Dog and Cat Training

Decades at the highest levels of animal training and handling, now brought back down to earth for ordinary households, ordinary pets, and the very real problems people quietly struggle with every day.

I have spent decades working at the highest levels of animal training and handling, including receiving a commemorative award from the London Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch, the mounted unit associated with Royal ceremonial and public-order duties.

After the Paris Olympics, and one of my old clients medalling yet again, I thought I was retired. I thought I was finished. I retired to the beautiful Fraser Coast. My retirement lasted about five minutes.

It started when I was out on the beach with Tutu the Trickster and saw an older gentleman being virtually towed along by his dog. I knew I could help. So instead of walking up and saying that to strangers, I quietly put offers of help into local community pages and started donating assistance to seniors and people needing support, including disability clients, free of charge.

Somewhere along the way, this next chapter was born. It turns out I was not quite finished after all.
Dog training outdoors

Real pets. Real households. Real-life handling that needs to work outside perfect conditions.
Good training should make life feel calmer, clearer, safer, and far more manageable.

Too much advice, too much noise

There is endless pet advice online — endless opinions about behaviour, feeding, products, and “experts.” The problem is that loud advice is not always good advice.

Why this matters

You will often hear that a product or food is “recommended by scientists,” but when you look more closely, the science is not always as independent, as relevant, or as useful as it first sounds.

That started to frustrate me with my own animals, so I went back to the source. I spent time properly researching feeding, behaviour, handling, and care, including formal study in canine cognition through Duke University’s Dog Emotion and Cognition course taught by Brian Hare.

The goal is simple: to take away confusion and give you practical, science-informed guidance that works in real life.

Science first. Nonsense second.

The point is not to drown people in theory. The point is to separate useful information from marketing noise, fashionable nonsense, and advice that sounds impressive but does not really help.

Clearer guidance Less confusion
Practical everyday handling Real-world decision making

Simple lessons. Real control.

The details vary between horses, dogs, cats, and large performance animals. The underlying logic does not.

The principle

It is not about brute force. You cannot physically control a thousand-kilogram horse once it is already running. By then, it is too late. The real skill lies in influencing the animal before the movement escalates.

That same principle applies beautifully to pets. That is why the focus is not just endless repetitions of “sit, stay, come” in isolation, but what the animal is learning before the obvious problem even starts.

The things that matter most

  • Timing
  • Pressure
  • Space
  • Positioning
  • Clarity
  • What is being reinforced before a behaviour escalates

Small changes early make everything easier later.

A simple way to start

A very effective beginning is often a small cluster of lessons close together. It creates structure, early wins, and a much clearer idea of what will help most.

Free meet-and-greet

The first meeting is free of charge. It is simply a chance to understand what is happening, see how I can help, work out where to start, and make sure we are a good fit.

1

Clear starting point

We work out what is actually happening, not just what it looks like on the surface.
2

Early structure

Instead of random attempts, you leave with a sensible framework and the right few priorities.
3

Quick wins

Most people can use two or three simple changes immediately and start feeling relief straight away.
4

Real progress

If habits already exist, we are not starting from scratch. We are reshaping what has already been learned.

What happens in that first meeting

We look at the main issue clearly and calmly.
We identify likely patterns, triggers, and practical pressure points.
You leave with a small number of useful things to start doing immediately.
We work out the best next step rather than guessing.
Dog and owner together

The aim is not a mystery fix. The aim is to help the owner feel more capable, more informed, and much less overwhelmed.

Calmer. Clearer. Safer.

The aim is not perfection. The aim is to make everyday life with your pet feel more manageable, more informed, and a whole lot less stressful.

Tutu the Trickster, the AUSLAN sign language dog
Inclusive outreach

Meet Tutu the Trickster

Tutu is the AUSLAN sign language dog, helping create joyful, inclusive educational visits for deaf communities, training centres, courses, and community events.

This work is about making training, communication, and public education more welcoming, more inclusive, and more memorable — especially for people who do not always see themselves represented in ordinary dog-training spaces.

A smarter, kinder, more inclusive way to teach.

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