30/01/2022
Hey guys! It's just occurred to me that I've never officially introduced myself! How rude of me! So...
Hi! My name's Hannah and I'm the human behind Luna Eclipse Dog Training! To say I'm obsessed with dogs is an understatement, I live and breath for them! My inspiration behind becoming a dog trainer/behaviourist has come from a few very special dogs that I've had the honour to have in my life.
First, we have Rio who came into my life when I was 13, was my childhood best friend and where my obsession first started! He was the gentlest boy you could imagine and was always there for a cuddle when things were tough! Although, this wasn't always the case! As a young dog he was a nightmare, to the point where he actually managed to get himself kicked out of his puppy classes! I decided to take it upon myself to start learning how to train dogs because of him, although the dog training world was very different then to how it is now! I spent hours on end with him, teaching him new tricks, going on long walks, we even tried a bit of agility (although he was far from agile enough to ever get anywhere, the thought was always there!) He gave his all in everything I asked of him, even when I had my crazy ideas as a teenager to try and train him to act like a horse! Unfortunately life caught up with him and last year on Valentine's Day we had to let him cross over Rainbow Bridge. It was after we lost him that I decided to crack on and start taking my training seriously to help other dogs like him in his legacy!
After moving out of my family home I very quickly became a dog mum to my first puppy, Stitch! I'd never really been one for small dogs, and had always said I would never have one, not that I have anything against them, I just absolutely adore big fluffies! But there was something about this little girl that I was drawn to. She had such a big attitude, and she was a fighter! Her mum rejected her whole litter after a traumatic pregnancy and she was the only one of 5 to survive. At just a week old I knew she would be coming home with me! She ended up being adopted by a Border Collie that had recently had a litter herself, so very quickly decided that she too was a Collie! When I got her home I realised very quickly that she was going to be very different to train than the dogs that I was used to! She learned very quickly, but on her own terms! She was also how I discovered my other love in life, Flyball! Although our time in the lanes was short as she made it very clear that she wasn't enjoying it at the time, but has recently been showing an interest so a return to the lanes with a different handler is now in the cards! As well as this, I am also looking in to getting her registered as a Therapy Dog for kids, as she definitely seems to have a way with them, and we seem to have a little fan club that gets bigger every day!
Next Loki came along! He was a real reality check for us! Being a Merle Collie it became obvious very quickly that he was not a fan of anyone (dog or human) that he didn't know and he was my first insight into life with a reactive dog. It was a challenge to say the least, in the house he was the most loving boy you'd meet, but as soon as we stepped outside he changed and no one apart from me and his dad were allowed near him. Helping him get over his reactivity played a massive part in wanting to pursue my dream as the thought of helping other dogs like him be able to live a normal life was something I needed to do! After countless amounts of tears and meltdowns we finally managed to get him to a point where he was comfortable being around other dogs and he also took to the lanes as a Flyball dog! It's been a bumpy ride with him but he's well on his way to becoming a well rounded dog!
And finally, the namesake of this page, Luna! This dog has been by far the most challenging dog I have ever worked with. Strong willed, opinionated and rather unpredictable. She came along not long after the decision to retire Stitch from Flyball was made. I wanted a dog that I could continue my career with and learn from, and that's exactly what I got, even if it wasn't as straight forward as I was hoping! I saw a picture of her and her litter mates while looking for options and it was love at first sight, it was her little white toes that sold her for me! The only problem was she was all the way up in the top of Scotland, but I just knew she was my doggy soul mate! After a few phone calls to her breeder, and lots of videos and photos it was decided that we would make the 24 hour round trip to go and get her, probably the stupidest thing I could have ever done but it was worth it! Being from full working lines on both sides (mum was a working collie on a sheep farm and dad was a working gun Labrador!) I don't think I realised at the time just what I was getting myself in to and I had definitely met my match! There have been so many times with her where I've wanted to throw in the towel and admit that shes just too much for me, but with an amazing support group, an amazing trainer and a lot of hard work, blood and tears, she has become not only my best friend, but my inspiration to carry on, even on my worst days! And when it comes to Flyball, she is everything I could have hoped for and more! She amazes me every single time she steps foot in the ring, and she's still only just getting started!
So there's a bit (a lot!) of my story so far and how I've ended up here today. It's been a very bumpy ride, but without these four dogs in my life I wouldn't have ever had the guts to become a dog trainer! My goal now is to help other people in the same boat as I was to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the most difficult dogs always turn out being the best ones!
Please share your doggy stories in the comments, I'd love to get to know you all! ❤️
