About First Steps Dog Training Helping Dogs and Owners Build Confidence, Communication and Connection. Every dog has a story. Some stories begin with excitement, a new puppy coming home and the start of a lifelong friendship. Others begin with uncertainty, fear or experiences that have shaped how a dog sees the world. My journey with dogs has always been about understanding those stories and helping dogs find confidence, trust and happiness as well as a passion for understanding dogs and helping them become the best version of themselves. Over the years, I have gained experience working with dogs from a wide range of backgrounds, learning that every dog is an individual with their own personality, experiences and challenges. This understanding forms the foundation of First Steps Dog Training — creating a positive, supportive and personalised approach for every dog and owner. The inspiration behind First Steps Dog Training began with two very special dogs who changed the way I viewed training, trust and the incredible resilience of animals.

My First Steps With Benji Seven years ago I rescued Benji my Portuguese Podengo from a shelter in Setúbal, Portugal. From the moment he came home, it was clear that Benji had experienced a difficult past. He was a nervous and uncertain dog who needed time, patience and understanding before he felt safe in the world around him. For the first two years, our journey was focused on building his confidence through consistent training, positive experiences and helping him understand that he could trust again. Benji taught me one of the most important lessons in dog training: Trust cannot be rushed — it has to be earned. Through patience, communication and ongoing training, Benji transformed from a nervous dog into a confident companion.

The Inspiration Behind Helping Others — Mr Tom Another dog who will always hold a special place in my heart is Mr Tom. Tom was an elderly dog who had been abandoned and left to fend for himself before being rescued by Angels 4 Dogs, a local rescue charity. After taking him into my care, I quickly learned that caring for an older dog brings its own challenges, especially when they have experienced neglect and uncertainty. His gentle nature, calm personality and ability to continue enjoying life despite everything he had been through made a lasting impact on me. Although I only had 10 months with Mr Tom, he taught me lessons that will stay with me forever. He was the reason I finally pushed myself to take the next step and dedicate myself to helping more dogs and owners through training.

My Journey to Becoming a 4-Star Licensed Home Boarder Achieving my 4-star home boarding licence from Canterbury City Council was an important milestone in this journey. I put time, care and dedication into preparing my home and working towards meeting the required licensing standards, because I believe every dog deserves to be treated with kindness, patience and respect. My aim is to make every dog's stay as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, keeping them comfortable, maintaining their routines, and providing exercise, enrichment and plenty of individual attention. I understand that leaving your dog in someone else's care can be difficult, so I want owners to feel reassured that their beloved companions are being looked after as part of my home. For me, this is about much more than providing a boarding service. It's about doing something I genuinely love, building trust with dogs and their owners, and creating a place where dogs can feel safe, settled and loved while their families are away.

My Training Journey My experience within the dog training world began through working with a professional dog training provider, where I spent three years working alongside experienced trainers and supporting clients throughout their training journeys. During this time, I developed valuable experience in: Understanding individual dog and owner challenges Helping identify the right training approach for each situation Supporting clients with training plans tailored to their goals Communicating with owners to understand behavioural concerns Seeing how positive, consistent training can transform the relationship between dogs and their families Working closely with trainers and clients helped me understand that successful training is not just about teaching commands — it is about teaching owners how to communicate effectively with their dogs. Experience With Rescue Dogs Alongside my training experience, I spent time working directly within a local kennel supporting a rescue charity. This gave me the opportunity to work with dogs from many different backgrounds, including: Local rescue dogs needing new homes Puppies starting their life journey Romanian rescue dogs Rehabilitation