Call / 07815 167247
Email [email protected]
Call / 07815 167247
Email [email protected]
My name is Carolyn Boyd, and I help dog owners to release the potential in their relationship with their dog.
But what does that really mean?
I have spent a long time thinking about that description. Dog trainer is just not enough any more as it covers a multitude of different training styles and ethics. Plus, as everyone tells me, I am not training their dog, I am training them. Using words like behaviourist opens a whole can of worms to do with regulation and qualifications that I won’t go in to here. And in the end, remember none of these words are protected as I work in an unregulated industry.
The fact is I have spent the majority of my life living with dogs, many of them not being easy dogs. I have spent the last nearly 20 years helping dogs and their humans and attempting to understand how they tick. Then, maybe surprisingly but most importantly, I have spent the last 40 years working with people and understanding how to problem solve issues.
I have come to realise that combining those aspects means lots of happy customers and dogs living their best lives. In the end the person is paying me, listening to what I say, working through their plan and taking action, The dog is coming along for the ride, and we aim to make that the most an enjoyable ride as we can.
I try not to put the word 'we' in any of my blogs and promotional literature, unless that 'we' is you, me and your dog. You work with me and me only. It's a corporate thing to put 'we' in your literature to help build a presence, but I find it distancing because my relationship helping and coaching you is what this is all about.
In my 'previous' life in business development we talked a lot about core values, and I still think about them now. In essence they are the underlying principles that guide all of a company's action, or in my case, my actions. It is something that I don’t believe it is talked about enough in the world of dog training. They can change as we learn and develop, but should not be compromised for short term economic gain or for convenience. They are not about day to day training, they are the foundations on which I have build my reputation.
So here goes, here are my top three.
Safety is something that is important to me personally, and I bring that principle to my clients.
You - I deal mainly with solving challenges that people are having with their dog's behaviour, and very often that might mean they have been put in a situation where they don't feel safe. That might be someone shouting at you that your dog should be muzzled to someone giving you unprompted advice that makes you feel uncomfortable. It could be that your dog has displayed behaviours that scare you, or someone else. Or it could be that you now don't take your dog out because it is easier and safer to keep them at home where their behaviour is never an issue.
Your dog - Your dog needs to feel safe, and that's something that is difficult to define. It may make the difference between us meeting here with me, me coming to your home, or us working on Zoom. When we chat I ask questions that help me decide what is best, but on occasions a home visit turns into a zoom when I realise the dog can't cope with me being there.
Me - Safety is also about my safety. I have worked with clients whose dogs were muzzled or behind a fence for a while. I don't hold any bites up as badges of honour. Quite the opposite, they feel like failures of management and I ponder on the questions I asked and the questions I should have asked to mean that the dog did not feel it necessary to strike out. Luckily, or maybe because of the way I work, bites have only happened twice in nearly 18 years. Both were unexpected, but if I am honest with myself, both times I know now we could have done things differently to help the dog feel safe. I also need to feel safe with the humans I work with and know that what I do is not going to affect my own mental health. I enjoy working with my clients, and that's why deciding to work together is a two-way street.
One final thing I talk about a lot regarding safety is the difference between being safe and feeling safe. They are very different things and apply as much to you as they do to your dog. Everyone needs to feel safe physically in our sessions, but this is also about feeling safe to talk about the issues with your dog, feeling safe to express your opinion and feeling safe to make difficult decisions.
I am not keen on many of the words and phrases that describe training. Reward-based, force-free, positive, and so on are very limited and easy to abuse. Honestly I don't want to fit into any of those boxes, I simply describe training as being kind. Kindness to your dog and kindness to you. Why not!
I have always tried to teach people with kindness. I just don’t understand why you wouldn't. When I hear people who come away from classes or even 1 to 1s where that basic principle is not there it makes me sad.
For me kindness is about being gentle, caring and considerate. There is a generosity of spirit about kindness. It's about being helpful and understanding. And it's about giving you and your dog choice.
That means honesty from you and honesty from me.
I mentioned earlier about YOU feeling safe to talk about the issues with your dog. Even if you have done something that you now regret with your dog, I will listen, take on board and thank you for sharing. I have often been described as non-judgemental as well as being honest. There is no point in judging you as you are here in front of me asking for help, but you also won’t want me sugar-coating everything. I won't shy off telling you like it is ... but with kindness.
I could go on, but these are the top three, and these are powerful principles to live by. I hope they help you understand a little more about how I work.
If you want to find out more, CLICK HERE TO pop on over the ABOUT ME section of the website. and click here to find about more about my approach to training and what I offer.