If you think I got into dog training because I’ve always been a dog person, and one day the universe whispered, “This is your destiny!”...you’d be very wrong.
Growing up, I always had dogs around me. Both of my aunties were breeders, so naturally, I thought I already knew a lot about dogs. I mean, how hard could it be, right?
I wanted to understand 💖
Well, that confidence got seriously tested when I started pet sitting, spending my days caring for other people’s cats and dogs. Along the way, I kept running into the same questions:
Why can't this dog settle, even for a bit?
Why did that cat suddenly lash out?
Why are some dogs terrified of everything while others are just... zen masters? 🤨
I kept searching for answers but couldn’t find anything that really clicked with me. TV trainers said a lot of things that sounded kinda off like, “Hmm... I don’t know if I should trust you.”
I didn’t want to just follow what someone said was right. I wanted to understand.
So I started digging into animal behaviour, reading books, taking courses.
And the first one I ever tried positive reinforcement training on?
My rescue cat. Yup. A cat. 🐱
Her name was Morgan. I picked up a clicker and started experimenting with her. At first she looked at it like, “What on earth are you doing?”
But within a few sessions, she was sitting patiently waiting for the click before grabbing her treat, giving high fives, it sounds a bit bizarre, but I did this with her recall. Yes, you heard me, a cat with recall.
And I was like, “WAIT. THIS ACTUALLY WORKS?!”
That’s when everything shifted.
I realised training wasn’t about dominance or punishment, it was about understanding, communication, and building a relationship. I kept learning and growing, until one day...
Morgan and high-five with clean clicker training
Blessie arrived
I had always hoped Morgan would get to grow up with a dog, but during COVID, she passed away from cancer before that dream came true. 😢
So when Blessie came into my life, it felt like a fresh start. Like someone had handed me a blank canvas.
Raising her from a pup gave me the chance to put everything I had learned into practice, socialisation, manners, confidence building.
We grew together. We trained together. We even started visiting care homes together, where she became a certified therapy dog.
But honestly? She’s not just a therapy dog.
She’s my therapy dog.
I don’t know how she does it, whether it’s instinct or some kind of emotional sixth sense, but every time I’m on the verge of a panic attack, she quietly walks over and either sits on my feet or lays her head on my chest.
Like she’s telling me, “It’s okay. Take your time. I’m here 💕”
She doesn’t say a word, but she says everything I need to hear 🐶🥹💞
That’s what I love about training. For me, it’s not just about teaching a dog to sit or stop pulling on leash, it’s about helping people and their dogs build something real.
Something based on trust, understanding, and support.
Just like me and Blessie. ❤️
If you’ve read this far... thank you for letting me ramble 🐾
Every trainer has a different path, and this is mine. I’ll be sharing more of Blessie’s stories in future posts, from our therapy visits to some behind-the-scenes silliness (she’s not always that well behaved, let’s be real).
If you have a special furry friend with a story of your own, I’d love to hear it.
Message me or come find me on Instagram for a chat, I’m always up for a good pet story 💬
