ABOUT
I'm Clare, dog trainer and behaviourist, and I set up Hound Solo to offer behavioural support and bespoke training advice to pet dog owners. Although I work with all breeds of dogs, as an owner of working line spaniels since 2003, my special interest is in helping the owners of spaniels, and their crosses such as cockerpoos, to enjoy a close relationship with their dogs. By using kind and effective, science-based, training techniques that build trust between dog and owner I am able to assist owners in shaping and modifying their dog's behaviour to suit their lifestyle. By training their dogs in this way, owners can enable them to thrive in a happy and secure environment and to establish and maintain a strong relationship bond with them.
I have a first class honours BSc degree in Canine Training and Behaviour Management and an MSc degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Training, with an emphasis on dogs. Both degrees incorporated rigorous assessment of my practical training skills and my behaviour analysis expertise; building on many years of personal experience in training pet dogs. However, prior to finding my passion in the field of dog behaviour I worked in people focussed environments including customer facing retail and primary school management and I enjoy working with you, the dog owner, as much as I do your dog! To continue my professional education and to keep my training techniques fresh and up to date I regularly attend seminars and workshops, and complete additional courses. I love to learn from some of the most respected trainers, behaviourists and veterinary professionals in the world and I believe that doing so enables me to provide my clients with all the skills, information, and personalised support that they need to be able to understand their dogs better, teach them how to behave appropriately, and to have a happy and harmonious life together.
Hound Solo was inspired by one of my own dogs, Barney, who sadly died in 2018 and is very much missed. He was a dog who loved to train and play with his family, both human and canine, but throughout his life he thrived on individual attention. He and I were very close and his needs led me to study canine behaviour and training, first through reading and attending workshops and seminars, and then at an academic level. The message in this photograph of us says it all!