I'm Yvonne
The Collie Whisperer
Passion and Mission
My greatest passion is rescuing Border Collies and ensuring they stay out of rescue. With over 30 years of experience working with rescue dogs – and 25 years of dedicated work with Collies, including rescues and puppies – I have devoted my life to our furry friends.
Too many Collies end up in rescue because they can become overwhelming for their handlers, especially during adolescence. Unfortunately, because they have entrenched issues by this time, many come out of rescue only to end up back in again. I am committed to doing everything possible to prevent this from happening.
My drive is to help Collie carers safely uncover their dog’s amazing ‘inner Collie,’ while supporting them in building a beautiful, trusting bond and connection – so their Collie can shine in their own unique way.
With a trauma-informed background, I ensure that physical and emotional safety remain paramount, as I support Collie carers in building a resilient, trust-based relationship that allows their Collie to shine with confidence and joy.
Pets As Therapy
I am a proud Pets as Therapy assessor for both cats and dogs. Throughout my journey, I have trained several dogs to become therapy dogs. Nala, my spirited Sprocker, is actively working as a therapy dog, while Jedi, my lively Border Collie, is too busy living his best puppy life for now, but I am confident he will be a therapy dog when the time is right for him.
One of my Border Collies was found running on a motorway for seven days before being rescued, just a week away from being put to sleep due to his reactivity. By providing him with the care he needed, he transformed into a remarkable Pets as Therapy dog until the end of his journey.
Working with Me
Having supported Collies through many challenges – including the transition from rural calm to city chaos, and the behavioural complexities that come with it – I bring a depth of experience in addressing a wide range of physical and emotional needs. My work focuses on helping carers build trust with their Collies, establish physical and emotional safety and resilience, and develop sustainable strategies for long-term wellbeing – for both dog and human.
Learning isn’t a straight line – every ‘oops’ is just part of the journey. I’ll be there through the bumps, helping you turn missteps into meaningful progress.
Working with me feels like having a paws-itive, inspirational coach by your side – empowering you to realise that you can help your Collie. I’ll gently guide and encourage you on your journey, one step at a time.
Professional Background
With over 21 years experience as a police officer, I have the essential skills to work effectively with both ends of the lead – the human and the dog. Honesty and integrity are extremely important to me and are at the heart of everything I do. My solid decision-making and clear communication skills enable me to help you better understand and meet your Border Collie’s requirements, ensuring your precious pooch receives specialised training tailored to their individual needs.
Activities and Training
Jedi is my third dog to do agility, and both of my current dogs have just moved up to Level Two in mantrailing – they absolutely love it! They also enjoy tracking and scent work, which keeps their minds engaged and their hearts happy.
I’m a qualified instructor in Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki. Sadly, many practitioners still place hands directly on animals during Reiki sessions – but for sensitive dogs like Border Collies, this energy can be overwhelming and even harmful. My approach honours the animal’s agency, offering healing in a way that’s gentle and emotionally safe.
I am committed to staying up to date with current research and best practice in dog training and behaviour, ensuring my clients receive evidence based, welfare focused support.
Alongside my certification as a dog trainer, I have undertaken extensive additional study in canine behaviour and have completed professional training across a wide range of behavioural topics, including:
- Predation Substitute Training and instinct driven behaviours
- Resource guarding
- Dog to human aggression
- Dog to dog aggression
- Separation anxiety
- Excessive barking
- Loose lead walking
- Recall and impulse control
- Noise sensitivity and phobias
- Canine body language and communication
- Puppy development and training
- Physical and emotional regulation in dogs
- Canine first aid
I am also a Certified Puppy Training Instructor and a qualified Canine First Aider.
Whilst my formal behaviourist qualification is still in progress, canine behaviour is the area in which I have invested the majority of my professional development. Having completed Level 3 and currently studying Level 4, I am on track to complete my Level 5 qualification next year.
My particular areas of interest include fear, anxiety, reactivity, aggression, resource guarding, confidence building, emotional regulation, instinct driven behaviours and the development of strong, relationship centred bonds between dogs and their owners.
Combined with specialist courses, mentorships and extensive hands on experience working with behaviour cases, this allows me to support owners dealing with a wide range of behavioural challenges.
I believe that understanding why a dog behaves the way they do is just as important as addressing the behaviour itself.
My approach is force free, welfare focused and centred on supporting both ends of the lead, helping dogs feel safer, more understood and more capable of coping with the world around them, whilst giving their owners the knowledge and confidence to support that journey.
Fun Facts
- Every night, before I go to sleep, I thank my dogs for their trust in me that day.
- I pick up snails from the pavement to prevent them from being stepped on during my walks.
- I am an author of two published books, with a third one on its way.