Wizz & Gorgeous Gizmo

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

⁠I had started with a behaviourist but sadly due to other commitments i wasn't getting the consistency Gizmo needed especially with his ongoing gut issues adding to his behaviour so searched for accredited behaviourist locally i could continue with and your details suited us best and after looking at your website and chatting with you felt it was a good fit for us both.

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

⁠Finding an accredited behaviourist that met our needs has been challenging as there's only a few locally that meet his insurance guidelines. As I'm Autistic I can't work with just anyone so that was added stress but fortunately you've been just what we needed!

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

⁠The ongoing support at anytime, weekly sessions with other stressed dog owners, lots of useful online resources to name a few! From the start We've both been supported and as Gizmo is quite a complex chap due to his gut health things change but you've always been on hand to help. Not feeling alone, being heard and understanding what Gizmo needs has been amazing not to mention learning some mistakes I've made as an owner that i can now correct.

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

⁠Gizmo seems happier on walks and his reactivity towards dogs has definitely improved he's able to walk passed dogs calmly focused on me without barking which is just amazing! And because of this I'm calm and approach walks positively whereas before i was highly anxious gettibg incredibly overwhelmed daily and his stacking was triggering me and i did at points question ownership because it is incredibly difficult.

• ⁠What have you learned about your dog?

⁠I've definitely learnt that Gizmo is incredibly brave very intelligent and resilient to the world around him. It's taught me things to he's just amazing!

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

⁠Having the space and time to be heard knowing how much you care about every dog on the mentorship and that there's more than 1 way to approach issues.

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

 ⁠I would highly recommend anyone with a dog in need of help to 100% reach out to Helena you will get invaluable support for not just your dog but you too! Owning a dog is teamwork and if both aren't in sync no amount of behaviour adaptions will work. Also having to option to join meetings with other dog owners who understand makes you feel less alone because we all feel like that.