Kit The Dog Trainer

08/12/2024

💙 Marty 💙
01.10.10 - 01.12.24

Last Sunday, we said our final goodbye to Marty. The task of summing up a life feels both overwhelming and impossibly futile, but Marty’s story deserves the time.

When adopted as a whippet sized puppy who reportedly loved everyone and everything, Helen thought she was in for a fun and easy ride. Marty soon put a stop to that. Neutered far too young and with a fearful disposition, Marty ended up being both human and dog reactive, difficult at home, and generally hard to live with. Oh, and he would not stop growing until he was the size of a small horse.

To hear stories of how wild and challenging he was as a youngster, it’s hard to marry that up to the dog he became. Years of going to training classes twice a week and thousands of hours of dedication transformed Marty to reveal the sweetest, most loyal soul. Not many people got to really know Marty, but when he loved you, he loved you fiercely.

That wonky, lanky, crazy boy got his Gold Citizen Kennel Club award, learnt endless tricks (including skateboarding), became a veterinary teaching dog, a stooge dog for reactive dogs, and, in his retirement, a loving dog to our whole family, including our young nieces - something we honestly never thought possible.

But the true magic of Marty was in the parts many people didn’t see. He was Ezra’s best friend on the planet, despite them both being quite socially awkward. We’d give anything to watch them run around together again and terrorise our home like they used to. He was the quiet, gentle, stable heart of our family; often seemingly the dog in the background but in reality the very best of us.

I came into Marty’s life when he was nine and I will be forever grateful that I got to be one of his people. We will miss our complicated, beautiful boy forever. So much more than ‘just a dog’, he is our family and the house feels so empty now.

I don’t believe in rainbow bridge or a future where I’ll meet Moo again. Instead I believe that every day I live and every dog I know will be shaped differently because I knew and love him. As science would have you believe, his energy lives on, it’s just slightly less organised now.

Love you my boy x

30/09/2024

Do you want to know the first thing I mentioned to every new client in their first appointment? Diet. Weird, right? Because I’m not a canine nutritionist. But as I’ll tell anyone who will listen, I don’t have a magic behaviour wand but the closest and next best thing is an excellent diet.

If your dog is struggling with a bad gut, please do you get help from your vet or from a qualified canine nutritionist. This is simply how to make things better if your dog is already doing okay.

When my dogs get to the end of their (hopefully very long) lives, I will know that I did right by them in every bowl. I’ll also know we spent most of our time out walking and enjoying training, not making picture worthy bowls for Instagram likes.

P.S. Yes, I’m very privileged to have space and money for my dogs to have their own fridge freezer. Before this was possible, they had a drawer in my freezer and a shelf in my fridge. We also once had a free Facebook marketplace chest freezer in the shed.

07/05/2024

Health Update:

As you know, I was admitted to hospital on Wednesday 20th March with a view to undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. Unfortunately, during my time in hospital they decided it was best to postpone my surgery to allow me to regain enough strength for the recovery. I have been on a strict protocol both in hospital and at home over the last several weeks.

My surgery has now been scheduled for Friday 17th May. Provided there are no complications, I should be well enough to work again from early July. I will do my best to keep you updated during recovery on my social media accounts whenever possible.

I want to thank my amazing clients for being so patient and kind during this time and apologise fully for the inconvenience my illness continues to cause you and your dogs. It has always been of the utmost importance to me that I provide a great quality service and I cannot begin to express how much I regret that my being unwell has prevented me from doing this.

Let’s hope that surgery is the start of a new, healthier chapter. As I keep saying to my doctors, if they can get me back to work and walking my dogs, I’ll be the happiest person alive.

21/03/2024

SERVICE UPDATE:

As many of you are aware, I have been experiencing some ongoing health issues which have required multiple hospital stays over the last few months. I regret to inform you that I need to take a temporary leave of absence to undergo emergency surgery and focus on my subsequent recovery.

I will keep you updated on my progress via Facebook and Instagram and look forward to reconnecting with you all in the near future. Thank you for your understanding and well wishes as I navigate this journey towards recovery.

19/03/2024

Six years ago today, I met my best friend and he came home with me.

I honestly cannot imagine what my life might be if I hadn’t gone to Battersea to get Ezra that Monday six years ago. I don’t want to. Because he’s the very best thing that ever happened to me and was the path to the awesome family I now have with Helen.

Being Ezra’s human is the privilege of a lifetime - if you’ve been lucky enough to meet him you’ll know he’s quite a special guy. He’s a lunatic and so full on, but also gentle and perceptive and always by my side when I need him. He’s inconvenient and loud (so loud!) but also the sweetest soul. Ezra is a complete challenge and as easy as breathing. He makes me laugh out loud every single day and he’s also the quiet moments of peace when my hands press into his fur.

Six years ago, I couldn’t have guessed at this beautiful, silent connection we’ve built. How we’ve become rewired by each other. For as long as I live, my neurons will be built around this boy and, honestly, I couldn’t feel luckier.

Six years loving you my boy. My whole heart.

05/02/2024

I owe all of my amazing clients two things: sorry and thank you!

Three weeks ago went for what I believed to be a routine appointment with my consultant team, who I see regularly as I suffer with two autoimmune diseases. However, after a period of poor health over the past few months, they were so concerned by my health and test results that I was admitted to a specialist ward for treatment. Unfortunately, after further tests, it became apparent that the flare up of my autoimmune diseases was because I was no longer responding to the standard treatment, and I ended up being hospitalised for a fortnight for testing to come up with a new medication plan moving forward. During this time, I was incredibly unwell and unable to work. However, the time spent in hospital means that my specialist team have now begun a new treatment which seems to be starting me on the road to recovery. It’s still very early days, but, after a further week recovering at home, I am now hoping to able to work for about two hours each day.

I hate letting my clients down and being away from work. My health has meant that the last few months have been the most challenging I’ve ever faced and my amazing team of dog parents have been so very understanding. Let’s hope this new medication is the start of normal service resuming. I’ll be back on social media as much as possible and I can’t wait to start sharing more of my dogs with you - especially our new addition.

The worst part of being unwell was being away from my dogs. So, to celebrate my return, I hope you enjoy this picture of the moment Ezra and I were reunited. He spent about 4 days just laying with me and refusing to leave my side.

Now: let’s get training some dogs!

15/01/2024

To anyone waiting for messages or a reply, I’m sorry. I’ve been admitted back into hospital today. I will be in touch with everyone as soon as possible.

31/12/2023

Such a lovely offer from some wonderful colleagues of mine.

XL Bully Support

We would like to give away 3 yearly spaces for XL bullies and their caring owners to help enrich their lifes with the ban coming in.
You can still play Urban Freestyle with the lead on (with treating your dog through the muzzle), there are all the elements you will teach at home and in your garden and work on your combos on your secure fields visists!
Please share this with any bully owners you know who are going through this difficult transition with the dogs they love.
Please send us a private message if you'd like to take advantage of this offer with your XL Bully.

30/12/2023

𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔾𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕗 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔸 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖

There is a Government sanctioned massacre about to happen at the turn of this year; with the XL bully ban coming into effect.

As if the taking of innocent lives wasn’t heart wrenching enough, we have spent the last few weeks watching Bully rescues pleading for spaces before their time is up.

Wishing I had the facility to take some, knowing even if I did there wouldn’t ever be enough spaces. Thousand of dogs have been needlessly dumped in advance of the upcoming ban with no where to go, they sit and await death.

My thoughts turned to the humans involved from rescues to the vets and vet nurses who have no choice but to take part in this.

We have organised a mental health talk with the renowned human trauma therapist Dawn Walton to discuss the fallout of taking life when it is NOT for the animals benefit.

Join us Live Friday 5th January 7pm
Free for Vets, Vet nurses and those in rescue affected by the innocent deaths this legislation is causing

Please share with any vets and dog professionals you know ❣️

Sign up for the zoom link here:

https://forms.gle/veFc28r5WjUf3VXC9