ALL ABOUT ME

I did not know where to start with this bit, so I rang my Dad and asked him to give me three words that he would use to describe me. This is what he said: “dependable, loyal, but crazy.” So there you go! Still want to read on?

My name is Laura and I am 28 years old. I live with my partner Martin, and between us we have four children (in descending ages) - Charlie, Adam, Shannon & Taylor. Also in our mad house are four dogs, four cats, four fish and two rats (pets, not wild ones!!). I have lived in Flore for about 20 years and love village life with its friendliness, gossip, rumour and scandal.

My first job when leaving school was as a trainee riding instructor at a local stables in East Haddon and from there I worked at Butterfields near Nether Heyford. I loved teaching people of all ages to ride confidently and to have fun with their riding. For the last seven years I have worked as a show-jumping groom, although I still gave private riding lessons.

I left working with horses to have Taylor, who was born in November. I thought this an ideal time to pursue a career in dog training, which I love. I have been a member of Daventry Dog Training Club since 1999. Here I have trained my own and other dogs on a weekly basis. I have taken puppy and beginner classes (consisting of older dogs, some of which are rescues) and also worked with other classes towards gaining their kennel club good citizen awards.

I like working with rescue dogs, finding out what makes them tick, and watching them grow in confidence. I know people can have lots of problems with pet dogs, and I would like to help them to make their dogs a pleasure to live with. 

I want dog owners to enjoy their dogs, have fun with them, and be proud of their pets. Although I compete with my dogs, it is just for fun (as anyone who has seen me do agility with Pepper will tell you!) I’m not competitive.

I just want to have fun with my dogs, so I have a go at everything: obedience, agility, flyball, tricks and novelty classes at dog shows. As long as my dogs are enjoying themselves, and not doing anything that will injure them in any way then, then that’s fine with me. If I go to a show and come home with no rosettes, but the family and dogs have all had a good day then I’m happy and we all leave smiling!

So, to sum up my attitude to dog training,
“Have FUN! Everything else is a bonus.”