just had hard luck and ended up there through no fault of their own. Some dogs are a bit naughty and their owners can't cope any more so they end up in rescue. For the dogs in the latter category I support Waggy Tails in rehabilitating them either in the clinic or in their foster homes. I also run a Training and Behavioiur clinic at Waggy Tails in Wimborne Road, Ferndown on Mondays at 12.45 p.m. This is intended for the more simple cases and is by appointment. To make an appointment call 01202 875000. There is a small charge of £5.00 which goes to the charity as I support them in a voluntary capacity.

Contact me or call me on 01202 861340 or 07764 250554

Hello, my name is Fleur Broderick and I have been warmly welcomed by Denise to assist on Thursday evening classes to continue my learning about dog training and behaviour.  Like Denise I am also an APDT qualified Dog Trainer, I am also studying the COAPE courses and have completed the ‘Think Dog’ course and hope to continue with an Advanced Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training in the future. 

My interest in dogs started after years of pestering my parents for a dog when I was in my early teens and eventually they gave in and we adopted a wonderful bouncing Boxer called Bonnie.  I was smitten and we went everywhere together.  We were extremely fortunate in that she didn’t have any particular behaviour issues and believed the only reason she ended up in rescue was due to her delicate stomach and as the previous owner was a butcher, we think that her intolerance to rich meat proved to be the problem.

 

My next rescue Boxer was a completely different story and it was her that got me wanting to learn about behaviour problems!  Her name was Holly; she suffered separation anxiety, was aggressive to other dogs and occasionally strangers too.  After years of hard work and dog training classes she definitely improved and so did my understanding of canine behaviour.  She was a wonderful dog in many ways but perseverance really does pay.

 

I am now the proud owner of a lovely border collie x cocker spaniel, Izzy, my first dog that has been purchased from a pup.  This decision was based on having two young children by then and wanting a medium sized dog.  We met the dam and the sire and both had fantastic dispositions, the puppies were bred in a home environment with young children so the foundations of early socialisation had started.  I built on this with more exposure to the outside world and attended training classes from puppy classes to advanced level as she reached maturity. Apart from the usual puppy antics everything has gone well and she has developed into a lovely 6yr old companion to us all.

 

I hope from my encounters  both of my own dogs and others I have assisted, that I can help and support owners on their journey to experience the pleasures of owning a well mannered dog.

 

Fleur Broderick (APDT member 00928)

 

 

Hi there, I’m Lindsay and I help with the Puppy Classes at Stapehill on Tuesday evenings.

I started off my training experiences with teaching my guinea pigs to jump over a house brick for a piece of bamboo when I was around 8 years old! I have always had a great interest in animals, particularly dogs and horses.

As a child, I longed for a dog of my own, but had to “make do” with walking the neighbourhood dogs until I managed my parents to let us have our first dog, a Lab x Whippet, called Trina. I’d been walking/training her for a few years, so she knew us and we her, very well. She was generally very biddable: however, she had a very strong chase instinct with cats, the fault of her previous owners partly, who had encouraged her to chase cats out of their garden!

When I left home, I shared my life with 2 highly active Belgian Shepherds. I learnt so much from them, and my life revolved around being with them. At first I used older fashioned training methods, but soon removed the choke chains and trained in my own way, and ended up with dogs who were totally responsive and very special companions.

I currently have a gorgeous Belgian Tervueren bitch, Banya. Not the easiest of dogs, but she has taught me such a lot. We’ve done a variety of training, with the original idea of agility influencing our early experiences, but we ended up training more for working trials. I loved the search square and watching my dog use her natural scenting abilities. I often use the clicker for teaching new behaviours.

I’ve attended various workshops with her, and during our time together my interest in training and behaviour has deepened. I’ve attended several seminars held by the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and previously completed the original “Think Dog!” Course with the Animal Care College. I’ve just finished a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training and am going on to top up with Sparsholt college at Winchester, to (hopefully!) gain an honours degree in Applied Animal Behaviour. I’m also a subscriber member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and hope to gain full membership after assessment.

I am very grateful to Denise for originally giving me the opportunity to help out at PawsinHand during my work based learning module for my foundation degree. I’m passionate about helping owners have a great relationship with their dogs, and for the training to be both enjoyable and effective.