About Us
We are a community of dog professionals dedicated to assisting you in creating more harmonious relationships with your dogs. We aim to promote wellbeing by taking a holistic approach. We also encourage all our clients into a variety of fun dog sports that we offer from Scent Detection to Pet Gundog training because we believe in giving a dog a job!
The training methods we use are fun, ethical and reward-based.
Meet the team:
Kate Harper BSc (Hons) - Head Trainer & Behaviourist
Kate graduated with a BSc Hons degree in Animal Science from Anglia Ruskin, Writtle University campus after studying for her FdSc in Applied Animal Behavioural Science and Welfare. She is an experienced behaviourist and trainer with 20 years experience working full time in the dog training, care and welfare industry.
Kate’s behavioural work centres around her successful work training reactive dogs whom she created the Tortoise Method Reactive Dog Programme for in June 2023.
As well as being appointed as a UK Sniffer Dogs Head Instructor in 2022 teaching their ever popular scent detection and tracking programmes to pet dogs, Kate is an experienced Mantrailing and Pet Gundog instructor. Kate has written her own unique, fun and life-skill based Pet Gundog training programmes for our lucky local Pet Gundogs after studying with various trainers around the country.
Over the years Kate has also enjoyed working on a variety of projects. Highlights include teaching dog training and animal welfare classes within prison-based dog training programmes designed to promote positive behavioural change and engagement in education and she has worked as a trainer for Dogs For Autism who are the first UK charity to specialise in providing assistance dogs to autistic partners of all ages at no cost to the family.
Kate has many years of hands-on experience working with dogs of all shapes, sizes and temperaments giving her a unique blend of academic knowledge and practical experience. She has handled, trained and assessed a wide range of dogs for national charities, dog wardens and private clients. She has also spent a year working solely with dogs detained under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Kate believes that modern training and behaviour work should centre around kindness, connection and a mutual understanding of boundaries between dog and caretaker. She is passionate about mindfulness and tuning into our intuitive abilities to help us better connect with our pets. She has both attended and hosted courses on meditation with our pets and animal communication and continues to weave these ideas into all her work.
Kate has owned everything from Rottweilers to Spaniels but is currently owned by three Chihuahuas (all of whom were given to her!) Plus a rescue horse from the RSPCA named Mr Scamp who she has had for 16 years. She can normally be found in the gym, listening to a podcast, going for a swim or scampering up a Fell in the Lake District when she’s not running around after dogs!
Sam Vickers IMDT - Dog Trainer
Sam is a full member of the IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Trainers), UK Sniffer Dogs, Pet Professional Guild and an approved instructor with the DTC (Dog Training College), as well as holding an Open College Network Accredited Certification ‘Principles of Dog Training and Behaviour', level 3 and a level 4 Canine Coaching Diploma.
She’s studied dog law, first aid, dog-dog aggression, dog-human aggression, impulse control, resource guarding, separation anxiety, interactive play, T Touch, scentwork, tracking, pet gun dog and canine body language. She has a particular passion for anxious and nervous dogs and supporting their owners and she brings her own unique brand of fun and humour to classes.
She currently shares her home (and heart) with Teddy, a spicy rescue dachshund cross with wonky ears & Gizmo, a Shih Tzu cross who lives for cuddles, scent work and training, even spotting as a honorary pet gundog in instructor classes, but has previously owned a show GSD, Yorkshire Terrier & Rough Collie cross, as well as fostered other dogs with training and behavioural issues.
Jill Stief - Dog Trainer
Jill has recently made a career change and is in training to be a dog trainer with the IMDT.
Jill started off as one of our clients with her beautiful German Shepherd Nelson who is a fantastic Mantrailing dog as well as completing all our scent detection programmes. Nelson was a reactive dog which took her down a rabbit hole wishing to learn more about dog behaviour as she saw how beneficial the training was for him.
She has studied practical instructors courses in puppy training as a specialism, working with and training rescue dogs plus the IMDT Practical Instructors Course. Jill is a qualified Canine Hoopers World Instructor and is enjoying teaching some of our Friday Hoopers classes. Jill is passionate about bringing fun into dog training and it shows with her 3 wonderful rescue dogs.
Liz Matthews - Administrator
Liz has experience across a range of small businesses as a PA/ office manager, and currently works for us as a Virtual Assistant. Liz is a huge animal lover, as well as assisting us she works on an eventing equestrian yard during the week and is know for her love of German Shepherds.
Liz is a hugely important part of the team and we appreciate her huge range of skills and compassionate approach to our customers.
Anne-Marthe Brautaset BSc (Hons) - Animal Nutrition Consultant
Anne-Marthe has been passionate about canine and feline nutrition her whole life and holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Animal Science from Writtle University College.
She currently works as a manager for a veterinary pharmaceutical company and has considerable industry experience in nutrition having worked to train vets and nurses on the the topic at practices all over Norway.
Anne-Marthe is also interested in the behaviour and welfare of wolves. She has undertaken research projects studying the behaviour of captive wolves in relation to enclosure design and social groups in Norway.
Anne-Marthe offers one to one nutrition consultancy to clients all over the world through Zoom video calls. She offers comprehensive, tailored advice to ensure that your dog or cat receive the best possible nutrition.
She is based in Oslo and owns two beautiful Ragdoll cats Romeo and Casanova.