The best job in the world….
We’re a great fit: you want to have a happy, well-mannered dog and I can help you achieve that!
Helping you and your puppy live a wonderful life together is what I’m all about.
Life’s too short for regrets…
I have lost count of the number of times that a client having problems with their dog has said 'if only I'd known earlier'.
Taking a proactive and personalised approach, I can help you to avoid wishing you’d done things differently.
Ethics matter…
I take a holistic, pragmatic and positive approach to working with dogs; whatever we teach our puppies has got to set them up for success in the real world.
By using kind, positive methods and always considering the emotional experience and wellbeing of your puppy, I seek to build the bond between an owner and their puppy in all that I do. My specialism in working with pet dogs and puppies means that you can be reassured that I'm experienced in helping people just like you!
You’re in safe hands…
Sadly, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist. However, you owe it to your dog (and yourself) to work with a properly educated and up-to-date professional.
I am a guest lecturer/ course tutor on the MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour course at the world-famous Royal School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh and, as a result of multiple rigorous assessments, I am proud to be a member of the most highly respected professional dog training and behaviour bodies in the industry.
The knowledge and experience that I’ve gained from training hundreds of dogs and puppies (as well as working on veterinary referral to tackle canine behaviour problems, such as aggression, anxiety and excessive barking) has put me in a great position to know how best to prevent problems and set puppies and their owners up for a wonderful life together… I’d really love for you to be one of them.
Get to know Gretta
a little better
Pets:
Lola - my beautiful, complex Hungarian Vizsla
Pedro - my enthusiastic, affectionate Working Cocker Spaniel
Digby - my terribly smug (but stunning) cat
Things that make me happy:
Being in nature in springtime and in front of a log fire in the winter
A great cup of tea (in fact, lots of them!)
Good food (even better if I haven’t had to cook it myself)
Evening cocktails over a chat with my husband or a friend
Spending time with my family and dogs
Character traits:
self-confessed perfectionist
analytical and organised
a determined action-taker
empathetic and pragmatic
Proudest moments (in chronological order!):
Having my research paper published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal of animal behaviour with one of my all-time professional heroes, Prof. Daniel Mills, as the co-author. Seriously… an animal behaviour geek’s dream come true!
Being accredited by the ASAB as a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist following an incredibly rigorous application process, years of study and experience of working with hundreds of dogs.
Lecturing on the MSc post graduate course in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Edinburgh’s Vet School - it’s such a privilege to work with the rest of the team to shape the future direction of some brilliant Veterinary Behaviourists and Clinical Animal Behaviourists.
FAQs
+ What makes this special compared with what any other dog trainer offers?
Firstly, as well as being an experienced and accredited dog trainer, I’m also a highly qualified and certified behaviourist, qualified to post grad level in animal behaviour. I’ve spent many years working on veterinary referral to tackle serious canine behavioural problems (such as aggression, reactivity, fears, anxiety, phobias etc). This has put me in a great place to know how best to prevent them, by taking a proactive and personalised approach to working with puppies and helping people like you have your puppy dreams come true. You can rest assured that you’re in safe hands with my glowing reviews from clients (and vets) who say that it’s not just my knowledge and experience but also the relationships that I build and how I share my expertise in an accessible and meaningful way that makes me pretty special.
+ What do you mean by a personalised/ bespoke approach and why is this important?
All dogs are wonderfully unique. Your puppy’s personality and behaviour traits are influenced by genetics (breed, lineage, parents), their time before living with you (pre-natal factors, environment and life within the litter) and your own input (training, experiences and relationships). In addition, every owner will have their own preferences and lifestyle to consider. Quite simply, what seems to work well for one puppy or owner might actually lead to problems with another! With everything from which puppy to choose and how to settle them in to what skills to teach and how best to teach them, you and your pup will benefit from a bespoke approach that takes all of this into account, so that you can get the very best advice for you and your individual puppy.
+ What areas do you cover?
For in-person sessions, I can cover York, Harrogate and surrounding areas of North Yorkshire. For services suited to remote sessions (for example Puppy Match and Puppy's Perfect Start), I can offer support across the UK. Please note that travel charges may apply to in-person sessions.
+ Can we schedule the sessions to suit us?
As much as possible, yes. The vast majority of my 1:1 work with clients is done Monday – Friday between 9am-3pm and I only occasionally have availability for this in the evenings or at the weekend. All bookings will be made via an online booking system which will show my available sessions. However, if you have specific needs, I will try to accommodate your diary requests where possible. In addition, you are welcome to record sessions (with my prior permission) strictly for the purposes of sharing this with other members of your immediate family, if you feel that this would be helpful.
+ What qualifications and accreditations do you have?
This is a great question to ask anyone that you’re thinking of entrusting your puppy’s future with, especially as anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist. It’s important to work with someone who is: (1) up to date and formally educated in canine behaviour and (2) has had the practical application of their knowledge, skills and understanding assessed at the highest levels. Always look for a member of the ABTC (this organisation sets and maintains the standards of knowledge and practical skills needed and maintains the national registers of appropriately qualified animal trainers and animal behaviourists). You can see a list of my qualifications and accreditations in the footer of this website and in the services guide (which you can request by competing the contact form).
+ Can I opt for more than one package?
Yes, of course. For example, if you haven’t yet chosen your puppy then starting with ‘Puppy Match’ before moving on to ‘Puppy’s Perfect Start’ and/ or ‘Well Brought Up Pup’ is a great option. Everything has been designed to help you through every step of your journey but you can hop on or off in whatever way suits you.
+ How do you keep up to date?
I invest a huge amount of time and money into CPD with the world leaders in animal behaviour, training and welfare every year. Each professional body that I belong to has a minimum number of hours of CPD (usually around 30) that I have to document each year. I typically do at least two or three times that number of hours because it’s so important to keep up to date (oh…. and because I love geeking out on new dog-related learning!).
+ When can you fit us in/ how long is your waiting list?
It’s great that you’re keen to get started! It’s always best to book well ahead to avoid having to join a waiting list but if you’re working to a particular timescale or need help quickly, just get in touch and I can let you know my availability as soon as possible (I pride myself on being responsive – I know how annoying it is to be kept waiting ages for a reply!).
+ Is this just for puppies? What about older dogs?
Yes! If you have a dog over 6 months of age, please check out my other website here: www.grettaford.co.uk