About Your Trainer
My name is Mandy and I'm originally from the UK. I've been a qualified Drug Detection Dog Handler since 2011, in both passive and proactive detection dog handling.
I worked my German Wirehaired Pointer, Drift, and Jay the springer spaniel at festivals, nightclubs and special events in the South, Midlands and East of England.
During this time, my instructor employed me as an additional trainer to work with him on a specialised programme for the Government training Explosive Detection Dogs. We trained a number of dogs, including my Sprocker, Finch, over several months. The project involved a collaboration with two brilliant scientists, Dr Anna & Dr Nina, to whom I will be forever grateful, as they taught me so much more about the science behind detection dog training.
I have owned a variety of dogs over 30 plus years, ranging from terriers to guarding and herding breeds to gun dogs.
As well as scent detection, I have enjoyed training my different dogs in rally obedience, basic gun dog, ring craft (got a ribbon at Crufts with Drift), Cani-X and as a therapy dog. I've also worked as a dog walker and trainer in Sydney; currently I volunteer once a week walking and training dogs in a shelter.
I am a Certified Family Dog Mediator, which combines applied ethology with a wide knowledge of dog breed issues and their requirements. With a CIPD Level 3 Certificate in Training Practice, I can train humans too! My positive training methods are science based; I keep my knowledge up to date by attending conferences, taking courses, reading research articles, watching webinars and listening to podcasts.
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My other great love is travel; I've lived in five different countries, plus living on a yacht for two years with my husband and Frankie the Spaniel where we sailed to the most amazing places.
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Photo L-R: Jay, Drift & Finch on the old Hamble airfield, UK.
