Curious Canine

25/08/2026

I don't have a "big name" in the scent work world.
And I'm actually quite happy about that.

I've spent much of my career quietly training dogs, handlers, trainers and organisations, and I've always worked on one principle: My job is to train my replacement. And my replacement should end up better than me.

I've never been interested in keeping "training secrets" to protect my own value, or borrowing credibility by name-dropping the people I've worked with. I'd rather share what I know, help other trainers develop, and let my work speak for itself.

I've written a new blog about why I'm quite happy flying under the radar - and yes, I get the irony!

You’ve Probably Never Heard My Name — And I’m Okay With That.
Read the full blog 👇

I don't have a big name in the sports scent work world.And, actually, I quite like it that way.There are trainers within scent work, and the wider dog training world, who have built incredibly successful personal brands. Their names are instantly recognisable. They have large followings, busy worksh...

25/08/2026

This current series is now full - thank you all for your support!

Another set of dates will follow soon :)

We are pleased to be offering the unique Curious Canine Line Ups Scent Detection Workshops.
Small group training, with 1-2-1 attention and personalised advice from a trainer with real-life experience in the Scent Detection world.

Dates and Locations:
15 August - Beenham (FULL)
16 August - Ropley (FULL)
6 September - Ropley (FULL)
19 September - Beenham (FULL)
3 October - Beenham (FULL)
28 November - Ropley (FULL)
29 November - Beenham (FULL)

PM or Email to book your place!

04/08/2026

Breakfast: 100% chaos. 🚀

Five minutes later: 💀😴

Atlas only seems to have two settings... full power or completely out of service. I wouldn't have him any other way. ❤️🐾

28/07/2026

We are pleased to be offering the unique Curious Canine Line Ups Scent Detection Workshops.
Small group training, with 1-2-1 attention and personalised advice from a trainer with real-life experience in the Scent Detection world.

Dates and Locations:
15 August - Beenham (FULL)
16 August - Ropley (FULL)
6 September - Ropley (FULL)
19 September - Beenham (FULL)
3 October - Beenham (FULL)
28 November - Ropley (FULL)
29 November - Beenham (FULL)

PM or Email to book your place!

17/07/2026

11/07/2026

Earlier this week I was asked if Atlas and I could help search for a local missing dog.

Every instinct I have wanted to say yes.

A dog was missing, it still had its lead on, and I wanted nothing more than to pick up Atlas's harness and help bring it home.

But I said no.

Throughout my career I've deployed operational working dogs in some incredibly challenging environments, including the extreme heat of the Middle East. Even there, heat was never taken lightly. Dogs were acclimatised, deployments were carefully planned, and every decision balanced the mission against the welfare of the dog.

It wasn't just the temperature that concerned me this week, it was the humidity.

Tracking is one of the most physically and mentally demanding jobs we ask a dog to do. People often underestimate just how much energy sniffing and problem-solving require. Atlas is a dog who gives 100% every single time, and once he's working, he won't choose to stop because he's getting too hot.

Dogs rely on panting to cool themselves, and high humidity makes that much less effective. That means a dog can be producing more heat than it can lose, putting them at real risk of heat injury or heat stroke.

My responsibility isn't just to deploy Atlas when he can help. It's to know when he shouldn't.

I know others may make different decisions based on their own dogs and their own assessment of the conditions. For me, my operational experience has taught me that the welfare of the dog must always come first.

Professionalism isn't measured by every deployment you accept. It's measured by the ones you have the discipline to decline.

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. The dog was located by a drone team and is now safely back home where it belongs.

Protecting Atlas was the most important operational decision I could make.