About:

With over 30 years experience, I have helped solve most pet behaviour problems

After working as an animal nurse with a veterinary practice in Leamington Spa I joined The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association where I worked as a member of the Dog Supply Unit at training centres in Leamington Spa and Wokingham. After returning to work as an animal nurse, I joined the RSPCA Regional Headquarters in Leeds and became increasingly involved with various animal rescue organisations, such as the Blue Cross, Kennel Club Breed Rescues, Dogs Trust and other welfare charities.

I have been a Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) since 1999, prior to this I was an Associate to Erica Peachey BA (Hons) full member of the APBC from 1991. Whilst working alongside Erica I observed a minimum of four cases a week, writing behaviour reports for the clients seen. When Erica went on maternity I covered her practice and clinics as well as my own, seeing an average of 16 clients a week.

I established my own behaviour practice in 1994 and held monthly behaviour referral clinics from veterinary practices throughout Cleveland, Cumbria, Tyne and Wear, East, North and West Yorkshire, Northumberland, Co Durham, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester and Staffordshire. Home visits were also under taken in all counties.

I hold a diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training from the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology and an NVQ level 5 in Management and Leadership from the Institute of Leadership and Management. I am based in Cleveland and work solely on veterinary referral and have been involved with companion animals for over 30 years.

I specialise in cases of aggression, neurological problems affecting behaviour and problems associated with owning more than one dog, I have also been called upon as an expert witness in several court cases.

Throughout my career I have presented various talks and seminars to veterinary professionals, dog trainers, welfare organisations and other interested groups. I wrote the original “Veterinary Healthcare Advisor Programme” for Hills Pet Nutrition and a chapter in the Association of Pet Dog Trainers book. I was the behaviour expert for the BBC 1 Watchdog Rogue Traders Team,  working alongside Matt Allwright in exposing the Long Term Behaviour Effects of Puppy Farming. I have also appeared on Tyne Tees television It’s a Dog’s Life, as well as frequently being called upon by the local media to comment on specific companion animal related features. I was a founding member of the Association of Pet Dogs Trainers (No. 201) and have run highly successful puppy socialisation and pet dog training classes for over 30 years.

In 2007 I reduced my behaviour work to enable me to focus on my new business; opening Carrie’s Dog Day Care, a cage free dog day care facility in January 2008. The two businesses are now run alongside each other providing puppy socialisation, pet dog training, behaviour consultations and cage free day care for dog owners within Teesside, the North East and Yorkshire.

My interest in neurological problems affecting behaviour derived from my own dog Mabel being diagnosed with Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. I am passionate about empowering owners and leading my team by example. I am a Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour & Training Council.