Why these credentials matter for your dog.

Anyone can call themselves a dog walker or trainer. The things on this page are what you'd want to check before handing over keys to your home and a lead for your dog: proper insurance, a current background check, formal training in canine behaviour, and ongoing accountability to a professional body.

I keep them current because the alternative — a walker or trainer who doesn't — is a problem waiting to happen. Below is the full list, with what each one actually means in practice.

Fully Insured

Comprehensive public liability and care-of-dogs cover for every dog on every walk. Covers injury, loss, and property — the things that go wrong even with the most careful handler.

Enhanced DBS Checked

Current enhanced DBS certificate. If you're giving a stranger a key to your home while you're at work, this is the baseline. Happy to show the certificate at your meet & greet.

CIDBT Trained

Currently training as an Advanced Clinical Canine Behaviourist with the Cambridge Institute of Dog Training and Behaviour (CIDBT). The reason I spot a dog with problems before their humans do.

Member of the Guild of Dog Trainers

Member of the Guild of Dog Trainers — a professional body with a code of conduct and ongoing CPD requirements.

Positively-Reinforced Methods

Reward-first, sensible training tailored to your individual dog. Treats, praise, play, timing — no shouting, no shock collars, no "dominance" theatre. Kinder works better.

10+ Years with Dogs

A decade of professional dog care across every breed, age, temperament and quirk. Experience you can't fake and courses can't replace.

5★ Google Rated

Consistent five-star reviews from Chorlton, Didsbury, Stretford, Sale, Old Trafford and Firswood dog owners. Read them on the reviews section.

Small Packs — Five Dogs Maximum

My operating cap is five (I am insured for up to 6). Smaller groups mean I can actually interact with every dog on the walk and make sure their needs are met.

Photos & Videos Every Visit

A quiet accountability check: every walk comes with photo updates so you can see exactly what your dog did, where they went, and how they got on.

What this adds up to.

Formal training in canine behaviour is the thing most local walkers don't have. It's why I can run groups of mixed temperaments without them tipping over — I read the group as it moves and pick up potential flash points before they flash.

Everything else — the insurance, the DBS, the Guild membership, the small pack cap — is there so the dog I'm looking at is the only thing I need to think about on a walk. Not whether something's covered. Not whether something's compliant. Just your dog.

Everything that sits behind your dog's walk.