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info@thelittledogguru.com

07779 618213

The story behind the Little Dog Guru

The Little Dog Guru is Laura Markey. Laura offers professional training and behaviour consultations for dogs of all sizes but specializes in toy and small breed dogs. She lives in Islington, north London and shares her home with four dogs, a Shih Tzu, Papillon, Pomeranian, Leonberger and two cats. For the last three years Laura has run 4Paws Outdoors, a specialist toy dog daycare, boarding and grooming service based in Islington, north London. However being keen to see her clients get the most from their dogs she has undertaken additional study to enable her to provide top quality training and behavioural advice.
 

Laura provides a knowledgeable and supportive ally in developing your relationship with your dog. No matter how large or small your problem, whether you need to address a particular issue or just want some guidance on training your dog, help is at hand. As a fellow dog owner and carer Laura has first hand experience of many of the most common problems experienced by toy dog owners. Over the years Laura has worked with hundreds of dogs and dealt with many training and behavioural problems. In Laura you will find someone  dedicated to helping you overcoming those issues which may be preventing you and your dog from enjoying the best relationship possible.

Qualifications and experience

Laura grew up with a menagerie of dogs cats, horses and other animals and has kept herself surrounded by animals ever since. Over the years Laura has built up a wealth of experience with dogs of all shapes and sizes. Since starting 4Paws Outdoors she has come to understand just how important it is for both dog and owner to gain the best from their relationship. Keen to understand more about the human/canine relationship Laura embarked on a programme of learning, reading widely and studying with some of the most respected names in the field. She continues to consolidate her extensive knowledge and practical experience by gaining additional advanced qualifications in canine behaviour and training. (Such as the Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour Management, a qualification only open to experienced dog handlers.)

In order to continue her professional development Laura regularly attends seminars and workshops on dog behaviour and training as well as keeping up to date with important developments in the field of animal behaviour. Laura understands that the needs of each dog and client vary and will work to find the best solution to help you and your dog enjoy the best relationship you can. In particular Laura is opposed to the old-fashioned dominance based training methods that are often still encountered. With such a multitude of conflicting training techniques to be found she is very happy to explain why positive reward based training tends to yield the best results for both dog and owner.




Recent courses/workshops attended:

The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors Annual Conference 2011
- Training, a Harmonious approach
 

Turid Rugaas – From the Dog’s Point of View (two day workshop)

Kendal Shepherd – Handling Dog Aggression (workshop)