Since before she could walk, Hannah has had an exceptional interest and particular way with animals. Growing up around birds, rabbits, guinea-pigs, hamsters, gerbils, dogs, cats and horses, Hannah was often known to spend the majority of her time with animals. Hannah’s enthusiasm for understanding life from the animal’s perspective and her seemingly innate ability to communicate with them has driven the path forming a career where she enjoys working closely with animals.

Hannah graduated with a 2.1 Bachelor of Science Honours degree (BSc (Hons)) in Animal Science from the University of Leeds, UK, in 2006. She then went on to study for her veterinary degree, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM&S) at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and qualified as a vet in 2011. During her time at the University of Edinburgh, Hannah also obtained a Masters of Veterinary Science in Canine Behaviour Research (MVetSci). She then worked as a mixed vet in Lincolnshire and during this time, completed a Master of Science in Clinical Animal Behaviour (MSc) at the University of Lincoln, UK, she graduated with distinction in 2013.

Since then, Hannah has worked in small animal practices in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, she has also travelled and volunteered around the world in clinics and shelters, and spent some time working in a large RSPCA hospital and shelter in Sydney, Australia. Hannah has worked as a veterinary surgeon since 2011 and has been seeing behaviour referrals simultaneously since 2013. Hannah has enjoyed providing continued education for vets and vet staff around the world about animal behaviour and how to improve handling and understanding during veterinary visits, rehabilitation of rescued animals or teaching young animals and preventing behaviour issues. Hannah’s aim has always been to improve animals’ quality of life and welfare by continually learning herself and teaching veterinary and shelter staff.

Hannah is an RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) Advanced Practitioner in Companion Animal Behaviour, an ASAB (the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour) accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB), an ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council) registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist and registered Veterinary Behaviourist, a Full Member of the APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors), a Committee and Certificated Member of the FAB Clinicians (Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians) and a Committee Member of the BVBA (British Veterinary Behaviour Association).

Emily has worked in the field of animal training and behaviour for the last 15 years. From 2008 until 2022 she has been employed in several roles within the assistance dog industry, firstly qualifying as a guide dog mobility instructor in the UK then working as a guide dog trainer in New Zealand, where she also became head trainer of New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dogs Trust. On her return to the UK, Emily worked as a positive reinforcement training specialist at Guide Dogs UK (co-created and tested Guide Dogs’ first standardised dog training programme based on positive reinforcement) and latterly was their training and behaviour consultant covering Scotland and Northern Ireland. Prior to this Emily also worked as a Sea Lion trainer in Devon and spent time interning and volunteering at marine mammal training facilities in the US and UK. Emily also volunteers as a trainer for Dog AID.

Emily now works as a clinical animal behaviourist for Dogs Trust covering Scotland, as well as supporting Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice with dog behaviour cases. She has a BSc (Hons) degree in Zoology and a Clinical Animal Behaviour MSc (with Distinction) at Edinburgh University. Emily is a candidate member of FAB clinicians and is pre-certified with ASAB where she is working towards her CCAB accreditation to become recognised as a certified clinical animal behaviourist. From a young age Emily has had a passion for all things training and behaviour and is particularly interested in applied behaviour analysis, cooperative care and choice-based training. She spends her spare time training her chickens, parrot, geese, dog and goats!

During the consultation, we identify the likely inferred underlying emotions causing the behaviour displayed by the animal. If the emotional-motivation behind a behavioural output is established and therefore changed, the behavioural output can subsequently be changed. For example, if a dog is barking at something due to fear, if the emotional-motivation underlying the behaviour (fear) can be changed, then the dog may stop feeling the need to bark, so the barking may stop. Sometimes, depending on complicating factors, work can also be done on the behavioural output (for example, the barking), but a significant amount of the time, the behavioural issue may change without the need for direct influence on that behaviour (barking), because we have managed to change the dog’s underlying emotions.

We use positive, reward-based training methods. We strive to remain up to date and maintain use of techniques focussed on science-based knowledge and research.