Hi, my name is Vicki. Welcome to The Doghouse FTF. I'm usually in it one way or another, alongside my three furry friends; Bruin a big ol' mongrel, Tai, a 13 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bella a 12 year old Pug and a 3 year old Springer Spaniel called Chip.

 

Bruin has sadly passed away July 2022, but he taught me so many wonderful life lessons - patience first and foremost, and that there are no quick fixes in dog training!! Unfortunately we lost Tai in December 2024, leaving a big Staffy shaped hole. Sad times, but fond memories.

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After owning my first 3 dogs (all Staffordshire Bull Terriers - Kane, Kia and Tess) at 21, each with certain training needs, I became a little obsessed in making their life better, so knew I eventually wanted to work with dogs. In 2004, I started working for a land based college as an Animal Technician, looking after a whole menagerie of animals. During this time, I became a fully qualified Puppy School Tutor, covering the Yeovil area. After 14 years of working at the college, in February 2018, I embarked on my doggy journey, offering dog walking alongside dog training and hand making dog toys. I've not looked back. I enjoyed my time working with such a huge range of animals, but dogs are my true passion.

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I am always on the look out for new doggy courses, and often participate in workshops with one of my dogs to keep my knowledge up to date. 

 

I am also a member of the ABTC. What does being part of this organisation mean? Well in short, I use kind, ethical, choice & reward based training to teach you and your dog. I also have to keep up to date with my own training (CPD) to pass this on to you. 🤓 

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I am also an ACE (Animal Centred Education) Trainer. I use this a lot in my sessions and its an amazing world to delve into. Being an ACE trainer, means I look at the dog holistically, not just from a "training" point of view.

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"BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TOYS"I hear you cry!! All of my toys are made in house; predominantly made out of fleece. My toys are aimed at being interactive and fun. My mum also helps me out with sewing and knitting (yes we make dog jumpers too!!) and I would be massively lost without her help. We have an Etsy Shop and our online shop.

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So is being in The Doghouse bad? No, definitely not! I want to bring you in and show you how much fun you can have with your dog!