Beastly Thoughts Professional Dog Services

BTPDS in its current format has been in existence since 2007; though now of course much larger and more comprehensive in what it can offer. 

I have been a Puppy School tutor for a decade and have trained hundreds of pups in that time. I run my own training and behavioural business; Beastly Thoughts Professional Dog Services. We offer Puppy School courses, walks and socials. Also older dog classes, workshops and lectures. Last year we opened the Awesome and Rawsome Pet shop and also sell premium products for our clients and the surrounding areas dog and cat owners.

I share my life with my two teenage children Ethan aged 16 and Frances 14. I also have two dogs; Benjimen the six year old Shetland Sheep Dog and Jasmin the four year old German Shepherd Dog.

I run about 15 hours of pet dog classes a week, plus a few hours of reactive dog sessions, puppy socials, doggy socials, workshops and lectures. Our venues cover Wrexham, North Oswestry and South Oswestry.

Last year I was very honoured to be asked to be the Regional Manager for North Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire. I am also Kennel Club Rally obedience judge, a certified Canine Hoopers UK Level 1 Instructor and a Recognised Trainer for Scentwork UK Level 1.

We have expanded from two members to eight instructors and an Administrator.

Only by providing what owners need would it be possible to continue for so many years and to also expand.  BTPDS now offers on average 10 hours of classes each week of various sorts, in addition to all but one Sunday each month being dedicated to Special Dog Sessions.  

BTPDS also is dedicated to dog welfare through the selling of premium food products and equipment.  BTPDS is a distributor for Paleo Ridge Raw Dog Food, Eden Holistic Pet Foods,  Pet Remedy, Dog Games Perfect Fit Harnesses and also Mekuti Harnesses

(Also See My Story – Why I Am A Dog Trainer below)

Why BTPDS?

Bonafide Accreditation

The ABTC is the regulatory body that represents animal trainers and animal behaviour therapists to both the public and to legislative bodies.  Karen Boyce, who owns BTPDS, is registered with the ABTC as an Animal Training Instructor

Continuous CPD

BTPDS Team members attend various workshops and seminars around the country to ensure they are upto date with the latest relevant canine training methods and welfare ideas and legislation.

Think Dog!

The BTPDS Team members are experienced in reading a dog’s emotions and the likely influence this will have on a dog’s ability to learn and work.  An essential skill needed in all instructors

Pet Industry Federation

The Pet Industry Federation is the membership association for pet industry specialist in the UK. BTPDS is proud to be a member of PIF.

My Story – Why Am I A Dog Trainer?

The picture below of the gorgeous German Shepherds is key to me becoming a dog trainer and behaviourist, and the reason I took the path I did and now run my own business. The dog on the far left is Gem. She is the foundation bitch to my Elsonway GSDs; and the Great Grandmother of my current dog; Jasmin.

When we lived in an idyllic Oxfordshire village Gem had a little Norfolk Terrier friend.  Down in the local pub Gem use to lie down with her little mate, as that’s only fair when it’s 40kg versus 7kg, and they would play bite your paws off!  It was so funny and people always commented how cute it was.

Then I decided to breed my first litter and I kept her once mated, as I was told to by the stud dog’s owner, hidden away.  And then continued to keeping her in all the way through to the pups leaving to their new homes.

Unfortunately, when Gem came back out into the doggy community many months later whilst out with my then partner, she met her old doggy friend and promptly attacked her! Yep that’s what I said “Attacked her!”; with nasty little bites everywhere.

It was horrid feeling.  We were confused, upset, embarrassed, shocked.  Plus we now had a vet bill to pay and people we knew very well had to be apologised to. And of course the trust we had with her was broken. She went from being the apple of our eye to a problem dog; in a matter of minutes. We couldn’t understand it.  And I knew all about dogs!  As a child it had been my job with every new dog or pup to teach all the basics; including “give a paw” and “let me take your bone!”.

But they say every cloud has a silver lining and this one certainly does. That Christmas my then partner bought me a copy of Ian Dunbar’s book ‘Dog Behaviour’.  It was one of the earliest attempts at a new generation of modern dog trainers to move away from just thinking dominance and to actually examine in a scientific way how dogs think and how this creates behaviours?  Now, I thought I knew dogs but as soon as I started reading this I realised I didn’t.

This book opened my eyes to the world of dog behaviour and I was hooked. It took me on a number of other bizarre journeys, which I will keep for another day, and which involves the other dogs in the picture. But it started me finding out why dogs are driven to do the things they do.

Gem was the catalyst for me learning about dogs but she was also the catalyst for me learning to help owners who are in a similar position. I love dog training but obviously reactive dog work holds a special place in my heart.

Fortunately for my clients I then started a new journey of discovery of how dogs think!

Also fortunately I love human psychology and luckily for my clients I love teaching people.  No matter how tired I am or cheesed off I might be as soon as I get into a training environment that all just falls away.

So if you have a reactive dog join our rehabilitation programme. With over ten years experience, and lots of success and knowing how you feel makes us the perfect retrainer for you.  

Actually if you have a non-reactive dog join our K-Nine Essentials programme.  You’ll love teaching you how to train your dog!