Sit
Dog Training
I started
Sit Dog Training in 2005 as a hobby while still carrying out my day
job, working for my family's firm of electrical engineers, where I was
mainly involved in general office work and producing Computer Aided
Design drawings. I left their after 13 years in June 2007 to pursue
my love of dog training full time.
Life Experiences.
Not only
have I gained oodles of experience with the raising of my three daughters,
this requires parental leadership skills of which for me is also the
foundation of good dog ownership, I have also required many social skills,
through past employment, and involvement in many pastimes, some of which
include, Horse ownership and competition; Owning & riding a classic
motorcycle; Performing on stage with various societies, both acting
and singing; Learning and playing various instruments, the piano, the
recorder, the guitar, my next aim is to play the drums.
I enjoy keeping
fit and like to run, I have competed in the Great North Run, the Doncaster
Half Marathon, various other 10k, 5k races and walked the Moonwalk.
Employment. & Education.
I left school
at 16 to train at Doncaster Art College in the 70's and gained a Diploma
in Graphic Design, a certificate in window display and an 'O' level
Art.
My first job found me working as a Window Dresser in Doncaster, I then
left home and moved south to work as a Hosiery Consultant then a Store
Detective for Debenhams, Surrey and then to London to continue as a
Store detective in Miss Selfridge, I then went on to work for the Civil
Aviation Authority as a chauffuese where I drove such interesting people,
such as Douglas Bader, Sheila Scott and Air Marshall Sir Ivor Broom.
During working for the CAA I met my husband. During my marriage and
raising of my three girls I had part time jobs firstly as a childminder
then school photographer, before moving back to Doncaster I had a Christmas
job in Woolworths. I also fitted in some freelance jobs over the years,
designing for an advertising agency and also producing artists impressions
of houses for a property developer.
Producing pet
portraits is another passion, one which has been sorely neglected
over the years, but have plans to get back to.
I have also been involved in designing the artwork for my Theatre company
for their programmmes, Flyers & Posters and have designed my website
and recently the website for my new venture K9
Konnections.
My Dogs & other pets.
As far back as I can remember I have always had a love of animals, any
animal, always bringing injured birds home and feeding the hedgehogs
in the garden, we always had cats around and I had a tortoise (who we
called Houdini) as he was always escaping, a rabbit and a mouse. I so
so longed for a pony and a dog, always drawing them, and dreaming of
them, I remember Sugar Puffs once had a competition to win a pony, I
really thought I was in for a chance, but no, disapointment again. I
used to take all the neighbours dogs for walks. I remember going for
a caravan holiday with my parents to Wales, I was about seven, they
were giving away border collie pups on the farm where we stayed, I pleaded
with my parents to let me have one, but I wasn't allowed, I cried the
whole journey home form Wales to South Yorkshire. My Mum nearly relented
a few years later when on holiday in Bridlington, a large department
store there were selling Beagle puppys. But again I wasn't allowed.
When I was ten I learn't to ride at a local riding school, Miss Shaw's,
and when I was thirteen, I was lucky and bought a pony, (secretly) I
had been riding Kim for his owners and they said they needed to sell
him, my Mum agreed that we would buy him without telling Dad, I drew
my saving from the post office, all £13 of it as a deposit, he
cost £60 including tack! My dad found out some weeks later and
said "Oh well better pay the rest" there was never a prouder
man at the Gymkhanas. You would think that I would be satisfied but
my yearning for a dog however never wained. Even though I had been bitten
twice, once by a stray dog running up to me in the street and biting
me on the knee and by a little terrier at the riding school, who I tried
to drag out from under a seat! stupid I know. The first opportunity
came when I was when I was twenty, I had left home and was sharing a
flat with a work friend in East London, a plumber came to mend our boiler
and while he was there said "Do you want a dog?" DID I WANT
A DOG!..... YES! Llewney came to live with us, he was a 3 month old
Pembroke Corgi, complete with basket, loads of toys, food, and a pedigree
as long as your arm, reason for rehoming, his two year old daughter
was afraid of him and his sharp teeth. Well I new nothing about owning
dogs, he went everywhere with me, apart form work of course, but knowing
what I know now, I made just about every mistake going with him, he
was food aggressive, used to go for me if I went near his bowl. I met
my future hubby and one day I was taunting Llewney saying Bite him!
Bite Him! (just for fun I thought) when Llewney jumped up and bit my
future hubby on the nose, well of course Llewney wasn't to stay as we
may have children after we married and so Llewney went to spend his
days with another family. I went to visit him some time later and he
was so pleased to see me, he came and layed at my feet, I reached down
to stroke him, he bit me! Should have listened to Llewney, the marriage
didn't last! My next
dog was Binker, BoxerXLabrador we looked after her for a friend, who
was poorly, she stayed with us, what a lovely dog, I was determined
to do everything right and so joined the local Dog Training Club and
I never really looked back. The next special dog in my life was Duster,
a tri-colour working sheep dog, he was bought when my interest in Agility
was gaining momentum and although Binker was a great Agility dog, was
not quite fast enough to win. Binker took my daughter Jo to the Junior
Kennel Club finals for Agility, both incredible dogs and shall always
miss them. I musn't forget Girl, I was also extremely lucky to own Girl,
she was a beautiful thoroughbred Mare, I did everything with her, show
jumping, X country, dressage, and rode for miles, she came with me and
the girls and various guinea pigs and cats and dogs to Doncaster from
Kent in the early 90's to start a new life after my marriage came to
an end. I miss her too.
.
Dog Training. When I first
got involved in training with my dog Binker
(the inspiration for my logo) over 20 years ago, I had no idea that
it would take me along such an interesting and rewarding path. I have
met some lovely people and their dogs and have got involved in training
and competing in Obedience at the Bexley
Dog Training Club & Agility at the Dalerose Agility Club in
Kent who also helped to train the Blue
Peter dog Bonnie with Yvette Fielding in Agility. I used my dog
Binker for an episode of Crimestoppers and, until recently, instructed
trained and competed in Flyball with the Doncaster Bellestars Flyball
Team. “What is Flyball?” I hear you say, take a look on
their website www.doncaster-bellestars.co.uk
We own two dogs Cleo 11yrs Staffy X Whippet & Malic
3 yrs, Catalan Sheepdog. Sadly we lost Milly in July 2009 and on Easter
monday 2008 we lost Lady(otherwise known as ‘Pippin’ look-alike!)
appeared on stage in 2005 as Sandy in ‘Annie’
- she was a Star! I also trained a clients dog Sandie to be Toto in
November 2007 production of The
Wizard of Oz at the Civic
Theatre Doncaster. She was a star too!
II have gained a lot of pleasure from my dogs over the years and have
a passion to pass on my knowledge to other pet dog owners so they can
also achieve the same enjoyment as me.
I joined
PAACT in June 2007 & GoDT
in June 2010, both are members of Petbc.
Accreditations & Certificates
• Certificate of attendance – Canine Nutrition Seminar,
Dr John Lowe March 2010
• Certificate of attendance – Handling Skills with Turid
Rugaas May 2008
• Certificate of Attendance
- Paddy Driscolls, Clicker Training Day in May 2008
• Certificate of Attendance
- Paddy Driscolls, Dog Behaving Badly day in April 2008
• Certificate of Attendance - Dr Ian Dunbars Puppy Class Seminar
in July 2007
• Canine Communication certificate - Jan Fennell Amichien Dog
Listeners June 2006
• BFA, Training for
Trainers Course, Flyball - Selby College - October 2004
• Extensive Bibliography
• Advisor to the Local Westie Rescue
In July 2009,
I teamed up with two other Doncaster trainers to form K9 Konnections,
please visit our website to find out more...www.k9konnections.co.uk
As you can see I have gained
a wealth of dog experience through life and I am always aspiring to
learn more and keep up with the latest dog training trends and techniques
by attending seminars and continuous self study.
My
Aims....
To make every dog and their owners happy!