 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |
ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Cat — a dog trainer based in Stratford with five years’ experience as a Guide Dog Trainer and an accredited member of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT). I use kind, science-based, positive reinforcement training to help you and your dog understand each other a bit better, build a happier life together, and have fun along the way.
How I Got Here
Before going self-employed, I spent five years as a Guide Dog Trainer, which honestly taught me most of what I know — how to read a dog’s body language, how behaviour really works, and why giving a dog choices matters so much. I even got to visit the Police Dog Unit (and experience a training exercise from inside the bite suit for a Malinois — definitely unforgettable!) and spent time with Medical Detection Dogs watching their incredible training in action.
But really, it all started with my first dog, Ike. We adopted him just before I started at Guide Dogs, and he was… a lot. A Collie x Rottweiler rescue who destroyed our house, lunged at everything, and dragged me down the road biting my arm the whole way. He was hard work — but he taught me more than any textbook could, and he turned into the most brilliant dog. He was my soul dog, and everything I do today is shaped by what he taught me. We sadly lost him last year, and he is missed every single day.
These days I share my life with Buddy, my wonderful 11-year-old Rottweiler x Labrador (who is motivated entirely by his stomach), and Pebbles, our Rottweiler puppy who is currently testing every bit of patience I have — and reminding me daily why early training matters so much! I’ll be sharing bits of her journey on Instagram and TikTok if you fancy following along.
We’ve also fostered for the RSPCA over the years, and we’ve had all sorts come through our door — bouncy, over-the-top youngsters needing to learn how to switch off, and dogs with some really tricky resource guarding that needed a lot of patience and careful work. I learnt something from every single one of them.
Continuing My Education
Dog training isn’t a regulated industry, which is why I believe it’s so important to keep learning and stay connected to a wider professional community. Being an accredited member of the IMDT helps keep me up to date with my continuing professional development and connects me with a network of like-minded trainers.
Some of the courses I’ve completed along the way include:
• Separation Anxiety, Tackling Reactivity, Training Good Habits & Canine Conditioning (Spirit Dog Training)
• Scent & Scentability (Pet Professional Guild)
• Animal Training / Clicker Training with chickens! (Educating Animals)
• Emotions in Dogs (Dogs Trust)
• A 5-day workshop on Understanding, Managing & Modifying Problem Behaviours with Chirag Patel (Domesticated Manners)
• Dog-Dog Aggression (School of Canine Science)
• Understanding Autism - to help me better support clients, because its not just about the dogs that I am teaching.
Before Dogs
Before dogs, my world was actually… sea turtles and sharks! I worked in marine conservation and aquariums, training sharks with target sticks and setting up enrichment for octopuses. It sounds completely unrelated, but it’s where my love of animal behaviour really began — and the same principles apply, whether you’ve got fins or four legs!
I genuinely love helping dogs and their owners build a happy, stress-free life together — and I really do get it, because I’ve lived the chaos myself!