I've been working with dogs and their guardians since 2010, beginning my career as a dog trainer before becoming increasingly fascinated by the emotional, social and cognitive lives of dogs. In 2016, I became degree qualified in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and in 2017 I began working professionally as a behaviourist, specialising in reactivity and separation anxiety, both of which I've also experienced personally through my own rescue dogs.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with thousands of puppies, adolescent dogs, adults and seniors, as well as welcoming rescue dogs and foster dogs into my own home. Those experiences continually reinforced one simple belief: behaviour can never truly be understood in isolation from the individual experiencing it.
I was professionally accredited for a period of time, but eventually chose to step away. As my understanding evolved, I realised I didn't want to reshape the ideas I was developing simply to fit within someone else's framework. Instead, I wanted the freedom to continue questioning, learning and following the evidence wherever it led.
In 2020, my perspective on dogs changed profoundly. I began looking beyond behaviour itself and exploring communication, emotion, attachment, cognition and relationships in far greater depth. Between 2020 and 2023, those ideas gradually developed into what is now Canine Dialogue Dynamics (CDD), which officially launched in October 2023.
Today, CDD is at the heart of everything I teach. Rather than focusing primarily on changing behaviour, it encourages us to understand the dog behind the behaviour, building communication, confidence and trust through everyday life. My work combines scientific understanding with practical guidance, helping people develop thoughtful, compassionate relationships that support dogs from puppyhood through to their senior years.
Above all, I believe our role isn't simply to train dogs what to do. It's to help them understand the world they live in, develop confidence in themselves, and build relationships where both dogs and humans can learn, grow and thrive together. That philosophy underpins every course, article and live session I create.
My own rescue dogs have been among my greatest teachers, continually reminding me that understanding and compassion achieve things that techniques alone never can.
Everything I teach is guided by my belief that dogs deserve to be understood, not controlled. My work is firmly rooted in fear-free, force-free and tool-free principles, with a strong commitment to protecting both emotional and physical wellbeing. I believe the all meaningful relationships are built through communication, trust and compassion, and I advocate against the use of aversive methods and equipment in all aspects of life with dogs.