In Katie's own words...

•  What made you decide to start working with me, and where were you at with your dog when we first began working together?

Ive followed Helena for a little while on instagram and had seen some of the stories she had posted around dogs with reactivity that she had worked with. I thought I would reach out and have a chat with her as it was free to do so to see if she would be a fit for what I was looking for. 

Blue is very reactivity to pretty much anything that moves. I believe some of his nervousness is genetic, but alot stems from some bad experiences he has had. He would constantly bark in the house if he heard a noise (or thought he did), would sit staring at the door waiting for someone or something to pass, and also was so reactive to everything outside the house. 

• What were some of the biggest hurdles during the process?

I would say my confidence for one as having a reactive dog can be hard, and when we've had the occasions that have caused the reactivity its caused me alot of worry in those things happening again. 

Also knowing when to do what so that it wasnt too overwhelming for Blue (or me) but Helena was really good with that and sat down and helped us create a plan 

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• How did you find the support and guidance during the mentorship?

Really good! Helena was always available for a 1-2-1 if we needed it to either breakdown something that had happened, or just for advice and support in general. 

• Have you seen any changes in your dog’s behaviour since working together?

Yes! I have worked with a few trainers in the past and they always worked on trying to resolves Blues behaviour, but never why he was actually doing the behaviour. Helena is the first person weve worked with that I feel like has actually listened to me and taken in Blue as a whole rather than just the reactivity. 

She has supported with a vet referral for anxiety medication. Also as part of this Blue was chewing his feet and getting red itchy ears too, and we've also been able to resolve this with her support. 

The anxiety medication and some training has meant that he no longer sits watching the door. He doesnt bark half as much inside as he did before. He's also able to sit with me when I work from home, instead of being separated incase he started barking. 

We have a plan for the training on reactivity, and we are putting in the work to try and teach him the world doesnt need to be as scary as he thinks it is. 

• ⁠What have you learned about your dog?

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He processes things differently than other dogs, and alot of the time just needs a bit more time to get his head around things. He is so eager to learn, and we've been incorporating some retrieval work to use his brain a bit more, and also working on some new tricks with him. 

• ⁠What’s been your favourite part about working together?

Helena is just so lovely, so supportive and shes never made me feel silly for being worried about a walk or training session. The difference with Blue inside the house has had such a difference on our lives together, and im looking forward to continuing to put in the work to see how this can continue to progress to other areas of his life. 

• ⁠What would you say to someone considering the mentorship but not quite sure if it’s the right time or investment?

I would say just book in a consultation and have a chat. There was no pressure to take anything up with her, but I felt supported from the start and like I was finally being listened to