Carolyn is a dog expert, writer and broadcaster.
Training
Carolyn has lived and worked with animals for most of her life. After training
and working as a qualified horse riding instructor (and various other things!)
Carolyn returned to her first love - dogs.
While she felt like she had 'come home', Carolyn was so often disillusioned by
the standard of dog training that seemed to be the norm, and depressed by the
lack of knowledge out there to help the public become good and responsible dog
owners. As a result, she became passionate about bringing the principles of
reward-based training into the eye of a public who still hailed Barbara
Woodhouse as a goddess!
"Imagine you are trying to pick a school for your child, she says". "Would you
be impressed by a teacher who shouted, screamed and hit the pupils for not
grasping the finer points of quantum physics? Or would you prefer a teacher who
encouraged the children to enjoy learning, who recognised their own individual
skills, and so helped them realise their potential to be exceptional adults?"
"Choosing a way to train your dog presents exactly the same dilemma," she
continues. "You either go for the old-fashioned approach of jerking on the choke
chain and punishing mistakes, or you can cherish the relationship you have with
your friend and treat him with the respect and love you would a child. Not
really a tough choice? I don't think so, but I still see training classes up and
down the country whose instructors (generally sensible shoe-clad, large and
lumpy women with pendulous bosoms who shout terrifyingly in a tweed skirt)
inspire fear and despair in equal measures to cringing dogs and owners.
"Having neither a tweed skirt nor a pendulous bosom, I decided to buck the trend
and make dog training both fun and fashionable. After many years of learning
everything I could about dogs and the way they think (with grateful thanks to Dr
Roger Mugford, animal behaviourist and ex-psychiatrist to the Queen's Corgis, to
the many others whose brains I have sucked, and especially to all the dogs and
owners I have worked with - who taught me far more than anyone), I decided it
was time dog training entered the new millennium - and the public
consciousness."
So not only is Carolyn a passionate reward-based trainer, but she is also
dedicated to trying to make life better for as many of the nation's dogs (and
their owners) as possible. There is only one way to do that....... the media.
Television & Radio
Carolyn has most recently been seen on Animal Planet's Top Dog programme as one
of the judges - a sort of 'canine Simon Cowell' - and has just finished making a
second series which will be shown spring 2008.
Previously she was seen in unique programme as part of GMTV, along with
friend and colleague Nina Bondarenko. Together they are known as 'The Barking
Babes', and give advice to dog owners in their own unique style. Dog training
like it's never been seen before!
Carolyn has also been seen in many other programmes including The Money
Programme, and also on BBC1's 'Celebrity Dog School'. In CDS she trained Ronnie
Corbett and his two dogs for a special series as part of the Children In Need
Appeal. She was also seen on the Carlton Television series 'What's Up Dog?' -
along with legendary TV Presenter (and friend) Katie Boyle and also TV Vet Joe
Inglis - and not forgetting her dog Digby.
Other television appearances include:
- 'Richard and Judy' as dog expert
- 'Wish You Were Here', when Digby was one of the first dogs to cross the channel
to France on the new Pet Travel Scheme
- 'We Can Work It Out' for Yorkshire Television
- 'RI;SE'
- 'Loose Lips' for Living TV
Carolyn also works as a consultant for other television programmes about of
involving dogs.
Carolyn also does many radio interviews and can be heard on a variety of
programmes talking about all things doggie - these include a six month dog
training series for BBC Southern Counties and regular slots on BBC Radio Solent
(including a live three hour broadcast from Crufts last year!).
Writing
Carolyn is an experienced writer, having been the Deputy Editor of Dogs
Today magazine for several years before leaving to go freelance and continuing
to contribute regularly to the magazine for another four years. Most recently
Carolyn has started writing for Your Dog magazine on all aspects of dogs, dog
training and dog care. So far for Your Dog she has written a series of dog
training articles for couch potatoes, teaching your dog to do the housework, has
looked at the work of the assistance dog charities, has ventured into the
sometimes strange world of complementary therapies, has just started a series on
clicker training tricks - and there are many more in the pipeline.
She has written a myriad of features on all aspects of dog care, training and
issues, and was nominated for the Writer of the Year Award in the National
Golden Bone Awards 2001 for her freelance writing for Dogs Today, when it was
said she could be relied upon to provide a lively, interesting and thoughtful
view.
Her new book the Dog Manual is now in shops and all good booksellers - and of
course Amazon.
Other Doggie Stuff
Summer 2003 found Carolyn taking on a new challenge - co-ordinating a hugely
ambitious new idea in dog shows. The 'Wag and Bone Show' was first held in the
summer of 2003 at Ascot Racecourse and was a great day out attracting over
15,000 people and 7,000 dogs! It benefited seven of the major animal charities,
was a great success. It was so much of a success that Carolyn went on to also
organise the 2004 show at Windsor Racecourse - which was even bigger and better.
Carolyn keeps strong links with many of the animal welfare charities and
supports their work wherever possible. In fact, one of her proudest achievements
was completing the arduous Inca Trail - a challenging but truly amazing trek up
the Andes in Peru - as part of a fund-raising event for Battersea Dogs and Cats
Home. Carolyn is also talking to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People about doing a
similar challenge for them - but this one involves tigers and bicycles!
Carolyn still enjoys training pet dogs as well as training and handling dogs for
photographic and TV work - and there are rumours that Digby is the most
photographed dog in the UK!
Carolyn and Digby have also written and filmed two ground- breaking dog training
DVDs especially for the Japanese market.
She is a Member of the Kennel Club Accreditation Scheme for Instructors in Dog
Training and Canine Behaviour, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the Society
for Companion Animal Studies, and is a Fellow of ZSL.
Digby
Carolyn's dog Digby - a Polish Lowland Sheepdog, is (she says... and
in fact, so does he!) far more talented than she is and much cuter.
He has lots of TV, radio and photographic experience to his credit and
is available for any work that involves stardom and food!
|
