A canine expert has been selected to represent television dog trainer, Victoria Stilwell.
Theo Stewart, who lives in Blunham, has been personally selected to join Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training.
Victoria, who stars in It’s Me or the Dog, believes in positive education for dogs, as does Theo.
The canine behaviour practitioner of Old Station Court had to write about how she would deal with dogs in different situations, have a phone internview and demonstrate her teaching to Victoria’s European co-ordinator.
Theo said: “I had to show how I’d teach an owner to walk a dog without pulling, deal with a dog that’s anxious and dogs that don’t get on with other dogs. Then I spoke to Victoria herself on Skype so she knew she was happy with me.”
The accreditation does not change Theo’s day to day job but it will put her in touch with other professionals from the company.
Theo added: “I’ve watched all Victoria’s programmes; I’ve been an avid follower.
“I saw her live in The Power of Positive Training in April and I was so totally impressed with what she said. I though I really want to be part of it.
“You can do training all by being kind.”
The old fashioned way of getting a dog to walk on a lead, she said, is to force it to walk by you by dragging on the lead.
They will do so to avoid pain but it is not good for the human-dog relationship.
Theo said: “My dog would walk near me because it wanted to. If it walks nicely I reward it and tell it it’s a good dog. I drop a reward by my foot. The dog finds it very pleasurable walking next to me.”
Visit Theo’s website at www.dogidog.co.uk