Dee

Dee’s professional background, (for over 30 years), has been in therapeutic work; specialising in work with children & young people, with emotional, psychological & attachment difficulties. She has a related range of professional qualifications in general & psychiatric nursing, social work, therapeutic work with children, Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling & Diploma in Counselling Supervision.

 

Also qualified in the teaching of adult learners, (Certificate in Education), Dee has experience in a variety of teaching situations: from formal lecturing, to facilitation of workshops, courses & experiential learning.

 

Having had confident, happy & ‘well-adjusted’ dogs for many years. Dee’s journey into dog training was inspired by the arrival of Beano, (above); at 8 weeks; frightened of the world & unable to trust. We worked hard to try to understand him, what he was trying to tell us & find successful ways to help him become more secure, happier & develop the skills, optimism & temperament he needed to begin to find life enjoyable. This involved a lot of learning & research & resulted in a successful pass of the IMDTB course: Analysis And Application: Understanding and Working with Canine Behaviour, Level 4. During all her study & research, Dee soon realised that there are, in fact, many similarities between canine & human emotional processes & she has a particular interest in increasing dogs’ attachments within their family,  & facilitating their sense of security, trust, resilience & optimism.

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Cath

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Cath has lived with dogs all her life; from childhood Border Terriers; Pickle, Poggle & Puffin, to successfully helping Jester, (above), through to her KC Good Citizen Gold Award by the age of two.

 

Whilst Dee is a thinker, Cath is very much a ‘doer.’ Her professional background is both active & creative, (canoeing instructor & potter): she is a practical ‘fixer’ & a creative photographer.  Cath has exceptional observational skills & often is able to spot things that may otherwise have been missed. She brings all these qualities to training, along with a very infectious sense of comedy & humour!

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Beano & Jester

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Beano & Jester are central to our Hoopers team. They are ‘testers’ for each course we set up & show us if any aspect of the course needs adjustment! Both bring different skills to Hoopers & give us great joy. Beano is fast as lightning, with amazing drive & focus, able to work at a distance & actually run a course virtually unaided; making all his own decisions. Jester likes to be closer, but runs smoothly & accurately & gets consistent clear rounds - unless diverted by the odd discarded treat, or pile of rabbit droppings! She always finishes a course with a little leap of pleasure:)

 

There is a bit of a myth about Hoopers being only about distance handling. In fact, both running with a dog or handling from a distance are both equally valid in Hoopers. The important thing is to handle your dog in a way that is motivating, pleasurable & rewarding for both you & your dog. For example, Jester likes company, lots of praise & ‘whooping’, whereas Beano likes calm handling & to concentrate with as few interruptions to his focus as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Training

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We have both been involved in training our own dogs, with multiple trainers, in a range of activities: including obedience, agility, heelwork to music, tracking, reactive dog classes & trick training. We also taught agility, for 5 years: up to Grade 1 competition level.

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Our philosophy of training is not only about teaching new skills, but also paying full attention to the dog’s & human’s emotional, physical & psychological needs; with every dog & handler having an individualised training plan. In other words, rather than simply offering behavioural techniques to ‘fix’ or teach the dog, a more therapeutic approach helps each dog to work in a relaxed, calm & happy state, in which they are more likely to learn. We offer only positive reinforcement, (reward-based) training & strongly believe in independence, with each dog being helped to make their own decisions & being rewarded for good choices. We do not advocate correction, of any form, in Hoopers, as our aim is to strengthen the dog’s trust in their human companion & their confidence in working as a team. Hoopers is, in our opinion, the perfect sport to facilitate all these things. Given Dee's extensive experience of working with children & young people, we actively encourage young handlers, (from age 5 upwards),  in our Hoopers classes.

 

We have been teaching Hoopers since we discovered it in 2016 & have since completed 3 online courses, with Amanda Nelson, (daughter of the founder of NADAC, with over 40 NADAC Championship titles): ‘Handle It From A Distance’, ‘Hoopers’ & ‘Distance Handling & Timing’. Each of these included teaching & feedback on our handling & performance from submitted videos of our own dogs’ runs. We have also been featured in the March 2018 edition of Dogs Monthly magazine.  Dee is also an Accredited Canine Hoopers UK Instructor, (Level 1) & competes, with Beano, in online Hoopers competitions.

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We are committed to furthering our knowledge & widening our awareness & seek detailed feedback from course members in order to evaluate our work.

 

We are highly committed to making it possible for any dog to participate in training, regardless of fear, anxiety or reactivity & offer both small classes or 1-1 sessions. Our separately fenced training area is situated within a 2.5 acre fully fenced field, so dogs are not only safe but have plenty of personal space! Classes are small with a maximum of 5 dogs in a group.

 

We are fully insured for both group & 1-1 sessions & also hold separate public liability for our farm. Dee holds a current ‘Dog First Aid & Emergency Canine Care’ Accredited CPD Course, (delivered by Dog First Aid) & we have both canine & human first aid kits on site. For older dogs, or dogs with injuries, we recommend discussion with a vet before starting Hoopers & for puppies, we take sensible precautions in relation to growth plate development. Our field & training area is suitable for people with limited mobility, including wheelchair users.

 

 

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