Hello!

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I am Maria, and I set up DoggleDog because I want to help people to get the best out of their dogs. 

 

As dog owners/guardians/carers it can be confusing to know where to get help and advice, especially if you are experiencing a problem with your dog's behaviour. There is so much information out there and sometimes we can unwittingly take the wrong advice, making the situation worse for us but especially for our dogs. 

Many people will have an opinion on how you should walk, train, feed or care for your dog - so confusing! You just want to do what's best for the both of you in the end and that is where I will help you - to get the best out of your best friend.

 

I live in Marden, Kent with my lovely rescue boy Paco - he is a Terrier mash-up. Having a dog of my own led me to dip my toe into the world of dog training because I wanted to know how to train him. From then my passion grew and I started to learn more about canine behaviour; it is remarkable how similar our dogs are to us.

There are things that I wish I had done differently with Paco in the early days and I certainly made some mistakes along the way - if only I knew then what I know now…

 

My mission is to help other dog owners to bring out the best in their dogs - happy dog, happy you.

 

My promise to you and your dog

I promise to:

• do my utmost to help you, whatever you need help with

• fully support you as we work through any of the training programmes

• never to judge you or make you feel bad or guilty 

• only use kind, ethical and effective methods to train your dog

• make a difference 

 

My training journey

I am an accredited dog trainer and member of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT) and have also trained with Sarah Whitehead of the Clever Dog Company. 
I have trained with Absolute Dogs to become a certified ProDog Trainer. I'm always looking for new and innovative ways to train and this method uses concept training, which shapes your dog's mind and personality through games. Rather than teaching individual behaviours, concept training focuses on changing a dog's mental outlook and emotional balance in order for them to achieve their full potential.

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Having recently studied with and graduated from Julie Naismith's SA PRO programme, I am now helping dogs and their owners overcome separation anxiety.

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I am continually learning - I'm not happy unless I'm doing a course; many of these I study with The School of Canine Science and have recently completed Michael Shikashio's Aggression in Dogs Master Course.

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I have an Advanced Diploma in Applied Animal Behaviour (canine), studied through Compass Education. 

 

Animal welfare is at the heart of everything that I do and so I am proud to be a member of the Dog Welfare Alliance. I also spent 18 months volunteering at the intake kennels at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home where I had the pleasure of meeting, training and walking lots of different dogs.

 

All of my training methods are individually tailored to the specific dog and owner that I am working with. I don’t believe that one size fits all – every dog is highly individual, just like us.   

I only use reward-based training methods and will often incorporate games into training programmes. If it's fun, then your dog is much more likely to learn and be successful, whilst also having a great time.

 

Sharing our lives with a dog, or any animal, is one of the most pleasurable things in life and when that starts to go wrong, for whatever reason, it can be difficult for you and your family but most of all for your dog.

 

Maybe you haven't got your dog yet and you need a bit of help and advice to get it right from the start.

 

If you need help with your dog please get in touch, I would love to hear from you.

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