Hi, I'm Phoebe. I though I would use this first blog to just introduce a bit about myself. I have always loved animals, but originally wanted to become a forensic pathologist (I watched a lot of CSI Miami!). I got my first dog when I was in secondary school, a pug with a personality the size of a Great Dane. He is really what got me into animal behaviour, well more specifically, problem behavour! He became very "quirky" and I found myself having to learn about all kinds of things that I had never heard of to try and work on his many quirks, which is where my interest of animal behaviour and training began.
I did a BTEC in Animal Management at the wonderful Brackenhurst, where I had the most amazing time learning about all kinds of things and getting hands on experience with a whole array of animals. From there I realised my interest in animal cognition and behaviour, and also discovered a lot of jobs that I did not want to do!
I decided to go to the University of Lincoln for an Animal Behaviour and Welfare BSc, where I did a dissertation on dog behaviour signals (lip licking, looking away and shaking off) and the contexts they arise in. After this course I was sure I wanted to carry on with the behaviour theme, so started a masters in Clinical Animal Behaviour at Lincoln where I was able to gain so much experience and knowledge on how to actually assess an animal, none of this animal whispering innate skill stuff, but an actual scientific approach that I could learn!
From my experience with my own quirky dogs, as well as my studying, I feel I have a well-rounded approach to animal behaviour. I know what it is like to feel completely out of control and helpless as your dog is going berserk and everyone is looking at you both like you are crazy. I will do my best to, as a team, work through these quirks with you so that your dog can feel like your dog again.
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