KS Animal Behaviour

We all want to have stress-free, fun, and enjoyable walks with our dogs, we have visions of days at the beach and trips to the pub garden. Some dogs find this really difficult, especially if they are anxious or fearful. It can be embarrassing and stressful when people judge you for your dog’s behaviour, because they don’t understand that your dog isn’t ‘naughty’, they’re struggling to cope. Hi, I’m Krista and I help empathetic and caring rescue dog guardians start to build their dog’s confidence and help overcome anxiety and fear-based behaviours. Start your path to enjoying your walks with your four-legged friend again. Back in 2014 I started a BSc Animal Science and Welfare Degree and became passionate about spreading awareness about the importance of ethical, kind and fun dog training and behaviour. Then in 2016, I worked in dog rescue kennels, caring for and rehoming ex-racing greyhounds. This opened my eyes to the world of rescue, where many of the dogs came with various behaviour issues from their pasts, which many dog guardians struggled with, meaning that many of the dogs were returned to the kennels time and time again. I knew then that I wanted to offer support to dog guardians to help them understand their dogs behaviour, so that we can then help the dog with their behaviour issues. From there I have gone on to graduate from a MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare and am now a proud provisional member of the APBC as I strongly believe that we should never stop learning and " Provisional Members have demonstrated that they have the appropriate level of Knowledge and Understanding for the professional role of Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB). They are now gaining the practical experience necessary to be assessed as a CAB and therefore become a Full Member of the APBC. The APBC supports its Provisional Members undertaking behaviour consultations." I too have embarked on a journey with my own anxious rescue dog Max. Max had a very difficult start in life, coming from a puppy farm where he was neglected and suffered from parvovirus. Coming from such a stressful early life, Max has struggled with many anxiety and fear based behaviours including separation related distress, reactivity, and more generalised anxiety to new situations. Max has taught me so much over the past few years as I’ve learned ways to help Max to cope with his fear and anxieties. I know there are people out there who also experience heartbreak and frustration when trying to help their dog with their behaviour after a bad experience or rehoming a dog with a difficult past, and I am passionate about helping these dogs and people build trust and understanding to help support them through these issues. This journey has led me to something really wonderful, where I work as a team with other like-minded dog guardians to help them to empower their dogs through empathy, understanding, and communication. I now receive emails from rescue dog guardians: ‘Just wanted to let you know what amazing progress our dog has made with her reactivity on walks. We are delighted with how she is doing and can't thank you enough for your help.’ ‘I can’t thank you enough for the advice you have given us already and the confidence boost which you have given me.’ It’s these messages that make my heart sing and inspire me to reach out to rescue and anxious dog guardians who are experiencing these same issues, that so many of us have gone through, to show them that it can get better. If you are reading this and resonating with these struggles and mindset, please get in touch for support, empathy and empowerment for both you and your dog.