18/06/2025
How did Nature’s Path start?
It actually wasn’t that long ago that I decided I wanted to become a dog trainer. At the time, I’d been working at a dog rescue for almost a year, and it really opened my eyes to how many dogs struggle with behavioural issues simply because they haven’t had enriching lives — or because they missed out on proper socialisation and desensitisation during puppyhood.
More and more often, dogs are being surrendered to rescues at a very young age. Right now, the average age of a dog in rescue is just 8 months old. And guess what? That’s exactly when most puppies hit adolescence — they become physically stronger, start “ignoring” everything you say, or suddenly react to things that never bothered them before. It’s at this point that many people feel overwhelmed and give up, because what was working no longer does.
I know that feeling first-hand — I had the same tough time with my own puppy, Pickle.
Growing up, my first family dog was perfect. We never had any real issues. So, when my partner and I decided to get our own dog nearly two years ago, we chose a little whippet puppy. I’d heard they were easy to train, quiet, and had energy levels that suited our lifestyle. And he was perfect… until he turned 8 months old. Then the wheels came off. Suddenly, he was reactive, pulling on the lead, and completely ignoring me.
At first, I turned to a local “balanced” dog trainer. With a lot of structure and management, we got Pickle to a place where he could focus and listen on walks. But I didn’t want to just “manage” his behaviour — I wanted him to feel comfortable in the world, not just tolerate it. That’s when I started looking online and discovered trainers whose methods really resonated with me.
By giving Pickle the outlets and enrichment his breed needs, we got to a place where he’s now unbothered by other dogs, animals, or cars. Walks are no longer stressful — they’re a joy.
Realising that so many of these problems could be prevented during puppyhood was the spark that led me to start Nature’s Path Dog Training. I’m incredibly passionate about keeping dogs out of rescues and helping them stay in loving homes — because that’s all any of us could ever want.
