KAREN DANCE (Head Trainer)
My friendship with Vera began in 2004 when we met with our dogs Willis (the German Shepherd in the picture on the right) and Dylan, Vera's lurcher.
I am the head trainer and I run Puppy and Improvers classes as well as Foundation courses and advanced classes. I also do home visits and 1-2-1 training sessions.
In order to keep up to date with training methods and the science behind them I have successfully completed a five-year degree in Canine Behaviour and Training.
I am an APDT member, having passed the assessment in 2007.
I have also taken a course in T-Touch (or Tellington Touch), a form of massage.
When I was young we had a family dog, a yellow Labrador, but I have had dogs of my own for thirty years now.
My husband and I have always had dogs from rescue centres, and wondered if there was more we could do to help. So we started to become more involved by dog walking for a local rescue; which we still do when we have time. We have also helped transport dogs (a few rats, and the strangest so far – Degus!), and collect food or blankets to pass on to the rescue centres.
In 2004 my husband and I started fostering dogs for local rescue centres. May 2006 saw us fostering a 5 month old Labrador x Newfoundland who had arrived from Ireland with his brother. Six weeks later he became a permanent addition to the family. He was severely car sick and so was quickly named Chucky! My husband has done the training with Chucky, and I am very proud to say that they passed the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze and Silver Awards in 2008 and the Gold Award in 2009.
