Kit
What was my ambition when I grew up? Have a dog, it was that simple - and after much research and planning a labrador came into my life. The best decision I ever made - dogs have shaped my life in every way since!
In 2000, along came Mr Custard, an unsocialised 5 month old Rottweiler terrified of life. The local training club suggested I needed to be pack leader to stop any dominant behaviour, sadly this just made him worse and he clearly didn't trust me and this is how my journey began. I wanted to understand why things that I saw as aversive appeared to work but went on to create new behaviour issues and no-one could explain this to me. Training and behaviour are intrinsic so I started my journey of understanding how dogs think and learn, what drives both good and bad behaviour, the ways they communicate with us, how to identify and meet their needs and what actually creates that bond.
I have completed both the Practical and Level 2 Certificate courses with Think Dog! (Sarah Whitehead) and have a Level 5 Diploma with Distinction in Canine Psychology and Behaviour with the ISCP.
I have a keen interest in Animal Assisted Intervention having completed a course with HumAnima and have had 2 of my dogs qualify as therapy dogs working in schools with SEN children. I am an assessor and area co-ordinator for Canine Concern Therapy Dog Scheme, volunteer as an Instructor at a local club and am a Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme Bronze Assessor.
I recently became a Level 1 Scentwork UK instructor.
ABOUT US
Through the Dog's Eyes is run by Kit and Sarah, who are two friends who share a passion for ethical, reward-based dog training and behaviour founded in science. We came together to form the company to promote humane dog training that is based on the most up to date science, supporting you to understand your dog - why they behave the way they do and how we can communicate with them more effectively so that you can navigate the world together more comfortably.
We believe that knowledge is power and it goes hand in hand with experience, enabling us all to make better choices for our dogs. We cannot teach you if we do not understand the effects of our teaching, this means that even after we have passed our courses, we will continue to learn as CPD is vital to remain up to date with canine science.
We understand that just like us, dogs are emotional beings and are driven by their emotions so training with fear and intimidation simply does not promote learning and ultimately damages your relationship. We believe that there can and should be something very special about the relationship between humans and dogs where each party trusts and communicates effectively with the other so our classes will teach you how to facilitate this to get the best training outcomes.
Sarah
I first took an interest in dogs at around the age of 10 and since then have always had them in my life in some way. It was a long time before I owned my first dog, but I used the years leading up to that to gain as much knowledge and experience with dogs as I could.
Over the years I have walked, trained and cared for many dogs of all shapes and sizes. I have worked as a volunteer at various rescue centres, including the RSPCA and Blue Cross as well as looking after dogs for friends and family members.
I have always had a huge interest in dog behaviour and training, and have kept up-to-date with modern science in relation to these areas. As well as being a qualified teacher, I am also a qualified dog trainer with the IMDT. I have been volunteering as an instructor for the last 4 years with local dog training clubs, participated in demonstrations at Crufts and qualified my own dog as a therapy dog. I share my life with a gorgeous German Shepherd called Holly (appropriately named as she was born on Christmas day), who was not the easiest of puppies and publicly humiliated me on a number of occasions. This drove me to work harder and reconsider what training methods I was using. Even now, I am always re-evaluating training techniques to try to better my skills.