“How can connection and understanding improve your life with your dog?”

Dog guardians often come to me because their dogs are anxious, and this anxious behaviour is affecting their dog’s quality of life, and maybe theirs too.

By understanding how dogs are feeling, what is underlying the behaviour, we can better tailor a plan to help them to feel more secure, cope better and therefore often change their reactions.

If we focus on building connection, and understanding our dogs, we can help them to feel safer and change their emotional responses. In turn this can help to change their behavioural responses.

Having lived and worked with a variety of dogs with emotional issues I’ve learned a great deal about living with dogs with special behavioural needs. I’ve really seen and felt the difference it makes when taking the time to understand what’s really going on for them and focusing on their individual emotional needs.

Animal Behaviourist in Worcestershire – learn more about my story

Hi I’m Naomi, I love working with anxious dogs and their guardians… get to know me here!

If you’re anything like me you have a love of dogs! And a strong desire to help them live their best lives.

I am a life long animal lover, having successfully pleaded my parents for pet fish, gerbils, stick insects, rabbits and guinea pigs as a child alongside our family dog.

I have always been a sensitive and empathetic person both towards animals and humans. Nobody in my family has been at all surprised at my career path leading me to becoming an animal behaviourist! I have been a behaviourist for over ten years now, after starting out doing training classes and some fun agility, and honing in on my interest for behaviour cases early on.

As well as my academic qualifications laid out below, I have spent many years fostering and adopting troubled animals (dogs, cats and rabbits).

One of the first things I did once I had moved out of my family home was to adopt an 11 year old German Shepherd Dog who had experienced extreme domestic violence between his owners and came with a host of problems. Quite understandably really, nobody wanted Eddy, but I knew I could help this poor boy who was just getting worse languishing in kennels.

Over the year of living, training and learning we had together he blossomed into the really lovely boy he always should have had the chance to be. No longer aggressive when handled by those he grew to trust, no longer reactive to everything on his walks, life with Eddy moved from being restrictive and a tad risky (!) to hugely enjoyable and fulfilling.

After the heartbreaking loss of Eddy I went on to foster and adopt many dogs over the years who also all deserved the best lives. From Rotties, and many Shepherds, to a Miniature Pinscher! The most recent is Ernie the Staffy who has gone from cowering in a corner in kennels, terrified of humans even at vast distances, to sitting here with me at a cafe!

My real passion is for scaredy dogs and separation anxiety cases! You can also learn more about my own dog Max’s separation anxiety journey here.

My pets are members of my family, and I know yours are a part of yours too. I am a Clinical Animal Behaviourist based in Worcestershire but working with families all over the West Midlands, the whole of the UK and even further afield! With great remote options there really are no restrictions!

naomi

I am a Clinical Animal Behaviourist, which means that I have worked hard to gain the right academic and practical experience to do my absolute best for people and their pets.

Anybody can call themselves a behaviourist and there are plenty of people giving inappropriate and sometimes dangerous advice out there. It has been important to me, right from the start, to make sure I am committed to high standards of ethical and effective approaches.

I have a Post Graduate level qualification in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling, a degree in Psychology and an NOCN level 3 in Canine Training and Behaviour. My code of conduct ensures that I attend workshops and seminars to keep my knowledge up to date.

I am a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, and as such registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist by the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.

I am fully insured. As a full APBC member, your pet insurance may reimburse you the fees for our sessions together.

I have been working with pets and their guardians for over a decade and shape my approaches with my experiences over the years.

It is important to me that I have a non-judgemental approach to helping owners with their pet’s problem. Despite popular misconceptions, it is not usually the owners’ fault that behaviour problems develop. Even if you have made some mistakes (who hasn’t!) we can work together on better strategies. No matter how issues arise the most important factor is how to best move forwards. It is important to progress at a pace that works for both the humans and pets for long term success.

Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors logo

Animal Behaviour and Training Council logo

I’m based in Worcestershire but helping owners all over the West Midlands, the UK and beyond!

I have previously also appeared on BBC Radio Nottingham as a guest speaker (Expert of the week), spoken at events and carried out webinars on behaviour and socialisation.