About Me
PROVIDING A SAFE SPACE, FOR YOU AND YOUR BESTIE
I moved to NZ from London in 2005. I sometimes miss the hustle and bustle of London life but I am happy to call Auckland home. I enjoy the clean air, the beaches, the friendliness of people and of course the weather.
As a young woman I was steered into the world of Administration, but I had always yearned to work with animals, especially dogs. I worked for a ferry company in Auckland, running the charter department out to islands in and around the Hauraki Gulf. It was whilst in this position that I formed a connection with some staff at DOC and Auckland Council Detection Dogs – in the Conservation for Auckland Hauraki Gulf Islands Program. We worked closely as a team and I enjoyed watching the dogs practicing their scent work.
After many years in Admin and Customer Service, the pull to feel the grass under my feet became too strong. So, I quit my job and decided to enrol in a 1-year full time study of Canine Training and Behaviour course at Unitec, Mt Albert. As luck would have it my connection with the Conservation Dog Team played out. I required a dog to enter the course and they had one who was proving difficult to train. I took on the challenge of taming the beast we all came to know as Mawhai Monster. Mawhai has since gone on to work on the eradication of Stoats, Rats and Kauri Die Back. Incidentally, this is also where the name of my company came from, The Māori word Mawhai means The Catch.
My course covered many subjects. Canine Training involved practical activities out in the field with your dog. Learning and teaching subjects included: obedience, scent work, controlled agility, to name but a few. Canine Behaviour involved studying best learning methods for dogs. Topics included: how to gain the best from your dog, body language and much more. Anatomy and Physiology – a subject which I hugely enjoyed despite finding it challenging at times. Animal Husbandry and Canine Husbandry (specific). I can honestly say that this was the best year of my entire life. I achieved a Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Animal Management, Canine Behaviour and Training. Passing with distinction was the icing on the cake. After completing the course I attained a pet first aid qualification which focused largely on dogs. My certificates are available on request. In order to keep up-to-date with industry good practice, I attend annual conferences where possible, held by APDTNZ (Association Pet Dog Trainers NZ) of which I am a member. I also do online training with SOC (The Canine School of Science) and have attended a three day Scent and Tracking course with Steve White.
As my business grows, I’m finding new skills and confidence with each dog I encounter. Every dog, like every human is different and I enjoy putting in place an individual plan on how best to build a viable relationship. The objective being to open the communication barrier between human and dog without the use of force, stress, fear or pain.
