Rescue dogs are some of the most beautiful souls I work with — but they often carry trauma, fear, confusion, and emotional scars from their past.
With 40 years’ experience, the title Trainer of the Year 2025, and a reputation for transforming even the most complex behaviour cases, I specialise in helping rescue dogs finally feel safe, understood, and confident in their new homes.

Whether your rescue dog is anxious, reactive, fearful, or struggling to settle, I can help you build trust, structure, and long-term behavioural stability.

Why Rescue Dogs Develop Behaviour Issues

Many rescue dogs come from backgrounds where they experienced:

• Neglect
• Abuse
• Trauma
• Lack of structure
• No socialisation
• Rehoming stress
• Shelter or pound overwhelm
• No rules, boundaries, or consistency
• Genetic predispositions to anxiety or reactivity

These experiences shape the dog’s nervous system and energy long before they arrive in your home.
My job is to understand where the behaviour comes from, not simply correct it.

Common Behaviour Problems Seen in Rescue Dogs

With thousands of rescue cases behind me, these are the issues I most commonly treat:

• Fear-based behaviours

Avoidance, trembling, hiding, shutting down, freezing, or refusing to leave the home.

• Reactivity & aggression

Barking or lunging at dogs or people, snapping, protecting space, fear-driven aggression.

• Separation anxiety

Rescue dogs often develop extreme panic when left alone due to insecurity or previous abandonment.

• Hypervigilance

Constant scanning, pacing, barking at noises, difficulty relaxing.

• Resource guarding

Protecting food, toys, people, or space due to past deprivation or insecurity.

• Leash issues

Pulling, freezing, fear reactions, or refusal to walk.

• Attachment disorders

Clinginess, following owners everywhere, panicking if separated.

My Approach With Rescue Dogs

Every rescue dog is unique, but after 40 years of working with them, the foundation is always the same:

1. Build trust first

A traumatised dog cannot learn if it feels unsafe.
I teach owners how to communicate calm, stable energy.

2. Create structure & predictability

Routine lowers anxiety. Clear expectations reduce stress.

3. Behaviour modification tailored to the dog’s history

This may include desensitisation, confidence building, controlled exposure, or correcting dysfunctional behaviours.

4. Teach owners how to lead

Rescue dogs thrive when owners provide calm leadership, not endless comfort.

5. Healing the dog’s nervous system

Many rescue behaviours are rooted in trauma and fear, not disobedience.
My method helps rewire the dog’s emotional response.

How I Work With Rescue Dogs

You’ll learn:

• How to recognise trauma triggers
• How to lower your dog’s anxiety quickly and safely
• How to communicate in a way your rescue dog understands
• How to set boundaries without overwhelming your dog
• How to build confidence and reduce fear
• How your energy influences the dog’s behaviour
• Step-by-step exercises to settle your dog indoors and outdoors

Whether your rescue dog has mild anxiety or significant behavioural challenges, I will guide you through the entire process.