Hello and welcome to Puppy School Dartford. 🐾
My name is Caroline, and I am your local trainer (Tutor in the Puppy School world). I am so excited to be able to bring the Puppy School Syllabus to you.
The first thing you should know about me is that I am obsessed with dogs. I love all animals, but dogs are my thing. I have three of my own, Tilly and Marley (Westies) and my newest addition, my Puppy Izzy (Border Collie). I was born with a dog in my life and have never been without a furry best friend. I am a firm believer that a bond between a dog and their person is such a blessing one I believe should be treasured.
Growing up I always trained my dogs and the dogs in my area I used to be the local dog walker (before dog walking was even a thing. I missed something there) after school or college I would come home and take all the dogs over the park, if there was an older dog that couldn’t go for walks, I used to go around to play or just sit with them in the garden. I always felt my training was different from what I knew from books or even seen on TV at the time, and I had another way of training a kinder way.
At a young age, my life goal was to be a Veterinary nurse; however, I found it wasn’t something I could do as I couldn’t stand the animals in pain or hurt or the sight of blood. So, I went down another path carer wise for a while. I still had my dogs in the animal world but not in the same way as before.
It was early 2016. I fully decided that I wanted to be a dog trainer/behaviourist. It was something I’d always wanted to do, but I didn’t like the courses and the way the animals were treated (the old ways as I like to call it) none of them seemed to fit me.
It was during Puppy Classes I was attending with Tilly that made me decide that it was something I was going to move ahead with — seeing the interaction at the start of class with all the dogs running around, hearing a puppy bark during class or listening to other people’s puppy problems. I wanted to help and find out why dogs do what they do and how they tell other dogs or us what they are feeling with their behaviours.
Later that year, I left my secure job, a job I had been in for almost ten years and set my dog walking company, Little Paw Paws. (I had to close early 2018 as I was told by the doctors, I was allergic to dogs. It was only a year later I was told I wasn’t allergic to not dogs after all.) I loved dog walking, being with the dog’s every day. I really did wonder why I didn’t do it sooner. I did have solo dogs which were reactive, which used to break my heart as I felt they missed out on play or running off lead.
I loved working with the rescue dogs, helping build a bond and seeing them start to trust humans again; it’s a wonderful feeling.
When clients came to me with Puppies, it was great to be able to support them in training. This is how I found Puppy School. Gwen Bailey is my dog trainer hero; her book Perfect Puppy was one I always used to give to my clients. One day I happened to look online to see if she had any talks about Behaviours, and I stumbled upon Puppy School and my journey to be a Puppy Tutor began.
I have spent the past three years researching, reading oh so many books, attending training classes, shadowing classes, going on several courses, hours, weeks and months or writing, spending time in rescues centres. I have loved and learned so much. The learning doesn’t stop there. It is always an ongoing process which leads me nicely into the reason and important question of why I choose Puppy School.
The world is full of trainers, and everyone has their own teachings some of them. I like some of them I don’t. Out of all the ones I looked at, talked to and attended Puppy School was the first one I was excited about. After shadowing my first class I couldn’t wait to speak to the tutor; at last I had found a class that believed in something I had spent my whole life believing and it’s how I have always treated and taught my dogs and dogs I used to train or knew while growing up positive reinforcement, enrichment games, not just while training but every single day. Puppy School was everything I had always knew should be the way to train dogs and finally here I was sitting in a class finally seeing the teachings.
Puppy School syllabise is all about positive, reward-based training; it is family-friendly and fun. Not only that but working with Puppy School means I am always learning. We attend a number of course throughout the year, so we are always up to date with new learning which we are able to pass onto you. We have a tutor forum so any questions we may have to get answered quickly. Every tutor and associate bring something different to the table with all levels of learning and experience. I have a regional manager that will visit my classes a few times a year, to make sure my classes are in top shape.
Natures Menu sponsors Puppy School which also has a very similar ethos, so it really is something I am proud to be a part of and something I am proud to bring you.
I have so many wonderful teachings to show you. I can’t wait for you to join me on this adventure and life with your Puppy. Be it if you are a really experienced handler or first-time dog owner. It doesn’t matter. I am here to support you through your journey together.
My classes are family-friendly, so please feel free to bring the children, grandma and grandpa just don’t forget the dog 🐾
